The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-02-06
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL
REMARKS ABOUT THE PROPOSED
RECOGNITION OF CUBAN BEL
LIGERENCY.
BELuGERENT RIGHTS 70 REBELS.
Have Never Been Accorded by Nation
to Rebels Against Its Government.
Culberson-Davis Contest Case
Decided Against Davis.

Washington, Jan. 29-The action
which the senate foreign relations COM
mittee urges the president to take in re-
spect to Cuba is said by persons versed
in diplomacy to be absolutely without
precedent. Never before has a nation
, been requested to accord belligerent rights
to rebels against its government and
never have such rights been accorded. A
recognition of belligerency amounts to
nothing unless manifested in proclama-
ton of neutrality, so that the senate COM
mittee's proposition is really equivalent
to a request upon Spain to permit the
United States to issue proclamation de-
claring ourselves neutral as respects the
present conflict in Cuba. If it was the
intention of the senate committee to Sc
cure humane treatment of the Cubans, to
insure them against capital punishment
under the charge of treason, this, it is
said, might have been indicated by a re-
quest that Spain recognize the municipal
belligerency of the insurgents, which
would in no sense be equivalent to any
admission of international belligerency.
Because the United States in our late
war treated captive Confederates as
prisoners of war; made exchanges of
prisoners and recognized flags of truce
the nations of Europe held that we had
recognized their belligerency and immedi-
ately, by the issue of neutrality procla-
nations, proceeded practically to recog-
nize the belligerency of the South them
selves.
Mr.. Seward entered most vigorous
protest and in the course of the cores
pondence he made very nice distinction
showing that the United States had been
induced to treat the Confederates in this
fashion solely from impulses of humani-
ty and not from any consideration of
international law.
the action of the European nations, but
he did place the United States on record
in fashion that will make it extremely
difficult for our administration to recon-
Gle Mr.. Stewards utterances with COM
pliance with the request of congress, pre-
Stunning that the senate committee resolu
tion will be adopted.
1t is probable that the president may
at this time give some consideration him
self to the question that has already been
preached, but not disposed of in the de-
bate in the house upon the Armenian
resolution, and that is just how far he
4 is bound to be governed by such sug-
gestiOns and requests as are contained
in these concurrent resolutions of con-
gress.
1t is becoming apparent that while the
president is ready to hear the wishes of
Legislatures branch upon such features of
our foreign relations as may be brought
to his attention he is disposed to insist
upon retaining in his own hands the con-
troll of our foreign correspondence as a
whole, and is likely therefore to con-
slider well the subject matter of such con-
current resolutions as are now pending in
any stage before acting upon them.
CAMERON'S REMARKS ON CUBA.
Washington, Jan. 29.-In his minority
report from the committee on foreign re-
lations, submitted to the senate today,
Mr.. Cameron, referring to the insurrec-
ton in Cuba soon after the close of our
civil war said:
1T is said that early in the year 1869
n proclamation was actually signed by
President Grant recognizing the Cubans
as belligerents, although the fact was
known to very few persons. This pro-
clamation was not promulgated owing to
the opposition of Secretary Fish"
The senator also quoted at some
length from the message of President
Grant in 1865, in which the president pre-
dlcted that in due time Spain must find it
to her interest to establish the indepen-
dence of her dependencies. He refers to
the diplomatic efforts made at that time
by this government to secure Cuban in
dependence, which were to be on the fol-
lowing basis:
Neutrality-suspicious. of Cuba to be ac-
knOwledged by Spain.
SecOnd-Cuba to pay Spain for the re-
linquishment of her rights.
Third-The abolition of slavery.
Our government was to guarantee the
payment of the indemnity.
Mr.. Cameron attributes the fact of our
failure at that time to recognize the bel
ligerency of Cuba to the promises of re-
form made in Spain and to the internal
strife in Spain, which rendered our gov
eminent loath to press an outside COM
plication.
He says also that Mr.. Fish was irri-
tated by the operation of the Cuban jun
ia in this country, which at times in
fringed our neutrality laws.
We also AZ that time had troubles of
our own in Che South. The action of
our government was, he said, in strik-
4 ing contrast to that of Spain in recog-
MIXING the Confederates as belligerents.
Mr.. Cameron also refers to other revo-
lutions during which our government
was on the point of intervening.
IN The incest sense of international re-
quirements, he says, cannot fail to per-
celve tnat prOy0catlOn from Spain was
overlooked by our government for a
longer period and with greater patience
than any other government of equal
power would have tolerated.
(. After quoting at length from the report
by General Campos in 1879, Mr.. Cam
eron says:
b "The highest Spanish authorities have
been obliged to confess that the griev-
ances of the Cubans are just and their
aspirations for liberty legitimate"
He says the Spanish government in
Cuba is an armed monarchy.
"The danger and the scandal of the
Cuban situation" he says, have ever
been such as can be compared with
nothing but the condition of Armenia"
He declares that state of war exists
and with that alone we have to deal.
Were our actions to be decided by pre-
1cedent alone we should not be able to
hesitate.
asserts that the insurgents have
eeords which entities them to