The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-06-16
Message by the President.


The President sent the following mes
sage to Congress, Monday afternoon.
To tie Senate and House Of Representa-
tires
Insmy annual message to Congress at
the beginning its present session, re-
ferfed TO the contest which had then for
more than year existed in Cuba between
portion of its Inhabitants and the Gov.
crnment of Spain, ard to the feeling and
sympathy Of the people ard the Govern
ment of the United States for the people
Of Cuba, as for all people struggling for
Liberty and government, and said
" that the contest has at no time assumed
a condition which amounted to war in
the sense of international law, or which
would show the existence of q de facto Dol
tical organization of the insurgents suf-
hclent to justify the arrogation Of oelig
erency." During the six months which
have passed since the date of the message
the condition of the insurgents has not
Improved, and the instruction itself, Al
though not subdued, exhibits no signs of
advance, but seems to be continued to an
irregular system Of hostilities carried On
by small bands of armed men, without
concentration, through the woods and
parsely populated regions Of the island.
attacking from ambush conveyances and
small banGs of troops. aud burning the
plantations and estates Of those not in
sympathy with their cause but the in
surrection has not gained ground. It is
equally true that Spain has not suppress
ed It. The climate, disease, &c, have
worked destruction among the soldiers
OF Spain, and though the Spanish GOV.
eminent has possession of everv SEAPORT
and town, they have not been able to
snbdue the hostile feeling which has
driven considerable number of natives
to armed resistance against Spain, and
still leads them to endure the danger and
privations of the life Of guerrilas On
the other side, the contest has been con
Quoted and IS now carried on with la
mentable disregard of human life. and Of
the usagcs which modern CIVILIZATION has
prescribed as the necessary process of
war.
The war of the Spaniard and the Gu
ban is alike, carrying devastation over
the fertile regions. Murderous and re-
vengefui DEGREES arc issued and executed
by both parties. Count Valmaseda and
Col. Bolton, on the part of Spain, have
each startled humanity and aroused the
indignation of the civilized world by the
execution each ola score of prisoners at
d Time, while Gen. Quesada, the Cuban
chief, ccolly, and with apparent uncon-
Germ, has permitted the slaughter by his
own order, in one day, of upwards of six
hundred and fifty prisoners of war A
summary trial, with few, if any, escapes
from conviction, confirmed by the execu-
zionist, is the fate OF. those arrested on
either SIDE on suspicion of infdelity of
the cause of the party making the arrest.
! Whatever may be the sympathies TO
the people or Of the government of the
United States for the cause or objects for
which part of the people of Cuba are
understood to have put themselves in
armed resistance to Spain, there can be
no just sympathy in a conflict carried on
by both parties alike in such barbarous
violations of the rules of civilized nations,
and with such combined outrages on the
plainest principles of humanity. We
cannot discriminate in our censure of
| their mode in conducting the contest be-
| tween Spain and Cuba. Each commit
| the same atrocities, and outrage alike
the established rules of war. The pron.
erty of many of our citizens has been des-
troyed or eiDbargoed, the lives of several
have been sacrificed and liberties of 9th
ers have been restrained Tn
every case that has come to
| the knowledge of the govern
ment an early and earnest demand for
PREPARATION and indemnify has been made.
and the most emphatic circumstances
have been presented against the manner
in which The strife is conducted, and
against che reckless disregard of human
life, the wanton destruction of materia
wealth, and the cruel disregard of the es-
tablished rules of civilized warfare.
have, since the beginning of the pres
ent session OF congress, communicated to
the House, on their request, an account
of the steps which have taken In the
hope of bringing the conflict to an end
and tor securing to the people of Cuba
the blessings and rights of independence.
The efforts made have failed, but were
not without assurances from Spain that
the good offices of this Government might
still avail for the objects to which they
had been addressed. During the whole
contest the remarkable exhibition has
been made of large number of Cubans
escaping from the island and avoiding
the risks of war, congregating in this
country at safe distance from the scene
Of danger and trying to make war on our
shores, to urge out our people into fight
which they avoid, and to embroil this
Government in complications and posi-
bic hostllities with Spain. It can scarce
ly be doubted that this last result is the
cal object of these parties, although
Carefully covered under the deceptive
and apparently plausible demand for the