The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-23
ARTHUR ROPES, General Editor.
Cuban Independence.

Senator Cameron of Pennsylvania
Resolved, by the Senate and House OF
Representatives. of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, that the
independence of the Republic of Cuba be
and the same is hereby acknowledged by
the United States OF America.
Section 2-That the United States will use
its friendly offices with the Government of
Spain to bring to a close the war between
Spain and Cuba.
The resolution was reported to the
Senate on Monday, but action upon it
was postponed till after the holiday re-
cess. Meantime there is published an
interview with Secretary of State o.
ney, in which that official declares that
the recognition of a new power is ex-
clusively the function of the president.
The secretary says:
"I have no objection to stating my own
views of the resolution respecting the inde-
pendence of the so-called Republic of Cuba.
Indeed, as there are likely to be serious
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. regarding such resolution
both in this country and abroad, and as
such misapprehensions may have serious
results of a grave character, it is perhaps
my duty to point out that the resolution, il
passt by the Senate, can probably be re-
garded only as an expression of opinion by
the eminent gentlemen who vote for it in
the Senate, and, passed by the House of
Representatives., can only be regarded as
another expression of opinion by the emil
nent gentlemen who vote for it in the
House.
The power to recognize the so-called
Republic of Cuba as an independent state
rests exclusively with the Executive. A
resolution on the subject by the Senate or
by the House, by both bodies, or by one,
whether concurrent or Joint, is imperative
as legislation and is important only as ad-
vice of great weight voluntarily rendered
to the Executive regarding the manner in
which he shall exercise his constitutional
functions. The operation and effect of the
proposed resolution therefore, even If passed
by both houses of Congress by two-thirds
vote, are perfectly plain. 1t may raise expec-
tations in some quarters which can never be
realized 1t may inhame popular passions
both in this country and elsewhere, and
thus put in peril the lives of American citi-
zens who are residents and travelling abroad
and will certainly obstruct and perhaps de-
feat the best efforts of this government to
afford such citizens due protection But
except in these ways and unless the advice
embodied in the resolution shall lead the
Executive to revise conclusions already
reached and officially declared, the resolu-
ton will be without effect and will leave
unaltered the attitude of this government
towards the two contending parties in
Cuba"
Secretary Olney was before the SEN
ate committee on Friday and spoke
earnestly against the approval of the
resolution. He believed Congress
would make great mistake in passing
any measure of recognition just now
To recognize the republic at this time,
he said, would be to recognize myth,
but it might become necessary, some
time in the near future, for the United
States to declare that the Republic of
Cuba was independent of Spain. 1t
might become incumbent on this coun-
try to say this in the most emphatic
terms and prepare itself for grave con-
sequences. He appealed to the fear
and timidity of the members of the
committee by explaining that Spain
might construe the adoption of the
resolutions as Iantamount to deClar-
alton of war, and might enlist the
sympathy of one or more European
countries. Mr.. Olney practically serv-
ed notice on the committee that if
Congress passed the Cameron resolu-
ton the President would veto it.
Nevertheless, after hearing the Secre-
tary's earnest appeal and asking him
many questions, the committee, of
which Senator Sherman is chairman,
and some of the most eminent Senators
are members, voted unanimously to re-
port the resolution. Then came The
statement printed above, which the
Secretary manages to get before the
country in the shape of newspaper
interview, and in which he intimates
that the Cameron resolution, even if it
should be passed over his veto, would
be ignored by the President. Then,
but for the close proximity of the fourth
of March, when the question will be
satisfactorily answered, it might be-
come incumbent on the representatives
Of the people to ascertain again, as they
did in the sixties, when Andrew John
son was president, if the servant-or
the hired man, in the late Mr.. Bryan's
felicitous phrase-is mightier than the
master.
France and Russia did not take
counsel of their fears when they recog-
nized the independence of the Ameri-
can colonies, struggling to free them