The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-01
THE RECOGNITION OF CUBAN RIGHTS,
AN ABLE SPEECH BY SENATOR
THURSTON, OF NEBRASKA.

THURSTON, OF NEBRASKA.
The Req uirements of International
Law as Applied to the Revolution
in CuDa-Why Not Grant Them
Belligerent Rights?
Senator Thurston, of Nebraska,
who presided over the Republican
national convention Of ST. Louis,
made one of the strongest speeches yet
delivered in the Senate on the bellig-
erent rights of the Cuban insurgents,
and we take pleasure in giving our
readers the benefit of liberal extracts
from his speech
MIR. President, what is the require
ment of international law upon the
question OF whether or not this govern
ment shall accord to the Cubans belli-
gerent rights? l will discuss it dis
passionately and as clea'ly as | can,
without any attempt to arouse senti-
ment or TO stir up passion or prejudice.
International law, as laid DOVE by the
accepted writers, requires hat q peo-
pie, In orIer to have their belligerency
acknowledged, must first set up the
standard CT u revolution. That has
been done Ia Cuba. They must for a
certain length of time maintain a
territory against the enemy. That
has been done in Cuba for two years
and q half. Read the declaration that
was presented by the Senator from
Is thoroughly established hat for all
the period OF that revolution one pro-
vince Of Cuba has beer maintained
and held by the Cuban patriots and
revOiutiOnists.
international law says that there
must be an established form of govern
ment. Has there not beer in this case?
Could q war of this character for two
years and a half have beer carried on,
think you, unless it were carried on
under the form of ar organized gov
ernment, with some central authority
behind 1T to ecure moneys to arm and
equip its soldiers, to issue commits
slOns, q to authorize and direct the
movements OF the army?
International law also says that there
must be a seat OF government, and |
have heard 1T cOntended upon this
loor that belligerent rights can not be
accorded because there is not found
upon the map of Cuba a known or u
fortified or an important town wherein
the seat Of the revolutionary govern
ment mas been established.
A seat of government need not be
held within fortified walls; it need
not be a place where the h]abitations
OF men are clustered tegother and
about. Sir. it need not be held within
buildings made by hands or under
domes erected for the purpose of
beauty and adornmept. 1t may be
that the Cubans, from the necessities
OF the case, have gone to the noun
talns apd have set up their seat of
government under the eternal stars.
Liberty has always fled to the noun
tains for its safety and its shelter. In
the hiiltops the spirit OF liberty first
know birth. In the eternal hills the
standard Of revolution for liberty has
always been raised, and down from the
mountains have always come the sturdy
patriots who have eventually wrested
governments Of many OF the peoples of
the earth. God bless the hills and if
there is no reason other than that the
revolutionary government is held in
the mountains, where Providence has
given them bastiOns and parapets and
escarpments and Notifications without
cost, then | say that International law
has been fully complied with and there
stands no reason, SO far as q seat of
govern ent is concerned, why this
declaration can not now be properly
made.
Mr.. President, international law re-
quires that q state Of warfare shall be
carried on to such an extent that the
civil authorities Of the dominant gov
ernment are no longer enabled to pre-
serve and maintain the peace. Is
there q me or all the earth who be-
lieves that for the past tWo years the
civil authorities In Cuba have been
enabled to preserve the peace and
tranquility of that Island by the ordi-
nary civil procedure, backed up by any
proper aid OF the military arm? No
defender of the Spanish cause, no one
who apologies for their atrocities, no
one who seeks to hinder and DELAY
action upon this resolution, has so far
even suggested that Spain can hold
that island in peace and tranquility
under the ordinary processes Of her
civil authorities.
What then, Mr.. President? Interna.
tional law requires hat the revolution
must have so far progressed that there
is serious doubt about the power OF the
mother government to suppress 1t or
subdue 1t In the near future. Ia there
any doubt hat the war ia Cuba has
progressed that far ? Has anyone
ChailehBeu UF why, Mr. President,
let me read to you the dispatch In the
newspaper Of this morning coming
from Spain, the utterance of one of the
greatest statesmen
MADRID May 10.
AT g meeting of the Liberal senators and
deputies to day Senior Sagasta. former pre-
m1er, made an important speech I'm tho
course of which he said I'VE have 100000 +
troops in Cuba"--
And no war No war, with 200. 900
gathered from the farms and the
h1llsldes OF Spain, the last desperate
levy Of the Spanish authority upon the
youth OF that land. Two hundred
thousand troops la Cuba, and no war
.uba Is paciaed no trouble The day
or action by the United States OF
America has passed away Only 300
700 Spanish troops In that little Is.
and - n
but 2 pre- not even masters OF the torri-