The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-12
SENATOR JOHN I. MORGAN
 ON THE FUTURE OF CUBA
AlabamaS Venerable Statesman Argues That Annexa. tiOn to the United States Is the Only
 Hope for the Island.

of Cuba were spanish subjects. who would be instantly converted into puhs lie enemies of the United States oV the force of that act. There was M@s people of Cuba" constituting ashex polite. a distinguished from oDaH There were none who were Qu61tnel l1E accept a pledge. The Spanish o6S~ ernment was sovereigni therey until H. was succeeded by the military goveT1A ment of the United States. To say thet this declaration then took effect as C pledge to the people of Cuba ia to so- sert that We declared that our public enemies. against whom we declare4 war. were free, sovereign and tnde- pendent people and would remain guc11 after we had conquered them # VI were successful in arms. If that dGc- laration was a pledge of independenco to the people of Cuba as against the United States, 1t was equally . DIoduo that we would make war on Spain to secure that independence, and that, be- ing our public enemies. we would dEht for them until we had constituted then a people. and would then make them Independent of the United States and the entire world. It was no more a4. pledge that the United States would create this body polite and make It iu<e dependent of all nations. under all cir- cumstances. than it was a pledge that we would wage war against Spoln fbr that purpose. One of these construc- tions of this alleged pledge Is not moro absurd than the other.
 When a people in revolt againek thair Government have dytven out th6 oovei- eien and have exganised Govtsument pendent nation until they are recox- nized as such by other respectable poxI- ers.s and no nation is called upon to recognize their sovereign independexicS until they are able, without foreign as- sistance, to maintain 1t against their former sovereign. The right of tho latter to make war to restore his do-E mains remains. under the laws of na-sl tions, until the recognized sovereign has abandoned 1t, or. at t'least. until tho independence of those in revolt has been acknowledged by other important nations aS n snni Fl yls No people tin revolt can clothe thern- selves with the international rights cf Independent sovereignty, so as to ac- quire all rights that belong, under the laws of nations, to independent a6v- ereignties until other nations have con-
 ssnted to their demands. If fha
 United States should refuse to recog- nfze the sovereignty of Cuba the latter
 would never acquire independence; and if the United States should not protect her the Spaniah Government would re-
 assert it's authority with the eager con
 sent of Europe. And if the Unitad States should recognize the sovereigr1tv and independence of Cuba, but refuae to assist her in maintaining 1t, thers can be no doubt that Spain would re. assert her dominion over the island. It is beyond dispute that Cuba could not
 become an independent nation without the consent of the United States, and
 could not maintain her Independence
 without, our assistance. } As to the sovereignty of ''the people of Cuba, r. the United States made I'd pledge or declaration in the resolution of AprA 20, 1ss2 except that our rights as a aTconqueror, If Spain should beaex- peiled from the island. should not be interposed to prevent the people of the
 island from exercising the local rigSt of
 government and control over it. This
 was disclaimer of an intention or purpose of territorial agsrandizemant in the war with Spain as to the island of Cuba. but it was not a pledge of the acknowledgement of the independ- eIlce of Cuba. as an international power. or of theilmaintenance of such ir1s1e- 'pendence. 1t is impossible to give such independence to Cuba as will entitlo her to demand a place in the farilv
 of nations and enabler her to stand alone on her own strength and re- sources. She does not possess such irl- herent power, and has no substantial reasons for expecting it. Such dream is futile, and can have no result be- yond the qualification of the honorable pride of those who fought for her re- lease from Spanish dominion. A proper pride in 8 career so honorable would prefer to witness its final suc- : cess in the uplifting of the Cuban pao- pie rather than in raising the Cuban flag on Moro Castle to rcmain there until the first breath of foreign war should blow 1t away. As
 We cannot assist in maintaining this manifestation of national pride by q government that no other nation would recognize as being independent if We should refuce to do so. We cannot nkl ford to take the risk of maintaining 6 protectorate over Cuba unless we shall have the direction of V her for eign relations. Such a protect0- rate. If established. would nulhfys her independence. And we would have no constitutional power or right to maintain such a protectorate if we would still insist upon her indep0nd- ence. Nor could we afford the risk to our national safety that would fol- low speedily if we should do as Spain was compelled to do-abandon the sovereignty of the island to 'sthe Cu- ban people" and cause them to drift in- to a sea of experiment that would soon sweep them into the grasp of Spain or of some other European power.
 In whatever view it Is possible to take 1t is undeniable that neither the recognition of the independence of Cu- baL nor the protection of that island by the United States Is a safe, just or humane policy toward the people of Cuba; and we cannot now afford to adopt either proposition as a proper discharge of our duties under the treaty of Paris or as a measure of safe ty for the United States. That treaty makes it our duty to occupy and gov ern Cuba as military possession. held in our custody as a result of war, In accordance with the terms of that ca pitulation and under powers recognizes
 by the laws of nations. We are to ho that possession until we shall be satia- fled that a safe and permanent g0v- ernment has been established m CuDA. Z Other nations are concerned m tne keeping of that obligation, and VIII hold us to it.
 When Spain withdrew from Cuba no other. Government remained there sss.ss that which was represented by the na9 of the United States. upheld Dy mili- tary. power. This was stipulated in the The people in Cuba wha