New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-07


tim upon his own initiative. or .na' oi "''
49,, ~ state. the President. In December
Co. unmatched to South America three Co".
.-.,o,.rs-Messrs. Rodney. Graham ana D'anu
Ten Instructions to investigate the po"''o"'
.,.,., ~ the revolted provinces and report
tho same to the Executive. IN order 'h"'
upon Wv -,cht have trustworthy information
INC .,. ,urther action. These Commission
10 So. orno,nted by the President Without
49,, ~. consent OF Congress ana w'ho"'
confirmation by the Senate. But 'ney
called Paramount or any su'h 'n'hs'
,ot invested with any diplomatic au
~ or standing. They were SIMPLY '"V
,5.rt's personal agents ana repo''e' anu
.xpected to spend IN or eisn' ''oi'"' III
wei .,v.stiga,ions The President asked Con-
''.s FOR $4,000 TO pay their salaries anu en-
s.rses and that raised storm
MR.. CIAY'S PROPOSAL.
=, March "a 1878 The House had
,a., considering the bill for estaphshns 'ne
.s.r, design of the National Flag Then inc
snrua, Appropriation bill came up win 'he
,,.,, ., $4,000 for the three commissioners
Nv CLAW. then Speaker Of the House. look the
eoor wanting 10 know II the appointment vi '"e
commissioners had been confirmed by the SEN
.rd 4, proper credentials had been issued to
INV II not. why not? And what did tho
whole business mean. anyway: me ahs"'i
made was not satisfactory to Mr.. Gay anu lie
rroceeded TO criticise and condemn the appoint,
wont Of the Commissioners as irregular ana as
likely to result in little or no eood' cohciuuihs
with the moving Of An appropriation-in lieu OF
that asked-of $4,000 "as the outht ana one
80. salary ~ a Minister to he deputed from
,x,So ndor,t ipC 90
=, tho River Plata. in South America" This
,ronosition he followed up with one OF his
.-.a,est speeches extending over parts of two
asvs discussing the question of the formal
recognition Of the independence of the South
American States He pictured the horrors OF
snan;sh tyranny which those peoples had suf-
800 >o- generations: horrors greater than those
endured by Cuba. He dwelt eoouently upon 'he
rac,ive struggles for independence. ard argued
=, great length the fitness of the States IN ques
zion for self government The sole point TO ps
s,.rn,ined he said was whether or not de
,,.,o Government had been established II So
-. we're bound to regard II as also tn" de Jute
Government. for "our own Revolution stands on
,bs basis If the right of people % change thc'r
rulers" II there an established Govern
mont in the insurgent provinces. deserving 10
rank among the nations. VIC were morally ana
poltcay bound TO acknowledge i. That there
Was such a Government. he was FULLY convinced
and he undertook to convince his colleagues OF
the fact Such acknowledgment and recogn'-
.;on would be no Just cause for declaration or
war nv Spain against this country. nor did he
apprehend that war would be declared.
Nr FORSYTH. afterward Secretary Of State
made the principal reply to Mr. Gays impas-
stoned speech He opposed the sending OF
Ninistar 70 La Plata because it did not appear
that the Government OLA Plata had asked IT,
Another objection, not less obvious. was pre-
sen,ad nv the constitutional division of the pow
ers ~ the Government Hitherto the President
and Senate had been left 10 the exclusive man.
acement OF the foreign intercourse Of the United
States Ministers had been sent To and received
from other Powers in the discretion of the Presi-
dent and Senate: the House OF Representatives
having contented itself with It's constitutional
check unon the exercise Of that authority in
volyed in the control Of appropriations. But Mr..
Claws proposition meant that the House. instead
~ checking should stimulate the Executive 10
. further extension of its patronage; change
which Mr. Forsyth deemed most undesirapie'
Moreover such recognition could do the South
American patriots no real good. Under our neu-
trality laws they already enjoyed all the rights
and hosptalities shown 10 any foreigners IN tne
limited States Finally. such government as d,n
exist in La Plata was not free repnnhc' out
s.sno,,c military dictatorship. So Mr.. Forsyth
argued against Mr. Clays motion. and AFTER
long debate. participated in by several other
..,,,art members the motion was overwheln-
ingly rejected
INFORMATION FROM THE EAE'o1I> r.
IN the middle Of this debate. on March "a lsiS'
The House received its answer from the fresi-
aent N it's request of December for Information
90 IN the Independence and political conditon OF
the South American States 1t came IN the FORM
~ a brief report from the Secretary or state MI
John Quincy Adams. and a batch OF letters ana
other documents. The most important OF THESE
latter were some communications to the STATE
Department from a Mr.. Aguirre rms eentle-
man had presented himself at Washington as
public agent Of the La Plata Government ana
as a private agent Of Chill His letter OF intro
duction TO the President from General Pueyrre-
don the Supreme Director" or Dictator of La
Plata requested that he might he received with
",be consideration due to his diplomatic char
sc,sr" Yet he had commission as an Am
bassador or Minister Of any rank. nor any
authorization 10 act such He did not at hrst
esk that the independence Of his country be for
ms recognized,
ton intimate any such desire or purpose But
come months later. after the assembling OF Con-
rress he did request such recognition; demanded
r.. indeed Mr.. Adams had several conferences
with him over the subject discussing. among
other matters the manner in which recognition
% his Government should be made If II were to
he made. and also the extent and identity Of the
territories for which independence was claimed
Il was pointed out by the Secretary Of state that
France had recognized the Independence Of the
United States by making treaty with its Gov
eminent in which each one Of the States then
composing the Union distinctly named. Mr..
Adams did not insist upon precisely Identical
course with respect to La Plata. but he thought
something like IL would be the most convenient
and satisfactory method Of procedure To this