The Indianapolis journal., 1897-01-04
SPANS RECOGNITION OF THE
CONFEDERATES.

The Richmond Telegram admits that Sec
retary Olneys point that there is moth
ing 20 recognize in Cuba may be well TAX
en-, but it asks what more was there TO
recognize in the South i'm the sixties when
Spain found recognition of the Southern
Confederacy?" This is an erroneous view
of the case. The fact. if it were a fact.
that Spain blundered or did an unjustifia BILE
thing in her recognition of our rebels.
would be a poor excuse for our doing the
same thing towards hers. But the situa-
tions are very different. and what the SEN
ate resolution proposes the United States
shall do is very different from what Spain
did. To say that there was nothing more
to recognize in the Confederacy in May.
1861, than there is of the Cuban rebellion
now. is a great mistake. The Confederates
had well-organized government from the
beginning. Every State that seeded from
the Union had its own government. and
they lost no time in forming a central gov
ernment- Jefferson Davis was chosen pro-
visional President of the Confederacy and
inaugurated in February 1861. He called
the Confederate Congress to assemble at
Montgomery on April 20, 1861. and this body
declared that state of war existed, passed
laws for the maintenance of an army,
passed a revenue law. authorized an issue
of bonds, and did many other acts of SOW
ereignty. On the 18th of March the Con-
gress adopted a constitution which was
submitted to conventions of the several
States for ratification, and ratified by Ala
hama on March 1S 1861; by Georgia on
March II, by Louisiana on March Il, by
Texas on March %. by Mississippi on
March 80 and by South Carolina on April
u. All this was three months before Spain
recognized the Confederacy as belligerents.
Meanwhile, their state and general gov
as complete operation as those of the
Northern States. They had put an army in
the field and were exercising all the func-
tions of an Independent power. And. after
all, Spain only recognized the Confederates
as belligerents and declared strict neutral
ity. The preamble to the recognition shows
that it was not done in an unfriendly spirit
to the United States. The Queens procla-
nation, dated June IL, 1861, began as fol-
lows:
Considering the relations which exist be-
tween Spain and the United States of
America, and the expediency of not chang
ing the reciprocal feelings and friendly
understanding on account of the grave
events which have happened in that repub-
lie, have resolved to maintain the strict
est neutrality in the struggle engaged in
between all the federal States of the Union
and the Confederate States of the South:
and in order to avoid the losses which our
subjects might suffer, both in shipping and
0rr for nf nit r>lrIa rf
which their conduct might conform. in
cOrdance with my council of ministers.
decree as follows: (Then followed the reg
ulations governing neutral nations.)
Secretary Seward directed the United
States minister at Madrid TO thank the
Spanish government for its prompt and
was done. Spain never recognized the in
dependence of the Confederates as it is now
proposed the United States shall do with
the Cuban insurgents. She simply rccog-
nized them as belligerents for the purpose
of declaring a strict neutrality, and it is
due to her to say that. unlike England she
maintained her neutrality with the utmost
good faith. The Confederates got no help
OF any kind from Spain or the Spanish
people, and the recognition which Spain
extended at the beginning of the war.
about which so much has been said. did
not amount to anything. If it had not
been justified by the existing situation and
by international law, our secretary of state
would not have instructed our minister to
thank the Spanish government for its ac-
tiop