The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-08
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Continued from Second Page,)

own control without SeVering the nat ural and ancient ties which bind them to the mother country, and would yet enable them to test their capacity for self government under the most favor able conditions. It has been objected on the one side that Spain should not promise autonomy until her insurgent subjects lay down their arms; on the other side, that promised autonomy, however liberal, is insufficient, because without assurance of the promise being fulfilled. But the reasonablenesS of requirement. by Spain of unconditional surrender on the part of the insurgent Cubans before their autonomy is con ceded Is not altogether apparent. It ignores important features of the situ- ation-the stability two years duration has given to the instruction; the feas
 fbility of its indefinite prolongation in the nature of things and as shown by past experience, the utter and immi- rent ruin of the island unless the pres ent strife is speedily composed; above all, the rank abuses which all parties In Spain, all branches of her govern ment, and all her leading public men concede to exist and profess desire to remove. Facing such circumstances, to withhold the proffer of needed reforms until the parties demanding them put themselves at mercy by throwing down their arms, has the appearance of neg lecting the gravest of perils and invit- ing suspicion as to the sincerity of any profesSed willingness to grant reforms. The objection on behalf of the insur- gents-that promised reforms cannot be relied upon-must, of course, be con- sidered, though we have no right to assume, and no reason for assuming, that anything Spain undertakes to do for the relief of Cuba will not be done according to both the spirit and the letter of the undertaking. Nevertheless realizing that suspicious and precautions on the part of the weaker of two combatants are always natural and not always unjustifiable- being sincerely desirous in the interest of both as we'll as on it's own account that the Cuban problem should be solved with the least possible delay-it was intimated by this government to the government of Spain some months ago that if a satisfactory measure of home rule were rendered the Cuban in- surgents and would be accepted by them upon guaranty of it's execution, the United States would endeavor to find a way not objectionable to Spain of furnishing such guaranty. While no definite response to this intimation has yet been received from the Spanish government, it is believed to be not al- together unwelcome while, as already suggested, no reason is perceived why it should not be approved by the insur- gents. Neither party can fail to see the importance of early action and both must realize that to prolong the present state of things for even a short period will add enormously to the time and labor and expenditure necessary to bring about the industrial recuperation of the island. It is therefore fervently hoped on all grounds that earnest eff forts for healing the breach between Spain and the insurgent Cubans, upon the lines above indicated, may at once be inaugurated, and pushed to an im- mediate and successful issue. The friendly offices of the United States, either in the manner above outlined or in any other way consistent with our constitution and laws, will always be at the disposal of either party. What ever circumstances may arise. our poli- cy and our interests would constrain us to object to the acquisition cf the is- land or an interference with it's control by any other power.
 It should be added that it cannot be reasonably assumed that the hitherto expectant attitude of the United States will be indefinitely maintained While we are anxious to accord all due re- spect to the sovereignty of Spain, we cannot view the pending conflict in all it's features, and properly apprehend our inevitably close relations to it, and it's possible results, without considering that by the course of events we may be drawn into such an unusual and unpre- cedented condition, as will fix a limit to our patient waiting for Spain to end the contest either alone and in her own way or with our friendly cooperation When the inability of Spain to deal successfully with the insurgents has become manifest and 1t is demonstra
 ted that her sovereignty Is extinct in Cuba for all purposes of it's rightful eX- tstence, and when a hopeless struggle for it's establishment has degenera- ted into a strife which means nothing more than the useless sacrifice of hu- man life. and the utter destruction of the very subject matter of the conflict a situation will be presented in which our obligations to the sovereignty of Spain will be superseded by other ob- ligations, which we can hardly hesitate to recognize and discharge Deferring the choice of ways and methods until the time for action arrives, we should make them depend upon the precise conditions then existing; and they should not be determined upon with out giving careful heed to every con- sideration involving our honor and in terest or the international duty we owe to Spain Until we face the contingent cies suggested, or the situation is by other incidents imperatively changed. We should continue in the line of con- duct heretofore pursued, thus in all circumstances exhibiting our obedience to the requirements of public law and our regard for the duty enjoined upon us by the position we occupy in the family of nations A contemplation of emergencies that may arise should plainly lead us to avoid their creation, either through a careless disregard of present duty or even an undue stimu- Iation and timed expression of feel ing. But I have deemed it not amiss +o re,,ind the congress that a time may