The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-03-05
President and Cabinet Said to
Oppose Cuban Recognition
at This Time.
Believe the Present State OF
Affairs Does Not Justify
Such Action.
Base Their Opinion on the
Ruling Of Former Adj
ministrations.

WASHINGTON, March 5.-The presi--
dent and his cabinet are undoubtedly
strongly opposed to the present recog--
milton of the belligerency OF the Cuban
insurgents and to any declaration con-
corning their Independence, as en-
bodied in recent congressional resolu-
tions. The following is not an official
statement, but it is known from care
full inquiry that it accurately repre-
SCENTS the administration views OF the
matter:
While the president and the members
of the cabinet personally feel the SYM
pathy, common to all Americans, with
those Cubans who are contending for
self government, they feel that in their
official action they should not depart
from the well settled principles which
were followed by former presidents and
secretaries of state during prior insur-
rections in Cuba.
The situation Reviewed.
Both independence and belligerency
are facts and their recognition by other
powers, as the term implies, is merely
formal acknowledgment Of a state OF
things which, rightly or wrongly, has
come about.
When people, united under some
known and defined form of govern
ment which administers its functions
by the usual methods, come to occupy
and control known territory over
which it affords protection to citizens
and strangers, a new state exists. Re-
fusal of recognition would not change
the fact any more than premature
recognition" could create it. The for
mer would be merely a slight to the
new government, just as the latter Is
merely s.n affront to the old one. The
question necessarily is always what
government is actually in control Of
the country.
Recognition of Belligerency
depends upon the same facts and is
only modified form of recognizing in
dependence, though the latter implies
more perfect accomplishments. The
difference between mere instruction
and war, though in both armed bodies
are in conflict, is that in the former
only one sovereign power is engaged,
while in the latter there must necessa-
rily be two. If an armed conflict be-
carried on by substantial political
organization, real, palpable and mani
fest to the world, having the forms and
capable of the ordinary functions of
government towards its own people
and to other states,'' having .slocal
habitation," where it may be dealt
with by other nations, then there is a
war, and refusal to recognize belliger-
ency would he willful. In the absence
OF these features there is nothing '.to
take the contest out of the category of a.
Mere REBEL on. Insurrection
or occasional skirmishes and place it
on the terrible footing of war" The
pretense of recognizing what does not
exist sis always, and justly, regarded
as an unfriendly act and gratuitous
demonstration of moral support to the
rebellion"
It is understood that, judged by these
tests, the administration does not think
the present stage of affairs in Cuba
justifies any change in the attitude of
the government. Its function is to act
and not to express feeling. The only
action now proper is to continue to,
hold responsible for injuries to Ameri-
can citizens the only government.
which, so far as appears, has and main
tains authority in Cuba, until some
other government succeeds, at least
temporarily, in supplanting it.