The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-03-06
CUBA BELLTGERENCT.

ny N'lC VI ~ w no. SttlAiiiF-
that in the opinion of Congress a state
of public war exists in Cuba, and that
contestants are entitled to belligerent
rights, have brought the question
prominently before the people of our
country, and caused considerable ex-
citement i'll Spain.
The House resolutions are even
stronger than those passed by the
Senate, and both agree not only that
Congress recognize Cuba as belliger-
ent power, but that the friendly off
ces of the United States shall he of
fered by the President of the Spanish
Government for the recognition o f
the Independence of Cuba, The
third resolution passed passed by the
House on Monday is as follows:
Resolved, That the United States
has not interviewed in struggles be-
tween any European governments and
their colonies in this continent, but
from the very close relation between
the people of the United States and
those of Cuba in consequence of its
proximity and the extent of the com
merce between the two people, the
present war is entailng *uch losses
upon the people of the United States
that Congress is of the opinion that
the Government of the United States
should be prepared to protect legiti-
% l. ir{
vention if necessary"
If the resolutions had been passed
Jointly by the House and the Senate,
they would have required the sigma
ture of the President, when they
would have been clothed with all the
authority of law. As they stand, they
are merely concurrent resolutions,
which are the expressions of opinion
of Congress and suggestions to the
President upon which he may or may
not act, as his information and judg-
ment shall guide him.
The unaminity with which these
resolutions were passed by both
branches of Congress shows that the
members are in real earnest about the
matter and that principle and not pol
tiles has governed them in their ac-
ton.
The immediate cause of this united
action was, no doubt, the proclama
General Weyler, commander of tine
Spanish troops in Cuba. He has Il
well-earned reputation for cruelty, and
his contemplated proclamation, Civ
ing fifteen days to the Cuban soldiers
to lay down their arms, or be eSecu-
ted as traitors when captured, seems
to have brought to a focus the feeling,
which had been gradually gaining
ground, that Cuba ought to be reco-
gnized as a belligerent power.
The sole question which Congress
had to determine was, does the exist
ing state of facts i'll Cuba Justify such
recognition Under the existing
state of affairs on that island, these
facts were hard to obtain. By the law
of nations the United States is fully jus
titled in recognizing Cuba and Spain as
belligerent powers, if the facts justify
such recognition.
Woolsey on International Law says
"Such proclamation. of course, has
o look towards recognition of Il terri
tory in revolt as Il new state, nor does
it pretend to Judge of the right and
the wrong of the struggle. II is sim
ply declaration of a fact.
The revolt has been carried on sue
cessfully by the Cubans for more than
IA year. Spain has l25,0 soldiers on
the island and the Cuban forces are
said to number 10000 men. This
itself indicates strongly that actual
war exists on the island, and that it is
more than temporary outbreaks
against the police system.
The sympathy of our people is all
on the side of Cuba, but the action of
Congress is not based on that. There
are more substantial reasons as shown
i'll the resolutions quoted above. This
recognition will allow the Cubans to
purchase i'll our markets, and it will
put people who are contending as
patriots for the liberty we ourselves
enjoy in position to be treated, when
captured by the enemy, as prisoners
of war. and not butchered as traitors
i'll the wholesale fashion i'll which
Gen. Weyler contemplated.
RECEIVERS FOR THE BALTIMORE
And ONO.
On Saturday evening the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad on friendly suit
was thrown into the hands of receivers
by the United States Court. Presi-
dent John X Cowen and first vice
president Murray were appointed re-
cevers.
The appointment of the receivers
does not come as surprise to the
business community, but the general
regret will he no less keen on that nc
count. The company is the largest
Maryland corporation and the most
important. Its history goes back to
the time when Baltimore was a small
town 1t received enormous benefits
and grants from the State of Maryland
but it has been the child of tn
city of Baltimore The organization
oil the railroad company at time
when railroads were in an experiment
tai stage and the locomotive had moi
been perfected. and the comparative
~ enormous subscriptions to its CAPT
tai stock by the city as municipality
and by its leading merchants, Were
among the bOldest business ventures
in our annals From the time the
corner stone OF the great work wa
laid by the venerable Charles Carroll
then in his old age, July 4, 1923, down
10 the present time the railroad and
city have gone hand in hand along
the road of expansion and prosperity.
We hope that the embarrassment is
only temporary and that with better
times this old Maryland institution
will soon be on its feet.
OH FOR THE L1STDIT OFH1RCH
One of the most amusing spectacles
at the present time is watching the
Mugwamp Press pitch into the people
whom they did all in their 10 elect
last fall. No more striking example
could be shown than the way the