New-York tribune., 1870-02-04

Drake Hye Thayer, Wson-h
f'N''H' OUR NEUTRALITY LAWS
The whole subject hereuPon laid aside in order to
allow Mr. Carpenter TO address the Senate upon the bill
introduced by his colleague (HOwe), efiectuay to
preserve neutrality by the United States by repeating
the Neutrality act OF 1918.
Mr CARPENTER Qep., Wis., advocated the repeating
bill but confined himself manly TO reply 70 the posi-
ton assumed by Mr. Sumner In former discussion rea-
tive to the fitting out Of the Spanish gunboats at New
York He commenced by stating the three propositions
asserted by Mr. Sumner first that the statute OF 1878 was
passed for specific purpose and was therefore lnapp
cable to the revolt IN cuba second tnat tne htb ~
whom acknowledged belgerents and that the re-
Cuba to be regarded third that Cuba or CuDans may
be levyng war against SPAIN but that SPAN is oy p
lish her authority but not leyylng war agas. Npa
and therefore the United States justified III OBTAINING
the Hornet but would not have been JUSTIFIED III deta
ing the Spanish gunboats.
Mr. CARPENTER argued to show that these PROPOSE
tions were wholly unenable citing at engn gun IRON dii n
tory from diplomatic correspondence ana from
decisions in Illustration Of the fact that the act OF es
had arisen from that time 10 Tie present lheIuuG uo
rebellion OF Texas against Mexico, and the Crlmean war
tween revoed colony and parent state, soon as it
could be said state OF war existed ana tnat llls
closed and Government were unable TO arrest and
deal with the ofenses by civil process Even
position he held the statute only applied of
tua public war Nevertheless such state OF things did
exist Cuba He read at length from the report OF the
Spanish War Minister the Cores of Spain, showing the
number of forces sent TO Cuba within the past IL onhs
Cuba public according TO the definition
OF the law of nations. He also alluded to Mr.. Summers
theory of neutrality announced IN his speech on the
Alabama claims and maintained that the doctrine there
assumed anti-Amercan, and could not he mann
tanned without tying hands from recognizing the
beigerency independence Of the various colonies on
this continent which might be expected 10 rebel against
the tyranny Of European powers
Mr. SUMNER rep, Mass.l denied the correctness OF
the position attributed him by Mr. Carpenter In re-
gard the applicability OF the statute OF 1918 10 the case
of the Spanish Colonies alone He SAID his appncaOn OF
the statute was to the Of the colonies which had
oIra 4HV aqhi n
the statute was passed TO meet such
Mr. HOWARD Uep.. Mich) inquired OF the Senator
from Wisconsin MR. Carpenter) for some Information
concerning the present status OF the insurTecon III
Cuba. 49, -.
Mr. CARPENTER replied that the condition OF things
I'm Cuba was condition OF not OF peace, and IN
support of his assertion referred TO the statement in the
ANNUAL message OF the President, that people on our
border had been struggling for more than year TO
achieve their independence and that to stay the blood
shed between that struggling people anu SPAN hs great
Republic had offered its good Offices"
Mr. HOWARD said the President had not spoken OF
the Cuban insurgents begerents His own recOlec-
ton of the message TO any such nterpreta
ton OF its meaning To be entitled TO the rights OF
beIligerent people must have government OF their
own with the attendant machinery of government.
Such understood the Cubans did not now, and never
did possess.
The VICE-PRESIDENT laid before the Senate COM
muncaton from the President jill response to the Senate
resolution Of inquiry relative TO the trouble III the VIII
nlpeg territory, which was referred.
The Senate then went into Executive Session, and soon
after adjourned.