San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-12-22

congress his celebrated message of
March 8, 1922, recommending the re-
cognition of all the revolted colonies
of Spain, Mexico, Columbia, Chile, and
Buenos Ayres. In his annual mes
sage Of December, 1923, President
Monroe announced the principle 1.-THE
Monroe doctrine) that the new nations
which his act had alone recognized as
independent were by that act placed
outside of the European system and
that the United States would regard
any attempt to establish that system
among them as unfriendly to the
United States.
From that day to this the American
people have firmly and unanimously
supported and approved the Monroe
doctrine. 1t needs no reason to prove
that it was necessary to their safety.
IN the case of the recognition of
Texas the report quotes from report
made June Is, 1886, by Mr.. Clay from
the senate committee on foreign re-
lations, which says: THE recOgni-
ton OF Texas as an Independent pow
err may be made by the United States
in various ways; first by treaty. Sec
ond by the passage Of a law regulat-
ing commercial intercourse between
the two powers; third. by diplomat
from Texas by the usual credentials
or fourth and lastly being the accred-
iting Of a diplomat with regularly ac-
credited papers to Texas. In the
first and third modes the concurrence
of the senate in its executive charac-
ter would be necessary and in the
second in it's legislative character.
The senate alone without the cooper
alton of some other branch of the
government is not competent to iecog-
niZe the existence of any other pow
er. The president of the United
States by the constitution has charge
Of their foreign intercourse. Regu-
larly he ought to take the initiative
in the acknowledgment of the inde-
pendence Of any new power, but in
this case he has not yet done it, for
reasons which he. we have no doubt, |
deems sufficient. If for any reason |
the president should be tardy he may |
be quickened in the exercise of his
power by an expression of opinion or |
by other acts by one or both branches
of congress, as was done in relation |
to the republics formed out of Span
ish America. But the committee does
not think on this occasion any tardi- L
ness is justly imputable to the execu-
tive. About three months only have
elapsed since the establishment of an /
government in Texas an L
it is necessary to wait short time tc
see what its functions would
be and to see whether II Il
could furnish those guarantees which
foreign powers have right
to expect. Taking this view of the
whole matter the committee conclud-
ed by recommending to the senate the
adoption of the following resolutions:
Resolved by the senate that the in
by the United States whe
dependence of Texas ought to be ac-
knowledged by the United States
when sufficient information shall have
been received that it has in operation
a civil government, capable of per-
forming the duties and guaranteeing |!
the obligations of foreign powers.
President Jackson in his Texas mes
sage in December, 1886, said: SIN the |
preamble to the house and senate res
olution it is definitely stated that the
expediency of recognizing the indie
pendence of Texas should be left to |
congress. On this ground in view Of |
expediency / am inclined to concur |
and do not think it necessary to ex- |
press any opinion as to the strict |
right of executive either apart of or
in conjunction with the senate of the |
question. 1t is presumed that on no
future occasion will dispute arise, |
as none has heretofore occurred be-
tween the executive and the legisla- |
ture and the exercises of the power
of recognition. 1t will always be con-
sidered consistent with the spirit of i
the constitution and most safe that 1t |
should be exercised when probably
leading to war, with previous I'M
Outstanding with that body by whom
war can alone be declared and by
whom all the provisions for substitute
ing its perils must be furnished. Its
submission to congress which repre-
sents in one Of it's branches the state
of this Union and in the other the peo-
pie of the United States, where there
may be reasonable ground to appre-
bend so grave consequence would
certainly afford the fullest satisfac-
ton to our country and perfect guar
antee to all other nations of the JUS
tice and prudence of the measure
which might be adopted"
The initiative thus asserted by con-
gress and conceded by President
Jackson to congress in the case Of the
recognition of Texas, was followed in
the case of Hungary by President
Taylor.
Until now no further question has
been raised in regard to the powers OF
congress.
The report then gives the circum-
stances under which the Southern
Confederacy. was recognized, tracing
in detail the diplomatic correspon-
dence