Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-04-28

out in good faith, giving them the lar
gsst meaning possible. constituting them
in the fierce light of the burning pa
triotism of the country, and that they
may answer every purpose which our
own unequivocal resolutions would have
accomplished.
All Democratic action in this matter,
especially our actions in voting unani-
mously the $50, 900. 900 appropriation,
the bill for two new regiments of artil-
lery for coast defense, and upon the inde-
pendence resolutions constitute a record
Of which Democrats are proud and upon
which we are willing to stand in his
tory. ..-
We believe that had Mckinley recog-
nized belligerenoy at the right time, or
had congress recognized Cuban inde-
pendence soon enough, the Cubans would
now be free and We would never have
had any prospect of war with Spain.
Proorastination, wabbling and dawdling
produced the evils.
Minority Resolutions.
Mr.. Berry of Kentucky, the Demo-
cratic member Of the subcommittee on
Cuba Of the house foreign affairs conn
mittee, submitted to the house the mi
nority resolutions and report. While all
the minority members were thoroughly
agreed as to substance and all had some
thing to do with framing the resolu-
tionS, they are mainly the handiwork,
in phraseology, of Mr.. Newlands of Ne
vada and Mr.. Williams of Mississippi.
1t is no violation of confidence to state
what everybody here knows-that I
wrote the report, and the minority men,
bers did me the distinguished honor of
adopting as their own, with only few
verbal changes, the following:
We, the undersigned members of the com
mittee on foreign affairs Of the house Of repre-
sentatives, having considered the message OF
the president Of the United States which was
transmitted to congress on Monday, April II,
1893, and referred to said committee, submit
the following report to the house of represent.
atives:
We recommend the following resolutions ns
substitute for the resolutions submitted by
the majority Of the committee on foreign af.
fairs:
Resolved by the senate and house Of repre-
sentatives Of the United States Of America in
congress assembled. That the United States
government hereby recognizes the independ
ence Of the republic of Cuba.
"Sec. 2. That, moved thereto by many con
siderations Of humanity, Of interest and Of
prov ocation, among which are the deliberate
mooring of our battleship, the Maine, over 6
submarine mine and its destruction in the har
Dor Of Havana, the president Of the United
States be and he is hereby directed to employ
| Immediately the land and naval forces Of ths
| United States in aiding the republic Of Cubs
to maintain the Independence hereby recog
nized-
s'Sec. 8. That the president Of the Unitet
| States is hereby authorized and directed to ex
| tend Immediate relief to the starving psopl'
| Of Cuba"
| In support Of the first resolution, guided b,
/ motives Of humanity and of interest, infiu
| enced by divers. provocations, among whicl
| are the deliberate mooring OF our battleship
| the Maine, over submarine mine, its RUTHLESS
| destruction in the harbor of Havana and tn,
death Of 268 seamen. We submit the facts ;.
| the house, to our countrymsn and to the world
For more than quarter OF a century, witt
| short intervals, q revolution has been In prog
| ress in Cuba, destroying our commerce ant
| causing great financial loss to our citizens ant
| unprecedented mortality among the contend
| ing factions.
For more than three years the Cuban patriot
have struggled for freedom with courage, for
titude and self abnegation unexcelled in tn
| annals of the human race. These people ar
| our near neighbors, closely connected with d
Il by ties of business and of friendship. In thei
1 aspirations for liberty they have been ami
| mated by our example and have modelled thet
form of government upon ours.
| During these three years the Spaniards hsv
butchered these people, starved helpless WON
en-, children and old men by hundreds of thou
| sands and have wasted the island by fire ant
sword in violation of all the rules Of civilized
| warfare. These acts of barbarous cruelty hav'
filed the American people with horror, ant
| they are practically unanimous in favor of rec
ognizing the independence Of the government
established by that brave and heroic people b,
the expenditure Of SO much treasure and so
much blood, and our people will be satisfies
| with nothing less.
The government which the Cubans have es
tablished has all the forms Of republic and 4
| q republic in fact, based on manhood suffrage
| with legislative and executive departments IL
full operation and with q judicial department
80 far perfect as the exigencies of the situation
permit.
Recognize Cuba.
They levy and collect taxes, disburse largi
sums Of money, conduct postal system, main
tain an army Of 50,000 men in the field, hav
defended themselves successfully against 225,
900 Spanish soldiers, 195, 600 Of whom are in hos
| pitfalls or in their graves, and are now in undis
puted possession Of three-fourths Of the island
Outside her picket lines Spain possesses no
one foot Of Cuban soil Within her picket line
three-fourths of the population are insurgent
at heart who will cordially participate in tn
republican government as soon as the Span
iards evacuate the island.
| With these facts staring us in the face, W
must realize that Spain can never conque
Cuba and that ultimately we must recogniz
the Independence Of the Cuban republic. Thi
being the case, the sooner we act the bette
for all concerned. thereby putting an end t
the sacrifice Of human life and the destructio
Of property.
We urge the uneQuivocal recognition Of tn
independence of the Cuban republic becaus
the Cuban patriots merit such recognition b
their valor and prowess in arms, because rec
ognition Is the plain, honest, courageous, man
~ course and will remove from the minds G
all men any suspicion that we are preparin
| to wage q war Of conquest and TO annex the IL
land from motives Of sordid greed or as the be
ginning Of q policy Of imperial aggrandize
ment. We urge the recognition Of the existin
| republic because, under international law, onl
an existing government can be recognized an
because by recognizing the present republi
we lift from the minds of the Cuban patriot
the fear that we will force upon them a goy
| ernment which they do not want. We urge
because, without such recognition, in the even
| Of war between Spain and the American n
public, 1t would be a war against Cuba also
for until the recognition Of her independence
she Is, in the contemplation Of fnternationt
law. still part Of Spain.
Recognizing the independence Of their repul
lie will give the Cubans credit among the nj
tions of the earth, thereby enabling them
| use all their resources to the utmost, and wi
| influence men Of other countries to re-enforc
| the Cubans with the assurance that they wi
| be treated as soldiers and will not be haHge
as traitors. hlibusters or pirates in the ever
| Of capture,
We urge the passage OF the second resolution
providing for armed intervention, as a nece.
sary and logical sequence to the recognition c
the Independence Of the Cuban republic.
| Facts must be considered as they actual
| exist, not as we would have them, and one {
| the most potent and patent facts Of the situs
| tion Is that Spain refuses to realize what a
the rest of the world knows to be true-tha
Cuba has passed from her control forever
| This being the case, she will hold on with th
| strength Of despair to fragments Of the islam
as long as possible, thereby perpetuating tn
process Of starvation, arson and exterminatio
| wherever she can and, by occasional forays
ravaging the country ed iacent to her garrison
| and stockades. We have no doubt that our sim
pie recognition of the republic Of Cuba woul
| snable the Cubans themselves to ultimately ez
Joseph Henderson is home from
visit to Southwest Missouri.