Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-04-14
Power of the captain-General In Cuba

ROVER Oh the Captain-tSenefaiI Ih NuDu
| The following letter brings to view importan
feature in the relations of the Captain-general 0
Cuba to the government of Spain, about which ou
correspondent thinks there has prevailed very gen
eral error:
NEW ORLEANS, March %, 1854.
To the Editor Of the Union:
SIR In your paper of 10th instant | find th
following paragraph:
"Cuba is peculiarly situated She belongs 10
government that is far distant and whilst that gov
eminent gives It's officers power to commit outrages
it does not authorize them 10 make reparaon. W.
are, therefore, compelled 10 resort TO Spain for re
dress whenever the Cuban officials perpetrate
! wrong"
This is the very general belief in this country as
to the attributes and authority of II captain genera
of Cuba; but it is great error.
The authority of that of6cer-the Spanish Crowr
in Cuba-is dual authority, and far exceeds that Of
any other captain. general in the Spanish dominOns
The paragraph above quoted describes very accu
rately the usual attributes of a captain general; bu
higher powers conferred upon the captain general
of Cuba by the royal decree of 25th May, 1925
which is still in force, and which reads as follows
MINISTRY OF WAR.-The King, our lord, whose
royal bosom has been inspired with the greatest
hdence by your excellencys approved fidelity. your
interchangeable zeal in his royal service, by the Judi
cious and well-devised measures which, since he
honored you with the command OF that island, you
have taken to maintain its possessions and TO preserve
within ust limits those who would leave the path of
honor, and to chasse those who, forgeful of their
duty, rashly commit eXcesses against wise laws
and his Majesty being well convinced that at no
time, nor under any circumstances, the principles of
recttude and of love for his royal person which char
acterize your excellency will become weakened and
his Majesty wishing at the time, TO forestall
the lnconvenences that mig ght result from the dvs.
ion OF power and from the complication of the au-
thorty and the attributes of the several officers for
the important purpose of preserving in that precious
island his legitimate sovereign authority and the
public tranquility, has fit, in conformity with
the decision of his Council of Ministers, authorize
your excellency, conferring upon you pendr1ly all
the full pOa0er giUen by the royal ordinances to gou-
ernors Of places IN state Of siege In consequence
thereof, his Majesty gives 10 your excelency the
most ample and unlimited authority, mot only to re-
move from that island all persons, holding Office or
not OF whatever station, rank, class, condition,
whose residence there you may deem pre- judicial,
whose public private conduct shall inspire you
with dIstrust replacing them I'D interim with faith
ful servants of his Majesty who may merit your en-
tire confidence; but also to suspend the execution of
any and every general order decree in regard to
all the administrative branches, SO far as your ex-
cellency may deem proper to the royal service this
of authority to be in all provisional, your
excellency reporting TO his Majesty for his sovereign
appreciation.
= His Majesty, in confering upon you this marked
proof of his royal esteem, and of the high conf
denCe which he proposes in your accredited loyalty,
expects that, corresponding wcrrhily to it, your ex
celIency will exercise the most continued prudence
and crcumspecton, WITH at the same time, an inde-
fatlgabIe activity and an nvariabe frmness in the
use of your authority; and confidently expects that
your excellency, constituted by this proof of his roy
al goodness to more strict responsibility, will
double your vigilance in exactng the observance Of
the laws, In the administration of Justice in the pro-
lection and reward of the faithful vassalS of his
Majesty, and that you will punish, without respect
favor the of those, who, forgetting their
obligations and what they owe to the best and most
benecent of sovereigns, give loose rein to sinister
intrigues contravening their duty and infringing the
law and its authority.
'All of which communicate 10 your excellency
by royal order for your intelligence, satisfaction,
aud exact observance. God preserve you many
years "AIMERICH.
MADRID, May 25, 1926.
To the CAPTAIN GENERAL OF CUBA
1t is in the exercise of these extraordinary powers
by The captaiageneral of Cuba that nearly ALL if not
ALL the acts which deem nfringements of interna-
tional comfy committed. The wording of the
gift Of power comforting upon you penarily, all
the full power given by the royal ordinances to gov
ernors of places in a state of siege will convey
10 the most Obuse mind a clear idea of the ex-
tent of those powers 1t is the most absolute reach
of supreme authority, personatng the sovereign.
When the captain ge leral of Cuba replies to tor.
! eIgn power making claim upon him thai he has no
authority to treat, is well understood by all intel
ligent persons in Cuba and in Spain, that he refers
to the usual powers of captain general If the
party claiming refuses to accept this pea hut insists
by exhibition of force, upon his assuming the
authority for the purpose of reraration which he
sumed to in ure then he does for that occasion
and il is not held 10 be precedent for ordinary
under and within the law of the realm.
This royal decree, which send you, is not hid,
den secret commission of power, but has been
public and published one. Our government, Of
any other that chooses to do, bring the captain
general to account under it for any infringement by
question settled by holding him to responsibility
governor Of place IN state of siege would put
final stop TO all these chickering's and insults, ant
place upon firm and peaceful basis our relation
with Spain and with the Spanish government in thu
| island of Cuba
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. S THRASHER