The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-19
GOVERNMENT OF SANTIAGO
IN IMP ORT4NT DOCUMENT ISSUED
 BY PRESIDENT M,KINLEY.

It Provides in General Terms for the Government of the Entire Province of Santiago De Cuba and Is the First Document of the Kind Ever Prepared by President of the United States. Washington, July 1S.-A state paper that will be historic, marking an epoch in American history, was issued to- | night by direction of President McKin- | ley. It provides In general terms for | the government of the province of San- tiago de Cuba and is the first document l of the kind ever prepared by a presi- dent of the United States. By order of | Secretary Alger, General Corbin to- night cabled the document to General 1 Shafter in command of the military | forces at Santiago. The paper is not 1 only an authorization and instruction
 to General Shafter for the government l of the captured territory, but also a | proclamation to the people of the ter rttory of the intentions of the govefn- ment of the United States regarding 1 them and their interests It marks the | formal establishment of a new, political l power in Cuba and insures to the peo- | pie of the territory over which the | power extends absolute security in the | exercise of their private rights and re- | lations as well as security to their per-
 sons and property. The full text of | the document is as follows:
 Adjutant Generals Office, Washington, July
 is, 1888
 General Shafter, Santiago, Cuba:
 The following is sent you for your infor- nation and guidance. It will be published
 In such manner in both English and Spanish as wlli give it the widest circulation in the
 territory under your control.
 Executive Mansion, Washington. July IS, | 1898.
 | To the Secretary of War:
 Slr-The equalization of the Spanish
 forces in Santiago de Cuba and in the east
 ern part of the province of Santiago, and
 the occupation of the territory by the
 forces of the United States render it neces-
 sary to instruct the military commander of | the United States as to the conduct which
 he is to observe during the military occu- patton The first effect of the military oc-
 cupation of the enemy's territory is the severance of the former political relations of the inhbitants and the establishment of
 a new political power Under this changed | condition of things, the inhabitants, so long
 as they perform their duties, are entitled
 to security in their persons and property and in all their private rights and relations. | It is my desire that the inhabitants of Cuba should be acquainted with the purpose of
 the United States to discharge to the fullest extent its obligations In this regard. It will | therefore, be the duty of the commander of l the army of occupation to announce and proclaim in the most public manner that we come not to make war upon the inhabitants | of Cuba, nor upon any party or faction
 among them but to protect them in their
 homes, in their empoyments and In their
 personal and religious rights. All persons
 who, either by active aid or by honest sub
 mission, cooperate with the United States
 in its efforts to give effect to this beneficent
 purpose, will receive the reward of its sup port and protection. Our occupation Is still as free from severity as possible.
 Though the paths of military occupation
 are absolute and supreme, and immediately | operate upon the political condition of the
 abftants, the municipal laws of the con quered territory such as affect private
 rights or persons and property and privilege for the punishment of crime are still in force so far as they are compatible with the
 new condition of things, until they are sus-
 pended or superseded by the occupying Del-
 lIgc1ents, and in practice they are not usu-
 uaily abrogated, but are allowed to remain l Tn nd fn ho administered hV tho
 dinary tribunals, substantially as they were
 before the occupation. This enlightened
 practice is, so far as possible, to be adhered | to on the present occasion. The judges and
 the other officials connected with the admin | istlaton of justice may, if they accept the
 supremacy of the United States, continue to | administer the ordinary law of the land, as beGwcen man and man, under the super
 vision of the American commander-in-chief. The native constabulary will so far as may
 be practicable be preserved The freedom
 of the people to pursue their accustomed
 occupations will be abridged only when 1t may be necessary to do so While the rule of conduct of the American commander-in- l chief will be such as has just been defined it will be his duty to adopt measures of q different kind, if, unfortunately, the course of the people should render such measures indispensable to the maintenance of law and
 order. He will then exercise the power to
 expel them in part or altogether. In the exer- else of this power the commander must be guided by his judgment and his experience
 and high sense of justice.
 Que of the most important and most practica. problems with which it will be necessary to deal is that of the treatment | of property and the collection and adminis- tration or the revenues. It is conceded that all public funds and securities belonging to the government of the country in its own right and all arms and supplies and other movable property of such government may be seized by the military occupant and con 1 vertCd to his own use. The real property Of the state he may hold and administer, at the same time enjoying the revenues there
 of. but he is not to destroy it save in the case of military necessity. All public means
 of transportation, such as telegraph lines,
 cables, railways and boats belonging to the state, may be appropriated to his use, but unless in case of military necessity they gre not to be destroyed. All churches and buildings devoted to religious worship and to the arts and sciences, all schoolhouses are, So far possible, to be protected and all destruction or intentional defacement Cf