St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-21
yerely on the official administration of


eral Weyler visiting death on those even
suspected OF sympathy with the insurg-,
ents was brutal and bloody edict Mr..
cameron followed In support of the
substitute he had offered
For my part he said at regard the
question of belligerency as a false issue
mistake, into which the friends of Cuba
should s1 not fall. l object to it in the first
Grant to reject it in 1875, because it is of
1ensive to Spain and delusive to Cuba. The
contest is no longer one of beligerency, but
one of independence. Then, in the second
place 1 object to it because it comedies to
Spain the belligerent right of searching our
ships on the high seas and seizing them
whenever they have anything on board which
can be considered contraband of war. object
TO 1t In the third place because 1t imposes
peil1gerent duties as we'll as belligerent rights
and relieves Spain of all further responsible
ty for the destruction of American property
in Cuba, by transferring that responsibility
to the insurgents. wish the government
Cuba ended"
Mr.. Cameron said In conclusion that
II TINS resolution was adopted and Spain
paid no attention to it, he would move
the immediate recognition of Cuba.
MIR. LODGE SPOKE VIGOROUSLY.
as to the need Of action. He would.
he said, go further than the resolution
OF the committee While other Span
lsh dependencies had broken away from
III.
earning the title Of faithful Cuba
And yet oppression dishonesty and
robbery had been visited on the island
The time had come, declared Mr.. Lodge,
when it was the duty Of the United
states to act firmly and fully. The past
relations between this country and
Spain offered no ties Of gratitude or
blood to check our action. The SEN
ator reviewed the friendship of Spain
toward the United States England
was the first to thrust her hand into
our bloody wound at the outbreak Of
the civil war, France was the next and
Spain followed. Within three months
OF the firing OF Sumter, Spain had rec
ognized the confederacy Mr. Lodge
spoke of the suppression of free press
and free church in Cuba free
Cuba would mean the development Of
that splendid island, one of the richest
spots on the face Of the earth But
there was political, rather than a ma
terial interest, which bade us act. Cuba
lay athwart the route to the Nicaragua
canal. She was the sentinel of the gulf;
the great bulwark of the American
coast. '"The island is today lost to
Spain," said Mr.. Lodge; "they may
continue to deluge the island with blood,
but the island is lost to them.''
WEYLER'S BLOODY DEGREES.
The senator analyzed the "bloody
DEGREES" issued by Gen. Weyler. a plan
of "desolation and determination that
he may prolong the agony until the
island is a solitude. And yet we, six
hours away, stand idly by" AS mat
ter OF humanity, the senator appealed
for action. Our words of sympathy
for Armenia were mere words Those
fearful atrocities had proceeded while
all Europe had not stirred The pro-
tests Of Lord Salisbury were pitiful.
The money power and the money lend
er was the real power of Europe, and
this vast power cared nothing for the
slaughter Of Armen1ans. eff that war
goes on with that bloody commander
in charge, the responsibility is on our
shoulders. We cannot avoid it."
There was burst of applause from
the galleries as Mr.. Lodge concluded.
which the presiding officer stopped by
rapping for order.
Mr.. Morgan (who reported the reso-
lutions) followed. He said the possi-
bilities of war between the United
States and Spain should in no way en-
barrasS the consideration of the sub
ject and shaping of a proper course.
The committee on submitting this res
olution was not moved by retaliation
or by any consideration of past rela-
tions between the countries. 1t was
based solely on the conditions and re-
quirements of today. Mr.. Morgan then
took up the legal questions involved,
explaining the duties and obligations
Of recognizing belligerency. When
armies are formed and men leave their
places Of business and become soldiers.
then the civilized world recognizes this
transformation as creating a state of
belligerency. Under existing circum-
stances, those participating in the up
rising were not recognized by Spain as
soldiers,
BUT AS FELONS
rising against their government to be
treated with the ignominy of felons-
they and their children. And vet, said
Mr. Morgan, while war is public and
beyond the possibility Of question or
denial, Spain refuses to recognize the
war. She fills Moro Castle" eXiles
men to penal colonies in Africa. She
inf1icts penalties unwarranted even If
war did not exist. And, with war pub
lie and notorious, it became the duty
Of the United States and all other
countries to demand the recognition of
Cubans as soldiers, not as felons. The
United States should be the first to
step to the front and say to Spain:
You have long enough lacerated those
people"
Mr.. Morgan said the Cuban repub-
lie already existed. 1t might yet be
in embryo--a Moses in the bullrushes
yet In time the world would recog-
nize 1T as republic. If the island
of Cuba had been as close to Great
Britain as to the United States. Cuba
would have been absorbed a century
ago. He said he approached this ques-
tion reluctantly, but that the commit
tee on foreign relations had found it.
self confronted by a large mass of pc
titions and had felt it to be incum-
bent upon it to take some action. 1t
was necessary to either report ad-
versely or favorably, and he would saw
here what he had said in the COM
mittee, that he contemplated war at
the end of whatever action the United
States might take, not that Spain
would be justified in resenting any in
reference, but because of the feeling
entertained by Spain toward this coun-
try. He also said that he believed
that Spain would be under obligations
to this country for action which would
provoke hoStilities The fetters which
Spain had fastened upon the limbs of
Cuba in the beginning We're rottine
away, and if this revolution does not
free Cuba. the next or the next will.
Spain knows and feels this and would
rather lose Cuba, while inconfict- with
the United States, than to lose it in
any other way. Spain, he contended.
had no legitimate excuse to hold Cuba
after Mexico, Venezuela and the Cen
trail American countries had achieved
their independence and Cuba would
have achieved her independence.
Mr.. Morgan did not conclude his
speech, saying he would go on another
day, as there were many points con-
nected with the question which he
wanted to touch upon at greater
length than he could do today.