Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-04-13

force on the side of Texas. The Mexican
republic under an ally is gathering it's
forces under new leader and menacing
fresh invasion to recover its lost do
main.
| Upon the issue of this threatened in
vasion the independence of Texas may be
considered as suspended and were there
| nothing peculiar in the situation of the
United States and Texas our acknowledge
ment of its independence at such a crisis
| could scarcely be regarded as consistent
| with that prudent reserve with which we
have hitherto held ourselves bound to
| treat all similar questions
| Thereupon Andrew Jackson proceeded
| to consider the risk that there might be
| imputed to the United States motives of
| selfish interests in view of the former
claim on our part to the territory of Tex.
as and of the avowed purpose of the
Texans in seeking recognition of inde-
| pendence as an incident to the incorpora-
| ton of Texas in the Union, concluding
! thus:
! President JRcksOn's Conclusions.
prudence. therefore. seems to dictate
| that we should stand aloof and maintain
| our present attitude, II not until Mexico
itself or one of the great powers shall
recognize the independence of the new
| government, at least until the lapse of
time or the course OF events shall have
| proved, beyond cavil or dispute, the abil-
| ity of that country to maintain separate
| sovereignty and to uphold the govern
ment constituted by them. Neither of the
| contending parties can justly complain
of this course. By pursuing it we are
| but carrying out the long established pol
| icy of our government. policy whicn
| has secured to us respect and influence
abroad and inspired confidence a. home"
| These are the words of Andrew Jack
son. They are evidence that the United
I So t.. o1d 20 ths,
public law as the condition of the recog-
| milton of independence by a neutral state,
| to-wit: That the revolted state shall
constitute in fact body polite, having
| a government in substance as well as in
! name, possessed of the elements of sta
bility." and forming de facto. "if left to
| itself, state among the nations, reason
ably capable of discharging the duties of
a state" has imposed for its own govern
! ance in dealing with cases like these, the
| further condition that recognition of in
| dependent statehood is not due to re-
| volted dependency until the danger Of its
being again subjugated by its parent
| state has entirely passed away"
This extreme test was in fact applied
! In the case of Texas. The congress to
| whom President Jackson referred the
| question as "one probably leading to war;
and therefore proper subject for prev
| ious understand with that body, by
whom all the provisions for sustaining
its perlls must be furnished, left the mat
ter OF recognition of Texas to the dis
| cretion of the executive, providing mere
ly for the sending of a diplomatic agent
when the president should be satisfied
| that the republic of Texas had become
IAN Independent state"
Van Buren's Position.
1t was so recognized by President Van
hn 1iaa cd oh Itaf
| faires, March z, 1887, after Mexico had
| abandoned an attempt to conquer the
| Texas territory and when there was at
| the time no bona fide contest going on
between the insurgent province and its
| former sovereign
| l said In my message of December last:
'1t is to be seriously considered whether
| the Cuban insurrection possesses beyond
| dispute the attributes of statehood which
alone can demand the recognition of bel.
| ligerency in its favor"
| The same requirement must be no less
| seriously considered when the graver is
| sue 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 in
| fiuence and consequences of the struggle
upon the international policy of the rec
| ognizing states, which form important
| factors when the recognition of belliger-
rightly eliminable factors when the COM
munity claiming recognition Is not inde-
| pendent beyond peradventure.
Nor from the standpoint of exPedience
do 1 think it would be wise or prudent
| for this government to recognize, at the
| present time, the independence of the So
called Cuban republic. Such recognition
| Is not necessary In order to enable the
| United States to intervene and pacify the
island. To commit this country now to
| the recognition OF any particular govern
ment In Cuba might subject us to embar-
| RAISING conditions of international obll-
| gatlon toward the organization so recog-
nized. In case of Intervention our con-
| duct will be subject to the approval or
| disapproval of such government. We
| would be required to submit to its dlrec-
| tion and to assume to 1t the mere relation
| of friendly ally.
When II shall appear thereafter that
there is within the island government
capable of performing the duties and dis
| charging the functions of a nation and
| having as a matter of fact the proper
| forms and attributes of nationality such
government can be promptly and readily
| recognized and the relations and inter-
| ests of the United States with such ma
| ton adjusted.
The Alternative Forms.
There remain the alternative forms OF
| Intervention to end the war, either as an
| impartial neutrality by imposing ra-
| tional compromise between the contest
ants. or as the active ally of the one
party or the other. As to the first II is
not to be forgotten that during the last
| few months the relation Of the United
States has virtually been one of friendly
Intervention In many ways, each not OF
itself conclusive but all tending to the
execution of potential influence toward
an ultimate pacific result, just and hon
| orable to all interests concerned.
The spirit of all of your acts hitherto
has been an earnest, unselfish desire for
| peace and prosperity In Clba. untarnished
by differences between the United States
and Spain and unstained by the blood OF
American citizens. The forcibe inter-
yention of the United states as neutral
| to stop the war, according TO the large
| dictates OF g11nanity and following
historical precec arts waere other states
have interfered TO check the hopeN IS sac
rifice OF life by internecine confff,s be-
yond their bordcrs is justifabieJ on ma
tional grounds. Il involves, However.
hostile constraint upon both the parties
| TO the contest. well to enforce 4 truce
as to guide the eventual settlem y The
grounds for such Intervention y be
briefly summarized as follows:
Grounds for Interventi
| First in the cause of humanit med.
put an end TO the barbarities. b y ex-
starvation and horrible miseries } the
listing there and which the partrs iIlng to
conflict are either unable or un}er TO say
stop or mitigate. 1t is no answo another
TINS Is In a country belonging tNur busi-
ration and Is therefore none Of
ness. II Is especially our duty.
| fic hI q q our door