The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-16
CUBAN QUESTION.
History Prior to the Present
InsurreetiOn.
Proclamation Drawn Up and
Signed
BY GENERAL GRANT,
But Hamilton Fish Stopped
Its Issue.
By GENERAL GRANT,
Some Extracts From the Secre-
tary's Diary.

ALBANY, N. Y, March 16.-During
the debate on the Cuban question IN
the United States Senate many allus-
ions were made both by Senator Sher-
man and Senator Hill as to the attitude
of President Grant and the then Sec
rotary of State, Hamilton Fish. SEN
ator Sherman declared that there was
conflict of opinion over Cuban affairs
between the President and his Secre-
tary of State.
The Speaker of the New York As
sembly, Hamilson Fish, son of the late
secretary, is in possession of informa-
ton upon this subject contained in
the diaries kept by his father that is
versy. On the authority of these
diaries it is shown that President
Grant had at one tune, under the cir
cumstances of a pending negotiation
at Madrid, been inclined to recognize
the belligerency of Cuba, but,
on June 13, 1870, the opinion of
the President and the Cabinet was
unanimous that there were no facts to
justify the declaration of belIigerencv,
and the satisfaction of the President
with the Cuban policy of his admins
tration and its effects upon the coun-
try and the Repu blican party found
expression a few weeks later in
thanks to the Secretary of State for
whatever share in it may have been
due to his judgment and wisdom
Senator Cameron, in the recent mi
nority report of the Senate committee
on foreign affairs, allned to a rumor
of beligerency proclamation having
been signed by. President Grant. 1t is
true that in the summer of 1869, ana
while the proffer of mediation sug-
gested to the President by Mr.. Paul S.
from
was pending at Madrid, the State de-
partment had, on the request of the
President, prepared a draft for pro-
clamation of belligerency. Some time
after the President signed it he went
on a Journey to the West, and on the
way wrote the following letter:
KANE, Pa, Aug. "A, 1S69.-My Dear
Sir: On reflection 1 think it advisable
to complete the neutrality proclama-
ton which 1 signed before leaving
Washington, and to issue it if General
Sickles has not received an entirely
satisfactory reply to his proposition
to mediate between Spain and the
Cubans. In fact, 1 am not clearly sat
isfed that we would not be justified
in intimatlng to Spain that we would
look with some alarm upon her prop
osition to send 10000 more troops to
Cuba to put down, as Americans be-
lieve, the right of self govern
ment on this continent. Not
that Spain has not a perfect
war as she pleases upon her own
soil, observing the rules of civilized
warfare, but that the rights of our
citizens have been so wantonly inva-
ded by Spanish troops, or volunteers,
that such course would arouse the
sympathies of our citizens in favor of
the Cubans to such degree as to re-
.i,r1 TO-
from giving material aid. The ques-
ton might well be asked whether
Spain would not be weaker with 80, 900
more troops in Cuba, and also, by US,
whether we would be justified by
our own people to let them do so with
out at least putting the Cubans upon
the same footing with their adverse
ries first. Except the issuing of tho
proclamation, L do not give this as in
struction, but as something to think
of-whether it is not sound. If deemed
so, the policy of acting upon it will be
discussed afterward. will be in New
York city on Thursday next on my
way to Newport. VIII be at Mr.. Cor
bins a few hours before sailing.
Yours truly, q. 8. GRANT.
These are the words of the diary on
the subject: 1.-THE President said:
Without referring to other instances,
on two important occasions at least,
your steadiness and wisdom have kept
me from mistakes into which I would
have fallen. On one of these occasions
you led me against my Judgment at
the time, you almost forced me, in the
matter of signing the Cuban message.
see now how right you were, and
desire most sincerely to thank you.
the measure was right and the whole
country acquiesces in it.
He repeated that he wished to
thank me especially for these two oc-
casions. They were, one preventing
the issuing, last August and Septem-
Der, of the proclamation of Cuban bel
ligerency, which he had signed, and
which he wrote me a note, instructing
me to sign (Which L did, and to issue
(which L did mott, and second. the
Cuban message of June 49,"