The record-union., 1896-01-30

This civil war, though it is great in
its proportions, and is conducted by ar
mics that are in complete organization
and directed and controlled by supreme
military authority, has not the safe
guard of a cartel for the treatment Of
wounded soldiers or prisoners OF war.
In this feature of the warfare it be-
comes a duty of humanity that the
civilized Powers should insist upon the
application of the laws of war recog-
nized among civilized nations to both
armies. As our own people are drawn
into this struggle on both sides, and
enter either army without the consent
of our Government and in violation of
our laws, their treatment, when they
be wounded or captured, although it
is not regulated by treaty and ceases
to be positive care of our Govern
ment, should not be left to tho revenge
full retaliation which exposes them to
the fate of pirates or other felons.
"rhe inability of Spain to subdue the
revolutionists by the measures and
within the time that would be reason
able when applied to occasions of ordi-
nary civil disturbances is q misfor-
tune that cannot be justly visited upon
the people of the United States, nor can
civil war does not exist, but that the
movement is a mere insurrection, and
| its supporters a mob of criminal vio-
lators of the law, when it is seen that it
requires an army of 100000 men and
all the naval and military power of a
great kingdom even to hold the alleged
rebellion in check.
1T is due to the situation of affairs
in II ch 20
the existence of a state of war in the
island and should voluntarily accord
to the armies opposed to her authority
the rights of belligerents under the
laws of nations"
In conclusion, the committee say that
'the Congress of the United States,
recognizing the fact that the matters
herein referred to are properly within
the control of the Chief Executive, and
within the principles of our Constitu-
ton, it becomes the duty of Congress to
define the final attitude of the Govern
ment of the United States toward
Spain. 1t presents these considera-
tions to the President in support of the
resolution which they this morning re-
ported favorably to the Senate"
A minority report was submitted by
Senator Cameron.
Members of the committee say that
unless Spain shows a speedy determl-
nation to conduct her warfare against
the Cubans after the fashion of other
lcivilized countries, she will be brought
face to face with the power of the
United States exerted in behalf of the
Cuban insurgents within q very short
time.
The minority report of Senator Cam
eron consists of twenty-four type
written pages, much of which is his
torical matter Mr.. Cameron says
that early in 1869, during the previous
revolution, proclamation was signed
by President Grant recognizing the
Cubans as belligerents, although the
fact was known to very few persons.
This proclamation was not promulgat-
ed, owing to the opposition of Secretary
Fish. During that war Mr.. Cameron
shows that our Minister was directed
to impress upon the Spanish mind the
advancing growth of that sentiment
which claims every part of the Ameri-
can hemisphere the right of seIf-gov-
ernment and freedom from transat-
lantic dependence The good offices of
the United States was offered to the
bringing to a close the civil war now
raging in Cuba"
Mr.. Cameron reviews in detail the in
cidents connected with the proclama-
ton of 1869. and coming down to re-
cent times, says that President Cleve-
land has cleared the subject of all pre-
liminary doubts, that a state of war
exists in Cuba, and with that, and that
alone, we have to deal.
He says: IF the United States still
refrains from recognizing the beIliger-
ency of the insurgents, after conclusive
proof of the fact, the reason doubtless
was that in the absence of any legal
complications the question became
wholly political, and it's true solution
must lie, not in the recognition of bel
ligerency, but in a recognition of inde-
pendence In 1875 when the situation
was far from being as serious as it is
now, President Grant, after long con-
sideration, decided against the recogni-
ton of belligerency as an act which
might be delusive to the insurgents and
would certainly be regarded as un-
friendly to Spain He decided upon a.
middle course. He proposed to the Span
ish Government a sort of Intervention
which should establish the independence
of Cuba by a friendly agreement. In
doing so, he not only necessarily recog-
nized both parties to the conflict as on
an equal plane, but he also assured
Spain that if such mediation should
not be accepted, direct Intervention
would probably be deemed necessity
on the part of the United States.
Spain proffered a promise to the in
surgents' terms so favorable as to cause
for a time the cessation Of histilities
Since then twenty years have passed
The insurrection, far from having
ceased, has taken the proportions of u
war almost as destructive to our own
citizens as to the contending parties.
The independence of Cuba was then re-
garded by the President of the United
States as the subject of his interven-
tion, and has now become far more in
evitable than it then was. Evidently
the Government of the United States
can do less than to take up the subject
precisely where President Grant left,
and to resume the friendly mediation
which he actually began, with all the
consequences which would necessarily
follow its rejection.
Confident that no other nation ac-
cords with our friendly relations with
Spain, our just sympathy with the peo-
pie of Cuba and with our own dignity
and consistency, i recommend the fol-
lowing resolution to the consideration of
the Senate:
Resolved, That the President IS
hereby requested to interpose his friend
ly offices with the Spanish Government
for the TeP0pnifion 0f tha indapeuHepc..