The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-02
Viva Cuba Libre!

The cause of free Cuba was given an
eloquent and impressive voice, in
Chickering Hall, New York, on Friday
evening of last week. The ocasiou
was the anniversay of the shooting,
by The Spanish authorities, in 1871, of
eight Havana students charged with an
offence of which they were afterwards
proved to be innocent. But the stu
dents, like students everywhere, were
for Freedom, and the Spanish govern
ment needed no other evidence of their
guilt So they were stood up in row
and fell before the shots of their execu-
TONERS. In atonement, Spain erected
in Havana a monument to the memory
OF the victims of her barbarity, in
scribed with the single word, limo
cent" "Storied urn nor animated
bust" could "back to its mansion call
the aetting breath of the young patri-
OTIS, but they live again in the story of
Cuba's struggle for liberty, and inspire
her sons to new efforts for the release
of the fair island from Spanish thrall-
dom.
Bourke Cochran and Editor Dana of
the San were among the speakers.
Cochran stirred the patriotic impulses
of his hearers and famed them to a
mounting flame by his eloquence. 1t
was a subject suited to the orators
quality. Referring to the monument
Spain had erected in Havana, in ac-
acknowledgement of her guilt, he trench
antly said: "That monument, rising to
heaven, bearing that inscription, pro-
claims to all the world that the govern
ment that does not exercise lis func-
tioDs to prevent murder, but rather to
perpetuate it, is blot on civilization"
Mr.. Cochran did not criticize the
government of Spain at home, but the
government of Spain in Cuba. He in
sisted that the United States had duty
to perform in the name of civilization
and in the name of humanity. Whether
or not we had done anything to justify
hope, whether or not we had encouraged
the Cuban patriots to believe that this
government would extend a sympa-
thetic hand in the present struggle, the
Cuban patriot had been encouraged by
that belief. He had taken up arms
against the foreign foe. He had de-
liberately declared that the result
meant emancipation or his extermina-
ton. Mr.. Cochran declared that it was
idle to say that this government was
not responsible for the hopes of the
Cuban patriots. eff the Cuban patriot
is to be exterminated, >" he said, "and we
are to permit that determination, then
in heavens name let us not prolong his
misery by encouraging him to activity.
If the administration cares to declare
for his determination let it say 30, and
then take the judgment of the Amer
lean people on that declaration"
Editor Dana gave expression to the
judgment of the American people in re-
spect of Cuba. "The citizens" he
said, " have one wish, one hope, and
one prayer in regard to Cuba; that is
expressed in those noble words, Viva
Cuba Librel' >" The people of this free
country will not much longer be COM
PEELED to look supinely on while war and
atrocities, handed down from the dark
ages, are practiced within the shadow
of the flag that stands for freedom. 1t
will be the glory of the United States
to secure, by the peaceful exercise of
the national powers, the freedom of
Cuba, as by the same instrumentalitie
she has saved Venezuela from dismem-
berment.