Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-12-16

OF It's relallOnS 10 the parties thereto. Eut tnl
conflict must be one which will be recognized
in the sense of international law, as war
Belligerence, too. is q fact. The mere exis
tence of contending armed bodies, and thei
occasional conflicts, do not constitute war il
the sense referred to. Applying to the exist
ing condition of affairs in Cuba the tests re
cognized by the publcists and writers on in
ternational law, and which have been observes
by Nations of dignity, honesty and power
| when free from sensitive or selfish and un
worthy motives, fail to find in the insurrec
ton the existence of such substantial politi
cal organization, real, palpable and manifest t.
the world, having the forms and capable of tn,
ordinary functions of the Government towart
its own people, and to other States, with Court
for the administration of justice, with loca
habitation, possessing such organization O
force, and material, such occupation Of territory
! as to take the contest out of the category of
mere rebellious insurrection or Occaslona
| skirmisheS, and place it on the terrible foot
ing of war, to which recognition of belli
! gerency would aim TO elevate if. The contest,
moreover, is solely on the land, the insurrec
ton has not possessed itself of
SINGLE sgAPoRT,
where it may send forth its flag, nor has j
| any mems of communication with foreign
powers, except through military lines of its
adversaries. No apprehension of any of those
sudden and difficult complications which 6
war upon the ocean is apt to precipitate upor
the vessels both commercial and national. anG
upon the consular officers of other powers CALI
| for the definition of their relations to the par
| ties to the contest considered as question o
expediency. Iregard the accordance of bel
! ligerent rights still TO be as unwise and prema
ture as regard it to be at present indefensible.
As measure of right, such recognition entails
upon the country according to the rights which
flow from it, difficult and complicated duties,
and requires the action from the contending
parties of the strict observance of their rights
! and obligations. 1t confers he right of search
upon the high seas by vessels of both parties,
it would subject the carrying of arms and am
munitiOn of war, which now may be transport
ed freely, and without interruption, in the
vessels of the United States to DE- ,ntion, and to
possible seizure; it would give lise to countless
vexstious questions, would release the parent
government from responsibility for acts done
by the insurgents, and would invest Spain with
the right to exercise the supervision recogniz-
ed by our treaty of 1895 over our commerce on
the high seas, very large part of which in its
traffic between the Atlantic and Gulf States,
and between all of them, and the States upon
the Pacific passes through the waters which
wash the shores of Cuba
The exercise of this suppostiOn could scarce
fail to lead, if not to abuses, certainly to col
lisions perilous to the peaceful relations of the
two States. There can be little doubt to what
result such supervision would, before long,
draw this nation. 1t would be unworthy of
the United States to inaugurate the possIbili-
ties OF such result by measures of questionable
right, or expediency, or by any indirection-
Apart from any question of theoretical right, /
am satisfied that while the accordance of bel
igerent rights to the insurgents in Cuba might
give them hope and inducement to protract
the struggle, it would be but delusive hope,
and would not remove the evil which this Gov
ernment and its people are experiencing, but
would draw the United States into compiler
tions which il has waited long and already suf-
fereG much to avoid. The recognition of in
dependence or OF belligerency being thus in my
judgment equally inadvisable, it remains to
consider what course shall be adopted should
the conflict not soon be brought to an end, by
acts Of the parties themselves, and. should the
evils which result therefrom, affecting all ma
tions and particularly the United States, con-
tinue. In such events, l am. of the opinion
that other nations will be compelled to assume
the responsibility which devolves upon them,
and to seriously consider the only remaining
measures possible.
MEDITATION AND INTERVENTION.
Owing perhaps to the large expanse of water
separating the Island from the peninsula, the
want of harmony and of personal sympathy
between the inhabitants of the colony and those
sent thither to rule them, and the want of
adoption of the ancient colonial system of
Europe to the present time, an1 to the ideas
which the events of the past century have de-
veloped, the contending parties appear to have
within themselves no depository of common
cOntidpncp n Wia6nro Jphpp DaSlin1
and excitement have their sway, and to as
sumo the part of peacemaker. In this view
in the early days of the contest, the good Off
ces of the United States as a mediator were
rendered in good faith, without any selfish
purpose, in the interest of humanity, and in
sincere frindship for both parties, but were at
the time declined by Spain, with the declara-
tion, nevertheless, that at future time they
would be Indispensable No intimation has
been received that, in the opinion of Spain,
that time has leen reached, and yet the strug-
gle continues, with all its dread losses and all
its injuries to the interests of the United States
and of other nations
Each party seems quite capable of working
great injury and damage to the other, as well
as all the relations and interests dependent on
the expense of peace in the Island. But they
seem incapable of reaching any adjustment,
and both have thus far failed of achieving any
success whereby one party shall possess and
control the Island to the exclusion of the other.
Under these circumstances, the agency Of
others. either by medition or by Intervention,
seems to be the only alternative which must
sooner or later be invoked for the termination
of the strife.
NoN-INTERvENTIOS.
At the same time, while thus impressed,
do not, at this time, recommend the adoption
of any measure of intervention. l shall be
ready at all times, and as the frieDd of both
parties, to respond to suggestion that the
good offices of the United States will be ac-
ceptable to aid in bringing about peace honora-
BILE to both 1t is due to Spain, so far as this
Government is concerned, that the agency of q
third power, to which l have adverted, shall
be adopted only AS a last expedient. Had it
been the desire of the United States to inter-
fere in the affairs of Cuba, repeated opportu-
mites have been presented within the last few
years, but we have remained passive and per-
formed our whole duty, and all international
obligations to Spain, with friendship, fairness
and fidelity, and with spirit of patience and
forbearance which negatives every possible
suggestion of desire to interfere or to add to
the difficulties with such as she has been sur
rounded.
The government of Spain has recently SUI
mitted to our Minister at Madrid certain pro-
posals, which it is believed may be found to
be the basis, if not the actual submission, of
terms to meet the requirement of the particular
griefs of which this government has felt itself
entitled to complain.
These proposals have not reached me in their
full text. On their arrival they will be taken
into careful examination, and may, l hope,
lead to satisfactory adjustment Of the ques-
tions to which they refer, and remove the pos
sibility of future occurrences such as have Civ
en- rise to our just complaints.
1t is understood, also, that renewed efforts
are being made to introduce reforms in the in
ternal administration of the island. Persuaded,
however, that proper regard for the interests
of the United States, and of its citizens enti-
tied to relief from the storm to which it has