The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-20
SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS THE
CAMERON RESOLUTION WOULD
MEAN NOTHING.
PRESIDENT WOULD VETO IT.
THIN If PASSED BY BOTH HOUSES
HE WOULD IGNORE
TT
GOVERNMENTAL POWERS AT ISSUE.
Serious Nature of the Crisis Indi-
Gated by the Unusual Action of
Mr.. OIneys

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-The Gamer
on Cuban resolution, If pressed to final
passage in both houses. will constitute
a direct and formidable issue between
the executive and legislative branches
of the government. This is clearly in
dieated by the following interview Civ
en- out by Secretary Olney today. Sec
retary Olney being asked his opinion
as to the nature apd effect Of the pro-
posed resolution recognizing the In
dependence of the republic of Cuba,
said:
Il have no objection to stating my
own view Of the resolution respecting
the independence of the so-called re-
public of Cuba which, it is reported,
is to be laid before the senate on Mon
day. Indeed, as there are likely to be
serious misapprehensions regarding
such resolution, both in this country
and abroad, and as such apprehensions
may have injurious results of a grave
character, it is, perhaps, my duty to
punt Oul-lIidl IlG lSSOiQllO4i, IL pdoSSO
by the senate can probably be re-
garded only as an expression of opinion
by the eminent gentlemen who vote for
1t in the senate, and, if passed by the
house Of representatives, can only be
regarded as another expression of cpin-
ion by the eminent gentlemen who vote
for it in the house.
THE power to recognize the so-called
republic of Cuba as an Independent
state rests exclusively with the execu-
tive A resolution on the subject by the
senate or by the house, or by both
bodies or by one, whether concurrent or
joint is imperative as legislation and
is importan only as advice of great
weight, voluntarily rendered to the ex-
ecutive regarding the. manner in which
he shall exercise his constitutional
functions
''The operation and effect of the pro-
posed resolution, therefore, even II
passed by both houses of congress by
a two-thirds vote, are perfectly plain.
1t may raise expectations in some quar-
tiers which can never be realized. 1t
may inflame popular passions both in
this country and elsewhere, may thus
put in peril the lives and property Of
American citizens who are resident and
travelling abroad, and will certainly OBJ
struct and perhaps defeat the best ef-
forts of this government to afford such
citizens due protection. But, except IN
these ways, and unless the advice en-
bodied in the resolution shall lead the
executive to revise conclusions already
reached and officially declared. the res
olution will be without effect, and will
leave unaltered the attitude of this
government towards the two contend
ing parties in Cuba"
The impression here is that Secretary
Olney's statement, pointing out the
lack of legal effect of the passage of
the Cameron joint resolution, was
called forth by q desire to minimize
the danger of an outbreak in Spain on
the part of the excitable populace,
which is perhaps more immineAt than
is generally realized in this country.
Nothing less than such emergency, it
is argued, would induce the secretary
to depart so widely from his usual
practice of refusing to comment pub
licly OF foreign relations, particularly
during the absence from Washington
Of the president. OF course the latter
Is committed by the declaration of first
officer of the cabinet to the view that
congress has no constitutional author
fly. to recognize the independence Of
Cuba, for, to abate any Of this asser-
ton of power on his part would be con-
of the secretary. and probably would
cause a disruption of the cabinet
So far as can be gathered from
cursory scanning of the records, there
is no case that affords an exact prece-
dent to this, for nowhere have the exec
utive and congress directly differed and