Ten Years' War - 10th of October Manifesto

10th of October Manifesto

When rebelling us against the Spanish tyranny we want to indicate to the world the reasons for our resolution. Spain governs us with iron and blood; it imposes contributions and taxes at will; it prevails us from all political, civil and religious freedom; it has put us under military watch in days of peace, that catch, exile and execute without been subject to any proceedings or laws; it prohibits that we freely assembly, if it is not under the presidency of military leaders; and it declares rebels to whom reclaim remedy for so many evils. Spain loads us with hungry employees who live from our patrimony and consume the product of ours work. So that we do not know our rights it maintains us in the ignorance; and so that we do not learn to exert it, it keeps us away from the administration of the public thing. Without nobody threatens to us, and without a reason which justifies that, it forces us to maintain an expensive square and army, whose unique use is to repress and to humiliate us. Its system of customs is so perverse that we had already perished in the misery, to not being so extraordinary the fertility of our ground and so raised the price of its fruits. It opposes whichever obstacles are imaginable to the promotion of our white population. It limits the use to us of the word; it prevents us to write, thanks that let think to us, and it resists to that we participate in the intellectual progress of other countries. Several times it has promised to improve our condition, and many it has deceived to us, and it is not left us more resource than to appeal to the arms to defend our properties, to protect our lives and to save our honor. To the God of our consciousness we appealed, and to the goof faith of the civilized nations. We aspire to the popular sovereignty and the universal suffrage. We want to enjoy the freedom for whose use God created the man. We profess sincerely the dogma of the brotherhood, the tolerance and justice, and consider all men, equal, and do not be excluded from its benefits; nor even the Spaniards, if they decide to live peacefully among us. We want that the people take part in the formation of the laws, and in the distribution and investment of the contributions. We want to abolish the slavery and compensate whoever is harmed. We want freedom of meeting, freedom of the press and freedom of brings back consciousness; and we requested respect to the inalienable rights of the man, foundations of the independence and the greatness of the towns. We want to remove from the yoke of Spain and to become a free and independent nation. If Spain recognizes our rights, will have in Cuba an affectionate daughter; if it persists in subjugating to us, we are resolute to die before to be under his domination. We have chosen a head to which we conferred total faculties to direct the war. We have authorized to who provisionally will have to collect contributions and to take care of the needs of the administration. When Cuba be free, it will constituted in the form and of the way that creates more advisable.

Ingenio ``El Rosario, octubre 6 de 1868.

Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Jaime M. Santiesteban, Bartolomé Masó, Juan Hall, Francisco J. Céspedes, Pedro Céspedes, Manuel Calvar, Isaías Masó, Eduardo Suástegui, Miguel Suástegui, Rafael Tornés, Manuel Santiesteban, Manuel Socarrás, Agustín Valerino, Rafael Masó, Eligio Izaguirre.