The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-04-12
THREE UNTRIED MEANS.
President Would Intervene Without
RecognitiOn of ~InsurgentS.

Recognition OF lnSurSentS.
In my annual message OF Decenb Der
last | said: of the untried measu rs
there remain: Recognition OF the nsu
gents as belligerants. recognition of The
Independence OF Cuba, neutral interven.
ton. to end the wal by imposing Il ra-
tional compromise between the contest
ants and intervention in favor of one or
the other party. l speak not of forcib.r
annexation, for that cannot be thought ui.
That, by IL code Of morality, would b"
criminal aggression.
Thereupon | reviewed these ~altcrna.
tives in the light OF President Grant :
treasured words, uttered III 1876, when,
after seven years of ~sanguine. destructive
and cruel barbarities in Cuba. he reached
the conclusion that the recognition 81 The
independence of Cuba was Impractical Bic
and indefensible, and that the recognition
of beligerency was not warranted by the
facts, according to he test OF pubic law.
Belligerency Cut of the Question.
Icommented especially upon the latter
aspect of the question. pointing out the
inconvenience and positive danger, Of a
recognition OF b2lligerency which, while
adding to the already onerous burdens Of
lltIllllIth HItHIh oul u INtiItblDIl,
could not in any way extend urinilucnce
or effective offices in the territory of hos
Utilities. Nothing has since occurred to
change my view in this regard. ana | rec
| oynizr as fully now as then that the is
suance Of Il proclamation Of neutrality, 10y
which process the so-called recognition Of
belligercncy is Published, could OF itself
and unattended by other action. accom-.
,ltrl ,,LtLitn, n,tnn tho - ,l r.
which we labor, the instant paciNcation
Of Cuba and the cessation of the misery
that aiilicts the island
Recognition of ependence.
Turning to the question Of recognition
at thist time, Of the independence Of the
present insuryent government in Cuba,
we find safe precedents in our history
from an early day. They are Well sum
med up in President Jack.on's message
to congress Dee. IL, 1885. on the subject OF
the recognition OF the independence Of
Texas.
The president here quoted at consider
able length from that message, and con
tinuc
1hcreupon Andrew jackson proceeded
to consider the risk that there micht be
imputed to the Cnit,d States motives OF
selfish interest in view Of the former
claim of our part to the territory OF Texas
and Of the avowcd purpose of the Texans
in seeking recognition Of independence as
an incident to the incorporation Of Iexas
in the Union. concluding thus:
prudence, therefore, seems to dictate
that we should still stand aloof and main
tain our present attitude, if not until
Mexico itself, or one of the great foreign
powers shall recognize the independ-
ence 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 con-
tending parties can justly complain Of
this course. BY pursuing it, we are but
carrying 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 r~csolute and
patriotic 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 independence by
a neutral state tO-Wit: That
the revolted state shall con-
stitute in fact a body politio
having a government in substance as well
as in name composed Of the elements Of
stability and forming de facto ''if left to
itself, u state among the nations reason
ably capable Of discharging the duties Of
Of a state" has imposed for its own gov
erance in dealing with cases like these
further condition that the recognition Of
independent statehood is not due 10 re-.
volted dependency until the danger of its
being again subjugated by the parent
state has passed away. The extreme