The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-12

consequences of the struggle upon tn.
internal policy of the recognizing
state, which form important factor!
when the recognition Of belligerency i:
concerned, are secondary, if not right.
whether the community claiming rec
ognition IS or is not independent be
yond peFadyenture.
RECOGNITION INEXPEDIENT.
Nor from the standpoint of expedienc,
do think it would be wise or pruden
for this government to recognize a
the present time the independence o
the so-called Cuban republic. Suci
recognition is not necessary in order
to enable the United States to inter.
vene and pacify the island. To commit
this country now to recognition OF any
particular government in Cuba might
subject us to embarrassing condition:
Dof international obligation toward the
organization so recognized In case Of
| intervention our conduct will be sub
ject to the approval or disapproval OF
such government. We would be re-
quired to submit to its direction anC
10 assume to it the mere relation of a
friendly ally. When it shall appear
| thereafter that there is within the is
land a government capable of perform
ing the duties and discharging the
functions of a nation and having, as a
matter of fact, the proper forms and
attributes of nationality, such govern
ment can be promptly and readily rec
ogniZed. and the relations and inter-
ests of the United States with such ma
ton adjusted.
QUESTION OF INTERVENTION.
There remain the alternative forms
nf fr1<s - III
as an impartial neutral, by imposing
rational compromise between the
| contestants, or as the active ally of the
one party or the other.
AS to the first, it is not to be for
gotten that during the last few months
| the relation of the United States has
virtually been one of friendly inter
vention in many ways, each not of
itself conclusive. but all tending to the
exertion of a potential influence to-
ward an ultimate pacific result, just
and honorable to all interests concern
ed. The spirit of all our acts hitherto
has been an earnest, unSelfish desire
for peace and prosperity in Cuba, I'M
furnished by differences between the
United States and Spain and unstained
by the blood of American citizens.
The forcible Intervention of the
United States as a neutral to stop the
war, according to the large dictates of
humanity, and following historical
presidents where neighboring states
have interfered to check the hopeless
sacrifice of life by internecine conflicts
beyond their borders, is justifiable on
national grounds. 1t involves, how
ever. hostile constraint upon both the
parties TO the contest, as well as to en-
force truce as to guide the eventual
settlement.
The grounds for such intervention
may briefly summarized as follows:
1. 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 expressly our duty, for it is right
at our door.
?. We owe it to our citizens in Cuba
to afford them that protection and in
demnity for life and property which
no government there can or will afford,
and to that end terminate the cOndi-
tons that deprive them of legal pro-
lection.
3. 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 destruc-
ton of property and devastation of the
island
4. And which is of the utmost i'm
portance, the present condition of af-
fairs 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
rel he nd "
of our citizens are in constant danger
and their property destroyed and
themselves ruined-where our trading
vessels are liable to seizure and are
seized at our very door, by warShips
or foreign nation, the expeditions of
filibustering questions and entangle-
ments thus arising-all these and
others that L need not mention, with
the resulting strained relations, are
constant menace to our peace and
compel us to keep on a semi-war foot
with that nation with which we
are at peace.
DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE.
These elements of danger and dis
order already pointed out have been
strikingly illustrated by tragic event
which has deeply and justly moved
the American people. 1 have already
transmitted to congress the report of
destruction of the battleship Maine in
the harbor of Havana during the
night of the 18th of February. The
destruction of that noble vessel has
filled the national heart with mex
pressible horror. Two hundred and
fifty-eight brave sailors and marines,
and two officers of our navy, reposing
in the fancied security of a friendly
harbor, have been hurled to death
grief and want brought to their homes
and sorrow to the nation.
The naval court of inquiry which, it
is needless to say, commands the I'M
qualified confidence of the government,
was unanimous in its conclusion that
the destruction of the Maine was
caused by an exterior explosion, that
of a submarine mine. 1t did not as
sumo to place the responsibility. That
remains to be fixed. In any event the
destruction of the Maine, by whatever
exterior cause. is a patent, and i'm
pressive proof of a state of things in
Cuba that is intolerable. That condi-
ton is thus shown to be such that the
Spanish government cannot assure
safety and security to a vessel of the
American navy in the harbor of
Havana on a mission of peace and
rightfully there.
Further referring in this connection
to recent diplomatic correspondence, a
dispatch from our minister to Spain,
of the 26th ultimo, contained the state
ment that the Spanish minister for
foreign affairs assured him positively
that Spain will do all that the highest
honor and justice requires in the mat
ter of the Maine. The reply above re-
ferred to of the 31st ultimo, also con-
tanned an expression of the readiness
of Spain to submit TO arbitration all
the differences which can arise in this
matter which is subsequently, eX-