Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-21
replied that he expected to take minute to

replied that he expected to take a minute t.
| conclude his remarks.
| In concluding his remarks Mr.. Cockrel
said that he desired to have passed by Con-
| gress such resolutions as would declare the
! Cuban patriots free and Independent, and
| that not the slightest restraint or con
| straint should be placed upon them They
would, he doubted not, be able tn shor!
| time to gain their freedom.
MIR. Teller Coli. speaking upon the same
subject. said that he had no desire unduly
| to criticise the President or the admins
| tration. He had felt from the beginning
There should be unanimity Of action on
the part of all parties in Congress if there
was to be war-a war which. he thought,
might have been averted If the preceding
administration, and even the present one
had acted properly its part in the diplo-
matte negotiations.
He was of the opinion that the friends Of
the administrations besides being willing
to have Il war with Spain were also willing
to seek war among tie political factions in
this body.
MIR. Teller then reviewed the action of
Congress upon the Cuban question. COM
ing down to the speech of Mr.. Hale Satur-
DAY night, re said that it was the first
time in his long experience in the Senate
that he haG heard Congress threatened
With an executive veto or had heard the
Senate threatened with q deadlock with
the House Of Representatives. For sew
eral days. he declared, 1T was indecently
whispered about the Senate that the Pres
ident would veto the resolutions If they
contained provision for the recognition of
the Cuban republic. He did not believe
that che President had ever authorized
any man to say that he would veto resolu-
such information to that effect had reach
ed him from respectable sources. In his
experience he had never known SO much
temper to he manifested in the discussion
OF serious proposition. He then called at
tcntion to the fact that when he had press
ed Mr.. Hale the latter had disclaimed any
intention to speak for the President.
He believed that the discussion Saturday
night had grown partly out of the excite
Eient of the moment and partly out of
desire to precipitate political discussion.
Mr.: Teller maintained that he and those
who voted with him had voted against
of Tuesday morning to sustain a great
principle. Had they been successful then
there could be no doubt that now there
would be in the resolution passed a clause
recognizing the independence of the Cuban
republic.
So far as he was personally concerned
the criticism which had been passed upon
him would have no effect. All he would
have to say to the. people of Colorado
would be that he had been Numerically
opposed to the Senator from Maine (Mr.
Hale) on the Cuban question. That state
ment would be perfectly satisfactory to
them.
Mr.. Teller maintained that even today
there was no necessity for Intervention by
the United States. Should we recognize
Cuban independence and give the patriots
our moral support he had no doubt they
would be able to sustain themselves and
gain their freedom.
Mr. Teller maintained, and his statements
were supplemented by Mr.. Butler On. O.,
that the Cuban republic was really a first
rate government, not perhaps so good in all
respects as was the government of the
colonies at the time of the revolutionary
war. but nevertheless sound and in good
form.
Mr.. Foraker (Ohio) called attention to
statements made in the Senate two years
ago by the present Secretary Of State Mr..
sherman to the effect that the Cuban
public had an established form of govern
ment, administered by officials of high
standing. character and ability. He held
therefore, that if those statements were true
two years ago their truth had been strong
~ accentuated since that time. and that it
was further entirely proper for the United
States to recognize the government of the
Cubans. He added that beginning today
the resolution passed by Congress and the
transmitting of an ultimatum based there
on to Spain was practically a recognition
by this government of the freedom and in
dependence of the Cuban republic