Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-06-24
THE CUBAN QUESTION.
Fuil Text of the Presidents Mes.
sage.

sage.
WASHINGTON, June Is.
The President sent the following
to Congress late in the af-
ternoon.
To the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatiUes.
In my annual message to Congress
at the beginning of its present ses-
sion, I referred to the contest which
had then for more than a year exis-
ted in Cuba between its inhabitants
and the Government of Spain, and
to the feelings and sympathies of
the people OF Cuba, as for all peo-
plies struggling for liberty and self
government, and said that the con-
test sshas at no time assumed the
condition which ;.5,oaneod to War
in the sense of international law, or
which would show the existence of
a de facto political organization of
the insurgents sufficient to justify
the recognition of billigerency."
During the six months which have
passed since the date of the message
the condition of the Insurgents has
not improved and the insurrection
itself, although not subdued, exhib-
it's no signs of advance, but seems
to be confined to an irregular sys-
tenn of hostilities, carried on by
bands of armed men, without con
centration, through the woods and
sparsely populated regions of the
island, attacking from ambush con
veyances and small bands Of troops,
burning the plantations ond estates
of those not in sympathy with their
cause. But, if the insurrection has
not gained ground, it is equally true
that Spain has not suppressed it.
Climate, disease and occasionally
bullets have. worked destruction
among the soldiers of Spain, and
although the Spanish Government
has possession of every seaport and
town on the Island, they have not
been able to subdue the hostile feel
ing which has driven a considerable
number of the natives to armed re
sistence against Spain, land still leads
them to endure the danger and pri
vations of a wandering life of guer
rillas. On either side the contes
has been conducted and is now car
ried on with a lamentable disregard
of human life, and of the usages ane
practices which modern civilization
has prescribed as the necessary pro
cess of war. The war of Spaniart
and Cuban is alike bringing devast
alton over fertile regions; murder
Gus and revengeful DEGREES are is
sued and executed by both parties
Count Va.maseda and Colonel Be
ton, on the part of Spain, have eac
startled humanity and the indigna
ton of the civilized world by tn
execution, each, Of score OF pris
oners at time; while General Que
, sada, the Cuban Chief, cooIly an
without apparent unconceru, has ad
mitted the slaughter, by his own dc
liberate order, in one day, of upwar
of six hundred and fifty prisoners {
: war. A summary trial, with few,
+ any, escapes from conviction, COZ
firmed by execution, is the fate {
those arrested on either side on su.
picion of infidelity to the cause {
the party making the arrest. Wha
ever may be the sympathies of th
people or OF the Government of tt
i, United States for the cause or oil
= jects for which a part Of the peop
of Cuba are understood to have pl
themselves in armed resistance t
Spain, there can be no question /,
Just sympathy in conflict carrie
on by both parties alike in such ba
barous violation Of the rules of d
ilized nations, and with such cor
bined outrages upon the plaine
principles of humanity, We can nj
;. discriminate in our censure Of the
mode of conducting their conte
! between Spain and Cuba; each cor
y mits the same atrocities, and outras
! alike the established rules Of wa
The property of many of our cit
zens has been destroyed or embe
zled; the lives of several have BET
sacrificed, and the liberties of othe
have been restrained. In every Ca
that has come to the knowledge
/ the Government, an early and ear
l est demand for reparation and i
. demnity has been made, and mo
emphatic remonstrances been pr
sented against the manner in whie
the strife is conducted, and again
the reckless disregard of human lii
the wanton destruction of materi
wealth and the cruel disregard Fl
the established rule of civilized ws
fare
I have, since the beginning of t
{, present session of Congress, cor
municated to the House, upon The
:. request, an account of the ste
which l have taken, in the hope
bringing the conflict to an end, al
for securing for the people Of Gu
the BILE ssing and right of indepe
dence. The efforts thus made ha
le failed, but not without the assuran
,e from Spain that the good offices
a this Government might still av
= for the objects to which they b
IL been addressed.
During the whole contest tile !
markable exhibition has heer,s m d
of large numbers of Cubans esca
4 ing from the Island, and avoidi
the risks of war, congregating
this country at assafe distance frc