The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-12-21


sions and acts warranted the belief that
the recognition of belligerency was, In
his mind, only a preliminary step to the
recognition Of independence as an already
accomplished fact, and that he had hur-
ried the declaration of belligerency IN or
der to avoid the remonstrance certain TO
be made by the American Minister about
to arrive. More serious still, as symp-
tom of European temper was the joint
action concerted between England and
France which soon proved that England
while waiting for the dissolution of the
Union, meant, in recognizing the 1nde-
pendence of the Southern Cenfederacy,
to revive her old belligerent claims of 1872,
which had never been expressly aban-
doned.
This threatened wreck of all American
rights was even more imminent than
our highest officials supposed Only by
slow degrees have we learned how mar
row an escape we made, and, even at
this day much remains to be revealed
We know that, as early as March, 1861,
the French Minister at Washington ad-
vised his government to recognize the
Confederate States, and in May he adj.
vised it to intervene by forcibly ralS-
ing the American blockade Mercier's
recommendation was communicated to
Russell, who entertained no doubts as
to the right of intervention, either dipio-
matte or military, even at that moment;
when the serious operations OF war nad
Much additional stress Is given in the
report to these schemes of intervention,
and Palmerston's endorsement OF Russell's
view in which PalmerSton suggested an
application that Russia join England and
France in the offer of mediation is not
overlooked in the committees summary
of all the circumstances that confronted
this Government at that time, and the
report goes on to relate that Fortunately
for the United States, Russell and Palmer
ston found their serious difficulties not IN
France or in the law, but in the political
division of their own party, These two
powerful statesmen, who had been both
honored with the position of Prime Minis
ter of England, had united their influence
seem to have supposed that their united
authority was sufficient TO control the
Ministry they had created, but the mo
merit Russell opened the subject to others
he received check. The ques-
ton became one Of internal politics, social
divisions and party majorities.
Getting down to Cuba itself the report
says ,r a,saa
with any European power in regard to the
insurrection or independence OF their
American possessions. until in 1863 a re-
bellion broke out in Cuba and the insur-
gents, after organizing a government and
declaring their independence, claimed re-
cognition from the United States.
'sThe government of the United states
had always regarded Cuba as within the
sphere of its most active and serious in
terests. AS early as 1926, when the new
ly recognized Estates of Columbia and
expedition to revolutionize Cuba and
Porto Rico, the United States government
interposed its friendly Offices with those
to request fner of sea
seemed to make her retention of Cuba
impossible, in which case the United
States would have been obliged,
for their own safety, TO prevent the ISL
and from falling into the hands of
stronger power in Europe. That this
emergency did not occur may have been
partly due to the energy with which Mon
roe announced Our right and our power
to prevent it and his determination to
use all the means within his competency
to guard against and forefend it,
This right of intervention in matters
relating to the external relations of Cuba,
asserted and exercised seventy years ago,
has been asserted and exercised at every
crisis in which the island has been in
volved
when the Cuban insurgents in 1859
appealed to the United States for recog-
milton, President Grant admitted the JUS
tice of the claim and directed the Minister
of the United States at Madrid to inter-
pose our good offices with the Spanish
Government in order to obtain by friend
ly arrangement the independence of the
island. The story of that Intervention is
familiar to every member of the Senate
and was made the basis of it's resolution
last session, requesting the President once
more to interpose his friendly offices with
the Spanish Government for the recog-
milton of the independence of Cuba.
THE resolution then adopted by Con-
gress was perfectly understood TO carry
with it all the consequences which neces-
sarily would follow the rejection by
Spain OF friendly offices. On this point
the situation needs no further comment
The action taken by Congress in the last
session was taken ON general consider
alton and on joint principle on a right
OF Intervention exercised twenty-sevan
years ago, and after a patient DELAY un-
exampled in history.
The interval of nine months which has
elapsed since that action of Congress has
proved the necessity of carrying it out
TO completion. In the words of the
Presidents annual message, The stabil-
ity two years duration has given to the
insurrection, the feasibility of its indef-
inite prolongation in the nature of things,
and as sown by past experience; the ut
ter and imminent ruin of the island un-
less the present strife is speedily com
posed are, in our opinion, conclusive
evidence that the inability of Spain to
has become manifest. and it is demon
strated that her sovereignty Is extinct
IN Cuba for all purposes of its rightful
existence-a hopeless struggle for its re-
establishment has degenerated into
strife which means nothing more than
the useless sacrifices of human life and
the utter destruction of the very sub
ject matter of the conflict,
Although the President appears to have
reached different conclusion from ours,
we believe this to be the actual situation
further delay could lead to any other ac-
ton than that which the President an
ticipates We agree with the conclusion of
the message that, in such case, our obli-
gation to the sovereignty of Spain are SUI
perseded by higher obligations which we
can hardly hesitate to recognize and dis
| charge. Following closely the action of
| President Monroe in 1878, Congress has al
| ready declared in effect its opinion that
| there can be no rational interference ex-
| cept on the basis Of independence. In 1922
| as now, but with more force it was OBJ
| jected, as we have shown, that the re-
yolted States had no governments to be
| recognized. Divisions, and even civil war
| existed among the insurgents themselves
| Among the CubanG no such difficulty is
| known to exist. In September 1895, as
we know by official documents printed
| on the spot the insurgent Government
| was regularly organized, constitution
| course, the various branches of admin
| istration set in motion. Since then so
! far IS we are Informed, this government
has continued to perform its functions
undisturbed. On the military side, as
we officially know, they have organized,
equipped and maintained in the field suffi-
cient forces to battle the exertions of
| two hundred thousand Spanish soldiers
| On the civil side, they have organized
| their system of administration In every
province, for, as we know officially, they
| the island country Diplomatically.
| they have maintained a regularly accred-
| tied representative in the United States
| for the past year, who has never ceased
| to ask representation and To offer all
| possible information. There is no rea-