The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-12


he United States, cooperating with the
Spanish authorities SO as to afford 1uil TO
lief.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was
received On the night Of the 3lst uito. IL
offers, as the means to bring about peace
in Cuba, to cOnfide preparations tnefeol
to tn" insular parliament inasmuch as
the currence Of that body would ne
necessary to reach a final result, 1t belhB,
however, understood that the powers re,
served by the constitution to the central
government are not lessened or d1mlnr
ished. AS the Cuban parliament does not
meet until the 4th of May next the
Spanish government would not object Tor
it's part, to accept at once a suspension OIL
hostilites if asked for by the insurgents
from the general-in-chief to whom 1t
would pertain in such case to determine
the duration and condition of the arms
tice.
The propositions submitted by General
Woodford and reply of the Spanish gov
eminent were both in the form of brief
memoranda, the texts OF which are before
me-and are substantially in the language
above given. The function of the Cuban
parliament in the matter OF preparing
peace and the manner OF its doing SO are
expressed in the Spanish memorandum /;
but from General Woodford's explanatory
reports of preliminary discussion preced-
ing the final conference it is understood
that the Spanish government stands ready
to give insular Congress full powers to
settle the terms of peace with the lnsur-
gents, whether by direct negotiation or
Indirectly by means of legislation do not
appear. With this last overture in the
direction of immediate peace and its dis
appointing reception by Spain, the Ex-
ecutIve was brought to the end of his
effort
In my annual message of December
last, I said: 'Of the untr1ed measures
there remain only:
Recognition of the insurgents as be-
ligerents; recognition Of the Independence
of Cuba; neutral Intervention. To end
the war by imposing II rational COM
promise between the contestants and in
teryention iii favor of one or the other
party speak not Of forcible annexation,
for that cannot be thought of. That by
our code of morality, would be criminal
aggression
Thereupon reviewed these alternatives,
in the light of President Grants meas
ured word S, uttered in 1875, when after
seven years of singularly destructive and
cruel hostiIities in Cuba, he reached the
conclusion that the recognition OF the in
dependence of Cuba was impracticable
and indefensible; and that the recog-
milton of beIligerency was not warranted
by the facts according to the tests OF pub
lie law. | commented especially upon the
latter aspect of the question, pointing out
the Inconvenience and positive dangers of
a recognition of belligerence which, while
adding to the already enormous burdens
of neutrality within our own jurisdiction
could not in any way extend our influence
or effective office in the territory OF hos
tilities. Nothing has since occurred to
change my views of this regard, and l
oc ff,1tU then EnAt the
issuance of proclamation of neutrality,
By which process the so-called recognition
of belligerence is published, could, OF it.
self and unattended by other action, ac-
complisheu nothing toward the one end
for which we labor, be instant paeifica-
ton of Cuba and the cessation of the
misery that aff1iots the island.
Turning to the question of recognizing
at this time the independence OF the
present insurgent government in Cuba,
we find safe precedents in our history
from an early day. They are we'll summed
up in President Jackson's message to
Congress. December q, 1896, on the sub
ject of the recognition of the independence
of Texas, he said: sin all che contests
france, out of the disputes relating to the
crowns of Portugal and Spain, out of the
separation of the American possessions of
both from the European governments and
out of the numerous and constantly &C.
curing struggles for dominion in
Spanish so wisely consistent
with our just principles has been the
action of our government that we have
under the most critical circumstances
avoided all censure and encountered no
other evil than that produced by
transient estrangement Of good will in
those against whom we have by force of
evidence compelled to decide"
1t has thus made known to the world
that the uniform policy and practice OF
the United States is to avoid all interior
ence in disputes which merely relate to
the internal government of other nations
and eventually to recognize the authority
of the prevailing party without reference
to our particular interests and views as to
the original controversy.
But on this, as on every trying ocea-
sion, safety is to he found in a rigid ad-
herence to principle.
In the content between Spain and the
revolted colony we stood aloof and waited
not only until the ability of the new
states to protect themselves. was fully
established, but until the danger of their
being again subjugated had entirely
passed away. Then and not until then,
were they recognized. Such was our
coursesin regard to Mexico herself.
1t is true that with regard to Mexico
PEELED its invading army defeated, the
chief of the republic himself captured and
all present power to control the newly or
ganized government of Texas annihilated
within its confines. But on the other
hands. there is in appearance at loast, an
immense disparity Of physical fierce on
the side of Texas. The Mexican republic,
under another executive is rallying it's
forces under new leader, and nenacing
a fresh invasion to recover its lost do
minion.
Upon the issue of this threatened inva-
sion. the independence Of Texas may be
considered as suspended; and were there
nothing peculiar in the relative situation
of the United States and Texas our
Acknowledgement of it's independence at
such crisis could scarcely he 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 interest in view OF the former
claim on our part to the territory of
Texas, and of the ayowed purpose OF the
Texans in seeking recognition of indie
pendence as an incident to the incorpora-
ton of Texas in the Union; concluded
thus: g.
L.. ~ int n