Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-29
cuBa IN THE SENATE.

exists between the government OF Spain
and the government proclaimed and
| for some time maintained by force of
arms by the people of Cuba, and that
| the United States of America should
maintain strict neutrality between
the contcndng powers, according to
each all the rights of belligerents in
the ports and territory of the United
States" and requesting the president
to "interpose his friendly offices with
the Spanish government for the recogni-
tion of the independence of Cuba
Since this subject was brought forward
in tile senate a month ago discussion of
| it has clearly indicated what the action
would be and the nearly unanimous
vote by which the resolution was passed
is not surprising, while the speeches
| Immediately preceding the vote attest
| the very strong and earnest feeling that
the time has, come when II is the duty
| of the United States TO take a position
| that may be helpful to the Cuban in
! surgents at least to the extent of Civ
ing them the rights recognized by the
| laws of civilized warfare. Resolutions
of similar import are before the house
of representatives, SO far as according
| belligere4t rights is concerned, but 1t
! is probable the senate resolution will
| he substituted At any rate 1t is as
sured that both branches of congress
| will declare in favor of recognizing the
! insurgents as belligerents. 1t will then
/ .,yf N1,p fn n
| whether or not this declaration shall
| be given the effect of a governmental
act.
AS to the president interposing his
| friendly offices with the Spanish gov
| crnmcnt for the recognition of the in
| dependence of Cuba, il Mr. Cleveland
should decide to regard the request of
congress it would undoubtedly amount
| to nothing. Spain has no thought of al
| lowing Cuba to become independent.
| and any suggestion of that kind made
| to the Spanish government, it is entirely
| safe to say. would be very promptly re-
| jected. perhaps with a protest against
the right of this government to inter
| pose with such an object i'm view. 1t
| cannot be doubted that Spain would
| regard proposal for the recognition
| of the independence Of Cuba as un-
friendly and that Spanish dislike of
the United States would be thereby in
tensified. but perhaps this is a matter
about which our people need feel no
! concern. What is more important is
! to consider what will be the effect of
| according belligerent rights to the in
surgents upon our interests in Cuba.
| Having done this we must maintain a
position of neutrality and the duties
| imposed by this position Were stated in
a speech by Senator Morgan few days
ago as follows:
1.-THE duties imposed upon us are that
we are bound to restrain enlistment by
belligerents; we must restrain the form
| ing of armed expeditions: we are bound
| to restrain the fitting out and selling of
armed cruisers to the belligerents or
the passage Of belligerent troops over
our soil; we are bound not to permit
our territory to be made the base of
belligerent operations. nor to permit
belligerent naval operations in our ter
| ritorial waters, nor to permit the sale of
prizes in our ports; we are bound to
| redress damages done to belligerents by
our conniyance or neglect.
"Now. what are the rights of our peo-
| pie under this declaration of belliger-
ency, which involves, of course, the dec
laration of neutrality? They may trade
with either belligerent and may trade
with the colonies of the belligerent
which are not even open to trade in
times of peace. We may permit free
discussion as to foreign sovereigns. We
may permit our people to furnish funds
or supplies to the belligerents. Our
people may furnish them with muni-
tions Of war. They may enlist in the
service of the belligerents, provided
they do not, in contravention of our
own statutes, enlist in this country or
enlist in bodies formed for the purpose
or actually organized into military
squads. We are permitted to sell them
ships or to buy ships from them. We
are permitted to give an asylum to the
belligerent ships or troops in our ports
or on land
But this is not all that would be in
volved in according belligerent rights
to the insurgents. 1t would release
Spain from the payment of damages
for acts done within the rebel lines and
in Cuban waters our ships and car
goes would become liable to seizure for
carrying contraband of war. We should
be bound to respect blockade declared
by Spain, even though it were no more
than II paper blockade, and thus we
might be debarred from all trade with
Cuba. Obviously the granting of bel
ligerent rights would very likely affect
our trade relations with Cuba not en-
tirely to our advantage. AS to the ben
efits of recognition to the insurgents.
they would not be so valuable as is COM
monty supposed. The most important
advantage. as already remarked, would
be in giving them Il status requiring
them to be treated according to the laws
Of war recognized among civilized ma
tions and they would gain little beyond
this. There is force in the contention,