New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-14
TIE DAY N CONGRESS.

whole, done we'll 1t was deplorable that, upon
| the very eve Of one Of the most solemn ana
momentous acts within its power to perform.
th?t body should have been made the scene OF
| n passionate and brutal brawl. The members
responsible for that occurrence displayed Il lack
of appreciation of what Is fitting and n lack OF
sclf-restrant, that put them out OF court In any
criticism OF Spanish disorders. But after that
momon.ary lapse. in which only a few pnrtcl-
pa;ed and which the vast majority regarded
with indignant reproach, the House did an adj
mlrgble piece Of work. and one that Will prob
ably make its mark In history. The resolu-
tons which were adopted by the impressive
vote OF 3D. to 10 can scarcely be too highly
commended. They march with the Presidents
message and its suggestions In every partlc-
uar. They do not recognize as fact anything
that is not an established fact. nor pledge sup
port to any institution that has not yet proved
itself worthy Of support. They simply and
tcrsely direct the President TO do what he has
asked authority 10 do-namely. TO Intervene In
Cuba for the restoration Of peace and the estaD-
| lish.nent of a stable and Independent native
| Government; and they give him the permission
he has requested TO use. If necessary, the mill
tary and naval forces Of the Nation In doing
that work That Is all. 1t IS enough, and not
too much Sheridan once asked Grant for per
M on to go In" TO a certain region and con-
due, 4 campaign. Grants reply was only two
words: go In" That answer served and
the campaign was won. The President has
asked permission Of Congress to go in and
settle the Cuban question. The House replies
GO I'M II the Senate viii promptly make
| the same response there need be no doubt Of
| the result.
| That the Senate will DO so Is earnestly TO be
| hoped. although It must. be confessed that the
outlook for It Is not ms bright rs the country
has n right TO desire. To the Senatcs postpone
ment Of the matter for another day before TAX
| Ing final action little exception is to be taken.
But to two OF the three propositions before 1t,
| and they the two most authoritativey pre-
scented. objection may well be made. Tho MI
| nority resolution OF the Foreign Relations
| Committee Is actually vicious In principle. Its
recognition OF the present Cuban Republic
would not be Justified by the facts rs this coun-
| try knows them, and II would certainly put this
| Government in peril OF serious embnrrassinents.
| The proposal IS also IN direct opposition to the
| Presidents policy. and therefore calculated not
merely to annoy him. but also 10 Impair the solid
and harmonious front which all branches OF the
| Government should present to the common foe.
| The majority resolution is free from this fatal
| error But It's proposition concerning the indie
| pendence of the Cuban people Is either superfu-
| Gus or somewhat contradictory, and would far
! better be omitted. It's positive command 10
the President to use force in Intervention also
APPEARS unnecessary Simply TO "authorize and
| empower" him TO do so would answer the pur-
pose exactly as well, and would SAVIOR less OF
''vnr for wars sake and Of legislative med
| ding with executive duties which have hitherto
been so faithfully performed as TO commend
| the President to fullest confidence for the tut
urc The compromise resolution offered by Mr.
| Hale Is free from all these objections, and
! would doubtless be acceptable TO the Nation.
| Rut while II covers exactly the same ground as
the House resolution, it does so In slightly DIFF
| fcrent words. It's adoption would necessi-
| tate the appointment Of Conference Commit
tee, and entail delay In completing Congress
| sonal action. If such delay be desirable, that
might be good way OF getting it. But If the
time for acts not words has indeed come, rs
stated by one speaker yesterday. the Senate
VIII do well TO consider the adoption Of a rcso-
| luton identical in form and phrase with that OF
the House.
The report Of the Senate Committee on For
eign Relations, which prefaced The majority reso-
lutons IS sngularly impressive, and In most
respects convincing, utterancc. The handiwork
Of the Chairman Of the Committee, Senator Da-
Wis., Is percap,bc in every line, and it may un-
hesltatingly be sail that in preparing It that
gentleman has added materially to his already
great contributions to the public service. The
ringing words about the destruction Of the
Maine contain all Indictment Of Spain which
this country IS fully entitled to make, and I'M
questionable express the belief of the vast ma
jorlty Of thoughtful and Judlclous American
citizens The argument FOR the Justification OF
| intervention must also prove strongly conflrma-
tory of the general opinion and may serve to
convince even some Of those who have refused
To be persuaded by the Presidents similar
! In fact. If any one wants n concise yet cornpre
| hcnsive and authoritative handbook Of the whole
question Of intervention in Cuba, It's Justliica-
| ton and It's purposes he will find the best pos
sible one in the two leading public documents
OF the week. and. in all probability Of the year.
to wit President McKinley's message and Sem
ator Davis's report.
| 1t was, Oh the whole, good days work. 1t
did not necessarily make for war. 1t made I'M
mlstakaby for justice and honor. 1t showed
that the Nation Is moving resstlessly forward
to the funlment OF It's purpose. II is doing so
deliberately. but without delay. The process
| sion Of events is unbroken. Monday the Pres
| ident's message. Tuesday, consideration In
| committees. Wednesday, reports to Congress