The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-12

contestants and intervention in favor of one or the other party.
 I speak not of forcible annexation for that cannot be thought of. That by our code of morality would be criminal aggression.
 Thereupon I reviewed these alterna- tives, in the light of President Grants measured words, uttered in 1875 when after seven years of sanguinary. de- structive and cruel hostilities in Cuba, he reached the conclusion that the re- cognition of the independence of Cuba was impracticable and indefensible; and that the recognition of belliger- ency was not warranted by the facts according to the tests of public law. I commented especially upon the latter aspect of the question, pointing out the inconveniences and positive dangers of recognition of belliger- ency which, while adding to the al- ready onerous burdens of neutrality within our own jurisdiction, could not in any way extend our influence or eff fective offices in the territory of hos tilities. Nothing has since occurred to change my view in this regard, and recognize as fully now as then that the issuance of a proclamation of neu- trality, by which process the so-called recognition of belligerency is pub lished, could of itself, and unattended by other action, accomplish nothing toward the one end for which we la bor the instant pacification of Cuba and the cessation of the misery that afflicts the island.
 Recognition Not Wise.
 Turning to the question of recogni- zing at this time the independence of the present insurgent government in | Cuba, we find safe precedents in our history from an early day. They are well summed up in President Jack | sons message to congress December | 1, 1886, on the subject of the recogni- | tion of the independence of Texas. He said:
 ] Tn all the contests that have arisen | out of the revolutions of France, out | of the disputes relating to the crowns l of Portugal and Spain, out of the sep l aration of the American possessions of both from the European governments and out of the numerous and con- stantly occurring struggles for domin- | sistent with just principles has I been the action of our government l that we have under the most critical circumstances, avoided all censure l and encountered no other evil than | that produced by transient estrange- | ment of good will in those against | whom we have been by force of evil dence compelled to decide.
 | Tt has thus been made known to the world that the uniform policy and l practice of the United States is to avoid all interference in disputes | which merely relate to the internal government of other nations and eventually to recognize the authority of the prevailing party without refer ence to our particular interests and views, or to the merits of the original
 controversy. s*** But on this as
 on every other trying occasion, safety is to be found in rigid adherence to | principle
 'In the contest between Spain and
 the reyolted colonies we stood aloof
 and waited not only until the ability of
 the new states to protect themselves
 was fully established, but until the
 danger of their being again subjugated
 had entirely passed away. Then and
 not until then, were they recognized
 Such was our course in regard to Mexi-
 co herself * A * It is true
 that with regard to Texas the civil au-
 thority of Mexico has been expelled
 it's invading army defeated, the chief
 of the republic himself captured, and
 all present power to control the newly
 organized government of Texas anni-
 Inflated within its confines. But on the
 other hand, there is in appearance al
 least, an immense disparity of physical
 force on the side of Texas. The Mexi-
 can republic under another executive
 is ralying it's forces under new lead
 CT, and menacing fresh invasion tc
 recover it's lost dominion.
 Upon the issue of this threatened
 invasion the independence of Texas
 may be considered as suspended, an6 were there nothing peculiar in the rela-
 tive situation of the United Stats and
 Texas our acknowledgment of it's inde.
 pendence at such a crisis could scarcely
 be regarded as consistent with that
 prudent reserve with which we have
 hitherto held ourselves bound to treat
 all similar questions"
 Thereupon Andrew Jackson proceed
 ed to consider the risk that there might
 be imputed to the, United States mo.