Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-06-21
ALUMNI DAY

'"u Concord they met the enemy VIII,
the pitch forks of war I I,!',y s slo,'
the rampar,s Of Bunker Hill; chafs &C.
fine enemy at Bennington ana saw W."
surrender of the English at lofK'o" Il
Where Washington and his army pre-
ao n the tableau of Liberty enlighten-
ing the world ,no,to1 in
The next battle Ct Liberty enacted III
fine American field occurred IN the SUNNI
Southern cline where greedy seekers
, fer uoId sold human beings upon lne
nnction block. The curtain bell III tae
shane of Sumptcr shot sounded. Inc
rrodedv commenced, Two companies
contested for supremacy. one WAS NV, rno
Union. the other the Confederate. ne
victims of the tragedy were those VINO
fell Mt Bull Run, Gettysburgh, Antletain'
Lookout Mountain, Cedar Creek thicA-
amauoa, the Wilderness, SpoiisylVahl"
and Pctcrsburgh. ,,;.
The battle Of Liberty which at this
hour obsorbs our attention; which oc-
c,,pies our thoughts; which fills many
homes with sorrow, and which will MAKE
many vacant chairs in our fair land Is
the world famed "Cuban Drama Wnien
is the battle of the oppressed and dying
ncop]e for life aud independence. Inc
prologue opened when Columbus ana
his Spanish company in October l492
landed upon Cuban soil. Here amlo
the gay scenes of nature was the yelloW.
FLAG given to the breeze aud the lanu Oh
Ferdinand and Isabella claimed title to
the .Oucen of the Antilles Inc
struggle has filled the rivers and har-
Lors with blood of warning armies, MI
ed city streets with dying innocent Vie,
tins of the Spanish butchers; destroyed
an American hattleship; and murdered
more than 200 American sailors. 1t
has brought declaration of war by the
foremost Republic against the cruel oy-
ing monarchy which sent Columbus
to the Western Hemisphere. 1t has NIL
ed the eyes with tears for loved ones at
the front and caused many Of our youth
full volunteers to rclinquish life's golden
prospects that Columbia might be ever
true to her mission of giving liberty to
the neighbors at our door, and that under
our liberty banner another struggling
people might be released from the chains
of tvrants. After the prologue the first
act opened with the commencement o.
the ten years war in 1868, Cuba as the
dwarf Spain as the giant Shed torrents
Of blood, and spent millions of dollars
but Spain still used the methods of the
tgrant. The tragedy did not end. At
the close of that war Cuba had almost
gained her freedom, but the brave actors
deceived by Spanish diplomacy and be-
ING careworn and weary of the fight laid
down their arms under promise of home
rule. Spain forgot. The second act
opened April 10, 1898 when the lone
star of the Cuban Republic was raised
on the east end of the island by brave
Gomez. The island has been burden
ed with war because Spain has no love
for her richest colony. To shake off the
Spanish yoke, the native negro and the
rich merchant march together. Cuban
homes haye been berett of fathers, sons,
husbands and brothers. SPANS youth
and hope have fallen by Cuban bullets,
the victims of "Yellow jack BY the
orders of companion to a Nero in
nocent wives, mothers, children and old
men have been driven to the streets to
die of starvation, A friendly visit was
paid by our Battleship Maine to Havana
llarbor only to have it destroyed and
2G6 names added to our roll of honor,
while Spanish officials clinkcd the glass
as they cheered the man who DESTROYED
the Maine.
Time allows only a passing mention
of the leading actors in the Cuban trag-
edy. We would not forget the gray
little man with fox-like eye who com
mands the Cuban forces, the world
famed, the honest and fearless Gomez.
He will be known as the Liberator of
Cuba.
Rome had a Caesar, France Bona
parte, England a Wellington, America
Grant, but Cuba gives to the world the
name OF hero who in days TO come
will he in the list of great generals
Alacco, the great Cuban soldier. Twcn-
'y-three bullets could not kill this won
derful mulaIlo. 1t required an act of
treachery to send this greatest fighter
OF his race TO the battle-ground of Elcr
nifty. Irvine about him the garlands of
nature, scatter about his tomb the wild
flower, and forever above him nv the
fair flag Of the Cuban republic.
The directing hand of the Cuban re-
bellion was noble Jose Marti. At the
commencement of the present struggle
Marti rode througout the Cuban island
with the rank of major general aud in
his own words and rs he wished "under
the palms, on a white steed with his
face to the sun Jose NIarti fell" His
breast was ridd)ed with bullets. his
mouth disiigured and his golden tongue
forever silent.
The hcroines have been Matilda. Mrs.
Palma, Evangeline Cisneros and thous-
ands OF other self-inspired Cuban
women. The villains have been Cam.
pos, Weyler and their murderers and
robbers. ''
The third act opened in the American
congress when those historic halls
resounded with the sober words of our
Senator Proctor, telling of the murdered
mothers, wives and children and of the
terrible scenes he witnessed in his Eob.
iuary trip across the island; when
these halls rang with eloquence of a M.
I'VE Washington county boy, Senator
Johh M. Ihurston, who exclaimed, IL
Jake my patriotism from the fac and
not the Wall street stock ticker.n LouI
c c, greeted Senators Gallinger and