The times., 1897-06-25

| Cuban vengeance has been stayed, aud
Goiuez, Garcia and all the other Christian
! heroes have gone on returning good for
evil, relieving that the justice OF their
cause, and their sacred respect for the
ethics OF war would appeal TO the Govern
Inent and the people Of the United States
and secure To the Cuban arms the recogni
tion of beilisereney. That recognition
" woula have deprived Spain of the least
color OF excuse for treating prisoners
ought To have kcen granted long ago in
the interests OF humanity. even il the
action had been contrary to every prece-
dent.
IL happens, however, that the weight Of
authority ON internationallaw gives bellg-
erency as a right 10 revolutionists whose
struggle for political liberty has assumed
proportions much below those presented
by the Cill,au revolution. Let US refer to
what has been said by one of the greatest
writers on the subject Bluntschli, in his
wellknown monograph entitled, "opinion
ImparIiale sur la Question de I'AlabaIna,' y
sa Us:
The history of every people demon
StrateS knau these reyoiteu parties nave
often succeeded either 10 found new
State or 10 conquer IN permanent man
ner the sovereign power OF the State
OF which they formed u part 1t CAN
hot be maintained, there fore, that parueS
SO powerful and Well armed shoaid not
possess possible aptitude To constitute
new states. NOW, It is precisely upon
tnat question that the legal possibility
OF considering them belIigerents rests.
ii is certainly one OF the great adj
vances OF CIVILIZATION to have, iii these
ialter days, caused to rece0e more and
more, Iii such case, the rigorous applica-
ton OF penal laws before the more humane
applications OF the iaw OF nations. As long
as the Officers and soldiers OF the rebel
army have cause TO fear, II captured, that
they viii be Imprisoned as state criminals or
punished by death, they will infallibly be
led 20 revenge themselves, in the form
OF reprisals, upon the prisoners which
they IN turn make from among the troops
OF the government, and also put them To
death If, on the contrary, the in surgent
troops are assured that the enemies against
whom they carry on regular warfare
VIII not pursue or punish them as Grim
lnais, but Will treat them as enemies
according TO rules OF International law
adopted by civilized nations, they. too.
will conform TO the law OF nations .
and abstain from all useless barbarity
lt is principally for these practical
reasons that the notion OF belligerency,
instead OF being limited 10 two
foreign States at war with one another.
has been extended to an intesrs, part of
tne population or State which tab is in
fact organized as a mill; ary force: (b)
observes. in the conduct OF hostilitles the
laws or war. and tcl believes in good faith
thai IL is struggling, in lieu and stead OF
u Stale, Tor the defense of its public rights
nd ha
dicta Of every recognized authority on in
ternationaI law, agree with II. the Cuban
patriots have been entitled to recognition
as beiligerents by the United states, for at
least year and half. If not longer.
To staad by and see them treated as
criminals for doing exactly what we did
hundred and twenty years ago, with less
cause, has been cowardly and inhuman.
1t has been and is a hideous offense
against God ard humanity At last it
seems to have driven the Cuban patriots
20 retaliation. We are to blame for IT,;
not theyi
how many American citizens are there
who would see their brethren tortured and
murdered. and their wives and daughters
systematically outraged and butchered by
the hell hounds Of tyranny. and not take
any vengeance they could find? The
Cubans have been strangely patient with
their oppressor: but rot more so than the
American people has been with their cold
blooded, cailous authorities. In both in
stances the time for patience is past