Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-19
UNITED STATES AND CUBA.
The Cuban Patriots Title TO Be Recognized
as BellIgerents Interests.

Do not the conditions exist which en-
title the insurgents OF Cuba to their re-
cognition by this country as belligerents
If not as an independent nation? There
is no question in regard to public senti-
ment on the subject. Both Houses of
Congress have almost unanimously re-
quested the President to grant, to the Gu
bans belligerent rights. In this request
Congress only reflected the almost uni
versal wish of the nation. Nothing there
obcying the demand of the nationa. legis-
latlire and the desire of the people ex-
cept some extraordinary obstacle beyond
his control. Without some such diff
Guilty, the reluctance or refusal OF Mr..
Cleveland to act becomes inexcusabie and
defiant obstinacy. the substitution OF his
own inclination and will for that OF the
entire nation. whose servant he 1S ana
whose wish it is his duty to execute. 1t
was never the intention Of the American
people to make him car with auto
cratic powers or to invest him win the
divine right to thwart their wishes ana
snap his fingers in the face OF their con-
gress.
Is there an imperious and immovable
cause which can alone justify the Tres
ident's refusal to accord TO brave and
oppressed people their lawful rights? So
far as international law is involved the
only question to be determined Is whether
a civil or public war exists in Cuba. II
it does exist they are entitled to the re-
are not so entitled. "A civil war" said
Judge Grier in delivering the opinion OF
the supreme court. us never Solemnly
dents, the number, power and .organiza--
ton of the persons who originate and
carry it on When the party in rebellion
occupy and bold in hostile
clared their independence; have cast off
their allegiance; have organized armies;
former sovereign. the world acknowl-
edges them as beligerentS and the con-
test as war.
No one will deny that the insurgents
have done all this and more. They have
established government; they have APP
pointed civil officers; they have not only
organized armies but those armies &C.
cupy four-fifths of the territory of Cuba.
They have practically besieged the cities
and forts occupied by the %, 900 troops of
Spain, and beyond these stronghoids they
have overrun the island.
There is another condition which justi-
sfies recognition of the insurgents as bel
lgerents. 1t is where the interests and
rights of neighborng nation are Sc
riously affected by refusing such recogni-
ton. THE reason which requires and
can alone justify this step by the govern
his notes on Wheaton. lis that It's own
rights and interest are so far affected as
to require definition OF it's own relation
to the parties" While other and higher
authorities concur in the opinion that it
is not the only condition which warrants
such action, it may well be asked. do not
our rights and interests demand it?
Our commerce with Cuba is seriously in
jured and almost destroyed by the con-
tinuance of the war. We are subject to
considerable. expense in guarding our
ton of our neutrality laws. The island
lies Immediately in the current OF our At
lantlc coast commerce, of the ENORMOUS
sissppi river, with our five Gulf states.
with Central and South America, and
with our Pacific states, When for con-
venience or by accident our vessels ven
ture within the three-mile limit of the
Cuban coast, they are liable to search
which is almost universally attended with
insult. Many of our people have large in
terests in Cuba, which are exposed to the
ravages of these ever-recurring revolu-
tions. American citizens are constantly
being arrested without evidence to jus
tify it, imprisoned. banished to some penal
colony, and sometimes shot When in
deinnity is demanded. negotiations must
be conducted with the government at
tain general of Cuba; and when an agree
ment is reached. after long and harass-
ing diplomatic correspondence, it has
been with the greatest difficulty that the
authorizes of the island could be induced
to carry it out. There We're numerous
instances during and following the war
of 1863. which continued for ten years.
when the estates of American citizens
were seized and contiscated or put under
embargo by arbitrary executives. in vio-
lation of our treaty of 1875. without Judi
cial hearing or judgment: when often the
property of one person was seized for the
alleged offence of another; and. though
an agreement was finally reached for the
release of the enlarged estates. the au-
thorities at Havana delayed its execution
and even its publication. In some cases
they proceeded to advertise the property
for sale despite the decree in others they
set mp a false claim that the estates We're
subject to leases to other parties. and re-
fused TO surrender them at all, while in
the case of Gomez the property was ac-
tnullN sold and never recovered.
Do not these conditions make our duty
clear and imperative even though war
should he the result? War may be a ca
lamity. but there are still greater evils.
and there are times when the conditions
of country demand it.
Lord WOlSeley, commander-in-chief of
the British army. was right when in a re-
cent speech he said the man who ex-
pected or hoped for the abolition of war
sponsible public position. We shall have
wars and rumors of wars SO long as we
nave human nature; and it is by no
means improbable that we shall soon
have a fight with Spain with II possible
conflict with England also. Late de-
spatches confirm the report of a hitch in
dairy: and should the American filibusters
captured on the Competitor be shot the
President will be forced to carry out the
wish of Congress and the demand of pub
lie sentiment by recognizing the insur-
gents of Cuba as belligerents. if not as a
free and independent people There is
lhllStI, we are tp1u. III dTOuSlHS mar
tial spirit and raising military party,
thus exposing the policy of the govern
ment to the influence of a professional
soldiery. eager for bloody enterprise and
ever ready to precipitate international
broils. But there is far more danger
from the corrupting contact of sordid
souls and the decay of patriotism. Rus
kin brings out this idea in his own fine
way:
| mean also that war is the foundation
OF all the high virtues and faculties of
men 1T is very strange to me to discover
this and very dreadful. but | see it to be
quite an undcniable fact The common
notion that peace and the virtues of civil
life flourish together found to be wholly
untenahe Peace and the vices of life
only flourish together. We talk of peace
and learning. and of peace and plenty
and of peace and civilizations; but | found
that those were not the words that the
Muse of history couples together: that on
her lips the words are. peace and sensual
ity peace and selfshness peace and cor
brief. that all great nations learned their
truth of word and strength of thought in
war: that they We're nourished in war
and wasted by peace, taught by war and
deceived by peace trained by war and
betrayed by peace. in Il word. that they
were born In war and expired in peace
Shall We find in the next war a COM
mander like Washington. who devoted
seven years of his life to fighting the bat
millionaire like Morris to empty his
money chests into the public treasury
and spend the closing years of his life in
debtors prison? Shall we find soldiers
like those who persisted from hunger at
Valley Forge and marched with bleeding