New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-24
D1S1JN CTIOy WITHOUT DLFFERENCE

Gen. Banks has been authorized by the For
eien Committee of the House to report resolu-
tons of Neutrality, the most remarkable feat
IRE of which is a decided recognition of the
vitality of the law of 1918. These resolutions
expressly construe the law to apply, now as
heretofore equally to Spain and her colonial
insurgents. We thought that this old-fashioned
act. framed with view of preserving the
strictest neutrality among all manner OF COM
batants. feeble or full grown, had died or been
nut to death. Senator Carpenter, We remem-
her did. in most elaborate and able
speech, plead for its life, cOntending that
step by step, up to the present time, IL
had been construed and applied to meet cases
the same in principle as that OF CUBA ana
Spain. Mr.. Sumner argued that the law was
| only contrived to meet cases OF actual admitted
bellgerency, and Mr. HOar added that such
a beligerency must be decided by the sover-
eign power of the United States, and not by
testing an old law in the Courts. Any other
view of the law. reasoned the friends of the
Alabama claims, would Justify the most pre-
| mature recognition of rebellion, for declara-
ton of strict neutrality would amount to recOg-
milton. Opinions were various, doubts numer-
deliberaton was that thirty gunboats sailed
| out Of this port to make the rebellion in Cuba
| more desperate than it had ever been before.
1t will be observed that Gen. Banks's reso-
luton differs in one essential respect from the
| bill which Senator Morton has been instructed
| to report from tho Senate Committee. Mr..
| Morton's bill is virtually n revival Of the law
of 1918, insOmuch as it is directed against those
who fit out vessels to be used in the
service of any European prince or State
| for the purpose of subduing American colOnists
claiming independence. 1t Omits, however. all
| prohibition of the liberty to sell arms or mu-
| ntions, so that Cuba not less than Spain may
| continue to purchase in our market. Gen.
| Banks's Neutrality resolutions on tho other
hand, cover the whole ground of the amended
statute of 1918, and in effect declare the strict
est neutrality both as to selling arms and
equipping vesses-an extreme of prohibition
to which some of the keenest partisans Of
Cuba would perhaps not wish us to 90.
Now the law of 1918 is either dead or not
dead for all actual cases or purposes. If dead,
Congress has 70 business to compel its resur-
recton, and thereby maintain that the depart
ure of the thirty gunboats under international
consequence of national blunder If alive,
then it is certain that Gen. Banks is in the
right, and Mcssrs Sumner and Morton are in
the wrong. 1t is also certain that all this
while tho nation has been at loss to
know its own mind and make its own
policy. plain. outright declaration of bellig
erency we well understand; and if either of
tho resolutions Of Mr.. Morton or Mr.. Banks
contained such a declaration, no provision
would be necessary to revive the law of 1918.
That law, Mr.. Sumner contends, applies only
to condition of belligerency; others
argue that its reassertion is reas-
sertion of beligerency; others believe
that we can declare neutrality without
recognizing belligerency. We have many
shades of distinction without much practical
difference, and the amount of good we shall
do Cuba by a resolution of strict neutrality
may well be questioned. Let the Senate speak,
and speak out. There is visible point at
which an unmeaning neutrality grows tiresome
and intoerable. At least it should not char
acterize, formalize, neutralize every sentiment
and every aspiration of the National heart and
| mind