The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-22

early as 1926 when the newly recognized
states of Colombia and Mexico were sup
futionize Cuba and Porto Rico, the United
States government interposed its friendly
Offices with those governments to request
their forbearance. The actual condition of
Spain seemed to make Her retention of Cuba
impossible, in which case the United States
would have been obliged, for their own safe
ty, to prevent the island from falling into the
hands of a stronger power in Europe That
this emergency did not occur may have been
partly duo to the energy with which Monroe
pronounced "our right and our power to
prevent IT, and his determination TO use all
the means within his competency ito guard
against and forfend it,.
This right of Intervention In matters re-
lating to the external relations of Cuba as
serted and exercised seventy years ago, has
been asserted and exercised at every crisis
in which the island has beep involved.
When the Cuban insurgents in 1869 ap-
pealed to the United States for recognition.
President Grant admitted the justice of the
claim and directed the minister of the United
States at Madrid to interpose our good offices
with the Spanish government in order to OBJ
tain by a friendly arrangement the indie
pendence of the island.
The story Of that Intervention is familiar
to every member of the senate and was made
the basis Of its resolution last session re-
uuesting the president once more ito inter
pose hts friendly Offices with the Spanish
government for the recognition of the indie
pendence of Cuba
The resolution then adopted by congress was
perfectly understood to carry with 1t all the
consequences which necessarily would fol-
low the rejection by Spain Of friendly Offices
On this point the situation needs no further
comment. The action taken by congress, in
the last session. was taken ION great con-
sideration and on just principles on right
of intervention exercised twenty seven years
ago, and after patient delay unexampled in
history.
elapsed since that action of congress, has
proved the necessity of carrying it out to
completion. In the words of the presidents
annual message 1.-The stability two years
duration has given to the insurrection the
feasibility of its indefinite prolongation in
the nature of things, and shown by past
experiences; the utter and imminent ruin of
the island unless the present strife is speedily
composed" are, in our opinion, conclusive
evidence that 1.-The inability of Spain to deal
successfully with the insurrection has be-
come manifest. and it is demonstrated that
her sovereignty is extinct in Cuba for all
purposes of its rightful existence hopeless
struggle for its re-establishment has de-
generated into a strife which means nothing
more than the useless sacrifice OF human
life. and the utter destruction of the very
subject matter of the conflict
HIGHER OBLIGATIONS.
Although the president appears to have
reached different conclusion from ours, we
Cuba. and being unable to see that further
delay could lead to any other action than
that which the president anticipated we
agree with the conclusion OF the message
that in such case, our obligations to the
sovereignty Of Spain sareN superseded by
higher obligations whicA we can hardly
hesitate to recognize and discharge"
Following closely the action of President
Monroe in 1918, congEess has already de-
clared in effect its opinion that there can be
no rational interferenee Except on the basis
more force it was objected, as we have
shown that the revolted states had no gov
ernments to be recognized. Divisions and
even civil war existed among the insurgents
themselves. Among the Cubans no such diff
ficuity is known to exist. IN September 1895
We know by official documents printed on
ularly organized, a constitution adopted,
president elected, and In due course, the va
rious branches of administration set in mo-
ton. Since then SO far as we are informed,
functions undisturbed. Or the military side
as we officially know, they have organized
equipped and maintained in the field, sufff-
c1ent forces to battle the eXertions of two hun
dred thousand Spanish soldiers. On the civil
side, they have organized their system of ad-
minlstratIon in every province, for. as we
know of1cially, they roam at will over at
least two-thirds of the inland country I"
automatically, they have maintained a reg
ulariy accredited representative in the United
States for the past year, who has never ceased
to ask recognition and to offer all possible in
formation. There is no reason to suppose that
any portion of the Cuban people would be dis
oauSheu ny our recognizing tnelf representa-
t1ves in this country or that they disagree
in the earnest wish for that recognition
The same thing could hardly be said of all
the countries recognized by Monroe in 1922
Greeee had no such stability when it was
recognized by England Russia and France
Belgium had nothing of the sort when she
was recognized by all the powers in $780,
OF the states recognized by the treaty of
Berlin, 1878, we need hardly say more than
that they were the creatures of Intervention
The only question that properly remains
for congress to consider is the mode which
should be adopted for the step which congress
is pledglng next to take.
The Cover nment of the United States en-
tertatns none but the friendliest feelings TO-
words Spain. Its most anxious wish is to
avoid even the appearance or an unfriendIi-
ness, which is wholly foreign to its Thought.
ror more IMAM hundred years, amidst diver
gent or clashIng interests, and under fire.
Quent and severe strains, the two govern
ments have succeeded in avoiding collision
and there IS no friendly Office which Spain
could ask, which the United States within
the limits of their established principles and
policy, would not be glad to extend. In the
present instance they are actuated by an
earnest wish to avoid the danger of seeming
to provoke a conflict
The practice of Europe in regard to inter
vention, as in the instances cited has been
almost invariably harsh and oppressive The
most invariably mild and forbearing Among
the presidents which have been so numer-
ousIy cited, there can be no doubt as to
the choice. The most moderate is the best.
Among these, the attitude taken by Presi-
dent Monroe. in 1922, is the only attitude
tory for similar situation today The
course pursued by the United States in the
recognition of Columbia is the only course
Wnlch congress can consistently adopt