The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-13
CUBA IN THESENATE.
Absolute Freedom Of the Island
Is Demanded.
MASON'S IMPASSIONED PLEA
Messrs. Pettus and Butler Also Raise
Their Voices in the Cause of Lib
erty-A Field Day for Patriotism
I'm the American Congress - MT.
Lindsey to the Front.

| After q number or resolutions mad Deen
submitted by senators yesterday in the
Senate, Mr. Pettus obtained the floor.
Mr.. Mason, who had given notice on
the day previous that he wanted to
speak, arose and said he did not want
to cut off any senator who wanted TO
talk on Cuba, but that he wanted little
! time before the expiration of the morn
| ing hour in which to state his views. Mr..
Pettus then proceeded as follows:
1T is declared in the Good Book" said
Senator Pettus, in the Senate today, re-
move not the ancient landmarks. which
our fathers have set The book goes
further and says that ,cursed be he that
| shall remove such landmarks"
| Mr.. Pettus declared that he wanted to
| call the attention of the Seante to some
| of these landmarks.
zone of these Is that Congress shall
have the power to declare war 1t is
given to the President to execute that
| declaration.
Congress also has the power to limit
| the war which 1t declares.
1.-THE Supreme Court has decided that
a war may be limited.
1.-The war with France in 1900 was
| limited war.
but Congress has no authority to dele
gate this power to the President or to any
! other officer.
THE Congress must order what the
war shall be, and il is the duty of the
President not to go beyond that order.
where the sovereign power of the
States has located the authority to make
| laws, there it should remain
Congress cannot give the President
authority to wage war or not, according
to his discretion.
Il
the President? To declare war against
| Spain? No.
ITO recognize the independence of
Cuba? No.
ITO recognize their belligerency? No.
But we are advised to delegate to the
President the power to make war or not,
as he sees fit.
For Gods sake let us keep within our
constitutional power.
I'VE must take the responsibility and If
war is TO be made we must declare it."
Immediately after Mr. Pettus had con-
cluded Mr.. Mason took the floor and was
listened to with great interest by both
senators and galleries. He spoke as fol-
lows:
Mr.. President, the great hindrance TO
civilization has been the disposition of
humanity to fail to take advantage of the
experience of others. In this great crisis
II would seem the part of wisdom for one
inexperienced in the art of statecraft
to see what some Of the men of our
country have suggested and stood for
under similar circumstances. With this
thought in view then. of learning from
unselfish men who are recorded in the
annals of our nation as great and good
men, inspired with the love of liberty. !
am sure Mr.. President, / may be for.
civ I npypaaI 10 T-rCnrdS and n
the very words of Henry Clay. and TO
the records and conduct of the Congress
of the United States.
4 Declaration of War.
LAS before announced 20 you in language
which could not be misunderstood. I am
for war. and have been since the hour
our flag was lowered in Havana harbor
and the lives of our citizens taken by
the government OF Spain. But / am and
have been for this declaration of war
only as a means of securing an honorable
peace.
II have been indulging in a hope
that seemed almost a certainty
that the Executive would recon-
mend Intervention and independence
to the Cuban republic. Intervention by
force of arms. as recommended by the
President, is war. To declare for inter
ly, for war seems TO lack frankness and
savors too much of Spanish diplomacy"
Mr. Mason stated that he was following
the way blazed by Henry Clay when he
pleaded for the emancipation of South
America from the Spanish yoke. Con-
tinuing he said:
Mr. President, 1 now call attention to
the action taken by Congress in 1896
United States. notwithstanding the &C.
ton OF President Jackson quoted in the
message l quote now from the Presi-
dents message of yesterday. in relation
to the position taken by President Jack
son in his message to Congress, Deem
Der q, 1886:
Thereupon Andrew Jackson proceeded TO con-
slider the risk that there might be imputed to
the United States motives of selfish interest, IN
view OF the former claim. our part TO the
territory Of Texas. and of the avowed purpose of
the Texans in seeking recognition of independ-
ence as an incident to the incorporation of Texas
in the Union, concluding thus:
Prudence, therefore, seems to indicate that
we should still stand aloof and maintain our
present attitude, il not until Mexico itself, one
of the great foreign powers shall recognize the in
dependence 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 govern
ment constituted by them"
81 purpose now to show, since the Exec
utive has informed us what the execu-
tive branch of the Government thought
at that time what the legislative branch
thought and did on the same question
If the Executive feels bound by Execu-
tive precedent 1 must be permitted to
feel bound by legislative precedent.
President Jackson did issue the mes
sage spoken of-and / call particular at
tention to dates--on the 21st day of De-
cember, 1896; yet Immediately thereafter
a resolution was introduced into the Sem
ate of the United States recognizing
Texan independence, by Robert ]. Wal
ker, a United States Senator from Mis-
sippi.
ION the 1st of March, before President
Jackson's time had expired that resolu-
ton was debated and passed by the Sem
ate of the United States by vote of %
to %, and a motion to reconsider on the
following day was lost by a tie vote of
"a to "a.
Recognition of Texas.
1.-THE House of Representatives immedi-
ately made an appropriation for a diplo-
matte agent from the United States to
the government of Texas, thereby ptir-
suing the very course suggested by Henry
Clay in his attempt to recognize in Con-
gress the independence of Spanish-Ameri-
can states.
1.-THE last official act of President Jack
son, previous to his retirement from the
executive chair, was the nomination of
Alcee Lablanche as charge d'affaires to
the new republic of Texas. 1t is a his
torical fact that within few days there
he 1u t,fs