The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-12-17

Is gents, and would invest Spain with tn
h right to exercise the supervision recognize
= by our treaty of 1795 over our commerce OF
y the high seas, very large part of which, il
y Its traiiic between the Atlantic and the Gu.
q states, and between all of them and tn,
: states on the Pacific passes through thu
Il waters which wash the shores of Cuba
o inc exercise of this supervision coult
scarce FAN to lead, If not to abuses GER.
talnly to collisions perilous to the peaceful
a rcla ions of the two states There can be
I little doubt as to what result such SUI
/ perviSon would before long draw this ma
c ton 1t would be unworthy of the United
D States to inaugurate the possibilities OF
l such results, by measures of ques ionable
' right or expediency or by any ndirectlon.
While according the equal belligerent
: rights defined by public law to each party
In our ports disfavors would be impose
= on both, which, while nominally equal,
; would weigh heavily in behalf OF Spain her.
self Possessing a navy and controlling the
ports of Cuba her maritime rights could be
, asserted not only for the military invest
J ment of the island, but up to the margin of
our own territorial waters and a condition
of things would exist for w ich the Cubans
within their own domain could no. h pc to
create parallel; while its creation through
aid or sympathy from within our domain
would be even more impossible than now,
with the additional Obligation, of inter-
national neutrality we would perforce as
sumeT
Against Intervention Now,
The enfor cement of this enlarged and
onerous code of neutrality would only be
influential within our own jurisdiction by
land and sea and applicable by our own in
strumentaities. 1t could impart to the
United States no jurisdiction between
Spain and the insurgents 1t wo Id give the
United States no right Of Intervention to
enforce the conduct of the strife within the
paramount authority of Spain according to
the international code of war.
For these reasons | regard the rcCoy nt-
tion of the belligerency of the Cuban insur-
gents as now unwiSe and there fore mad
missabie. Should that step hereafter be
deemed wise as measure OF right and duty
the executive will take it.
1nterven ton upon humanitarian grounds
has been frequently suggested and has not
| failed to receive my most anxious and earn
es- consideration. But should such a step
be now taken when it is apparent that n
| hopeful change has supervened IN the pol
Icy of Spain toward CubaY
| That the government of Sagasta has en-
tered upon 4 course from which Re cession
with honor Is impossible, can hardly be
questioned that in the few weeks it has cX-
listed 1t has made earnest of the sincerity
of its professions Is undeniable. | shall not
tmpugn its sincerity, nor should Impotence |
be suffered to embarraSS it in the task it |
has undertaken. 1t is honestly due to Spain |
and to our friendly relations with Spain
that she should be given a reasonable chance |
to realize her eXpectatt onS and to prove the |
asserted efficacy of the new order of things |
to which she stands irrcvocab.y committed. |
She has recalled the commal der whose |
brutal orders infiamed the American mind
c bod ri, iyp1 rNrl1 hn h1,
modified the horrible order of conccntra-
ton and has undertaken to care for the
helpless and permit those who desire to re-
sumo the cultivation of their fields to d o so,
and assures them of the protection of the
Spanish government in their lawful occu-
pations. She has just released the Com
petitor prisoners, heretofore sentenced to
death, and who have been the subject of
repeated diplomatic correspondence dur
Ing both this and the preceding adminiStra-
ton. Not single American citizen is now
under arrest or in confinement in Cuba, of
whom this government has any knowledge
The Policy of this Country.
The near future will demonstrate whether
the indispensable condition of a righteous
peace just alike to the Cubans and to Spain,
as well as equitable to all our interests so in
tlmately involved in the welfare of Cuba, is
likely to be attained If not, the exigency
of further and other action by the United
States will remain to be taken. When that
time comes that action will be determined
in the line of the indisputable right and
duty. 1t will be faced without misgiving
or hesitancy, in the light of the obligation
this government owes to itself, to the peo-
pie who have con1ded to it the protection
of their interests and honor, and to hu-
mainly
Sure of the right keeping free from all
offense ourselves, actuated only by upright
and patriotic consider lions moved neither
by passion nor selhshness, the government
will continue its watchful care over the
rights and property of American citizens,
and will abate none of its efforts to bring
about by peaceful agencies a peace which
shall be honorable and enduring. If it shall
hereafter be a duty imposed by our obliga-
tons to ourselves, to civilization and hui
manity, to intervene with force, it shall be
with out fault on our part and only because
the necessity for such action will be so clear
as to command the support and approval of
the civilized world
HawaIrs Annexation Urged
BY special message dated the 10th day
of June last laid before the Senate treaty
signed that day by the plenipotentiaries of
the United States and of the republic of Ha-
wall, having for its purpose the inCorpora-
ton of the Hawaiian islands as an integral
part of the United States, and under it's
sovereignty,
That treaty was unanimously ratified
without amendment by the Senate and Pres
ident of the Republic of Hawaii on the 10th
of September last, and only awaits the ia
vorable action of the American Senate to
effect the complete absorption of the islands
into the domains of the United States
What the conditions of such a union shall
be, the political relation thereof to the
United States the character of the local
administration, the quality and degree of
the elective franchise of the inhabitants,
the extension of the federal laws to the ter
ritory or the enactment of special laws to
at the peculiar co lditon thereof, the regu-
lation of needs of labor therein, and all
matters upon which the treaty acts, has
wisely been RELOCATED to Congress
If the treaty is confirmed, as every con-
sideration of dignity and honor requires,
the wisdom of Congress will see to it, that
avoiding abrupt assimilation of elements
perhaps hardly yet fitted to share in the
highest franchises of citizenship, and hay
ing due regard to the geographical condi-
TONS the most just provisions for self rule |
in local matters with the largest political
liberties as an integral part of our nation
will be accorded to the Hawaiians. No less |
is due to people who, after nearly five |
years of demonstrated capacity to fulfill |
the obligations of self governing statehood, |
come of their free will to merge their desu-
In any hOH tyr,