New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-04
ACTION TOWARD CERA.

Both branches OF Congress have adopted by
Overwhelming majorities resolutions looking TO
the recognition Of the Cuban insurgents as bel
ligerents II not to something more. But their
action has not been harmonious Each house
has insisted upon Its own set Of resolutions. and
the two sets differ materially from each other
That fact will cause some delay In getting the
matter before the President. Either one house
will have to reconsider its resolutions and amend
them so as to coincide exactly with those Of the
other, or there will have to be conference com
mittces appointed, and some sort Of compromise
negotiated between the two. This delay Is not
to be regretted. On the contrary, it Is good
thing. Long as the subject has been before Con
gress, and much as 1t has apparently been dclib-
Grated upon, there Is serious reason to fear that
the recent votes have been given without that
calm and careful Judgment which should control
the action Of Congress at all times, and espe
cially when the honor Of the Nation and the
peace of the world are Immediately at stake.
American sympathy with the Cuban patriots
is strong. Doubtless it should be strong. But
1t should not be so strong as TO overcome every
other consideration. Our own country is, after
all, dearer to us than Cuba. 1t would be most
deplorable II, in some whirlwlnd Of sentimental
enthusiasm, we were swept into a course Of con-
duct at variance with our own formerly cherished
principles and antagonstc to our own best in
forests. There certainly seems danger Of such
a catastrophe, If either Of these sets of resolu-
tons as at present framed shall be adopted by
both houses Of Congress and be favorably acted
upon by the President. There is In each Of them
lack Of definite purpose and Of logical coherency
which Is likely to impair their bcnefcent force.
and may quite possibly make them decidedly
mischievous.
The trainers Of these resolutions seem not to
have regarded with sufficient care the distinction
between beigerency. independence and inter-
vention, and the logical sequence OF them. They
have mingled all three together In haphazard
fashion, and In fashion that must be necdlessly
Irritating to Spain The question Of recognizing
the Cubans as belligcrents Is really the only one
of the three which should be considered at the
present time Such recognition If decided upon,
would be similar to that which Spain gave to
the Southern Confederacy In 1861 1t would
have no reference to Cuban independence. nor
to American intervention between Spain and her
rebellious provinces. 1t would simply give TO
both parties In Cuba the rights Of public war,
and bind this Nation to strict neutrality toward
both Of them. Such declaration by our Gov
eminent might or might not aid the insnrgent
cause 1t might and probably would be unwel-
come to the Spanish Government. But it could
not properly be construed as a cause for war,
nor even as an unfrlcndly or offensive act. There
is no better established right in international
law than that of proclaiming neutrality between
belligerents.
Recognition Of independence is a very differ
ent matter 1t implies declaration that the
insurgents have perfected civil government
which Is exercising all the functions that prop
erly pertain to It, We do not suppose that the
most ardent Cuban patriot claims that such
government has been established in Cuba. We
have heard of no code Of civil laws. no postal
service no revenue service, no coinage or other
currency, no judiciary. organized by the insur
gents. They are fighting, and they are obey'ng
q military code Of their own. which seems on the
whole. superior to that Of the Spanish Army; put
they have not. so far as Americans have peeh
able 10 ascertain. civil government worthy OF
recognition as an Independent Power. In such
circumstances to talk Of giving them such recog'
milton. or to ask Spain to give 1t to them, is worse