Daily Public Ledger

OPPRESSION
And Cruelty Practiced by the
Spanish Rulers and Soldiers.

Senator Morgan Continues His Speech
on the Cuban Resolutions.

He Quotes a Statement That in the Last
Ten Years' War in Addition to 13,600
Cubans Killed in Battle 48,500
Prisoners Were Put to Death.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25. - In the senate
Monday Mr. Morgan continued his
speech on the Cuban resolutions.

Mr. Morgan reviewed the history of
Cuba for the last hundred years, dwelling upon all the instances of cruelty
and oppression practiced by the Spanish rulers and soldiers on the people
of the island. The atrocities of the
Spanish troops, he said, shocked the
civilized world. He quoted the statement of "an accurate and able historian" that in the last ten years
war in the island of Cuba the
Spanish minister admitted that in
addition to the 13,600 Cubans who had
been killed in battle, 48,500 prisoners
had been put to death. When he first
read that, he said, he inquired of himself what Christianity had been doing
in the world if in this age it were possible that such things could be done in
an island like Cuba, and that this
grand, free republic could sit indifferent, knowing the facts, and not unsheathe the sword and strike to death
the brutal monarch who inflicted it.

Mr. Frye (Rep., Me.) asked Mr. Morgan to state his authority "for that
wonderful statement - that horrible
statement."

Mr. Morgan was sorry to say that he
could not recall the name.

"Is it from history?" Mr. Frye asked.

"Yes: deliberately written," Mr.
Morgan replied, "and written by a
Spaniard."

"Does the senator believe it?" Mr.
Frye asked.

"I hesitated a long time," Mr. Morgan replied, "to credit it, but to disbelieve would have to disbelieve
any deliberate statement made by a
historian in a book of universal acceptance - the American Encyclopedia."

Mr. Call (Dem., Fla.), in further corroboration of the statement, read some
extracts from a pamphlet by Clarence
King, rehearsing instances of horrible
atrocities by the Spanish troops in
Cuba.

Mr. Morgan resumed his speech. He
said that in the battles fought in
the patriotic wars for Independence
in Cuba the blood of the patriots had
not been shed in vain.

'For freedom battle once begun,
Bequeathed from bleeding sire to son,
Though battled oft is ever won.'

That the American people had witnessed those struggles for so many
years was enough to prove their faithful adhesion to national duty. They
could go no further in their forbearance without a stain on the national
honor and without doing an injustice
to the government and people of the
United States.

Mr. Morgan read copious extracts
from United States consuls in Cuba as
to the progress of the insurgents and
summed them up by saying that the
rising had gone to the extent of a
great public war, and that the likelihood was that in the end the Cubans
would achieve their liberty.

When Mr. Morgan took his seat (but
without finishing his speech) Mr. White
(Dem., Cal.) offered a substitute for the
concurrent resolution declaring that
the senate contemplates with solicitude and profound regret the sufferings and
destruction accompanying
the civil
conflict
now
in
progress
in
Cuba,
and
expressing
the
trust
that
the
executive
department will, as soon as the facts
will warrant, recognize the belligerency of those who are in arms against
Spain, and that the good offices of the
United States may be prudently,
peacefully and effectively exerted to
the end that Cuba may be enabled to
establish a permanent government of
her own choice.

The subject went over until Tuesday, when Mr. Morgan will continue
his speech.