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Union, especially in the South, for the purpose of presenting the ques- tion before the nation and stimulating the people to think and take .action upon it. In that way I am of the opinion that it can identify itself with the coming presidential election, and the candidate who man- ifests tendencies toward the popular will will be elected with the same ease with which Mr. Polk was elected when the question of Texas was raised as an equivalent in his election. The annexation of Cuba is a measure of great importance and should be postponed for a longer time. As a measure of self defense, the United States should possess the Island, either by force or by treaty (R 288), it should take possession of that island whether by means of purchase or by force, and those who wish to facilitate the accomplishment of this measure, cannot do so in .a more efficient way than by agitating the question through the public press, [thus J instigating the people to take part in the question. This would be the course which I should pursue, and the one which I should advise be carried out as the most convenient in the matter. I wish it to be understood that I am not attempting, by this letter, to dishearten you in your noble enterprise of freeing your country from the claws of despotism. I would feel it deeply if what I have said should make you abandon the cause, or should have the effect of damp- 1ining your ardor or of decreasing your efforts. No great and good object can be effected without enthusiasm, strength, and perseverance, three virtues (no less rare than precious) which you possess in an eminent degree and which I have no desire to weaken or quench in your heart. It would be good for Cuba if the majority of her inhab- itants possessed these virtues. I have no other motive in writing you this letter than to persuade you not to work precipitately and fall into €rrors from which you cannot escape. We should be careful not to take too rapid strides. The efforts of patriots, in order to assure happy results, should be guided and directed by prudence as well as by valor. Falstaff believed that discretion is the greater part of valor, but with- out going as far as this famous gentleman in my appreciation of this quality, I will yet forbear running to the other extreme and saying, as the courageous General Lee says, that all prudence is nothing more than abject virtue. The union of these two qualities (prudence and valor) make the real hero. A heroism that is gigantic and not guided by the times nor by circumstances, exposes him who possesses it to the imputation of Quixotism, and many times it is the reason that many reformers do not realize the good which has been proposed by them, and they h.ave been condemned to see the failure of their projects. In truth, my friend, your plan to invade Cuba with a small party of Americans-a handful of men who do not know the language and who ignore the customs of the country, has much the appearance of run- ning after a chimera, and I am almost certain that you cannot do anything worthy of your character, or which would contribute to the most noble end to which you have consecrated yourself. In conclusion, I will repeat what I said in the beginning, that is, that you must pardon me for the frankness with which I have expressed myself, and also for having occupied so much of your time and atten- tion with a letter of such great length. I have extended my observa- tions beyonil what I had planned in the beginning, and, doubtless the reading of this letter has caused you more trouble than the writing has
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