The herald., 1896-06-01
THE REBELLION IN CUBA
Morgan Makes Remarks Con.
corning the Situation
SENATORS SEEM ANXIOUS
To Avoid Responsibility Of Recognizing
Cuban BeIligerency
American Citizens In Cuba Should be Pro
tected Without Regard to condi-
tions Likely to Arise
SENATORS SEEM ANXIOUS
Associated Press Special Wire.

VI tlt COIllIi1lLLcc OA lOIclSH Ic-
lations and author of the joint resolu-
ton recognizing the existence of a state
of war in Cuba and declaring the neu-
trality of the United States, was asked
today concerning the probability of Sc
curing action on the resolution before
adjournment, and in reply said:
UNLESS the house should act upon Mr..
Hyde's resolution, which is identical
with the resolution offered by me in the
senate that Is now held up in the COM
mittee on foreign relations, congress
will probably disperse before any fur
ther action is possible. The RESPONSE
bility will doubtless hasten the disper-
sion Of some senators. The disposition
of the majority of the senate committee
Is to devolve upon the president a re-
sponsibility that he Is evidently eager
to assume. Congress has practically
ceased to be factor in the government,
except in the case of veto, when the
constitution permits it to act finally by
a two-thirds vote. Even this function
is denied when it is applied to our for
eign relations.
For government with the co-ordi
nate departments of which we boast,
we are making a strange and rapid
movement toward re-eStablisning the
royal prerogative in the hands of our
If any British constitutional power was
destroyed in America by the revolution
of 1776 it was the prerogative of the
crown. If the president. acting alone,
can substitute the entire body of the
laws of war for the laws of peace, which
now govern our relations with Cuba,
and If he can make this total revolution
of our legal status as citizens and as a
nation, binding upon us by his procla-
nation, 1t is in vain that we abolished
the prerogative in our federal constitu-
ton. If the president, without the con-
currence of congress, should proclaim
that war existed in Cuba. and the United
States assumes the relation of a neu-
trail power toward the recognized bellig-
erents under the laws of nations, he
would usurp power Of the most dam
gerous character. In the moment of
their enthusiasm for decree that
would be so just and so humane, the
people would forgive the usurpation, but
the shock it would give to our free gov
ernment would lead in time to great
disaster. In the present state of poll
tical agitation in the country, 1t Is dam
gerously apparent that a declaration Of
war with Spain, or declaration of the
existence of state of war in Cuba,
made on the sole authority Of the presi-
dent would create fever Of excitement
that would remove all other questions
now under ANXIOUS discussion from the
minds of the people and would control
the presidential election near at hand.
II am finally convinced the president
will not venture on so dangerous a
course when congress disperses, leaving
our relations to this subject in their
present equivocal situation. Spain Will
be at liberty, so far as our government
is concerned, to pursue Its accustomed
course of summary destruction of the
rights, property and lives Of our peo-
pie.
war exists in Cuba and the whole
~ mr. while SnQin admits q
it's existence in every act, but denies It
on paper and in diplomatic way, our
government and people are required to
endorse this falsehood and to admit
that peace prevails in that island. They
punish our people for treason. insurrec-
ton and piracy with the death penalty
because they are charged with disturb
ing the peace and breaking laws that
are intended to preserve the peace in
Cuba, while peace does not exist in the
island. To make the case still more OBJ
noXious to reason and public justice,
Spain violates her treaties with the
United States by forcing our citizens to
trial for these offenses before military
tribunals organized to convict, and de-
prives them of defense by counsel and of
the right to summon witnesses in their
behalf in this alleged time of peace. If
the government of the United Sctes
should declare state of war exists in
Y
which it is legally possible to prevent
Spain from this insulting conduct, un-
less we declare war and fight it out.
After the almost unanimous declara
ton of both houses of congress that
belligerent rights should be accorded
to Cuba, and that war exists there, if we
disperse without giving relief to our
people from this situation, we can find
no excuse for abandoning them to this
dreadful fate, except that we are ready
to abdicate our power in favor of the
supposed power or wishes of the pres
ident The presidents powers are not
increased by our refusal to exercise pow
ers that rightfully belong to congress
alone, orr jointly to both departments Of
the government. So far as I am con-
cerned this will not be done through any
want of effort on my part.
For more than seven weeks the pres
ident has known the will Of congress-
which expresses constitutionally the
will Of the people. If that declaration is
not sufficient to give our people security
against Spanish violation of our trea-
ties, or to impress the president with
it's solemnity, we should not and can
not, in justice to ourselves, omit to pre-
sent the same facts and convictions to
the president in a definite form of ac-
tion that he cannot refuse to consider
Neither Spain nor the president. with
the armies and navies of both countries
and the aid of the civil power given the
president under our laws, with the ter
rors of Spanish cruelty or the aid of our
police and the Spanish police and the
Pinkertons in our ports, have been able
to prevent the carrying of men and am
munition of war from the United States
to Cuba. This effort has been prose-
cuted with a faithfulness and vigilance
worthy of better cause.
Spain fully understands the cause
of our resentments and the Justice of
the indignation of our people and boats
in speeches from the throne that the
president is not in sympathy with con-
grass or the people, and for this cause
she adheres the more savagely to her
resolution that this shall be a war of ex-
termination, and that we shall be COM
PEELED to call it peace. and shall refuse
on that false declaration to give the
shelter of the laws of war to those who
are moved by humanity to help the Gu
bans. If an American who thus aids a
people fighting for liberty against a
tyrannical monarchy escapes our pen
itentiary and meets death when he Is
captured by the Spaniards, congress
cannot be justified in leaving him to
that fate when the declaration of the
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