Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-12-13

ed to the denomination Of ten dollars
and upwards and that they be re-
CURED to redeem their notes in gold.
Cuba.
Turning to foreign affairs tn
president devotes much space to
consideration of the Cuban question,
which he says is the most important
problem with which our government is
now called upon to deal in its foreign
relations Summarizing the history
of former outbreaks the president
comes down to the present insurrec-
ton, speaking Of it's remarkable in
crease, it's Tenacious existence
against the enormous forces massed
of property and the disregard Of the
civilized code of war on both sides. He
says the second condition gives rise
to the gravest apprehensions. There
is no desire on our part he declares
to profit by SPANS misfOrtunes and
we have only the desire to see the
Cuban enjoying that measure Of self
control which is the inalienable right
| of man. Of the concentration policy
of Gen. Weyler he says: ct has ut
terly failed as a war measure. 1t is
not civilized Warfare-it is extermina-
tion." Against this abuse of the rights
of war the president says he has felt
constrained on repeated occasions to
enter the firm and honest protest of
| this government. He outlines his in
structions to Minister Woodford,
which were in substance to impress
upon the Spanish government the
sincere wish of the United States to
lend it's aid toward the ending of the
war by reaching peaceful and lasting
result, just and honorable to Spain
and to the Cuban people. It was also
asked whether Spain of her own Volt
| ton should not make proposals for
settlement and it was said that he could
not contemplate an Indefinite period
for the accomplishment of this re-
suit. The Spanish reply to Mr.. Wood
ford was, in the presidents opinion,
in the direction of better under
standing. 1t admitted that the new
government was bound to a change of
policy that should satisfy the United
States and pacify Cuba within a
reasonable time. To this end politi-
cal reforms will be put into effect and
military operations continued on hui
name lines 1t was suggested that
Spain be left free to conduct her mill
tary operations and grant political
reforms while the United States for
its part should enforce neutral OBJ
legations and cut off the assistance
which the insurgents, it. was asserted
received from this country. An early
and complete pacification Spain hoped
for The president declares that the
! Spanish disposition to charge us with
failure to meet international duties is
baseless and points ITO the Efforts this
government have made at the cost of
millions and by employment Of the
administrative machinery fof the
nation to perform its full duty. He
also says that the fact that no military
expedition or armed vessel has left
our shores has been automatically
represented to Spain. Promising that,
throughout all the horror and danger
to our own peace, the United States
has never abrogated it's right to de-
termine its policy as to Cuba, the
president points out that of the I'M
tried measures there remains only:
Recognition of the insurgents as
belligerents; recognition of the in
dependence of Cuba; neutral interven-
ton to end the war by imposing a
rational compromise between the con-
testants; an intervention in favor of
one or the other party. He says: 81
speak not of forcible annexation, for
that cannot be thought of. That by
our code of morality would be crimi-
nal aggression Taking up the
question of belligerency, the president
quotes at length from President
Grants message of December Z, 1875,
wherein he declared that the condi-
tions in Cuba warranted neither the
recognition of independence nor the
recognition of belligerency. He adds
moreover a recognition of belligerency
would confer upon neither party to
the conflict a status not heretofore
actually possessed, while it would
weigh heavily in SPANS behalf, CIV.
ing her the right of search on the
high seas and extending her maritime
rights to the margin of our territorial
waters. For these reforms" says the
president, 81 regard the recognition of
the belligerency of the Cuban insur-
gents as now unwise and therefore
inadmissible'
Should that step hereafter be
deemed wise, as matter of right and
duty, the executive Will take it, he
continues. He points to the roperuI
change in the Spanish policy to the
pledge OF reform and to the abatement
of the horrors Of war as reasons
against intervention On humanitarian
| grounds The first acts Of the new
| Onun1.D m he coxyc lilo in tho how