The record-union., 1897-11-07

| NEW YORK Nov 6.--The Herald
publishes the Cuban manifesto, which
| is regarded as the most important doc
| ument ever issued by the Cubans. The
manifesto will be submitted to Cuban
colonies and Cuban groups all over the
world for signatures. 1t is as follows:
Nearly three years have elapsed
since the indquities and corruptions OF
the Spanish administrative policy i'm
| PEELED the people of Cuba to launch
! themselves into a desperate war that
has been the wonder of the world. From
the first moment the Government OF
Spain inundated our territory with SOL
diers, proclaimed the barbarous rigor
of its martial law, and determined 20
drown in seas of blood the legitimate
aspirations of the colony, weary of bri-
berry. monopolies, outrages and diShon-
or. With frenZied fear amidst the ac-
clamationS of the entire nation. the
Spanish soldiers have endeavored to
make Cuba a desert StreWn with
corpses They have laid waste our
fields and have killed our animals, as
If they purposed to stamp out all life
on our soil. They have butchered our
unarmed men, even when found pros
trate in bed, even when protected by
the sacred shelter of the hospital. They
have driven the families from their
homes, and have huddled them together
in filthy and unwholesome places, in
order that hunger and pestilence may
complete the work of iron and fire.
Such barbarity has proved inef-
fectual. Cuba has resisted with an in
domtable spirit. In vain has Spain
multiplied her armies, ravaged by the
| lead of the patriots and annihilated by
the rigors of the climate. Spain has
at last become convinced that she could
not subdue us by force. She has at
tempted to employ other arrangements
to obtain by deceitful lattery the tenn
porary prolongation of her decrepit
sovereignty. She first begged for the
support, even though it might be only
moral, of the European Powers, which
turned a deaf ear to Spain's petition.
She then endeavored to gain over by
wiles the friendship of the United
States, offered them the exploitation of
our market, but she encountered as an
insurmountable barrier the indignation
OF this great people against SpainS
horrible policy of determination.
1T then became necessary for Spain
to change her methods at least TO
conciliate in some way the world at
large and to introduce differences of
opinion and enmity among the ranks
of the patriots and their supporters"
The manifesto declares that the pres
ent reforms offered to Cuba by the
Spanish statesmen, to be efticacious,
should have been the spontaneous prod
uct of the national conscience. 1t says.
however. that it is but an expedient
to which the Madrid Government has
recourse, now that it has exhausted all
the means of violence and crime, and
adds: mo political change can be sta
BILE or fruitful under these conditions.
What is granted either through fear
or coercion is withdrawn at the earliest
opportunity. But leaving these consid-
erations, which are so essential, the So
called reform is Unacceptable to the
CubanS, because 1t does not respond to
their necessities, satisfy their aspira-
tions or recognize the fullness of their
rights.
Cuba must so organize her econom-
ic life that she shall obtain the legiti-
mate remuneration for her labor, with
in the general laws, that govern pro-
ductfon and trade. and with respect to
her special industry conditions. Her
political connection with Spain would
impose upon Cuba fiscal system which
would render the fulfillment of this es-
sential condition an utter imposSibilHy
now, and for a long time to come. Span
ish domination means in the first place.
and the very least, the payment of the
interest upon a monStrous debt, the
cost of large army of occupation, OF
a navy and a bureaucracy, whatever
may be the term under which it will be
disguised.
THE Cuban, no longer willing to suf-
fer a foreign guardianship, aspires to
govern himself But a Cuban Govern
mnet surrounded by Spanish bayonets.
watched by Spanish navy stationed
all along the cosat, most of our terri
tory, whose laws, if the power of legis-
lation be conceded to it, must be ap-
piled by Spanish tribunals, and whose
relations with other countries must run
along the channels of Spanish diploma
cy. would not be even the caricature Of
a Government"
The signers of the manifesto reiter-
ate their allegiance to the revolutionary
cause, and pledge themselves to help it
by all means in their power, until Gu
ba's complete liberty shall be recogniz-
ed and her absolute independence shall
have been achieved.
MAJOR MOSES p. HANDY.