Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-04-15

These are the words OF the resOlute an d
patriotic Jackson. They are evidence that
the United states In addition 70 the test i'm
posed by public law n To the condition Of
the recognition Of independence hy nru-
tral state To wit. that Of the reyotrd siatrl
''cuust. tute in fact body polite having
government in substance "a well "a in
name possessed Of the elements of sta
bility,' and forming de iacto If left to
itself "A state among nations, reasonably cap
able of discharging the duties uf state.
has imposed for its own guvernance in deaf
ing with eases like these the further condi-
ton that recognition Of independent state
hood l. not due to "A revOlted dependency
until the danger of it, being again Subiu-
gated by the parent state has entirely passed
away.
This extreme test was in fact applied in
the state Of Texas. The Congress to which
President Jackson referred the question as
one probably leading 10 war. and therefore
a proper subject for "a previous under
standing with that body by whom war can
alone be declared. and 10y whom all the pro-
visions for sustaining its perils must be fur
nshed.' left the matter of the recognition
Of Texas to the discretion OF the executive
providing merely for the sending of a diplo-
matte agent when the president should be
satisfied that the republic Of Texas had be-
come ian independent state.
II was so recognized by President Van
Buren, who commissioned charge G'affairs
March Z 1897, after Mexico had abandoned
an attempt to reconquer the Texan territory
and when there was at the time no bona ilde
contest going on between the insurgent prov
inres and its former sovereign.
Il said in my message OF December last
1t is to be seriously considered whether
the Cuban insurrectiOn passes beyond dis
pute the attributes of statehood which alone
can demand the recognition of belligerency
in its favor
The same requirement must certainly be
no less seriously considered when the grayer
issue of recognizing Independence is in
question, for no less positive test can be ap-
piled to the greater act than to the lesser /:
while on the other hand the influence and
consequences OF the struggle upon the inter
nal policy of the recognizing state. which
form important factors when the recognition
fbelligerency is concerned, are secondary, if
not rightly. eliminable factors when the real
question is whether the community claiming
recognition is or is not independent beyond
peradVenture.
Nor from the standpoint of expedience do
| think it would be wise or prudent for this
government to recognize at the present
time the independence Of the so-called Cuban
republic. Such recognition is not necessary
in order to enable the United States to inter-
yene and pacifv the island.
To commit this country now to the recOg-
milton of any particular government in Cuba
might subject us to embarrassing conditions
Of international obligation toward the or
ganization so recognized.
In case of Intervention our conduct would
be subject to the approval or disapproyal Of
such government we would be required to
submit to its direction and to assume to it
the mere relation of a friendly ally. When
it shall appear hereafter that there is within
the island government capable of perform
ing the duties and discharging the functions
OF separate nation. and having as mat
ter of fact the proper forms and attributes
Of nationality, such government can be
promptly and readily recognized. aud the
relations and interests of the United States
with such nation adjusted.
There remain the alternative forms of in
terventOn to end the war; either as an i'm
partial neutral by imposing Il rational com
promise between the contestants. or as the
active ally of the one party or the other.
As to the first. it is not to be forgotten
that during the last few months the relation
OF the United States has virtually been one
of friendly Intervention III many ways, each
not of itself conclusive. but all tending to
the exertion of a potential influence toward
an ultimate pacific result Just and honorable
TO all interests concerned.
an earnest. unsellish desire for peace and
prosperity in Cuba. untarnished by differ
enceS between US and Spain. and unstaned
by the blood Of American citizens. Tne
fOrcible intervention of the United States as
neutral to stop the war. according to the
large dictates Of humanity, and following
many historical precedents where neighbor-
ing states have interfered to check the hope
less sacrifice oflife by internecine conflicts
beyond their borders, is justitable on rational
grounds
1t involves, however. hostile constraint
! upon both the parties to the contest, as well
as to enforce Il truce so as to guide the
eventual settlement. The grounds for such
/ Intervention may be briefly summarized as
/ follows.
First, in the cause of humanity and to put
an end to the barbarities. boodshed, starva-
tion and horrible miseries now existing
there, and which the parties to the conflict
are either unable or unwilling to stop or
mitigate. 1t is no answer to say this is all
in another country belonging to another
nation. and is therefore none of our busi-
ness. 1t is specially our duty, for it is right
1 at our door.
Second. we owe it to our citizens in Cuba
to afford them that protection and indemnity
for life and property which no government
| there can, or will, afford, and to that end to
| terminate the conditions that deprive them
! VI legal pTOl6CllOn.
! Third, the right to intervene may he iusti-
| fled by the very serious injury to the COM
merce, trade and business of our people, and
| by the wanton destruction of property and
| devastation of the island.
Fourth. and which is of the utmost impor-
| tance, the present condition of affairs of
| Cuba is a constant menace to our peace, and
| entails upon this government an enormous
expense. With such a conflict waged for
| years in an island so near us and with which
our people have such trade and business re-
lations; where the lives and liberty of our
citizens are in constant danger and their
| property destroyed and themselves
ruined; where our trading vessels are
liable to seizure and ere seized at our
very door, by warships Of the foreign
nation, the expeditions OF llibusterng that
we are powerless altogether to prevent. and
the irritating questions and entanglements
| thus arising: all these and others that /
need not mention with the resulting strained
| relations, ARE a constant menace to our peace
| and compel us to keep on n semi-war footing
| with a war nation with which we are at
peace.
These elements of danger and disorder
already pointed out, have been strikingly
illustrated by a tragic event, which has
deeply and justly moved the American
people.
/ have already transmitted to Congress
the report of the naval court of inquiry on
the destruction of the battleship Maine in
the harbor Of Havana during the night ofthe
18th of February. The destruction of that
noble vessel has filed the national heart with
ineXpressibIe horror. Two hundred and