The herald., 1897-05-18
TUESDAY, nay IS, 1897.
WHY PRoCRAsT1NATEp

The presidents message to congress
for the relief of American citizens in
Cuba Is only another small bit of fencing
! with a grave question. Such relief can
only be temporary and inadequate and
will not reach thousands of the destitute
non-combatants who have been driven
from their plantations by Weyler's dev-
ilish starvation policy Congressman
Bailey cannot be blamed for insisting on
the resolution for recognition of the ir-
surgents. Ultimate intervention on the
part of the United States is inevitable,
If the reputation Of the nation is to be
maintained, and it is blind weakness to
attempt to temporize.
The efforts of the Cuban people to fres
themselves from Spanish rule amount
to more than a mere resurrection; the
condition is that of organized and we'll
sustained rebellion. The treatment OF
the one under the principles of interna
tional law is quite different from that of
the other. So long as the conflict is be-
tween an established government and
mere insurgents, it is not the practice Of
other governments to interfere; but
when it has reached the dignity of re-
bellion interference may be interposed
to the extent of recognizing belligerent
rights This is done in the interest of
humanity, to compel respect to the rules
of civilized warfare.
Recognition of belligerency does not
per Sc constitute a casus belli. Every
nation has the right to judge for itself
whether the condition justifies such ac-
ton; it is not an aid to one side or the
other, except in so far as it compels
humane treatment of prisoners of war.
and modifies to some extent the applica-
tioniof neutrality laws. 1t does not per-
nit the rebel authorities to fit out expe-
ditions in neutral ports, or to make
neutral country the base of hostile op-
erations.
1t is conceded that in addition to an
organized military force there must be
an organized civil government, but no
exact rule can be laid down in regard to
the later Circumstances have some
thing to do in passing upon that ques-
tion.
The Cubans certainly have a formal
civil organization, and it is respected
and obeyed in very much more than one
half the island; in fact, the Spanish
government has little control beyond the
limits of Havana and none beyond the
limits within which Spanish laws are
enforced by the army. The Cubans are
fighting for freedom, for self govern
ment, for the same rights that Amer
leans possess, and therefore a popular
government like ours should not be too
technical and restrictive in determining
whether it ought to grant belligerent
rights to the Cuban patriots
Further than this, the evidence is con-
elusive that the war waged by the Span
iards is of an inhuman and brutal char
acter, and it is the duty of Christian
government to take measures to put a
stop to it, only going so far as may be
necessary to the accomplishment of that
end. A good deal of time has been given
the Spanish government to suppress the
rebellion, but it has not succeeded in
making 1t appear that it can ever do So
Considering that American interests
have been destroyed to large extent, ,
that the conduct of Captain General
Weyler has been inhuman, that desti-
tuition and hunger so prevail as to enlist
the efforts OF the charitable to relieve
the suffering people, it does seem as if
our government has been sufficiently
forbearing, and that it has gone to the
very verge of disobeying the commands
of moral and Christian duty in refrain
ing from taking a step that will tend to
mitigate the cruelties of war and give
sympathy and relief to distressed peo-
pie.
1t is conceded that every nation may
rightfully look after the interests of its