The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-12-02
CLEVELAND'S NESSACE
The President Puts on the Fin
isaing Touches.
ITS MOST IMPORTANT POINT,
He 10 Not Prepared TO Change His Cuban
Policy Prediction That the Cuban RE-
beiiion VIII Soon Come 40 IAN End-The
Cuban Junta.

bellion Will soon Come 10 AN End-The
Cuban Junea.
WASHINGTON. Dec 2 Especial. l-Presi
dent Cleveland is putting the finishing
touches upon the last annual message
which he will send TO the congress As Is
always the case with the message of an
outgoing president. there rs mot much in
terest in it except such as attaches to the
Cuban question No recommendations
which the president cares TO make as 20 the
tariff, the deficiency, the silver or banking
currency will receive the slightest attention
at the hands OF congress, and II he makes
any such recommendations they will he
more In the nature of u yaledictory address
TO the country than anything else. But In
reference to Cuba whatever the president
may have TO say will he looked for with
deep concern
The Cuban Question.
There is a strong belief here that the
president Is not prepared TO change his
Cuban policy In any particular unless IL
be with reference TO the matter OF recogni-
tion of the belligerent rights of the insur-
gents. If Mr. Cleveland had year and
three months instead of simply quarter
of a year TO stay in office there can be lit
tie doubt he would take up the Cuban
question in vigorousfashion and attempt
20 find some solution of the problem. But
in the nature of things he cannot consist
emily do SO unless action be forced upon
him by some unforeseen event 1t would
not be fair TO his successor in the White
House, TO the country or TO his own fame
deliberately 10 stir up trouble which he
could not remain to settle
Up to the present time President Cleve-
land has been opposed to recognition of the
belligerent rights of the insurgents. He
was opposed thereto last winter, and the
resolution Of congress was made concur
rent instead of joint in order To avert the
necessity of its signature or veto by the
executive. i am told by a member of the
cabinet that Mr. Cleveland g chief objection
in the past 10 recognition OF the ibellige
ency of the insurgents Is due to considera =.
ton for the insurgents themselves Ii
would really hinder their operations more
than It would help them. 1t would, too,
add 20 the difficulties of the United States
government, already trying enough
As to Belliserency.
am told IL is likely the president
message next week will contain an intima-
ton that If congress in its wisdom thinks
il best TO recognize belligerency he will
not object. This would be a concession TO
the prevailing sentiment in favor of the
Cubans and would not greatly alter the
relations existing between the United
States and Spain. General Bradley John
ston, who has been in Cuba as a news
paper correspondent, recently made the
prediction in an interview that the bel
ligerency of the Cubans would be recog
niZed by this government shortly after the
meeting OF congress, and that this would
be quickly followed by a declaration of
war upon the United States by Spain.
The first part of his prediction is eOnceiv-
able, but the latter is not.
But "A declaration of war by Spain on
this account is another matter 1 asked
member of the cabinet today what he
thought of General Johnston prediction,
and he replied: at is nonsense. The right
to recognize belligerency is inherent in ev-
cry nation. 1t is simply "a matter of con-
venience for the government granting the
recognition, and has never, Gave in ex-
treme cases, been regarded as an act of
unfriendliness. If merely local rebellion
were To break out in some country. a dis
turbance of temporary duration which the
government were known to be fully able
TO suppress and foreign power were TO
jump in and recognize the belligerency of
the rebels, which, after all, is simply a
declaration that q state of war exists the
government having the trouble on its
hands might justly regard this an un-
friendly net. But that is not the case with
Cuba The war there has been going on
for two years. The Spanish have lost con
troll of two-thirds of the island and are
not making any progress toward recovery
Of it, If we recognize that "A state of war
exists as matter of convenience to our
selves, Spain will have no right to object
AS matter of fact, we know she will not
object openly, though actually she may
wish we had not done It, Talk of war on
this account Is absurd. Most people con-
found recognition of belligerency with rec
ognition of independence. They are quite
different things, and have little or no re-
latjon one with the other -
A British Prediction.
President Cleveland Is waiting till the
last minute before closing those paragraphs
of his message devoted TO Cuba. He wants
TO hear the latest news from Havana, and
more particularly the latest intelligence as
TO the success of General Weyler in his pur.
suit of Maceo Weyler has accomplished
nothing as yet, and there is no likelihood
that he will succeed in doing anything be-
fore the meeting OF congress. A member
of the Spanish legation In this city tells me
his people believe the Cuban war will come
TO an end within few weeks They init.
mate that General Gomez has been bought
of. and IL certainly is queer that nothing
has been heard of his operations for several
months. Maceo, they say, has but a small
force and Is running short of ammunition
and will soon be compelled to cut and run
for life out of Pinar del Rio When he
does, they add he will be lost and the re.
bellion will quickly come to an end
This hopeful view is not Endorsed by
military men here and Is, OF course secuted
by the agents of the Cuban junta They
scorn the suggestion that General Gomez
has sold out and say Maceo will soon lead
Weyler into trap and cut him to pieces
They predict that the winter will pass with.
out Spain having been able TO accomplish
anything in the way of suppressing the re-
bellion, and that this will mean the aban.
donment of Cuba by the oppressors
/ am told. on high authority, that the
danger of the situation. so far as the i'm
mediate future Is concerned, Is an uprising
of the people of Havana, who are tired of
the war and its military farce, and who