The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-05-20


though unable to attend the meeting to
| night. | send few words OF sympathy
| and of hope for the relief and indepcn
| dence of Cuba.
"As wish to see the United States de
clare and maintain the independence OF
| the island as France did that of the
American colonies and made the United
States a nation, of course | shall, as q
practical friend. vote for every minor
method tending to the same benehcent
end hope and believe that congress
and the president will soon formally rec
ognZe a state of war and Cuban bellig-
erency. This step. followed as it will be,
by all the other independent nations OF
the western hemisphere, can not fail to
assure the Cuban independence, which Is
sought for.
"Morcover, without delay. we ought to
send Il fleet to enter the harbOr and an
army to land upon the soil of Cuba: first,
to protect the lives Of American citizens,
and, second. TO stop the atrociOus and I'M
civilized methods of warfare adopted by
the Spanish generals.
"In advocating all these measures | am
conscious of no passionate hostility to
Spain. In 1861 she recognized the
southern confcdcracy within less than
three months after its military struggle
began. and surely If she can not hold
Cuba without making it one vast desert
and graveyard by driving the inhabi-
tants into the cities 10 staryc and by
hanging. shooting or garroting Cuban Oifi-
GERS and soldiers for rebellion and in
condiarism. she ought to leave the island
If between 1861 and 1860, one con
fcdcrate general had been thus put TO
death. all the powers Of Europe, with one
MI I,tts an
armies 5000 miles across the ocean to end
such barbarOus warfare and to establish
and maintain the southern cOnfedcracy.
Yet Gen. Robert Il. Lee and all his gen
erals were as truly guilty of rebellion
and inccndiarism ms was Theodore Men
deZ Gonzales. who was shot for that of
Tense ut Cabanas fortress in Havana on
Monday last.
I'VE blame England for abandoning
the harmless and peaceful Armenian
Christian to massacre by the MOslcms
and 50 submitting the liberty,loyying
Greeks to slaughter by the Turkish
desp0t. England retorts that we dare
not stop the methods Of uncvilzed war
fare applied ut our very doors in the
American Crete-the fair island of
Cuba-and both the charge and counter
charge are justly made. In helping to
make Cuba independent we are using
traditional and universal American
policy, the duty to promote mt the first
good opportunity the severance OF Cuba
from Spain. In 1896 also the democrats
pledged themselves to do this by their
declaration Of sympathy for the people
of Cuba in their heroic struggle for lib
erty and independence and the rcpubli
cans by their promise that the United
States should cndeavOr to restore peace
and give independence to the island
"rhcrc need be little fear that these
pledges will be violated. President Nc
Kinlcy willingly recognizes the binding
force Of the platform upon which he
was elected and will soon do his part to-
wards making Cuba free and mdcpcn-
dent. He may proceed with what will
seem to inpatient spirits to he undue
caution. with the cries and groans ring
ing in his ears of the unarmed men,
women and children. enduring inhuman
cruelty and dastardly murder but he
will not he unfathful to his pledges and
he will before long register the decree
which went forth in his triumphant cleo
ton. that Cuba should be taken from
the control of pain and made peaceful
and independent. In this faith in
great party and its president let us rest
patiently and most hopefully. Very re-
spectfully,
civilian Il. CHANDLER"
Mr. Karl Decker of Washington, who.
rs correspondent of the New York Jour