The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-12-08


nizing state.
The wise utterances of President
| Grant i'm his memorable message of Dec.
Z, 1875, are signally relevant to the pres
! ent situation in Cuba, and it may be
| wholesome now to recall them. At that
time a ruinous conflict had for seven
years wasted the neighborng island
| During all those years an utter disre-
gard of the laws of civilized warfare
and of the just demands of humanity
which called forth expressions of CON
demnation from the nations of christen-
dom, continued undated. Desolation
and ruin pervaded that productive re-
gon, enormously affecting the commerce
of all commercial nations, but that Of
the United States more than any other
| by reason of proximity and larger trade
Intercourse. At that juncture General
Grant uttered these words, which now.
as then, sum up the elements of the
problem: "A recognition of the indepen-
denoe of Cuba being, in my opinion, i'm
| practicable ard indefensible the question
| which next presents itself is that of the
recognition of bellgerent rights in the
| parties TO the contest. In a former mes
sage 10 congress / had occasion to con-
slider this question, and reached the con-
| cluslon that the conflict in Cuba, dread
'ul and devastating as were its incl
| cents, did not rise to The fearful dignity
| If war. IL is possible that the acts Of
| croicn powers, and oven acts of
| Spain hereof Of this very nature
| night be pointed to In defence o
such recognition, but now, as in
| iiS rnst history, the United States shoul /
r'cfrlly avcid the false lights which
| o'i ht lead Il into the mazes of doubtful
IA" aid of questionable proprety and ad-
| q usiuly and sternly to the rule hch
| has tccn its guidc-of doing only that
| W.ic' is right and honest and of good
| report. The question of according or of
pit g I,.lIi
| be judged in every case in view of the
| particular q tending facts Unless iuSti-
| ned by necessity, is always, and, justly
| regarded as an unfriendly act and a
| gratuitous demonstration of moral sup
| port to he rebellion. II is necessary and
| 1t Is required when the interests and
| rights of another government or of its
! people are so far affected by a pending
| civil conflict as to require a definition of
It's relations to the parties thereto. But
! this conflict must be one which will be
recognized in the sense of national law
as war
! "Belligerency, too. Is a fact, The mere
| existence Of contending armed bodies and
! their occasional conflict do not constitute
war in the sense referred to. Applying
| to the existing condition of affairs in
! Cuba the tests recognized by publicists
and writer's on international law, and
| which have been observed by nations of
! dignity, honesty and power when free
! from sensitive or selfish and unworthy
motives, l fail to find in the instruction
the existence OF such a substantial politi-
cal organization. real, palpable and mani
fest to the world, having the forms and
capable of the ordinary functions of gov
eminent towards its own people and TO
! other states, with courts for the admin
| istraton of justice, with local habita-
| tion possessing such organization of
force such material, such occupation of
| territory as to take the contest out of
| the category of mere rebellious insur-
| rection or occasional skirmishes, and
place it on the terrible footing of war,
| to which u recognition of belligerency
would aim to elevate it.
The contest moreover, is solely on
| land; the insurrcction has not possessed
itelf of a single seaport whence it may
send forth its flag, nor has it any means
OF communication with foreign powers
except through the military lines of its
adversaries. No apprehension of any OF
those sudden and difficult complications
which war upon the ocean is apt to
precipitate upon the vessels, both com
mercal and national and upon the consul
lar officers of other powers, calls for the
definition of their relations to the parties
to the contest Considered as a question
of eXpediency, | regard the accordance of
belligerent rights still to be as unwise and
premature as | regard it to be- at pres
| emit indefensihle as a measure of right.
Such recognition entails upon the country
according the rights which flow from IL
| difficult and complicated work and requires
| the eXaction from the contending pa. ties
of the strict observance of their rights
and obligations. 1t confers the right of
search upon the high seas by vessels of
both parties it would subject the cai v
ing of arms and munitions of war which
now may be transported freely and wi, 49,
| out interruption in vessels of the Unite 4
States, to detention and to possible seiz-
ure; it would give rise to countless vcXa-
tious questions, would release the pareut
| government from responsibility for acts
| done by the insurgents and would / =
vest Spain with the right to exercise ,le
| supervision recognized by our treaty of
| 1895 over our commerce on the high =
a very large part of which In it's t
between the Atlantic and the gulf s.
and between ali of them and the STA
of the Pacific passes through the waters
which wash the shores of Cuba. The
exercise of this supervision could sCtrCe
fail to lead, If not to abuses certainly
to collisions perilous to the peaceful re-
iatlons OF the TWO states. There can be
niue doubt as to what result such super
vision would before long draw this ma
ton. 1t would be unworthy of the Unit
states TO lhaugurate the possibilities of
such results ny measures OF questionable
risht OF expectancy OF by any mdlrec-
ti0n. "
lui.'i.is ~ ti'e Pu ihc'ieapie asPects Oh
A. g., W "ilu rev