COLONEL MANUEL SANGUILY GARRITE - MANUSCRIPT LETTER SIGNED 03/1919 - HFSID 218073

MANUEL ANTONIO SANGUILY GARRITE

The Colonel writes a very important letter explaining his profound admiration for U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and the deep sorrow that his passing provoked him. The Cuban revolutionary also refers to the George Washington's Farewell Address and his deep respect for the United States of America

Manuscript Letter Signed: "Manuel Sanguily" in iron gall ink. 10¼x6½. Four pages. Fully Translated in English: "It's been more than ten months since the distinguished Teodoro Roosvelt [sic.Theodore Roosevelt] died, and his people still remember him so vividly, and right now in the United States a commission is being created to build two appropriate monuments in his memory and also to transmit and keep the principles the constant topics of his energetic production; and many years will pass by, great events will happen, the scary or benefic surprises that will occur for good or disaster of the civilization, and his memory will revive very intensely in the heart of his fatherland and the loss of a man like him, been  will be lamented, he was a man who seemed to had been made by the destiny with the metal in which gifts and greatness were melted, in order to prevent or stop the human storms; because also history produces and consecrates heroes of the word century by century. He was one of them, who regardless the many laurels he picked up in his life, he would give best services to the humanity during his stormy and longing existence. I know he has been accused of recently having showed, if not repentance, at least hesitation and doubts about us. I do not have in front of me his parting speech in which he confessed as a mistake having helped the Cubans in the conquest and independence; but from time to time I read his famous letter dated on September 14, 1906 to ill-fated Gonzalo de Quesada, which I consider a monument, and that should be, once dead, something similar for the Cubans just as the Washington's Farewell Address has always been for the Americans, from which I often remember the phrase that now is in books of manly Americans coting of noble seriousness and kind greatness and that declared: 'and the pride he felt because he was lucky to remove the American troops from Cuba so we could proclaim the independence of the island.' And the thing was that even forced by the Cubans themselves for a second shameful intervention, he once again restored the Republic of Cuba, unique case in the history of the relations and handling of the powerful nations respect the noble nations. And now that new calamities threaten the civilization and heavy dark clouds obscure the great principles that have been in use until now, I really lament his unexpected death, and only comforts me, thinking of the others, the hope that his country always will have big statutes of purity and generous idealism, so it would not have wasted its productive forces and will always offer new presidents like Roosevel [sic]to the small and big governments that respect the rights and liberty, presidents that will feel proud to cooperate in the creation of republics in the American Continent., helping the liberationists during the moments of hesitation and error, and dignifying with a high sense of justice to the ones who fight with ambition and energy." Manuel Antonio Sanguily Garrite (1848-1925) was a Cuban orator, author, statesman, and politician. Sanguily left law school to fight in Cuba's Ten Years' War (1868-1878) and had his first combat in La Guanaja. By the end of January 1869 he was named Secretary of Major General Manuel de Quesada and in March the Assembly of Representatives of the Center chose him to lead the commission that interviewed with the villarenos leaders in order to unify the direction of the revolution and determine the type of government that would be created in the Republic in Arms. On May 1869 he joined the cavalry of Camaguey and six months later he was ascended to Lieutenant Colonel. In 1874 Manuel was elected as Representative of the Chamber and remained there until the next year, when he resigned to join the forces of Mayor General Maximo Gomez in the invasion to Las Villas. That year he alternated between the positions of assistant of Gomez, Department Chief of the First Division of the Third Force and President of the Martial Court. He was a member of the commission led by Gomez and interviewed with Major General Vicente Garcia in June 25, 1875 in Loma de Sevilla, Camaguey, to discuss the requests of the people of Lagunas de Varona and as a consequence President Salvador Cisneros substituted him with Juan Bautista Spotorno. On March 4, 1876 he was ascended to Colonel and in January 16, 1877 Manuel Antonio was chosen to assist his brother Julio Sanguily Garrite in the commission to leave Cuba and organize armed expeditions to the island.  In New York he collaborated with his brother in the preparation of an expedition that had to leave that city in the vessel Stelle in September 1877, but a delay in the preparation of the steamboat and a denunciation made by the Ambassador of Spain in the United States made that the American authorities imprisoned all the insurrects. Normal mailing folds. Lightly toned and sailed. Otherwise, fine condition.