The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-08

that any notable success or any marked a
or real advance on the part of the insur- a
gents has essentially changed the charac. '
Ter Of the contest. 1t has acquired great 9
er age but not greater or mora tOrmida G
BILE proportions. 1t is possible that the '
acts of foreign powers and even acts of E
Spain herself Of this very nature might
be pointed to 10 defence of such recogni' t
tion. but now IS in its past history the I
United States should carefully avoid I
the false lights which might lead |
it into the mazes OF doubtful {
law and questionable propriety, and ad-
here vigorously and strenuously to the
rule which has been its guide, of doing
only that which is right and honest and
of good report. The question OF accord
ing or of Withholding the rights OF bel
igerency must be judged in every case In
view of the particulars attending the
facts. Unless justified by necessity 1t Is
always and justly regarded as aD unfriend-
ly &C, and gratuitous demonstration OF
moral support to the rebellion. 1t Is
necessary and it Is required when the
interests and rights of apother govern
ment, or of its people, are so tar al
fected by pending civil conflict as to re-
qulre definition of its relations to the
parties thereto. But this conflict must De
one which will be recognized in the sense
of--international law. Belligerence, too,
is fact. The mere existence or con-
tinued armed bodies and their occasional
conflicts do not constitute war in the sense
referred TO- Applying to the existing
condition of affairs in Cuba the tests re-
cognized by publicists aud writers on in
ternatioual law and which have been OBJ
served by nations of dignity. honesty and
power when free from sensitive or selfish
and unworthy motives, I fail to find In
! the Instruction the existence OF such
, substantial political organization, real,
palpable anu manifi ,st to the world, hav-
, ing the forms and capable of the ordinary
functions of the government towards its
own people, and to other states, with
courts for the administration Of Justice.
r with local habitation, possessing such
organization of force. such material, such
4 occupation of territory, as to take the
e contest out of the category of more re-
It bellious insurrectiOn or occasional skirm-
e ish, aud place it on the terrible footing OF
, war to which recognition OF belllger-
Ii ENJOY would aim to elevate a contest.
n Moreover it is solely on land. The insur,
II rection has not possessed itself OF single
e sea-p ort whence it may send forth its Il sg,
q nor has it any means of communication
n with foreign powers except through the
d military lines of its adversaries. No ap
% prehension of any of those sudden anc
e difficult com olications which war upon thu
d ocean is apt to precipitate upon the YES
" sells, both commercial and national, and
n upon the Consular officers of the powers
calls for the definition of their relations
to the parties to the contest. Considered
+ as question of expediencY, l regard th'
., accordance Of belleerent rights still to b.
ID as unwlse and premature. as l regard i
. to be at present indefensible as measure
a. a. Of right. Such recognition entails upol
no the country according to the rights which
;n flow from it difficult and complicated
Il. duties, and requires the action from th'
10 contending parties Of the strict obseryanc
he Of their rights and obligations. 1t con
nd ters the right of search upon the high sea
oil by vessels of both parties. 1t would sui
10 ject the carrying of arms and ammun
,rs ton OF war which now may
nd transported freely and without interrul
'ar ton in the vessels of the Uni ed States
s,. to detention and to possible seizure.
% would give rise to countless vex atiou
~, questions, would release the parent go'
~: ernment from responsibility for acts dor
% .. BIZ the insurgents and would invest Spai
: with the right to exercise the SuperVlsiO
noa recogniz I'd by our treaty of 1875 over OF
o.e commerce on the high seas, very lara
,ar, part of which 10 it's traffic between Il
Sa Atlantic and Gulf States and between {
,od of them. end the states upon the Pac
The pass.s through the waters which wash Il
~. .oS shores of Cuba. The exercise of ii
a,a supervision could scarcely fail to lead,
~ not to abuses, certainly to collisions pei
,,ot, Gus to the peaceful relations of the tS
TO- states. There can be little doubt to va
result such supervision would before 10
;on draw this nation 1t would be unwort
, ,' ~ of the United States to inaugurate
NOV possibilities of such result by measul
,;on of questionable right or expediency or
;ts any indirection, as apart from any III
9Th ' ton of theoretical right [ am satis6
~ H. that while the accordance of belligert
noe rights to the insurgents in Cuba mig
Dne give them hope and inducem'
~ to: protract the struggle, it would
~ but delusiye hope and wo1
,u W not remove the evils which t
De government and its people are experie
"nS ing but would draw the United Sta
v "nu into complications which it has wal
snnh long and already suffered much to ave
0 m;sh The recognition of independence or
wa belligerency being thus in my judgm
Imo. equally inadmissible. it remains to G
= 81 -. slider what cause shall be adopted sho
,da the conflict not soon be brought to an
- - by acts of the parties themselves
w l4houli the evils which result therefr
as; eff citing all nations, and particularly
nn;os United States, continue. In 81
.,,n@ event am of the opinion that other
'omiS tons will be compelled to assn ne the
49, sponsibility which devolves upon tt
1p" and to seriously consider the only rem
ing measures possible-mediation
zoe OF Intervention. Owing, perhaps, to
cable large expanse of water separating
next island from the peninsulas the wan
On OF harmony and of personal sympathy
con- tween the inhabitants of the colony
those sent thither to rule them, and
[ had want of adaptation of the ancient colo
and system Of Europe to the present I'll
nfict and to the ideas which the events Of
10 are past century have developed. the contt
,arful inn narties anDear tn have within Tn