The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-24
|0UBAN INDEPENDENCE.
THE POWER TO RECOGNIZE 1T
RESTS EXCLUSIVELY WITH
THE EXECUTIVE.
SECRETARY OLNEY GIVES HIS VIEW
THE ONLY WAY CONGRESS. CAN
TOUCH SPAIN is TO DECLARE
WAR.
PRESIDENT WOULD IGNORE CAMERON MEASURE.
Mr.. Olney Hinted Broadly to That Eff
fect-The Affair Has Caused Sen
sation in Madrid-A Foreign
officials Views-Prcss
Comments
PRESIDENT WOULD IGNORE CAMERON MEASURE.

Washington, Dec. 19.-The Cameron
!, Cuban resolution, if passed to final pass.
age in both houses, will constitute di-
rect and formidable issue between the
executive and legislative branch of the
government. This is clearly indicated by
the following interview given out by
Secretary Olney today.
4 Secretary Olney, being asked his opin-
ion as to the nature and effect of the
proposed resolution recognizing the inde-
pendence of the republic of Cuba, said:
Il have no objection to stating my
own view of the resolution respecting
4 the independence of the so-called repub-
lie of Cuba, which, it is reported is
likely to be laid before the senate on Mon
day. Indeed, as there are likely to be
serious misapprehension regarding such
resolutions, both in this country and
abroad, and as such apprehensions may
have injurious results of grave charac-
ter. it is perhaps my duty to point out
that the resolution, if passed by the SEN
ate, can probably be regarded only as an
expression of opinion by the eminent gen.
tlemen who vote for it in the senate, and
if passed by the house of representatives,
can only be regarded as another express
ion of opinion by the eminent gentlemen
who vote for it in the house. The power
to recognize the so-caIIed republic of Gu
ba as an independent state rests exclu-
ssvely 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 leg
islation and is important only as advice
of great weight voluntarily rendered to
the executive regarding the matter in
which he shall exercise his constitutional
functions.
THE operation and effect of the pro-
posed resolution, therefore, even il passed
by both houses of congress by two
thirds vote, are perfectly plain. 1t may
raise expectations in some quarters which
can never be realized. 1t may inflame
popular passions both in this country and
elsewhere, may thus put in peril the lives
and property of American citizens who
are resident or travelling abroad and will
certainly obstruet, perhaps defeat, the
best efforts of this government to afford
such citizens due protection. But, ex-
cept in these ways, and unless the ad-
vice embodied in the resolution shall lead
the executive to revise conclusions al
ready reached and officially declared, the
resolution will be without effect and will
leave unaltered the attitude of this gov
eminent toward the two contending par
ties in Cuba"
The impression here is that Secretary
Olney's statement pointing to the lack of
legal effect of the passage of the Cam
eron joint resolution was called forth by
a desire to minimize the danger of an
outbreak in Spain on the part of the ex-
citable populace, which is perhaps more
imminent than IS. generally realized in
this country. Nothing less than some
such emergency, it is argued, would in
duce the secretary to depart so widely
from his usual practice of refusing to
comment publicly on foreign relations
particularly during the absence from
Washington of the president. OF course
the latter is committed by the declara-
ton of the first officer OF his cabinet to
the view that congress has no constitu-
tional authority 20 recognize the indie