Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-12
FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON. March II.
SENATE.

The Senate galleries were again
crowded this morning, as they have
been every day since the Cuban beliig-
erency resolutions have been expected
TO come up for discussio and action.
Among the petitions presented was
one bv Mr.. Gallipger, of the White
Ribbon Women" branch OF the Wo-
! mans Christian Temperance Union OF
New Hampshire, advocating the settle,
ment of differences between the United
States and "the mother country" by ar
bitration.
Mr.. Hill took the floor at 1855 on the
Cuban resolutions. He said he should
vote to non.concur in the conference
report. He would vote against concur
ring because he wanted to place the
resolutions in such a parliamentary
shape that the third resolution reading
"the United States have not interviewed
in any of the struggles between any
European government and their colo
| MES on this continent" could be amend
ed and made more clear. All depend
ed upon what Interpretation was put
upon the word ''intervened." We had
recognized insurgents in the past, and
that, Mr.. Hill contended, was interven-
ton of certain kind. The resolution
was unnecessary. If We mean that we
have not interviewed with force OF arms
| to assist any one that should be stated;
but that, Mr.. Hill said was also unneces-
sary. The threat that We would inter-
vene to protect the rights of American
citizens was unnecessary and unneces
sary resolutions were always unwise.
The language used by the House was
| capable of double meaning and might
create trouble. 1t was unwise. 1t was
sufficient to let the future take care OF
itself. This proposition looking to in
tervention" and the statement that we
should be prepared to protect Amer
| lean citizens" looked too much like
buncombe. Ifit was meant to be seri
GUS, the proposition should be seriously
made; if it meant that we should in
crease our army or our navy, that
should be done by bills requiring the sig
nature of the President; not by resolu-
tons that mean nothing. 1t was nonsense
to say that we should be prepared to
protect the legitimate interests of our
citizens; no one presumes that We would
seek to protect their illeeitimate inter-
ests. Our interposition in this matter
should, Mr.. Hill asserted, be placed on
a higher ground than that some of our
people are losing few dollars by this
struggle. Interfere in the cause OF
liberty and seek to save human life and
prevent suffering, but do not, MIR. Hill
exclaimed, draw the United States
into this matter because of some
little property that may be imperilled.
Mr.. Hill said he had received mum
Der of telegram, one of them from a
man high in the commercial world,
( which he read. It stated that the pres.
ent attitude of the United States to
ward Cuba was seriously affecting the
commerce of New York. Merchants Of
Cuba were, it recited, resolving to boy
colt American merchants and had
1 cabled the cancellation of all their or
ders with New York houses. "And,"
exclaimed Mr.. Hill with intense feel
ing, 81 am asked to record my vote on
a great question of international right
or wrong, on the ground that some OF
the Spanish merchants in Cuba were
boycotting the trade of some of my con-
stituents. With all respect to these
gentlemen 1 must say that we should
rest our action on more tenable
grounds than this. II Congress is to do
anything it should be done," he C, n
tinued, without buncombe and
without threat. he favored the other
two resolutions because they were SUBJ
stantially the same as the Senate reso-
| lutions He would not retrsce his &C.
ton on those resolutions. He favored
those resolutions because they express
ed the opinion of Congress. He was
not to be deferred by recent events or
any change in sentiment that may have
been brought about. He was not, he
said, to be frightened off by the acts of
a few Spanish students who mad stoned
our consulate and despoiled the Ameri-
can flag. 1t was self-eyidept that q
state of war existed in Cuba. The
newspapers were full of it and Mr. Hill
declared that there were some
reliable newspaper correspondents
and their reports gave an accurate
account of the condition of affairs in
the island. Mr.. Hill was willing to
stand by what these correspondents
said. 1t had been said by some that
the administration was being embar-
raised by these resolution. eff the
administration thought these resolu.
tons were embarrassing to it," said
Mr.. HILL" some one here would have
had knowledge of that fact. l cannot
believe the administration would keep
| its own counsel so close that no one
would known what it desired" In
| In response to query from Mr.. Boar,
Mr.. Hill said he did not believe a
single law would be changed by the
passage of a concurrent resolution.
which did not receive the signature OF
the President. For that reason he be-
lieved the resolutions in their present
form were proper. He was for the con
current resolutions because they only
expressed the opinion of Congress and
were respectful, not only to our own
President, but to the government Of
Spain. He believed the President would
carefully consider the resolutions
In 1861 several foreign governments
properly recognized the belligerency OF
The Southern Confederacy, not their
independence. The United States it
self recognized them as belligerents, by
exchanging prisoners, recognizing flags
of truce. Mr.. Hoar agreed the other
day that this government should exer-
o;oa ;ta friendlc Offices to secure the in