Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-05-22
THE CAUSE OF CUBA

the slaughter
WASHINGTON, May 17.-An enthusi-
astic audience of men and women,
| many of them we'll known in Washing
| ton, packed the Columbia theater to its
doors yesterday afternoon at monster
mass meeting held in behalf of the
cause of the Cuban insurgents The
theater was appropriately decorated.
Seated on the platform and participat-
| ing in the exercises were Senators Gal
linger and Allen, ex-senator Butler, OF
South Carolina; Rev. Hugh johnson.
pastor of the Metropolitan Metho-
dist church; Rev. Howard Wilbur En-
mis- and a number of others identified
with the interests Of the insurgents.
Gen. William Henry Brown, presi-
dent Of the Cuban league, called the
meeting to order and introduced Sena-
tor Gallinger as the presiding officer.
The latter made brief address and
read number of letters and kilograms
of regret, among them being those
from Senators Frye and Burrows and
Commander Clarkson, of the G.. A. R.
Mr.. Chandler's letter was as follows:
WASHINGTON D. c., May 10
Senor 4. Il. Aguire, Washington, D. c.:
DEAR Saskatchewan unable to attend the
meeting tonight, send few words Of SYM
| pathy, and OF hope for the relief and indepen-
dence OF Cuba.
As l wish to see the United States declare
and maintain the independence Of the island as
France did that OF the American colonies, and
made the United States q nation, Of course
shall nrac.ieal frfpnd
minor method tending to the same benehcent
| end hope and believe that congress, and the
president will soon formally recognize state
| of war and Cuban belligerency. This step, fol-
lowed, as it will be by all the other independent
| nations Of the western hemisphere, cannot fail
| to insure the Cuban independence which is
sought for.
Moreover without delay, we ought to send
| fleet to enter the harbor and an army to land
| upon the soil of Cuba first to protect the lives
| and property of American citizens, and Sec
ondly, TO stop the atrocious and uncivilized
| methods OF warfare adopted by the Spanish
| generals
| In advocating all these measures am con-
| scious OF no passionate hostility to Spain. In
| 1851 she recognized the southern confederacy
| within less than three months after its mill
| tary struggle began; and surely, il she cannot
| hold Cuba without making it one vast desert
| and graveyard by driving the inhabitants into
the cities to starve, and by hanging, shooting
| or garrotng Cuban officers for rebellion and in
| cendiarism she ought to lose the island. II be-
| tween 1861 and 1855 one confederate general had
| thus been put to death, all the powers OF Eu-
rope, with one accord, would have sent their fleets
| and armies 5000 miles across the ocean to end
| such barbarous warfare and to establish and
| maintain the southern confederacy. Yet Gen.
| Robert f. Lee and all his generals were as
truly guilty OF rebellion and incendiarism as
was Theodore Mcndez Gonzales, who was shot
| for that ofense at Cabanas fortress, In Havana.
| on Monday last.
We blame England for abandoning the harm
less and peaceful Armenian Christians to mas
sacre by the Moslems and for submitting the
| liberty-lovng Greeks to slaughter by the Turk
ish despot England retorts that dare not
stop the methods Of uncivilized warfare at our
very doors in the American Crete-the fair is
land Of Cuba-and both charge and counter
charge ar iu ,y made.
In helpia w make CUBA indepelaenl VIC are
observiaz Z traditional sud unigeggli Amer
lean policy, the duty No promote at tne frst
good opportunity he sversaca q; cuba fgasp
Spain. 0 800 also Ais denocratS pledged
themselves u 10 ,Als b. hetr declaration ot
| sympathy for the people OF Cuba in their heroic
struggle for liberty and independence; and
the republicans by their promise that the Uni
| ted States should endeav0r to restore peace
| and give independence to the island" There
| need be little fear that these pledges will
| be violated. President Mckinley will
| ingly recognizes the binding force
of the platform upon which he was
| elected and will do his part towards making
Cuba free and independent He may proceed
| with what will seem to impatient spirits
| to be undue caution, with the cries and groans
ringing in his ears of unarmed men, women and
| children enduring inhuman cruelty and das-
tarily murder, but he will not fail to be faith.
| full to his pledges, and he will before long reg.
lister the decree which went forth in his tri-
| umphant election that Cuba should be taken
| from the control of Spain and made peaceful and
| Independent. In this faith in great party and
| its president let us rest patiently and hopefully
Very respectfully.
| WILLIAM T.. CHANDLER.
Mr.. Karl Decker, of Washington,
who. as correspondent of the New York
| journal, spent some time in Cuba,
| much of it with branch of the Cuban
army in Santa Clara province, gave
description of affairs existing and OF
the pitiable plight of many of the
people suffering for the necessaries OF
life. He ridiculed the claims set out
by Gen. Weyler that the island had
been pacifed, and said that if the
Cubans were granted belligerent rights
by the United States they would GER.
tainly win. Mr.. Decker has just re.
turned from Cuba.
In the course of some intere sting re,
marks, Senator Allen, of Nebraska,
humorously declared there was no di.
vision in the popullst ranks on the
question of Cuban liberty. In this
whole matter he thought there had
been too much sacrifice to spirit OF
commercialism, and it was time this
government had little more humanity
and little more Americanism. He de.
clared that the United States could not
afford to have decaying monarchy
with foothold on this continent, and
he would be delighted to see Spain and
the Ottoman empire wiped from the
map of Europe. If the president were
to send fleet to Havana, war in the
island would cease IN 30 days and il
would not be necessary to fire gun.
If the United States should say to
Spain 'you shall not war upon the
hospitals, upon women and upon child.
hood" Weyler's occupation would be
gone.
Mrs Clara Belle Brown, Of the Wo-
mans National Cuban league, said the
league had but one platform, one aim
and one end, and that end was the es-
tablishment of the republic of Cuba
Remarks were also made by Rev. DR..
Kent, Mrs. Lincoln, vice-director of the
Woman's league, and Rev. Howard
| Wilbur Ennis.
Ex-senator Butler of South Caro-
| lima read series of resolutions, which
had been prepared, and these were
unanimously adopted. They earnestly
protest against the "barbarous and
inhuman methods of Spain in conduct
ing the war in Cuba, declare that this
government should recognize the in
surgents as belligerents, and that Cuba
has demonstrated that it is her mani
fest destiny that, like Mexico. she
should be free and independent with
out the payment Of indemnity"
WENT THROUGH A TRESTLE.
| An Accident Which Resulted In . Long