CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



201 



1 U-lligorents,' which was not used in tho Brit- 

 Mi 1 1 nx Initiation. On the contrary, wo ac- 

 I to the Spanish Government our thanks 

 prompt and friendly action. 



Mr. Srluirx, American minister at Madrid, 

 s to Mr. Seward, July 15, 1801, as fol- 

 l..ws: -Si-nor Galderon Oollantes then asked 

 in,- whether the declaration of neutrality on 

 tlu> part of Spain in regard to our domestic 

 truiilili-s was satisfactory to my Government.' 

 I replied ' that, as to the declaration of neutral- 

 it v on the part of Spain, I had received no ex- 

 j.re->ion of opinion from my Government ; and 

 tli.-it I thought it would be considered satis- 

 factory.' 



Mr. Schurz writes to the Spanish Minister 

 of State, Senor Calderon Collnntes, July 81, 

 1861, as follows : 



Sir : Yesterday I received a dispatch from the Seo- 

 ri-tury of State of the United States, informing me 

 that the President has read, with the greatest satis- 

 faction, the proclamation of her Catholic Majesty 

 concerning the unfortunate troubles that have arisen 

 in the United States ; and it afiords me the sincerest 

 pleasure to express to your Excellency the high sense 

 which the President entertains of her Majesty's 

 prompt decision and friendly action upon this occa- 

 sion. 



" A measure that is right in itself cannot be 

 made wrong, because it is in accord with the 

 practice of all civilized nations ; nor can the 

 action of this Government in defence of its 

 rights against the policy of Spain in Cuba be 

 less defensible, because it follows literally and 

 exactly the precedent of Spain in its action 

 with regard to the civil war in this country. 

 All nations have been notified that" we should 

 follow the examples set by other Governments 

 in their conduct to us, when other methods of 

 redress of wrongs were closed against os. The 

 President, in his inaugural address, made that 

 declaration. 'I would respect the rights of 

 all nations,' he said, ' demanding equal respect 

 for our own. If others depart from this rule 

 in their dealings with us, we may be compelled 

 to follow their precedent.' (Inaugural Ad- 

 dress, 4th March, 1869.) 



" What objection can Spain make to a proc- 

 lamation of neutrality in the case of Cuba, 

 identical with her own ' prompt decision and 

 friendly action ' in the case of the United States? 

 What objection can the European nations, who 

 in-; -ntly proclaimed their neutrality in the 

 civil war in this country, urge against the neu- 

 trality of the United States in the war between 

 Spain and Cuba, after the unparalleled atro- 

 cities of twenty-one months and the brutal 

 murder of scores of American citizens and 

 repeated insults to our consular and commercial 

 agents ? 



44 Great Britain declared her purpose, in re- 

 gard to the American rebellion, in the House 

 of Commons the 6th of May, 1861, twenty- 

 three days after the attack on Fort Sumter, 

 and before a single life had been sacrificed, or 

 a drop of blood had been shed, except in the 

 conflict.between'soldiers and citizens in Balti- 



more, tho 19th of April, 1801. Spain issued 

 her proclamation of neutrality, describing tho 

 contestants as belligerents, tho 17th of June, 

 sixty-five days after the fall of Fort Sumter, 

 and before a single lifo had boon sacrificed, ex- 

 cept at Baltimore. 



44 What objection can Spain make to a decla- 

 ration of neutrality on tho part of the United 

 States in tho Cuban contest, after a bloody and 

 brutal civil war of nearly two years ? 



44 Tho limitations and conditions under which 

 neutrality should be declared are sternly and 

 strongly stated by Mr. Adams in his corre- 

 spondence with Lord John Russell upon the 

 Alabama claims. To every position assumed 

 by him our assent is cheerfully conceded : 



Whenever an insurrection against tho established 

 Government of a country takes place, the duty of 

 Governments under obligations to maintain peace and 

 friendship with it appears to be, at first, to abstain 

 carefully from any step that may have the smallest 

 influence in affecting the result. Whenever facts oc- 

 cur of which it is necessary to take notice, either be- 

 cause they involve the necessity of protecting per- 

 sonal interests at home or avoiding an implication in 

 the struggle, then it appears to bo just and right to 

 provide for the emergency by specific measures, pre- 

 cisely to the extent that may be required,but no further. 

 It is, then, facts alone, and not appearances or pre- 

 sumptions, that justify action. But even these are 

 not to be dealt with further than the occasion de- 

 mands ; a rigid neutrality in whatever may be done 

 is, of course, understood. If. after the lapse of a 

 reasonable period, there be little prospect of the ter- 

 mination or the struggle, especially if this be carried 

 on upon the ocean, a recognition of the parties as 

 belligerents appears to be justifiable ; and at that time, 

 so far as I can ascertain, such a step has never in fact 

 been objected to. 



"Ifc is impossible to affirm that there is tho 

 slightest departure by this Government from 

 the stern rules laid down by Mr. Adams either 

 in its past action on the Cuba question or in 

 the course now proposed. So far from taking 

 any step that could affect disadvantageously 

 the cause of Spain, we have rendered her im- 

 portant assistance in the suppression of the 

 Cuban rebellion. Who can question, in the 

 face of the record presented to this House by 

 the President, that 'facts' have occurred 

 which not only involve, but demand, the pro- 

 tection of our personal interests at home? 

 Who can deny, in the face of the constant pro- 

 tests of the Secretary of State against tho put- 

 rages upon the rights and persons of American 

 citizens, that it has been difficult for us to avoid 

 4 an implication ' in the Cuban struggle ? The 

 record would justify the Government in recog- 

 nizing the independence of Cuba or a declara- 

 tion of war ; but we propose only 4 to provide 

 for the emergency by specific measures, pre- 

 cisely to the extent required, but no further.' 

 4 It is,' then, 4 facts alone, and not appearances 

 or presumptions, that justify (our) action:' 

 and this not only 4 after the lapse of a reason- 

 able period,' but after a brutal internecine war 

 of twenty-one months; after nearly two hun- 

 dred armed conflicts; after the slaughter of 

 thousands of lives ; and when there is not only 



