The times., 1898-04-28
Captain Hart.


of. President Mckinley a sad case OF
criminal flibustering in the early his
tory Of this country, and to beg him
to be stern and to exact the fun pound
Of flesh demanded by way of penalty
in the letter of the statute. Never
mind if the statute has been distorted,
| misinterpreted, ard a malversation of
! justice has resulted. Some time ago,
| the American colonies, being then in
/ revolt against England, young
| Frenchman. styled the Marquis de La
! fayette. fitted out a filibustering eX-
pedition, enlisted men and furnished
arms and equipment, which were large
! ly instrumental in securing to us polit
! icaI freedom. Why is this pirate not
( in the Eastern Penitentiary of Penn
/ sylvania, instead of on pedestal in
Lafayette Park, in the act of receiving
a sword OF honor from a decollete fig
IRE OF Fame?
WHAT Lafayette did for us Capt.
| John d. Hart. of the steamer Laurada,
in part did for the struggling Cuban
patriots. 1t is true that he did not,
Ike his French prototype, fit out an
armed expedition. He only exercised
the inherent right of an American citi-
zen in shipping cargoes of such things
as he pleased to the people within the
territory of a nation With which we
then We're at peace. The assumption
that these acts constituted ''filibuster-
ing" and upon which he was convicted
and sentenced to penal servitude for
two years is one of the foulest blots
upon the record of the present Ad-
ministTation.
| Capt Hart was made the victim of
that miserable policy which allied this
nation with Spain against the cause
of liberty and humanity. He was a
patriot and a man, like Lafayette, at
time when the Spanish-Cuban af-
fairs of his Government were under the
control OF the Spanish minister in
| Washington and that creatures as
sociated Tories in Wall Street and Con-
gress. Thank God. the Spaniards in
our midst have been routed, and the
national authorities stand today where
John ID. Hart stood in 1896. There is
a difference. however, They wear pur-
pie and fine linen. and consume terra
pin and Burgundy while he, the sim
pie ana brave lover Of freedom, wears
the garb of a convict and does common
labor in a prison,
1t is simple question which con-
fronts you, Mr.. Mckinley, The Amer
lean people are inclined TO forgive yor
/ for your alliance with Spain agains
! Cuba, because you have promised Il
repent and be good and ayenge the
: Maine massacre. They are willing t
l | overlook your liberation OF Weyler'.
! atrocities, since they believe that yor
were overpowered by the malign infiu,
, / ences which recently surrounded you
A., We do not need TO tell you what they
were. nor who represented them. Blu
YOU have passed the crossing of the
paths. You are now and must be the
: agent and executiOner of the nation
, ! Charity has been shown to you, beyond
4, conception. Now show the same thins
, | 10 John d. Hart!
Free him from his bonds. Open the
horrid bars that shut him off from
: the light Of heaven. Not only lberatt
him. but reward him for the service ht
has done in the cause which every hon.
est American holds sacred,
Do not wait for objections from Mr.
Hanna, nor for technical split straw.
from Mr. Griggs The power Of mercy
and reversal Of injustice lies with you
See that you use it, repentently and
instantly The nation win not Ions
submit to an outrage like the incarcer-
alton Of Capt Hart for d crime" which
the whole Government and people i:
! committing today, win commit tomor.
! row. and on every day thereafter unit
! the foul power Of Spain has been driver
from the Western Hemisphere.