The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-23

From that day to this the American
people have always and unanimously
supported and aDproyed the Monroe
doctrine. They needed no reasoning to
prove that II was vital to their safety.
within that range President Monroe
attempted to build up an American
system. He disclaimed the right or
the intention to interfere with actual
European possessions in America so
long as these communities We're con-
tented to remain European, but he
claimed and exercised under the broad
est principle the right to intervene in
favor of communities that plainly dis
played their wish and their power to
be American, and. what was vital to
the exercise of his claim, he asserted
and used in its fullest extent the right
to judge for himself and finally both as
to time and mode both when and how
any particular community had proved
its will and its right to claim admis-
sion into the American system.
Against the opposition of all Europe
and at the risk of many and serious
embarrassments. Monroe took and
successfully held ground which his
successors have struggled, varying
fortune to maintain"
THE CASE OF TENAS.
In the case of the recognition of Tex
as, the report quotes from report
made on June Is, 1896, by Mr.. Clay,
from :he senate committee on foreign
relations, which says:
THE recognition of Texas as an in
dependent power may be made by the
United States in various ways: first.
law regulating col0lercial intercourse
bonding diplomatic agent to Texas
with the usual credentials: or, lastly.
by the executive, receiving and ac-
crediting a diplomatic representative
fIom Texas, which would be recog-
milton as far as the executive only IS
competent to make 1t.
In the first and third modes the
concurrence of the senate in its eX-
ecutive character would be necessary.
and in the second in its legislative
character. The senate alone, without
the cooperation of some other branch
of the government. Is not competent to
recognize the existence of any power.
''The president of the United States
by the constitution has the charge of
their foreign Intercourse. Regularly
he ought to take the initiative in the
acknowledgment of the independence
of any new power but in this case he
has not yet done it. for reasons which
he, without doubt, deems sufficient IL
i'm any instance the president should be
tardN he may be uuickened in the eX-
ercise of his power by the expression of
the opinion or by other acts, of one or
both branches of congress, as was
done I'M relation to the republic formed
out of Spanish America.
"Rut the committee do not think that
on this occasion any tardiness is justly
imputable to the executive. About
three months only have elapsed since
the establishment of an Independent
government in Texas, and 1t Is not un-
reasonable to wait Il short time to see
what IT'S operation will be. and espe-
cially whether it will afford those guar
antees which foreign powers have a
right to expect before they institute
relations with 1t.
Taking this view of the whole mat
ter the committee conclude by COM
mending to the senate the adoption of
the following resolution:
"'Resolved, That the independence
of Texas ought to be acknowledged by
the United States whenever satisfac-
tory information shall be received that
it has in successful operation a civil
government capable of performing the
duties and fulfilling the obligations of
an independent power.
PRESIDENT JACKSON'S VIEWS.
The report then quoted from Presi-
dent Andrew Jackson in his Texas mes
sage of December u, 1886, as follows:
I'm the preamble to the resolution
of the house of representatives 1t is dis
tinctly intmated that the eXpedency
of recognizing the independence of Tex
az should be felt to the decision of
congress. In this view, on the ground
of expediency, | am disposed to concur;
and do not therefore consider 1t neces-
sary to express my opinion as to the
strict constitutional right Of the execu-
tive either apart from or I'm conjunction
with the senate over the subject. Ii is
to be presumed that on no future Oc-
casion will a dispute arise. as none has
heretofore occurred, between the exc
cutive and the Legislature in the eXer-
else of the power of recognition.
1T will always be considered con-
sistent with the spirit of the constitu-
tion. and most safe, that it should be
exercised, when probably leading to
war, with a previous understanding
with that body, by whom war can alone
be declared and by whom all the pro-
visions for sustaining it's perils must
be furnished. It's submission to con-
gress, which represents in one of its
branches the states of this union and
in the other there may be reasonable
ground to aDDrehend so grave conse-
quence, would certainly afford the full
est satisfaction to our own country and
perfect guarantee to all other nations
of the justice and prudence of the
measures which might be adopted
The report says that the initiative
thus asserted by congress and conced-
ed by President Jackson to congress
In the case of the recognition of Texas,
was followed in the case of Hungary
by President Taylor, which caused his
agent to invite the revolutionary gov
ernment of Hungary to send to the Uni
ted States a diplomatic representative,
since the president entertained no doubt
In such case at the next meeting of
congress her independence would be
speedily recognized by that enlightened
body"
The report continues:
Until now no further question has
been raised in regard to the powers of
congress. So much space has been TAX
Ell by this historical summary that the
case of Texas must be passed over
without further notice. and the cases
of Hayti and SantO Domingo may be
set aside as governed by peculiar influ-
ences. The record shows that in every
instance except Poland. down to 1880
where any people have claimed inde-
pendence by right of revolt the right
of intervention has been exercised
against the will of one or the other
party to the dispute. In every in
stance the only question that has dis
turbed the intervening powers has re-
garded neither the right nor the policy
so much as the time and mode of ac-
tion.
RECOGNITION OF THE CONFED-
ERACY.
"The only difference between the Eu-
ropean and American practice was that
the United States aimed at mOderating
or restricting the extreme license of Eu
ropean intervention. and this was the
difference which brought the United