The San Francisco call., 1898-04-05
Senators Speak Plainly on the Blowing Up
 of the Maine.
Perkins of California Among Those to DenOunce Treach- cry of Spain and Demand
 Satisfaction in Blood.

and the cry for stern justice should be heard. It was time to be done with subterfuge. We should not go 10 war without full justification, but must be assured before striking that we strike for God and humanity. He thought this time had come. He not only be- lieved the time had come for recogniz- ing Cuban independence but that a declaration of war would be fully just flied by the willful destruction of the Maine. While holding these sentiments, Mantle was willing to wait upon the action of the Committee on Foreign Re- lations, whose recommendations he had no doubt would be wise and just and cover the whole case.
 Rawlins of Utah said the case be- tween Spain and the United States was made up. It was no longer for the executive to decide what course to pur- sue. With Congress rested the re- sponsibility of declaring war, and this was the pressing duty. The President was no longer the party to be criti- cized. Congress, if 1t wills, he said, could decide to have peace with incl dental outrage and clandestine murder As for himself, he did not choose to accept peace under any circumstances. Rawlins opposed further delay. He was informed that the Committee on Foreign Relations had reached a con- clusion, and that while the President was advised of the probable action of the committee, that body had no such information as to the Presidents plans. He was also informed that the Presi- dent wanted further delay Rawlins did not consider this necessary. The destruction of the Maine and the clam destine murder of 266 of our sailors hao occurred forty-eight days since but this was not all. For three years the Spanish authorities had been impris- oning and murdering American citi- Zens. Of these facts the executive doubtlessly had been fully advised by the consular reports, but these reports had been withheld on the plea that it would endanger the safety of our of- fcials in Cuba to give them out If this was true, it revealed a wretched state of affairs.
 Continuing, Rawlins said delay had been sought last week by friends of the President on the plea that a message was soon to be sent in from the Presi- dent which would meet all the demands of the country. At the same time the private and confidential secretary of the President was sending a message to his friends urging them to the utmost eXertlon to bring pressure to bear to secure peace. We were next told that an ultlmatum had been sent to Madrid demanding the concession of Cuban in dependence; now comes an interview with Premier Sagasta in which he said no demand had been made by this Gov ernment for the independence of the Cubans Which representation was cor rect? Rawlins criticized our halting policy in strong language, saying that it was such as to justify Spain in hold ing the United States in contempt He added that the crime of the explosion of the Maine was due to our indecision and cowardice, and that such an act would never have been perpetrated upon any other nation. In conclusion, he made an argument for an absolute declaration of war instead of a decla- ration for armed intervention. To pur- sue the latter course would be to throw the respoDsiblI.y of declaring war upon the President. To pass such a resolution would be to afford opportun- ity for the peace at any price rarty to continue it's efforts as the resolution would be one which the President could with propriety ignore because the re- with Congress.
 Rawlins expressed the opinion that four weeks would decide an armed con- flict between Spain and the United States, and that it would be decided without the loss of a life Tn support of this assertion le counted the accom- plishments of the Cubans themselves in their efforts to gain their independence under most unfavorable circumstances.
 At the conclusion of Rawlins' speech the sundry civil appropriation bill was taken up.