New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-22
THE POWER OF RECOGNITION.

The Secretary Of State speaks plainly and to
the point His meaning IS unmistakabe. his
logic at lcas, formidable Congress. he says has
No uower to recognize Cuban independence.
The Senate may adopt the Cameron resolutions
and thus express It's opinion the subject. The
House may do the same. They may both do so
by two-thirds ma5o 1ties. But the resolutions
will be expressions OF opinion and nothing more
They will have no operative effect whatever
upon the policy of this Government toward Cuba.
The making of treaties. the appointment OF Am
bassadors and other public ministers. and the
reception of such officers from other countries,
are matters pertaining to the Executive and not
10 the Legislative branch Of the Government,
excepting in so far as Senatorial ratification is,
IN certain cases. required. Congress cannot
compel the President to make treaty or to
appoint or TO receive an Ambassador any more
than the President can compel Congress TO levy
duties or enact any legislation That is Mr..
Olney's view Of the case. and he expresses It
with lucidity and force. Whether 1t be correct
or not, 1t unQuestionably embodes the policy
which the Administration intends to pursue.
The constitutional question thus raised between
the President and Congress Is not new one.
It's existence has long been recognized. though
Il has never been brought so sharply TO an issue
as at present. President Jackson recognized 1t
exactly sixty years ago. when the independence
OF Texas was about to be acknowledged. No
deliberate inquiry, he said had ever been insti-
,,,ted TO determine to whom belonged the power
Of originally recognizing new State; nor, it
NAV be added, has any been instituted from that
time 10 this Nevertheless, there have been
made since long before Jacksons time. numer-
Gus utterances on the subject. and not few
nrecedents have been established worthy Of pres
ont consideration In 1911. for example. Mad
ison being President Monroe Secretary OF State
and Clay Speaker Of the House. joint resol'I-
ton was reported ia the House providing that
"the Senate and House Of Representatives VIII
unite with the Executive III recognizing the
jndependence of the South American republics.
IL was. on representations from the Secretary
of State, allowed TO drop. In 1Sl1-1S, Mon-
roo beine President J. e. Adams Secretary OF
STATE and Clay Speaker Of the House, more
animated discussion arose The reputed agent
NJ some OF the South American republics pre-
san,ed 10 the House, through the Speaker
memorial complaining Of some act Of this Gov
ernmeut The question was raised whether
"wben the Constitution has placed the conduct
foreign agent shall be permitted to appeal from
"the Executive to this House" The House an
swered that In the negative. refusing. by vote
Of 127 to 20. TO receive the memorial In 1870
'o1. Mr.. Clay moved that 1.-The House Will give
"lts constitutional support to the President when
"ever he may deem 1t expedient to recognize the
sovereignty and independently" of the South
American republics. These citations are the
more interesting because Mr.. Clay was above
All others the leader in championing the cause
and urging the recognition Of those republics
Coming down to the case OF Texas. already
referred TO. we find in 1896 when Jackson was
President, Mr.. Clay reporting to the Senate,
from the Committee on Foreign Relations as
follows: The recognition Of Texas a. an IN
dependent power may be made in various
ways: First. by treaty; second. by the pas
gage of a law regulating commercial inter-
course between the two Bowers; third, by send
ling diplomatic agent to Texas with the usual
credentials; or, lastly, by the Executive receiv-
ting and aecrediting diplomatic representative