Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-04-15

has thus been made known Ia the worl
thai the uniform policy of the tnitei
States is To avoit all Interference in dis
irntc> which merely relate to the internal
government OF other nations and event
ualiy To recognize the authority of TIL
prevailing party without reference 10 on
particular interests and views, or to TIL
merits of the organic controversy; but il
this, AS in every other occasion, safety i
To lie found III rigid adherence {
principles. In the contest between
Spain ahd the revolving colonies W
stood aloof and waited not only until tn,
ability of the new States 10 protect them
selves was fully established. hut unit
prospects of their being ariin Sublugatet
had entirely IaSScd away. Then, an,
not until then, were they recognized
Such was our course III regard 10 Mexico
herself. Ii is true that with regard t
Texas tine evil authorities of Mexico ha,
been expelled, its invading army de
feated, the chief of the republic hinsel
captured and it, present power to con
troll the newly organized government o
Texas annhiated within lis confines
But. on the other hand there was, in ap
pearance, at least, an immense disparity
of physical force on the side of Texas
The Mexican republic, under an ally
was gathering its forces under il new
leader and menacing IA fresh invasion t,
recover its lost domain. Upon the issu,
of this threatened invasion the inds-
pendence of Texas may he considered "a
suspended, and were there nOthin.
peculiar in the situation of the Unitet
States and Texas our acknowledgment al
its independence at such a crisis coult
scarcely be regarded as consistent will
that prudent reserve with which we have
hitherto held ourselves bound to treat al
similar questions"
MUST BE A STATE DE FACTO.
Thcreupon Andrew jackson pro
cceded to consider the risk that Their,
might be imputed to the United
States motives of selfish interest, in
view of the former claim on our part
to the territory of Texas and of the
vowed purpose of the Texans i'll seek
ing recognition as an incident to the
of Texas in the Union
thus:
Prudence. therefore. seems to dictate
that We should stand aloof and maintain
our present atti ude. il not until Mexico
itself or one of the great powers shall
recognize the independence of the new
government at least until the lapse OF
time or the course of events shall have
proved beyond cavil or dispute the ability
of the people of that country to maintain
their separate sovereignty and to uphold
the government constituted by them.
Neither of the contending parties can
Justly complain OF this course. by pur-
suing it, we are but carrying out the long
established policy of our government. a
policy which has secured to us respect
and influence abroad and inspired con.
fidence at home"
These are the words of Andrew
Jackson. They are evidence that the
United States, in addition to the test
imposed by public law as the condi-
ton of the recognition of n new State,
to-wit: That the revolted state shall
constitute in fact body polite, hav-
ing government in substance as well
as in name, possessed of the elements
Of stability" and forming de facto, ." If
left to itself, state among the ma
tons, reasonably capable of discharg-
ing the duties of State" has imposed
for its own guidance in dealing with
cases like this the further case of
recognition of statehood not due to a
revolted dependency until the danger
of its being again subjugated by the
parent state has entirely passed away
This extreme test was in fact applied
in the case of Texas. The Congress
to whom President Jackson sent the
message, one probably leading to war
and therefore proposition for q
" previous understanding with that
body, by whom war can alone be de-
clared, and by whom all the provis-
ions for sustaining its perils must be
left the matter of the
recognition of Texas to the discretion
Of the executive, providing merely for
the sending of diplomatic agent
when the President was satisfied that
the republic of Texas had become an
State"
1t was SO recognized by President
Van Buren,, who commissioned a
charge daffaires, March 7, 1887, after
Mexico had abandoned an attempt to
conquer the Texas territory, and there
was at the time no contest going on
between the insurgents of the province
and its former sovereign.
CUBA NOT YET INDEPENDENT.
l said in my message of December
last:
1t Is to be seriously considered
the Cuban instruction possesses
beyond dispute the attributes of state
hood. which alone can demand tho
recognition of belligerency in its favor"
The same requirement must GER
tainly be no less seriously considered
when the graver issue of recognizing
is in question, for IL no
less positive test can be applied to the
greater act than to the lesser, while,
on the other hand, the confidence and
of the struggle upon the
policy of the recognizing
State, which form important factors
when the recognition of belligerency
is concerned, are secondary. if not
rightly elimitable, factors when the
real question is whether the COM
claiming recognition is or is
not independent beyond peradventure.
Nor from the standpoint of ex-
pedience do ! think it would be wise
or prudent for this government to
recognize at the present time the in
of the so.called Cuban re-
public. Such reorganization is not
necessary in order to enable the
United States to intervene and pacify
the island. To commit this country
now to the recognition of any par
ticular government in Cuba might
subject us to embarrassing conditions
of international obligations toward the
so recognized. In case
of intervention, our conduct will be
subject to the approval or disapproval
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
thereafter that there is within the
island a government capable of per-
the duties and discharging the
of nation and having, as a
matter of fact. the proper forms and
attributes of nationality, such govern
ment can be promptly and readily
recognized and the relations and
interests of the United States with
such nation adjusted.