Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-04-29

1
y terest, lust of power and dominion. ipoli
g nation and expediency, have 50 much in
G fiuencc upon the conduct of government.
y in their dealings with each other that tn,
law of nations has been construed rather
according to the wish and the will of the
strongest Power than according to the
y true comfy that all peoples with any
a sense of honor ought to respect and insis,
!, upon. 1t thus happens that each govern.
: ment has come to some extent to be a Law
unto itself. There can be no doubt, how.
ever, and / believe no member of thi,
: House doubts, that the comfy which
; ought to exist between friendly Powers
2 requires the government of every nation,
IN all Its departments, to maintain strict
and impartial neutrality in all cases OF
/ civil war between friendly Powers. This
Is true even when the instruction or rev.
oiution has become so far success as TO
have established de fdct0 government
In Wheaton's Treatise on International
Law, edited by X. IL. Dana, Jr, / find the
following:
'Until the revolution is consnmmated. while
the vi war involving contest for the govern
msnt continues. other states may remain iDdiner-
ent spectators Of the controversy, still continuing
to treat the ancient government sovereign and
thf ue TdCtO as a society entitled to
the rig hts OF war a<ain-t ats enemy; or may es-
pouse the lights Of the parry which they believe to
nave Justice on its side. In the first the for
egn state fulfls all It's obliga'iJIs under the law
Of nations, aud neither party has any right 10
complain. provided II maintains a striet impair
I tiality. In the latter IL becomes. of eourS the
enemy OF the party against whom il declares it,
ami the ally OF the TUeat-t tird Section
+ eight editt0n.
Z This Is the law, and / proceed, Mr.
Speaker, 10 set forth our practice ia con-
formity TO il.
The conduct Of this government, in iis
treatment OF the instructions in the
Spanish American provinces, deserves the
most careful consideration in its bearing
upon the action which this House j. asked
TO take. Although our relations with
Spain were then not of the most friendly
character, we gave no sign of recognition
or official act of sympathy until long after
the colonies had achieved their actual in
dependence.
Buenos Ayres declared its indepen-
dence of Spain in 1916, after having in
fact maintained AN indeps .ident form OF
government under the protection Of Spain
since 1910. This example was almost i'm
medIately followed by the successful re-
volt OF many other South American prov
lnces. These revolutions were then looked
upon by the ardent and hopeful friends of
tree government with great interest, and
enlisted the warmest sympathy of many
people IN the United States. Our gov
ernment took early measures To ascertain
the exact state of alt hrs ia South America
but made no public expression of it,
sympathy 10y any department of the gov
eminent until the Independence of the
South American states had been in fact
secured, MIR. Clay. one of the most ardent
friends Of the new governments, in March,
1918, IN his place in the House. moved an
appropriation for the outfit and salary of
munster 4" the provinces of Rio de Ia
Plata. In biz sI',snh i'll support Of that
motion he said
Gle ii not mlinttin that cyct, INN, .,,,, rev
oiutun. every u-urper before III Ios.. ~ con-
solidated. ought 10 b. recognized;
tore.t as well as our neutral aiti ude required "a
10 recognize any e-tlb I2hei government IN span
III Amer ca and tn the Unitet rrosinae, Of
thu river Pa'a Was such a government
1t will be noticed that Mr.. Clay then
proposed no action that was not ba.ed
upon the fact that government had been
actually established. He propo.cd no in
reference with or declaration respecting
an immature revolution" or a power
+ RblCn ndl not become consolidated
His proposition, however, was n.gatived
by the House after listening 10 hI- most
fervid eloquence, by a vote of Al TO -.
At the commencement Of the next ses-
sien OF Con gress, In December, 1919. Pre-
ident Monroe in hi- annual message treats
OF the relations If thi. governm. n with
the civil war in South America and biz
statement Of the attitude and duties OF
-. a.. =
tirely pertinent 10 this discussion, and 50
eminently wise and judiciou-, that i
quote AT length that part of the message
/ 4" In the civil war existing between Spain and
the rTrsnf-s' Irr.ss this iirFuf-gff-r- tff-
greatest are ha- been taken 20 euf zee tie las
Intended 20 preserve our impartial u'ralIty.
or ports have continued so tie .qu.liy op-n 10
both parties and the same conditions: and
our citizens have been equally r~s'ra ned frsm
interfering with eith.r to the PREF ldiue Of the
/ other. The progress of the war has OPERATED
maniiestly IN favor Of fhe colonies. H4cnas 4
Ayres III maintains unshak'n the indep. nd 1
euce which il declared IN l-l6. and hiss enjoyed .
since 1910 Like cess has also Lately attended 4
Chill and the province nDrih OF the II Plata, 4
bordering on u, and lIkesise Venezuela
This contest has, from it, commencement. 4
been very interesting 20 other Powers and 20 none
than the United Siafes. A viTtuou- I
people may and will ooufne themselves within 1
the limit Of strict neutrality: but n not
their loErr 70 behold oonfi-t 20 vitality itnI8r-
tant Ia their nci-,hbors without the s.nsihili'y 4
and sympathy that naturally belong q "a IA
case. II has been the stei dy purpose Of tins gov
erumeuf "a prevent IA st feeling H. ading 70 excess
and il A. very gratifying io have T. ia my poasr
to stat. that, strong has been the sens 4
throughout the whole community Of What wa 4
due to the rhafar'cT and obiisAiiDrs 81 nations, 4
very few examples OF a contrary kind has. o.
CURED.
he di-tance OF the colonies from tLs parent
country, and the great-s tent If their population
ami IrCe-, CAV. them advantages 4hich n
Ua- ante i,a'sd al a very early period would h.
sfa HHHH# fHa.. -
c,nsI~'ruey and success with which thy hase
pursued their object. eyinc.i more ftftleniaf.s
by the undIstuibei s0yefeign'y Whieh Bu.-fos
Ayre- has - long 90 luysd sNId. nfly give them
u strong clam 20 The favorable consideration of
~ hrr lnfls. These s.ififnt flfs the part -
the Emitted Hta.es ave MT De-. n Withheld fr0fn
other PoNcrS. with whom II l. derirsbe TO sef %
concert. should Il become manifest 10 h world
TINT The IT 4 sol Spain 10 shdue these pT0yiuce-
VIII b tniii-s-. u may b. presumed thst tn
~ tni-h Government wlil itHeli give up the con
test. In pr,dnnug fuch determination n cam
not h doubted hat ihc option Of IN. naly fos-
-. who have taken a. part IN the cJntroysrsy
viii have merIt'd influence.
" II - OF the highest Ia ppttaucc 20 our national
character. and IndI-Ycns bic Ia the maralliy 81
our citizens, that ali yIlttIuus Of our raliiy
sholli be prev nt-i. No door should be leii
open Tor evasion of law, no o., .Il5r- UNITY
afforded 10 any uhO may b. dispO-el 10 take nd
vantage OF II to COT Ofni-e the interest Lo OF
oil the nation. IL Is sub PED. Therefore, - IN.
consideration of Congress whether 1t may not he
advisable u revise The laws with 10 the
desirable result"
1t is worthy of mention, Mr.. Speaker,
that Congress then acted upon the susges-
ton of President Monroe and passed .
law with stringent provisions against
expeditions leaving our ports to engage
in ho-tilities against nations with which
we were at peace. Whatever sympathy the
people of this country then had with tn.
struggling patriots of South America it
did not find official expression in either
House of Congress.
la April, 1920, Mr.. Clay moved TO pro-
vide by law AN outfit and salary for
ministers to such South American prov
inces as rs Ind established and aeere min
tanning their indepeHdeHce.' In the debate
upon this motion, Mr.. Clay said: