The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-04-12

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cases like these the further condi
ton that recognition Of fndependen
statehood is not due to a revolted de
| tendency until the danger of its bein
again subjugated by the parent stat
has entirely passed away. This extrem
| test was In fact applied In the case O
| Texas.
| The congress to whom Presiden
| jackson referred the question as on
| probably leading to war;" and there
fore a proper subject for 'previou
| understanding with that body b,
whom war can alone be declared, an,
by whom all the provisions for sustain
ing Its perils must be furnished" lief
the matter of the recognition of Texa
| to the discretion Of the executive, pro
viding merely for the sending of a dip
| lomatic agent when the presiden
should be satisfied that the republic
| of Texas had become ian Independent
| state" It was SO recognized by Presl.
| dent VanBuren. who commissioned O
| charge d'affaires March Z, 1897, aftei
Mexico had abandoned an attempt tc
reconquer the Texan territory and
when there was at the time no bona
fide contest going on between the in
surgent province and its former SOW
ereign.
l said in my message Of December
last: 1T is to be seriously consider
ed whether the Cuban insurrection pos.
sesses beyond dispute the attributes OF
statehood, which alone can demand the
recognition of bellgerency in its IA
vor." The same requirement must GER
tainly be no less seriously considered
when the graver issue of recognizing
independence Is in question, for no less
positive test can be applied to the
greater act than to the lesser; while on
the other hand the influences and con-
sequences of the struggle upon the
Internal policy Of the recognizing state.
which form important factors when the
recognition of belligerency is concern
ed, are secondary. if not rightly elimi-
nable factors when the real question ID
whether the community claiming rec
ignition is or Is not Independent be-
yond peradventure.
Opposed to Recognition.
Nor from the standpoint of ex-
pedience do I think 1t would be wise
or prudent for this government to rec
ognize at the present time the indie
pendence of the so-called Cuban re-
public. Such recognition Is not neces-
tary in order to enable the United
States to intervene and pacify the ISL
and. To commit this country now to
the recognition of any particular gov
eminent in Cuba might subject us to
embarrassing conditions Of interna-
tional obligation towards the organiza-
ton so recognized. In case Of interview
tion our conduct would be subject to
the approval or disapproval of such
government: we would be required to
submit to its direction and to assume
to 1t the mere relation Of a friendly
ally. When 1t shall appear hereafter
that there is within the island a gov
eminent capable of performing the du-
ties and discharging the functions Of
a separate nation, and having as
matter of fact the proper forms and at
tributes of nationality. such govern
ment can be promptly and readily rec
Ognized, and the relations and interests
of the United States with such nation
adjusted.
There remain the alternative forms
of Intervention to end the war either as
an impartial neutral by imposing
rational compromise between the con-
testants or as the active ally Of the
one party or the other.
As to the first, 1t is not to be forgot
ten that during the last few months
the relation Of the United States has
virtually been one of friendly interven-
ton In many ways, each not of itself
conclusive, but all tending to the exer-
ton of potential influence toward an
ultimate pacific result Just and honor
able to all interests concerned. The
spirit Of all our acts hitherto has been
an earnest, unselflsh desire for peace
and prosperity in Cuba, untarnished by
differences between us and Spain and
unstained by the blood of American
citizens.
The forcible Intervention Of the Uni
ted States as neutral. to stop the war,
according to the large dictates Of hu-
manity and following many historical
presidents where neghboring states
have interfered to check the hopeless
sacrifices of life by internecine con-
ficts beyond their borders, is justifiable
on rational grounds. It involves, how
ever, hostile constraint upon both the |
parties to the contest, as well to en-
force truce as to guide the eventual |
settlement.
Reasons for Intervention.
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, blood |
shed, starvation and horrible miseries |
now existing there, and which the par
ties 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 business
1t is specially our duty, for it Is right 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 Of legal
protection.
Third-The right to intervene may be
justified by the very serious injury to the
commerce, trade and business of our
people and by the wanton destruction
of property and devastation Of the ISL
and.
Fourth-Aid, which is of the utmost
The present condition of
affairs In Cuba is a constant menace
to our peace, and entails upon this gov
eminent an enormous expense. With
such conflict waged for years in an
island so near us and with which our
people have such trade and business
the lives and liberty of
our citizens are in constant danger and
their property destroyed and them
selves ruined-where our trading ves-
sells are liable to seizure and are seized
at our very door, by warships of a for
eign nation, the expeditions of fill
clustering that we are powerless al ,
together to prevent, and the irritating
questions and entanglements thus aris-
these and others that I need
not mention, with the resulting strain
ed relations are a constant menace to ,
our peace and compel us to keep on a .
semi-war footing with nation with ,
which we are at peace. ,
The Destruction of the Maine.