The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-04-11

/ Ezereuee to prIuctTste-
IN the contest between Spain and the
revoIted colonies we st1od aI0of and
waited not only Until the ability OF the
new states to protect themselves was
fully established, hut until the danger
F Of their being again subIugated had
entirely passed away Then and not
until then were they rec0gu iZsd- Such
was our course in regard to Mexico ner-
self
1T IS true that with regard TO Texas
the civil authority OF Mexico has been
expelled. its invading army defeated the
chief OF the republic himself captured,
/ and all present power 10 control the
newly organized government of Texas
[ aunfhiIated within its confines But on
T the other hand there Is an appear
+ auCe at least of an immense disparity
: of physical force On the side of Texas
! The Mexican republic, under another
executive l. raIIying its forces under g
[ to recover its lost domain
I vsasI0n the fntiepeudeuce of Texas nav be
considered suspended: and were there
+ nothing peculiar in the situation Of the
+ effgenart of its independence at such
{ crisis could scarcely be regarded as
+ sisrar1r with that prudent reserve with
I which have hitherto held ourselves
T T1ereupan Andrew Jackson. proceeding to
+ consider the risk that there might be i'm
puteaf TO the United States motives Of self
+ ISL interests in view of the former cfaf i'm
f OF our part To the territory of Texas and
I of the avowed purpose of the Texans in
+ incident TO the incorporation of Texas IN
4 the Union concluded thus
/ that we should still stand aIoof and main
I tain our present attitude, If not until Mex
/ leo itself one of the great foreign pow
ers shall recognize the Independence of
the new government at least until the
lapse of time or the course of events
shah have proved beyond cavfI or dispute
the ability OF the people Of that c0u1n-
try 10 maintain their separate sovereign
" and TO uphold the government couStf-
ruted by them Neither OF the contend
!
course By pursuing it we are but car
ryfng out the long established policy OF
our government a policy which has Sc
cured TO Us respect and influence abroad
and inspired confidence at home"
These are the words of the resoIIrt=
and patriotic Jackson They are ev-
idenee that the United States IN addf-
ton TO the test imposed by public law
as the condition of the recognition Of
independence by a neutral state Ito
Wit that the Fev0Ited state shall con
stttute in fact a body polite. having 4
government in substance as well As
in name possessed Of the elements of
liability and forming de facto If left
to itself a state among the nations.
reasonably capable OF diScharEiug the
duties of q Statel" has imposed for its
own g0vernauee in dealing with cases
like these the further condition that
recognition of independent statehood
IS not due TO 4 revoIted dependency IN
til the danger Of it's being again subju-
gated by the parent state has entirely
passed away This extreme test was
The congress to whom President
Jackson referred the question as one
probably leading TO war and there
fore a proper subject for q previous
understanding with that body by whom
war alone can be declared and by
whom all the provisions for sustaining
its periIs must be furnished. left the
matter OF the recognition OF Texas to
the discretion Of the executive pr0vTe-
ing merely for the sending of 4 dipIo-
matte agent when the president should
be satisfied that the republic of Texas
had become an Independent state" It
was so recognized by President Van
Buren,. who commissioned q charge
d'afafres March !, 1887. after Mexico
Quer the Texan territory and then there
was at the time no bona fde contest
going on between the insurgent pro- |
vince and its former sovereign
I said in my message of December
last 1t IS TO be seriously considered
whether the Cuban instruction pos
sess beyond dispute the attributes Of /
statehood. which alone can demand the
racoguItfou in it's favor The same
requirement must certainly be 10 less |
seriously considered when the grave is [
sue of recognizing independence Is in |
question for no less positive test can (
be applied TO the greater act than the I
lesser while on the other hand the in I
fuences and consequences of the strug- /
gle upon the Internal policy Of the I
recognizing state. which form import !
ant factors when the recognition of !
beIIfgerency IS concerned are second /
ary. If not rightly eiIuinahIe factors I
when the real question IS whether the +
community claiming recognition is /
Is not independent beyond preadvent- |
uFe-
Nor from the standpoint of expedi- t
ence do I think it would be wise or /
prudent for this government to recog- /
nIza at the present time the Indepeud- I
euce Of the so-caIIed Cuban republic.
Such recognition is not necessary in or 7
der to enable the United States to in
init this country now to the recognition
of any particular government in Cuba
might subject US to embarrassing con-
dItfous Of international obligation to-
wards the organization recognized
In case Of Intervention. our con-
duct would be subject to the approval
or disapprov1 Of such government We
would De required to submit to its
direction and 10 assume TO it the mere
relation of d friendly ally When It
shall appear hereafter that there Is
within the island Z government capable
of performing the duties and dfscharg-
ing the functions of 4 separate nation,
and having as a matter OF fact the
proper forms and attributes of nation
atty. such government can be promptly
and readily recognized and the reIa-
tons and interests Of the United States
with such nation adjusted
There remain the alternative forms of
an impartial neutral by imposing Z "a
t10uaI compromise between the contest
ants or as the active ally OF the one
party or the other
As to the first it IS not to be forgot
ten that during the last few months the
relation of the United States has viz /
tuaIIy been one Of friendly Intervention
in many ways each not of itself concIu-
s1ve but ali tending to the exertIou Of
a potential influence toward an ulti-
mate pacific result just and honorable
to all interests concerned The spirit
of or acts hitherto has been an earn
est unse1hsh desire for peace and pros