The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-04-20


wC-ld. ana least of all by tn" United
States. affected and injured aS we are.
cCcI,Iv and intimately by its very ex-
iS:cErr.
Efforts to Ind War.
Realizing this. it appeared 10 lie my
duty IN u spirit Of tue frirldlincs> no
less To Spain than to the tuhanS. who
have so much 10 lose Ivy the prolonga
ticn of the struggle. to bring about an
immcdiatc termination Of the War. TO
this end [ submitted. on March 20. as a
rc>ul; Of much presentation and cor
rcSpundcnc,, through the United States
. minister ut Madrid. propositions 10 the
Spanish government looking to an armiS-
:Icc until Oct. ! for the negotiation of
lcucr with the coed offices of the prcSi
dent Iii addition asked the immcdi-
ate rovocati4H Of the order to reconccn-
rration. 50 as 10 permit the people to re-
turn to their farms and the needy to be
relieved with provisions and supplies
from the United States. cooperating
with the Spanish authorities. SO as t"
afford full relief.
The reply of tho Spanish cabinet was
received on the night of March 81. 1t
offers, as the means TO bring about peace
in Cuba, to c0ntidc the preparation
thereof to the insrlar parliament mas.
Nuch as the concurrence of that body
would be necessary to reach final re-
. suit. il Icing. however. understood that
the powers reserved by the constitution
to the central government are not less.
ered or diminished As the Cuban par
] ,,,ti1 Nav
the Spanish government would not OBJ
icct for its part to accept ut Gnce suS-
pension Of hC>tiliticS if asked for by the
insurgents from the general i'll chief, to
whom il would pertain in such case, to
determine the duration End conditions
OF the arlnlstlcc.
The propositions submitted by Cen
cral Woodford and the reply Of the
Spanish government were both i'll the
form Of brief memoranda the texts OF
| which are before me, and are SubStan-
tally in the language above given.
The action Of the Cuban parliament
in the matter of ''prepariEg' peace and
! the manner Of its doing so arc not cX-
/ planned in the Spanish memorandum:
! but from General Woodford'S 5 prelimi-
IdlS - vi ti"t tt'c'A'ii'
. preceding. the final conference, it is
! understood tie Spanish government
stands ready TO give the inSular govern
! mcnt full power to negotiate peace with
! the iusurScnts-whcthcr direct or indi-
rectly--it does not appear. With this
| last overture in III" direction of peace
and its Disappointing reception by Spain,
; the executive was Brought to the end o.
! his effort.
! The Last Resort.
III niy annual message of December
! last | said:
! 'Of the untricd measures these re-
! main only: Recognition of the insur
! gents as Eelligcrent>: recognition of the
independence Of Cuba; neutral inter
: vcntion TO end the war by imposing 4
rational compromise between the con-
tcStantS and intervention in favor of
! one or the other party. | speak not of
! for"iblc annexation. for that cannot be
| thought of. That, by our code Of NOR
! aity. would lc criminal aggression.
Thercupon I reviewed these alterna-
! tives in the light Of President Grants
: measured words. uttered in 1873, when,
! after seven years Of sanguinarv, de-
st,,1ctivc and cr,1cl and crrel hoStilities
: in Cuho no rcachcd tho conclusion that
! tho r.c ,cuitiur of tho irGendencn of
: t.r;,a ,v,. imr,oc.;c,hlo and indefensi
+ blc. and th,t tbn rorounition of hellir.
/ ,roncc was NOT warranted hv rho facts
/ ;;cc0rdin" to the tests Of public law. [
commented especially upon the latter
! aspect of tie question. pointing out the
- ,.,,,on,;,;,n ne Ln11;rornn,n Iv}i,h
while adding +, the already nn0rOus bur
! Gen> Of neutrality within our own luriS-
/ diction, could moi III ?uy way extend
our INFLUENCE OF effective offices III 1h"
territory .ot hn>tlilt!"S. N"ihln" Ea>
s!nCC CrrrTTcd 70 change my view on
this regard. and recognize luliN NO"
a> then that the l>>laErr OF Il piociaiia-
liOn Il neutrality, by which process inc
: Socal.rd recognition "t brlllIcr"nce /:
published. could. Of itself and rnat.
tended hv ct ncr action. accomplish no'h-
ing toward til" one end for which we
Wv .Ln ,,i.,r, ,l,.
aitllctS the island.
Turning th" question OF rer":-nlIin"
at this tinic tn" lnd"p'nd"nrr "i IN"
present lnsurGrnt government III 'u"a.
W" fimd S;,f" prcC"d"nt> III our history
from an carry day. They are well
summed up III President Jackson mes
sage to congress Dec. II, lA''h. on me
l"n'''IT h q, lrS,:, M t,s' s|'I have arisen