The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-03-30

Deg, regard TINS action as an fnop-
perfume act of officialism. You your
self authorized it when you conceded
to me place In your last message to
congress.
Even more. beg you do not regard
It as request for Intervention In our
affairs. We Cubans have thrown our
selves into this war. confident in our
strength. The wisdom of the American
people should alone decide what course
of action you should take.
81 will not speak of the Cubans in
arms. No. l raise my voice only In the
name of unarmed American victims of
u frightful cruelty. / raise 1t In the
name of weakness and of innocence
sacrificed, with forgetfu,ness of the
elementary principles of humanity and
the eternal maxims of Christian moral
ity-sacrificed brutality in the closing
days of the Nineteenth century. at the
very gates OF the great nation which
stands SO high In modern culture; sac
rificed there by decaying European
monarchy, which has the sad glory of
setting forth the horrors of the middle
ages.
Our struggle, with Spain has an as
pect very interesting to that humanity
Of which you are SO noble an exemplar,
and to this aspect 1 wish to call your
illustrous attention.
Look through the world and you
will see how all people, with the possi-
BILE exception of the Americans, con-
template with Indifference, or with sem
timental platonism. the war which
makes red the beautiful fields of fer
tile Cuba, as IL 1t were a thing foreign
to their interests and to those of mod
ern culture, as If 1t were not a crime to
forget in this manner the duties of So
cial brotherhood.
"Well 1t Is that the Spanish struggle
with desperation and that they are
ashamed to explain the methods they
employ In this war. But we know
them. and we expected them. We ac-
cept 1t all as a fresh sacrifice on the
altar of Cuban independence.
1T Is logical that such should be the
conduct of the nation that expelled
the Jews and the Moors; that insti-
tuted and built up the terrible inquisi-
tion; that established the tribunals of
blood in the Netherlands; that an
initiated the Indians and exterminated
the first settlers of Cuba; that assassi-
mated thousands of her subjects in the
wars Of South American independence
and that filled the cup Of iniquity in
the last war in Cuba.
TT is natural that a people should
proceed thus who by dint of super
stitious and fanatcal education, and
through the vicissitudes of its social
and political life, have fallen into
sort physiological deterioration which
has caused 1t to fall back whole CEN
turies on the ladder of civilization.
ut is not strange that such people
should proclaim murder as a system
and as a means of putting down
war caused by its desires for money
and power; to kill the suspect, to kill
the criminal, to kill the defenseless
prisoner, to kill the helpless wounded,
to kill all who are able to impede its
desolating action. All this is compre-
hensible as the way that the Spaniards
have always understood and carried
on warfare
But not to pause at the holy and
venerated hearth, personification of all
most noble, nor at women, emblem of
weaknesses: nor at children, over
whelming symbol Of inoffensive inno-
cence, to bring upon these destruction,
ruin and murder, constant and cruel.
All. sir, how horrible this is. The pen
falls from my hand when l think of it.,
and doubt at times human nature In
contemplating. with my eyes dim with
tears, so many hearths outraged, so
many women sacrificed, so many chill
dren cruelty and uselessIy destroyed
by the Spanish columns.
1.-The Spanish, unable to exercise acts
Of sovereignty over the interior of
Cuba, have forced the peasants to con-
centrate in villages, where it is hoped
misery will force them to serve in the
armies of a government which they
abhor. Not only are these unhappy
ones forced to abandon the only means
by which they can live; not only are
they forced to die of starvation. but
they are branded as decided support-
ers Of our arms, and against them.
their wives and children Is directed a
fearful and cruel persecution.
"Ought .such facts be tolerated by
a civilized people? Can human pow
ers. forgetting the fundamental prin-
these things to go on? Is it possible a
civilized people will consent to the sac
rihce of unarmed and defenseless men?
Can the American people view with
culpable indifference the slow, but COM
plete determination Of thousands of in
nocent Americans? No, you have de-
clared that they cannot; that such acts
Of barbarity ought not to be permitted
nor tolerated. We see the brilliant in
itiative you have taken in protesting
strongly against the killing of Euro
peans and Christians in Armenia and
In China, denouncing them with evil
dence of heartfelt energy.
Knowing this, l today frankly and
legally appeal to you, and declare that
l cannot completely prevent the acts
of vandalism that / deplore. II does
not suffice that l protect the families
of Cubans who join us, and that my
troops. following the example of civil
lzation, respect and put at immediate
liberty prisoners of war cure and re-
store the enemies wounded and pre-
vent reprisals. 1t still appears that
the Spaniards are amendable to nc
form of persuasion that is not backed
up by force.
"Ah, sir, the vicissitudes of this cruel
struggle have caused much pain to the
neart of an old and unfortunate father,
but nothing has made me suffer as
the horrors with which I recite unless
1t Is to see that you remain indiffer-
ent to them.
Say to the Spaniards that they may
struggle with us and treat us as they
please, but that they must respect the |
pacific population: that they must not |
outrage women nor butcher innocent |
children.
"The American people march iegti- |
mately at the head of the western con-
tinent. and they should no longer toll |
crate the cold and systematic assassi-
nation Of defenseless Americans lest |
history impute to them a participation |