The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-03-05
CUBA WILL YET BE FREE.
Eloquent Appea! Of Senator Vost for RecSo-
milton Of tho Cuban Patriots.

Eloquent Appea! Of Senator Vost for Recoo-
milton Of tho Cuban Patriots.
In tho United States Senate, the
resolution ON Cuba was taken, and an
agreement WAS made as to concluding
the debate. Mr.. White (Dem.) Of
California continued tho specch begun
by him tho day before, contending
that the question OF tho recognition OF
Cuban belligerency or OF Cuban inde-
pundcnco was ono solely within the
functions Of tho executive department
OF tho governments, and that Congress
had no right TO impose its will upon
Tho President in such u matter. AS to
the recognition OF Cuban cpondcnoe,
he said that tho Independence Of q now
government could not DO recognized
until tho reai vital disturbances wore
practically closed, and until tho cause
W tho parent country WAS desperate.
Under prevailing conditions, tho ro-
cognition OF the independence Of Cuba
would be not only contrary t. all pre-
ccGents, but contrary to the actual
Justice Of tho case.
MIR. Vest asked what would have be-
come Of the struggle for American
independence If France had acted ON
the principle advocated by tho Soma
tor from California. Tho American
people, Mr.. Vest said, would have
today been English subjects, instead
Of boing free citizons Of FREQ country.
France, during tho struggle, had ro-
cognized the Independence Of tho
United States and had gone farther
than any other country had ever gono
in q like case--except from self-ipter-
est. She had sent her armies and
tleets and had put upon tho people Of
the United States deot Of undying
gratitude.
"If wo mean to stand by these peo-
pie in Cuba, who arc initiating us and
are endcavoring to make u government
for themselves, wo must help them in
as to say that wo should do so by arms
That is not advocated by any ono in
this chamber or out of it, We can at
least do it by stating to the world that
we believe the attempt of this mon
archy OF Spain to suppress the insur-
rection-to crush the attempt to form
republic in tho island OF Cuba-is
absolutely hopeless and helpless, as
believe, under God, it is today.
81 say thcre will mover come an
hour when Spain can reassert her
dominion over tho island Cuba. 1t is
impossible for Ter to do it. I speak
from the gre teachings Of history
and experiencp. The course OF Spain
on this cont nent is marked with
blood. There was u time when Span
ish dominion extended from tho south
ern limits Of tho United States to tho
most southerly point Of South Ameri-
ca. No American can over forget
those burning pages of Prescott, which
describe the conquest Of Mexico and
Peru when the Spaniards, with the
lust Of gold and tho lust OF blood,
marked their terrible pathway across
those countries. or all that dominion,
won by blood, won through torture
and fire, thcre remains today to that
toothless old wolf the single island
OF Cuba, and Spain today, like Giant
Despair in that wonderful picture OF
Bunyan, sits almost helpless at tho
door Of tho dark cave Of despotism and
grins with impotent rage at tho pro-
cession OF splendid republics that
march on in the progress OF civiliza-
lion and the future.
" Mr.. President, that wolf can mover
.etain that single cub. Ncver can
spain hold the island OF Cuba after
she has lost all these South American
provinces.
This question:" Mr.. Vest won't on,
' is not whether Cuba has achieved
her Independence. The question 10
whether Spain can conquer Cuba. Can
Spain continue to hold Cuba as pro.
vince? I deny it. I say that the 10
long years Of successful resistance to
Spain by Cuba shows that Cuba today
has the power to maintain and will
maintain successful resistance. This
thing a year ago was what the French
call an emeate-a mere handful OF mon
called brigands on the east coast,
some Of whom were hung as pirates
hostes humani-today it is an insurrec-
tion. Every Cuban is a patriot. Tho
Cubans have given up homes, fami-
lies, everything, through the hope Of
liberty. Tell me that a people like
that can be CONG quered Mover Never
Never! Will they be again willing
subjects to the throne Of Spain?
mo instance can be found in which
million and half Of people, COM
binud and confederated 90 unanimously
as they are, have ever been subjugated
except by determination. What
American boy does not remember the
burning Grafton OF Henry Clay, when
he spoke for Greece in 1924, and when
he predicted that 80 long as Thermo-
pylae and Marathon were remembered
no Greek would lay downs his arms
before tho turkish power Wo are
told that the Cuban insurrectionists
are negroes, mulattoes and Indians. So
much the more reason why we should
sympathize with them and say, God
help them in their diro extremity
Liberty lives with tho poor and op-
pressed; not with the wealthy and
powerful. II throbs in the breast Of
the imprisoned bird it has gone with
martyr to the stake, and has takon it's
flight with his soul to God. Liberty
cannot DO extinguisAed when a people
are unanimous in dcfcnsc OF the rights
which God had given them. And II
these people, ignerant and poor, s,rug-
CLING against dopotism, have Initiated
us, why should We content ourselves
with bare expression OF sympathy
with tho causH? 1t Is q mere farce
for ns to do anything else than to d.
clare our belief to the world that the
Spanish cause is hopeless in the island
OF Cuba.
81 deny and ropuIate the doctrine
that all vestigate OF Spanish power
must be eliminated from Cuba before
we can recognizes the Independence OF
that people. Arc we to wait until tho
island ie made desOlate by the hre and