The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-05

Washington, April 4.-The president
has completed his Cuban message, and
it will be presented to congress or
Wednesday. Secretary Long. after the
special cabinet meeting tonight, au-
thorized the Associated Press to make
this statement.
The message, which in itself is long
will not be accompanied by the con-
sular reports dealing with the state of
affairs in Cuba. These will go to the
committee on foreign relations of the
serate for their private information,
and will not be made public just now.
The diplomatic correspondence between
the United States and Spain will not be
submitted for the present.
CABINET MEETING.
The cabinet meeting lasted from s
| until after IL o'clock, and was devoted
| entirely to the careful reading and dis
cussion OF the presiG It's draft of his
| message. Every member of the cabinet
was present. The document was gone
over point by point, and met with the
| approval of the cabinet in every detail
The only changes made in it were in a
| few points of verbiage. When the meet
| ing was over and the members dis
| persed, there was a general air of relief
| and satisfaction on all faces, as though
the air had been cleared of doubt, and
| the members firmly resolved on what
they deemed the proper course of ac-
ton, had set out to follow the course
to its logical conclusion. The suspense
evidently was over.
CHARACTER OF MESSAGE.
Secretary Long, apparently, had been
deputed as spokesman for the meeting,
and gave the above brief statement.
As to the character of the message he
refused to speak. 1t was learned from
other sources, however, that the mes
sage. is in part a review of SPANS
course in the present and previous
wars in Cuba. That it win contain
some definite recommendation may be
inferred from the remark of one mem
Der: while l can say nothing explicit
concerning the details of the messag e.
said he, Il may say that it is a strong,
explicit statement, and one with which
congress Will be thoroughly in ac-
cord
1t was suggested that congress was
pretty thoroughly in accord with the
Foraker resolution. but nothing more
explicit could be obtained.
WHY REPORTS ARE WITHHELD.
1t is understood that while the con-
sular reports on Cuba are withheld
from the public for the present. out of
regard Cor their authors, who are still
in Cuba, that their publication is not
deemed essential by the cabinet. One
member. in discussing this point, said:
They contain only information which
has by this time been quite thoroughly
presented to the public from other
sources.
From the fact that the diplomatic
correspondence is not presented with
the message, it is inferred that its main
features are touched on in the message
itself, whether in the form of extracts
or merely in substance.
COVERT EFFORT.
The fact that the autonomist cab
met of Cuba has issued an appeal to
the insurgents for an armistice with
the idea of arranging peace, is re-
garded here by the best informed mem
bers of the administration to be simply
a covert effort to induce the Cubans to
surrender. 1t is not taken seriously /
as the opinion is general that the in /
sIlrgents will consider nothing of the 1
kind.
The Washington Post says that I'M
less Spain. within 4S hours. yields all by I
Cuba, war cannot be 1
averted. 1t sums up the situation as
follows: /
SCATHING ARRANGEMENT.
president McKinley's message to /
congress will be a ringing, vigorous
document that promises to meet the /
full expectation Of congress and the
people. 1t Will be a scathing arraign-
ment of Spain, showing that she has
her utter incapacity to
govern; that her colonies have declined
in population as the result of misrule
and oppression; that American COM
MERGE has been damaged and Ameri-
can lives and property imperilled and
that existing conditions should not and
will not be tolerated by this govern
nent. The destruction of the battle
ship Maine and the slaughter of 266
officers and seamen serving under the
United States flag, will be commented
upon in strong language, and Spain
will be held responsible for the disas-
-er The president will make no recon-
but his message Will point
'learly TO the necessity of armed in
ervention to restore order and peace.
he will not recommend the recognition
If the independence of the island. be-
,ause the insurgents have no estab-
ished form of government, and the
president and cabinet believe that a
ravesty would be presented to the
world if, following the recognition of
hould, as the result of war, take that
away by seizing or an
lexing the island.
DECLARATION OF WAR.
1.-THE presidents message will be equiv
lent to declaration OF war. and hos
ilities can now only be averted by Spain
-ielding all.
'PoDe Leo XIII is mediating between
pain and Cuba. The efforts of his holt {
ess have already resulted in an appeal :
rom Spain TO the insurgents through ,
he autonomic cabinet. for an armistfce i,
ending agreement for peace and inde- !
endence II is learned that his holiness
as represented 10 Spain that it is the
art of wisdom to make every possible {
oncession. even to surrendering the |
;land absolutely. rather than go to war :
nth the United States, which would in :
vitality result in the loss of Cuba and :
Their Spanish colonies. and at the same !
inc endanger the dynasty. I
The United States has ceased all ne =
citations and will not accept mediation.