San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-06-07
\ TOUCHING APPEAL.
Starving CubanS Beg For
Food.
SEND A PETITION TO THE KIND
AND GENEROUS AMERICANS
FOR FOOD,
Recite The Cases Of Awful Suffer-
Ing Experienced In That
Crushed Little Island From
Cruelty And Want Of
NuriShment.


Herald from Havana, says:
A strange appeal on behalf of the
starving and dying reconcentrados in
Mantanzas, who excited pity in the
hearts of General Lee and Mr.. CAL
houn, has been made to the people of
the United States. The petition begins
begging id the name of common hui
mainly, that they may be included in
the charity and is headed, "An appeal
to the United States 1t is now on
its way to Washington. The principal
part of the wording is as follows:
For some time past we have been
contemplating the the idea of appeal
ing to your charitable feelings for re-
lief for those of our people who are
bitterly suffering the consequences of
a most inhuman way of waging war.
The fear, however, that our represen-
tations, might be received as passion
ate and exaggerated has restrained us
from undertaking the task, but since
General Lee, Commissioner Calhoun,
his secretary, Mr.. Fishback, and Mr..
Alexander Brice, the American consul
at this place, have seen with their own
eyes the misery existing here, we do
not hesitate any longer to speak to
you. If as is to be hoped, these gentle
men make their report to the United
States government, of all they have
seen you will find full confirmation of
the statements we make
First and foremost, let it be said
that as an unhappy Cuba, we can do
nothing to help our suffering country
men, the pacificos that have huddled
in our cities. We would be looked up
on as traitors for so doing, and as such
we would be summarily dealt with. We
must not feel for them, we must be
blind and deaf to their sufferings, and
do nothing that can in any way inter-
fere with Weyler's policy of extermin-
alton.
1--WE have to witness day after day
"a case of horror which no language can
describe and yet no voice can be lifted
to protest against them. To Spain we
cannot apply for succor. She is well
acquainted with the present condition
of affairs in Cuba, and so far not
farthing has come to us from her, and
yet we have sent her our money freely
whenever the Spanish people has been
in want and distress.
But what are we to expect from
Spain when her worthy representative
here, Gen. Weyler, Indifferent, cold and
deaf to our misery, coolly says that his
mission in Cuba is not to look after the
starving population but simply to end
the war according to his own notions.
He has converted into deserts Sec
tions of country where abundance once
reigned, thousands of happy homes
have been looted and burned down by
a savage soldiery, ashes and desolu-
ton meet the eyes wherever you look
and vultures feed on unburied corpses
streWn in the ruined fields.
Upward of ten thousand of the VIC
tins of this savage system of warfare
have been crowded into Mantanzas,
without providing for their most ma
tural wants; and after they have been
compelled to abandon all they had in
the world, they are to be seen in
crowds from early in the day to late at
night, imploring charity.
Many a child perishes in the streets
unable to stand so many and such long
continued privations. Indeed it looks
as if our graveyards had turned out
their dead upon us, such is the ca
frantically go begging for a morsel of
bread and whose only offense is to
have been born in Cuba.
at is not possible to give detailed
accounts of the misery that reigns SUI
preme here and in other cities and
towns. 1t is enough to state that the
reconcentrationists or pacificos. are liv-
ing in huts. in the streets Of our cities.
For beds they have the bare grocnd
and on it they eat, If they happen to
be relieved by some charitable source.
Sin another country this state of af-
fairs would have brought on disturb
ances and riots; yet our people. suffer-
ing as they are. have not done any
thing that could in any way disturb
peace. Can there be better illustra-
ton of their peaceable disposition?
Tender and loving mothers of Amer