The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-06-22
THE CUBAN REVOLUTION.
Grants Message 10 Congress.

WAsHiNGToS, June l3 1870
The President sent the following message to
Congress late IN tho afternoon:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives.:
In my annual message to Congress, at the begin
nIng OF its present session. referred to the CON
test which mad been for more than a year existing
IN CUBA, between a portion of its inhabitants and
the government of Spain, and to the feelings and
sympathy Of the people and government of the
United states for the people of Cuba as for ali peo
P PeS SUI stiriHgsling ior liberty and self government
and said that the contest has at time assumed
the condition which amounted to war in the sense
oI international law, or which would show the ex-
lstence de factO political organization of the in
surgents suflcent to justify recognition Of bel
hgerency.
During the six months which have passed since
the dale OF the message, the condition of the in
sslrgehts mas not improved, and the insurrection
ITSELF although not subdued, exhibits no signs of
advance, but seems 20 be confined to an irregular
system OF hOstllItles carried on by small bands of
armed men, without concentration, through the
woods and sparsely populated regions of the is
land attacking from ambush conyevances ana
small bands of troops, and burnil 2 plantatons and
estates oi those not in sympathy with their cause
But the insurrection has not Gained eronni and
1t Is equally true that Spain has not suppress-
ed 1t; The climate, disease, and occasional bat
s tles nave worked destruction among the soldiers
lnent had possession of nearly every seaport and
town on the island they have not been able to
subdue the hostile feeling which has driven com
siderable number of natives to armed resistance
against spain, and still leads them to endure dam
Tilla. '--e Vi d" sueT-
On either side the contest has been conducted.
4
gard of human life, and of the usages ana nrocti
| ces which modern civilization has prescribed rs
the necessary process of war The war of SPAN
lard and Cuban is alike bringing devastation 6ver
| fertile regions. Murderous and reyengef1I da-
| crees are issued and executed by both parties
Count Naimaseda and Col. Baton on the part of
SPAN have each startled the humanity and arous-
eu the Indignation OF the civilized world by the
SoL' ettch OF score of prisoners at time
wnile Gen. Quesda, the Cuban chief cooIIy and
II,i gtnm HiPPaTehiLy H unconGern has permitted the
slaughter by his own deliberate order, in one dav
ol upward Of SIX hundred aad fifty prisoners Of
Whatever may be the symPathies of the people
| or of the government of the United States f65r .
| cause or objects for which part of the people of
| armed resistance to Spain, there can be no cues
tlon. Just sympathy in a conflict carried on by
Doth parties alike IN such barbarous violation to
the rules civilized nations, and with such combin-
| ed outrages upon the plainest principles of hu-
We cannot discriminate in our eensure of their
| mode of conducting their contest between Spain
ana CUBA Each commits some atrocities and
Outrages alike against the established rules of
war. The property of many of our citizens has
been destroyed or embargoed. The lives Of sew
eral have been sacrificed, and the liberties of 9th
ers have been restrained.
In every case that has come to the knowledge of
the government, an early and earnest demand
for reparation and indemnify has been made,
and most emphatic remon nstrances been Dresenfed
against the manner in which the strife is condct-
ed, and against the reckless disregard of human
wealth, andt cruel disregard of the established
rules Ofcivilfzed warfare
have since the beginning of the present ses-
sion of Congress, communicated to the House
upon their request, an account of the steps which
have taken in the hope of bringing the conflict
to an end, and for securing to the people of Cuba
the blessings and right of independence The
efforts thus made have failed but not without as.
surance from Spain that the good offices of this
government might still avail for the objects 10
which they had been addressed.
| During the whole contest the remarkable eXhiL-
ltlon has been made of large numbers of Cubans
escaping from the island and avoiding all risks OF
the war, congregating in this country at a safe
distance from the scene of danger and are en-.
our people into a fight which they avoid, and "a
embToi this government in complications and
possible hOstilities with Spain.
1t can scarcely be doubted that the last result is
the real object of these parties although carefully
covered under the decentiVe and apparently
plausible demand for recognition OF beliigerencV
1t is stated on what have reason to regard good
to large amount, whose payment is dependent
upon the recognition by the United States of Gu
, ! ban Delligerency or Independence.
| The object of making their value thus entirely
contingent upon the action of this government is
a subject for serious reflection. The wisdom o
the past may furnish a safe guide indeterminine
a future course of action.
, From 1888 to 1915 the dominant thought of ON
; statesmen was to keep the United States out o
wars which were devastating Europe. The dis
cussion Of measures of neutrality begins with the
State papers of Mr.. Jefferson when he was Secre
tary of State. He shows that they were measures
OF national right as we'll as of national duty, thai
: misguided individual citizens can not be favored
/ in making war according-ES their own caprice
r passions and interests of foreign sympathy tha
! the agents of foreign governments recognized ol
! unreeognized, can not be permitted 20 abuse ouI
hospitality by usurping the functions of enlistins
or equlpplng military forces within our territory