The sun., 1897-05-02

| the penalty OF blockade running is limited
TO the capture and connscation Of the ves-
sol and cargo. 1t II the attempt and not
the deed which confounds them. The
cargo discharged and the vessel returned to
her home port. the offence is purged.
We may go still further and say that
there 10 nothing in the treaty which pre-
tends to fix any responsibility upon the
United States In respect Of anything which
may be done by any Of their citizens or res
| idents toward Cuba, even when the island
is In revolt. But admit that 1t does.
| In times Of pcaco the treaty sleeps.
II is only awakened by the touch
of war, and applies only to times Of
war. Spain insists that there Is no war
in Cuba. We take her at her word.
| The island is at peace. All the ports
thereof are open. Then any vessel has
the right to clear at any port in the
United States for any port in Cuba, with
any character of cargo, upon her Captains
complying with the laws Of the United
States. In point of fact, vessels arc con-
| stantly cleared from our ports to Cuban
ports carrying cargoes which In time OF
war would be contraband and liable to
seizure under the treaty, provided the
treaty applies to Cuba. Where, then, do
the officers Of the Government find author
| ity for denying clearance to certain vessels
| bound for Cuban ports unless their Cap
tains take an oath Of their intention7
What authority have they to modify or
amplify a law of Congress7
| 1t must be remembered, in this relation,
| that the United States have no control over
vessel after she has passed beyond the
| limits Of their jurisdiction. They are In no
sense the guardians or the executors Of the
laws of Spain. II vessel, cleared from a
United States port for Havana, changes her
destination when within Cuban waters,
and puts into some other port, or lands her
cargo, or attempts to land 1t, at some other
point on the Cuban coast, and this in vio-
lation Of law Of Spain, the re-
sponsibility rests on the Captain and vessel
and not ON the United States. Customs
officials cannot deny clearance to vessel
carrying products Of the country. II a ves-
sci clears, carrying goods the introduction
of which in any part Of the Spanish do
mains is prohibited by the law of Spain, so
that they are subject to conflscation II the
vessel is detected in the act Of violating this
law, the vessel, her Captain, crew, and
cargo, and not the United States, must pay
the penalty. Spain has the right to say
what articles shall not be landed on her
shores. She has no right to dictate to the
United States what articles shall not
be shipped from our ports. We have,
| 1t Is true, a set Of neutrality laws,
| laws which were passed originally in
the interest Of Portugal in 1918 and
| amplifed later In the interest of England,
which make it an offence for any person
| or persons to organize military expeditions
destined to operate against any country
with which the United States are at peace
But these laws relate, In terms, to military
expeditions, and not to the clearance of
vessels carrying cargo and passengers,
| no matter what the cargo may consist Of,
| from any Of our ports. Our argument,
therefore, is that. under the present condi-
tion Of affairs, vessels loaded with any of
the products of this country are entitled to
clearance at any port in the United States
| for any port in Cuba without the exaction
from their Captains Of any oath beyond the
one which is required by the law, and
| without interference from our coast guard.
Where they steer their course after losing
sight Of our shore Is no concern Of ours.
How different Is the course of the United
States in respect Of Cuba from what 1t has
| been toward other countries. We have ex-
pressed national sympathy for peoples in
Europe who, being under oppression, have
struggled to obtain their liberty. We took
early and decided action in recognizing a
republic in France and Spain and later in
Brazil. But here at our very doors are peo-
pie oppressed as no other Christian peo-
pie have ever been oppressed; taxed
to the extent Of the value Of the
product of their industry; their prop
erty destroyed; their citizens arrested
and thrown into loathsome prisons upon
the shallowest pretexts shot down simply
because found with arms in their hands
| women and children murdered indiscrim-
inately; the smoke of burning towns and
hamlets resting in clouds over the land
whence we can almost hear the groans of
the victims of tyranny; people who for
years have foiled the attacks of vast army,
and are determined to perish rather than
live again under foreign dominion; who
have organized Government complete In
all Its parts, which exercises Jurisdiction
over two-thirds of their country; yet no
| recognition or assistance has gone from us
| W Chcml IlOIc CudI IudU, "O Ttlubt W dC-
cord to them even the quality of belliger-
ents, which would give them at least the
protection of civilized warfare. We ignore
the fact that, in spite Of what Spain may
say. war In Its most dreadful form has
been waging there for more than two
years. We shut our eyes to the
acts of carnage and destruction which
are daily enacted there. We are deaf
to the prayers of those strugglers for lib
erty. We read unmoved. or at least our
Government officials 30 read. the uncon-
tradicted statements that thousands of
them, non -combatants, driven from their
homes, are budding in miserable huts and
starving, even those who have been sent to
such places as Matanzas, where supplies
can be obtained. We allow cargoes of pro-
visions and munitions of war to go to their
| onprassnra hut will NOT allow Loaf ~