The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1898-04-15
Tho Augu y the vultu, es,

The ancients were superstituous.
When in trouble with other powers,
when in battle or about to go into bat
tie, the flight of birds we're noted and
from their movements auguries of good
or evil were drawn. Even supersti-
tions have foundations of fact. When
the vultures of Cuba left the islands
fsmished dead, and the next morning
after the wreck of the "Maine," came
and on expactant wings lowered over
the spot where the brave men of the
great ship had been assassinated in
their sleep, could some ancient seer
been near, he would have read an au-
curry in their loathsome presence, and
have given would have been in these
words: "The coming of these i'll
omened scavengers means that any ma
ton that will not avenge the assassina
ton of its defenders will itself in turn
become the prey of vultures in some
form, for such a nation is not fit to
cumber the earth"
1t is true that Fate has its own vul-
lures to sometimes execute its edicts.
Through the watches of more than
century, the mothers of Cuba have been
praying for respite for their children.
In that accursed spot in the old days,
ten thousand slaves per annum, fer
five and fifty years were landed an |
sold. There was no God to hear their
prayers apparently, but they were not
altogether unavenged. Out of their
degradation the germs of the yellow
fever expanded into active life and tens
of thousands died under their sting.
In late years free mothers have taken
up the prayers, but the answer to them
has been long delayed. Our Nation,
Boosting of its liberty and its justice,
has seen that island swept repeatedly
by devastating wars, wars accompanied |
by that refined cruelty which only |
Spaniards can invent, and we have not |
lifted hand, even when the incidents
Of the wars involved unspeakable out
RACES to women and the murder by |
savage soldiery of little children. Not |
only have we watched these atrocities
but we have known that in Spain her
self, tens and hundreds OF thousands of |
poor peasant mothers have watched in
vain for the coming back of their sous
who went away to give their lives to
perpetuate the cruelties of the Govern
ment over them. Possibly the destruc-
ton Of our great battleship and her
crew was necessary to give the Repub
lie the needed shock to quicken the
minds of the people to a sense of the
duty which they have so long neglected
to perform. May be it was necessary
for the vultures to hover over that pit
able wreck with the dead within il to
quicken the minds of the American
people to sense of the duty which is
theirs. May be it was necessary for
kings who trade in human lives and for
the sordid men of our own Nation who
trade on the sweat drops of the people
to be electrified by the spectacle of
this Republic aroused to perform a
solemn and patriotic duty. 1t is with
such thoughts as these that the people
Of this country have for forty-five days
held in their minds the picture of those
lowering over that wreck and
have been in low tones repeating:
"The coming Of those i'll omened
means that any nation that
will not ayenge the assassination of its O..
defenders will itself in turn become the
prey of vultnres in some form, foi such u
q nation is not fit to live!"-Salt Lake
Tribune.