The record-union., 1898-07-19

curity in their persons and property,
ana IN all their private rights and re-
latlons 1t is my desire that the in
habitants Of Cuba should be acquainted
With the purpose of the United States
TO discharge to the fullest extent its
obligations in this regard. 1t will
therefore be the duty of the commander
or the army of occupation to announce
and proclaim in the most public man.
ner that we come not to make war up
on the inhabitants Of Cuba, nor upon
any party or faction among them, but
to protect them in their homes, in their
mployments, land in their personal and
religious rights. All persons who either
by active aid or by honest submission
cooperate with the United States in
it's efforts to give effect to this benefl-
cent purpose will receive the reward
of it's support and protection. Our oc-
cupation should be as free from Sc
verify as possible.
Though the powers of the military
occupation are absolute and supreme,
and Immediately operate upon the po-
litical condition Of the inhabitants, the
municipal laws of the conquered terri
tory, provided for the punishment or
crime, are considered as continuing
in force, SO far as they are COM
patible with the new order of things,
until they are suspended or superseded
by the occupying belligerent, and IN
practice, they are not usually abro-
gated but are allowed to remain IN
force, and to be administered by the or
dinary tribunals, substantially as they
We're before the occupation. This en-
lightened practice is, so far as pos
sible, to be adhered to on the present
occasion. The Judges and the other
officials connected with the admins
tration of justice may, if they accept
the supremacy of the United States,
continue to administer the ordinary
law Of the land, as between man ana
man. under the supervision of the
American CommanderinC Chief. The
native constabulary will, so far as may
be practicable, be preserved.
The freedom of the people to pursue
their accustomed occupations will be
abridged only when it may be necessary
to do so.
While the rule of conduct of the
American Communicating Chief will be
such as has Just been defined, 1T Will
be his duty to adopt measures OF
different kind if, unfortunately, the
course Of the people should render such
measures indispensable to the mainte-
nance of law and order He will then
possess the power to replace or eXpel
the native officials in part or alto
gether, to substitute new courts of his
own construction for those that now
exist or to create such new or supple
mentary tribunals as may be necessary
In the exercise of these high powers
the Commander must be guided by his
Judgment and his experience and high
sense of justice.
One of the most important and most
practical problems With which it will
be necessary to. deal is that of the treat
ment Of property and the collection and
administration of the revenues. 1t is
conceded that all public funds and Sc
curities belonging to the Government
of the country in its own right, and all
arms and supplies and other movable
property of such Government, may be
seized by the military occupants and
converted to their own use. The real
property of the State he may hold ana
administer at the same time enjoying
the revenues thereof; but he is not to
destroy it. save in the case of military
necessity All public means Of trans
portation, such as telegraph lines, ca
| bIes, railways and boats, belonging TO
the State may be appropriated to his
use but, unless in case of military ne
cessity, they are not to be destroyed.
| All churches and buildings devoted to