Speech #430078736

I allude to the subject only to show that our people suffer loss by tie civil war il Cuba. and that they are sensible thereof. and for this and. other more potent reasons desire that our Government shotdd take properand becoming action. such as will tend to restore peace and establish a liberal government in the island. That such is the public sentiment of Florida appears from the declarations made of them by the Legislature of the State. that the people have given expression to their sympathy with tre Cuban patriots in the most emphatic and positive manner I am able to assert. What has tended forcibl to arouse feelings of interest iit behalf of the Cubans and dislike of Spanish rule in Cuba has been the forced emigration to Florida of thousands of native Cubans who fled to the United States to escape fromnthe cruel aid arbitrary rule which exists in their native land. These people were cut off from thoi contrymen who are in arms against Spain aid had no other refuge front death or imprisonment save in voluntary exile. with them came inany fal thful servants of the colored race. whose stories of the wrongs and iujuries which are inflicted by the military tyrants who hold sway in Cuba are such thdt the coloied citizens of Florida are specially affected thereby as well as by the continuance of African shivery in Ciba. alnd they are anxious that the United States should extend some aid to those who are lighting in Cuba to procure freedom for all ift. inhabitants without respect to race. So strong is this feeling among the colored citizens of Florida that thousands of them would gladly give their active assistance to the Cubans.