The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-14
Minority Report of the Foreign
Relations Committee.
INDEPENDENCE OF CUBA
Recognition for the Cuban Patriots Who
Have Struggled for Three Years
to Free Themselves From
Spanish Tyranny.


affairs committee consisting Of Messrs,
Dinsmore. Newlands. Clark of Missouri.
williams, Berry and Howard of
Georgia. in support Of their resolution
for Intervention and recognition of the
Cuban insurgents:
1--WE. the undersigned members of the
committee on foreign affairs Of the
house Of representatives having con-
sidered the message Of the president of
the United States which was transmit
ted to congress o. Monday, April III.
1898. and on the day referred to said
committee. submit the following report
to the house of representatives:
I'VE recommend the following reso-
lutions as a substitute for the resolu-
lions submitted by the majority of the
committee on foreign affairs:
Resolved, That the United States
government hereby recognize the d
pendence of the republic of Cuba.
'Second-That moved thereto by
many considerations of humanity. of
interest and of p~rovocation, among
which are the deliberate mooring OF our
battleship Maine over a submarine
mine and it's destruction in the harbor
of Havana, the president of the United
States be and is hereby directed to en-
ploy Immediately the land and naval
forces of the United States in aiding the
republic of Cuba to maintain the indie
pendence hereby recognized.
"Third-That the president or the
United States is hereby authorized and
directed to extend immediate relief to
the starving Cubans."
In support of the first resolution,
guided by motives of humanity n OF
interest influenced by divers provoca-
tons, among which are the deliberate
mooring of our battleship, the Maine.
over a submarine mine, its ruthless de-
struction i'm the harbor of Havana and
the death of 266 seamen, we submit the
facts to the house, to our countrymen,
and TO the world. For more n d
quarter of "A century, with short inter-
rails, a revolution has been in progress
in Cuba destroying our m and
causing great financial loss to our clti-
zens and unprecedented mortality
among the contending factions. For
more tina three years the Cuban patri-
OTIS have struggled for freedom with
courage, fortitude and self-abnegation
unexcelled in the annals OF the human
race. The people are our near neigh
bors, closely connected with us by the
ties of friendship. In their aspirations
for liberty they have been by
our example and have modelled their
form of government upon ours.
During these three years the Spani-
ards have butchered these people,
starved helpless women and children
and old men by hundreds of thousands,
and nave wasted the island by fire and
sword in violation of all the rules or
civilized warfare. These acts OF "a
barous cruelty AVE filled the American
people with horror, and they are prac-
tically unanimous in favor OF recog-
nizing the independence of the govern
ment established by that brave ana
heroic people by the expenditure OF so
much treasure and so much blood, ana
our people will be satisfied with nothing
- RI ..n.-arnt,Apt which the nQnnlp
of Cuba have established has all the
forms of a republic and is a republic In
fact based on manhood suffrage and
has executive and legislative depart
ments in full operation and with a judi
cial department as far perfect as the
exigencies of the situation permit. They
levy and collect taxes. distribute large
sums of money, conduct a postal sys-
tenn, maintain an army OF 10000 men In
the field. nave defended themselves
successfully against 225 900 Spanish sol
diers, 1885, 900 of whom are in hospitals
or in their graves. md are now in un-
disputed possession of three-fourths OF
the island. outside her picket lines,
Spain possesses not one loot or SOIL
Within her picket lines three-fourths oil
the population are insurgents at heart
who will cordially participate in the
republican government as soon as the
Spaniards ~evacuate the island. With
these facts staring US in the face we
must realize that Spain can never con
quer Cuba, and that ultimately W.
must recognize the Independents Oh .nt
Cuban republic. This being the CASE
the sooner we act the better for al
concerned. thereby putting an end t6
the sacrifice of human life and the de
struction of property.
w urge the un~equivocal recognition
of the independence OF the Cuban re
public. because the Cuban patriots
merit such recognition by their valol
and owe in arms. because recogni
ton is the plain, honest, courteous
manly course, and will remove from tn'
minds OF all men any suspicion that W.
, are preparing to wage a war OF con
quest and to annex the island from mo
tiyes OF sordid greed, or as the begin
!. ming of a policy of imperial aggranoize
ment. We urge the recognition OF TN
existing republic. because by interha
I tional law only an existing government
, can be recognized. and because recog
7 nizjng the republic we lift from tn
I minds OF the Cuban patriots the Tea
? that we will force upon them a govern
; ment which they do not want; we urg
7 n because without such ~gnit Il
the event of a war etwee Spain an
2 the American republic, IL would De
3 war against Cuba also for. until IN
of her independence she Is
in the contemplation OF Information
D law, still a part Of Spain
"~Recognizing the Independence of tn
{ republic will give the Cubans credi
a among the nations of the world, there
4 by enabling them to use all their re
sources 10 the utmost and Will infu
ence men of other countries to reir
e force the Cubans with the assuranc
d that they will be treated as soldier
and will not be hanged as traitors. nj
y busters or pirates In the event OF cay
l. ture.
e we urge the passage Of the secon
e resolution providing for arned inte'
yenton as a necessary and loeicai -
ouence to the recognition OF the ind
pendence OF he Cuban epuoiic.
Facts must be considered as the
actuslly exist. not as we would nav
: them, and one of the most patent facl
= OF The situation Is that Spain refuses
q realize what all the rest OF the wori
knows to be true-that CUBA ma
q nassed from her control forever. In