Year: 1873

Bciiigerent Rights for Cubs-Mecting


at the Cooper Institute Last Night.


An important meeting of citizens was held
last night in the hall of the Cooper Institute,
with the object Of urging on Congress the
desirability of recognizing as belligerents the
Cuban insurgents. The claims of the insur-
gents to recognition were put forward forcibly
by the different speakers, and whatever pointed
to the adoption of energetic measures in our
dealings with the dominant Spanish element
in Cuba found ready and hearty approval
from the audience. For more than five years
a struggle has now gone on between the men
who fight to secure freedom for their country
and equal rights for all men, and the
selfish oigarchy which holds on with grim
resolution to the system Of slavery. If there
were no other reasons to sway our sympathies
there would be enough in this circumstance
to make US desire the triumph of the Cuban
cause, and enough to render it the duty Of
every good citizen to extend to the champions
of human freedom all encouragement and aid
consistent with respect to the laws of our



marked by circumstances of revolving cruelty
which have awakened sentiment of horror in
the public mind of America.


1t is not alone that measures of unjustifable
severity have been used against the armed
rebels in the field, that the helpless wounded
have been systematically butchered in cold
blood but that even women and children of
tender age have been made victims to appeasc
the thirst for blood of fierce, icentious SOL
diery. Nor have the atrocities against which
the American people, in common with the civ
ilized world, protest been the result of sud-
den anger or an ungovernable outbreak
of popular violence. Even such poor
palliation is wanting The slaughter
that has now gone on for FIVE
years has been carried out coldly, deliberately
and under the sanction of laws approved by
the government Of Spain, and promulgated
solemnly by the Spanish authorities in Cuba.
We can, therefore, justly hold the government
and people of Spain responsible for the acts Of
outrage committed, not alone against the
Cuban people but against humanity.


Relying upon these facts the meeting last
night called upon Congress to abandon its
attitude of indifference and spread the egis
of the American nation over long suffering
and heroic people. The claim put forward
last night was for simple justice; that the
Cuban patriots should be granted equal privi-
lsges with their opponents, and all the rights
that belong to a recognized belligerent. So
much, at least, the nation will insist upon.
The attempt to cover up the base alliance
of this free nation with the Havana slave
holders under the specious pretence Of tender
ness tor sister republic must in the end fail.
We can only judge governments by their acts,
and if the slaughter of poor Fry and his COM
panions be sample Of what we are to expect
from the Spanish Republic the sooner it is
swept, away the better pleased we shall be.
Republican rule in Cuba was inaugurated by
baptism of blood. Almost before Cas-
telar's eloquent assurance of fraternity
and liberty had been bruited to the four cor
ners of the earth the echoes Of the Cuban
mountains were rudely awakened by the death
dealing volley that robbed a wretched invalid
of the few hours of remaining life. General
Rubalcaba was captured in his refuge, where
he had lain disabled by disease for over
year, and, under the rule of the Spanish
Republic, with the eloquent and liberty loving
CASTELAR, at its head, this wretched invalid
was shot to death. The outrage to our
flag in the case of the Virginius and the
slaughter of our citizens in cold blood
were not isolated atrocities, but the
elimination of many crimes, committed in the
name and with the sanction of that Spanish
Republic we are asked to be patient with and
to support. We recommend these facts to Con-
gress, and ask our Representatives to remem-
Der, when sham sentiment about republicanism
is made an excuse for Spanish atrocities, that
the Cubans also are republicans and Amer
leans, and in both characters have some claim
to our sympathy and protection.