The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-23
GRANTS CUBAN POLICY.
He Did Once Sign a Proclamation Of
Belligerency.

ISL Almost OfCtu thc Il IesAQCAt ~
Change His Mind-Thanked for 1t
Later.
Albany, March 15-Speaker Fish talked
today in regard to Senator Sherman's re-
cent declarations concerning conflict of
opinions over Cuban affairs between
President Grant and the then Secretary
Of State, Hamilton Fish.
On the authority of his fathers private
papers, the Speaker said that President
Grant had at one time, under the circum-
stances of q pending negotiation at
Madrid, been inclined to recognize the
belligrency of Cuba, but on June 10,
1870, the opinion of the Preside emit and the
cabinet was unanimous that there were
no facts to justify declaration of bellig-
erency, and that the satisfaction of the
President with the Cuban policy of his
Administration and its effect on the
country and the Republican party found
expression few weeks later in thanks
to the Secretary of state for whatever
share in it may have been due to his wis.,
dom and Judgment.
During his eight years. service in the
State Dep artment Mr.. Fish kept, chiefly
as reference record for his own eyes a
diary containing minute of important
transactions, of his conversations with
the President. members of the Cabinet,
Senators, and other leading public men
in regard to the more prominent of the
foreign questions with which he had to
deal. From May 81 to June 10, 1870, the
date of President Grants special message
to Congress on Cuban belligerency, the
full in regard to the origin, preparation,
discussion in Cabinet, and final compile
tion of that special message. Some of
These entries have peculiar interest in
the light of recent events.
Under date of Feb. 10, 1870, there is a
suggestion of rift i'll the unity of the
Republican party in defence of that policy
respecting foreign affairs. which policy
the President had announced in his an
nual message OF the previous December.
The entry is as follows:
"Called this morning (by appointment)
to see Senator John Sherman on subject
of the Unit of Coinage After oonyers-
ing on that question I referred to his
resolution introduced in the Senate and
mis- speech in favor of recognizing the
beIligerency Of Cuba, and asked if he
had recently examined the trsaty with
Spain of 1895. He said he had not; was
not aware of the existence of such
treaty. I referred to its Eprovisions, and
TO the probable consequence of Ethe exer-
else by Spain of the right Of visit Tor Of
search); thought our people would not
submit to it, and that the consequences
would soon develop in war; said that
all Ill =
fighting but no belligerency rin Cuba;
there is no Government of the insurrec-
tionary party; no political organization,
&c. He admitted that he had not exam
ined the subject closely. but said there is
a good deaf of excitement in the country
on the subject. advised him, in con-
| nection with the passing of his resolution
increase of the public debt, and to meet
the increased appropriation which will
be necessary for the army ma Wy, &c."
On June 10 there is this entry:
SStay at home and prepare message
on the Cuban belligerency question, to
be submitted for the Presidents consid-
GRAFTON, in case he agrees to send one.
He has not yet returned from his fishing
excursion. -
Speaker Fish said that the original
draft of the message with it's many eras-
ures and interlineations is all in Secre-
tary Fish's own hand. The message sent
to Congress, land printed as Elk. Doc. No.
&c. is verbatim as in that draft down to
the following par agraph near the end:
"There is not d defaoto government in
the island of Cuba sufficient to execute
law and maintain just relations with
other nations. Spain has not been able
to suppress the opposition to Spanish
rule on the island, nor to award speedy
justice to other nations, or citizens OF
l ~LI ~ .~s-. IL
been invaded
Senator Cameron, in the recent minor
ity report of the Senate Committee on
Foreign Affairs, referred to a rumor of
a belligerency proclamation having been
signed by President Grant 1t is true
that in the summer of 1869, and while
the proffer of mediation suggested to the
President by Mr.. Paul s. Forbes, as
coming from Gen. Prim, was pending at
Madrid, the State DEPARTMENT had, on
the request of the President, prepared
and sent to him draft of proclamation
of belligerenoy.
On July 10, 1870, in a conversation in
which Mr.. Fish had expressed to the
President his desire to retire from the
derstanding that he was to hold it only
till the President could perfect other
plans in regard to it, Mr.. Fish was
strongly urged by the President to re.
main through his tarm, and ne assured
him that his "course was not only en-
tirely satisfactory to him but gave sat-
isfac ton anu confidence to the country.n
Those are the words of the diary on this
subject:
''The President said: Without refer
ring to other instances, on two import
ant occasions, at least, your steadiness
and wisdom have kept me from mistakes
into which 1 should have fallen. On
one of these occasions you led me
against my judgment at the time-you
almost forced me-in the matter Of sign
ing the late Cuban message. now see
how right it was, and desire most SIN
oerely to thank you. The measure was
right, and the whole country acquiesces
in it. He repeated that he wished to
thank me, especially for those two occa-
sions. They were: one, preventing the
Issuing last August and September of the
proclamation of Cuban belIigerenoy.
which he had signed, and which he wrote
me a note instructing me to sign (Which
/ did, and to issue (Which did not,
and, second, the Cuban message of the
18th Of June.''
"Perhaps you would not think SO, but