Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1898-04-15
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Congress Notified of the Conditions
in Cuba.
THOROUGH REVIEW OF FACTS.
Recognition of the Present Government
in Cuba Is Opuo>ed-Maine Disaster
Shows That Spain Can Not Protect
NeuIraIs Cuban Waters

today sent message to the congress Of
the United States. substantially as fol-
lows
The present revolution is but the sue
ceSSor of other similar instructions which
have occurred in cuba against the do
miuion of Spain extending over period
OF nearly half a century. each of which.
during lis progress. has subjected the
United States 10 great effort and expense
in enforcing It's neutrality laws. caused
enormous losses 10 the American trade
and commerce. caused irritation. annoy
ance and disturbance among our citizens,
and by the exercise of cruel barbarous
and uncivIized practices of warfare,
shocked the senSiblities and offended the
humane sympathies of our people.
w have found ourselves constrained.
in the observance of that strict neutral
Iy = nich our iaNS enioin and which the
law al nations commands TO police our
OWL waters and watch our own Seaports
in prevention oil amy unlawful act in aid
at the CtIhanS. our trade has suffered
the capital invested by our citizens in
Cuba has been largely lost. and the tenn
per and forbearance Of our people have
been sorely tried a. To beget "a perilous
unrest among our OWN citizens
In April. lS:1. the evils from which our
country suffered through the Cuban war
made an effort Ia bring about a peace
through the med alton OF this government
III any WAY that might tend To an hon
crahle adjustment of the contest be-
tween Spain and her reVolted colony on
Tho basis of some effective scheme of self
government for cuba under the flag aud
sovereignty OF Spain II called. through
the refusal of the Spanish government
th"u iu power to consider any form Of
meut which lid not begin with the actu-
al submission of the insurgents to the
mother country aud then only on such
terms a. Spain herself might see fit 10
grant The war continued unabated.
The resistance al the insurgents was in
no wise diminished
''Th~ policy OF devastation and concen-
tration inaugurated by The captain-gen-
erals bandO of Oct. Il. 1Se6. i'm the PROV
ince OF Pima del Rio. was afterward ex-
tended 10 embrace all OF the island TO
which the pc wer of the Spanish arms was
able 10 reach 10y occupation or by mill
tary operations The pea.santry 4ncIId-
ing all dwelling iu the agricultural in
terror. were driven into the garrison
towns or isolated places held 10y the
troops The raising and movement of
provisions of all kinds were inierdicfed.
The fields were laid waste dwellings un-
short. everything that could desolate the
land and render il unfit for human hab-
liation or support was commanded by
one or The other of the contending par
ties. and executed by all the powers at
their disposal The agricultural popllIa-
ton. 10 the estimated number OF 300 600
or more. was herlcd within the. towns
and their immediate Vicinage deprived
OF the means of support. rendered desti-
H.. a hglf fey loft .la
posed TO the most unsanitary conditions
As the scarcity of food increased with
the devastation OF the Sepopulated areas
Of production. deStitution and want be-
cam misery and starvation Month ny
lnOhin the death rate increased in an
alarming ratio. By March. ls91 accord
ing Ia conservative estimates from off
Cial Spanish sOurt - the mortality anone.
The reconceutradoS from starvation and
the disease thereto incident excee,ied ~
per ceHtum of their total number No
practical relief was accorded to the ,leS-
mute The CnfOrtunateS. being for the
most part women and children. with aged
and helpless men. enfeebled by disease
and hunger. could not till the soil with
"ut Tools. seed or shelter. for their own
support or for the supply of the cities.
REORGANIZATION. adopted avowedlv as A
war measure in order to cut off the re-
sources of the insurgents worked il,
pr@destined result As | said in my mes
sag" o. last December IL was not civil
led warfare; il was determinations The
only y. ace il could beget was that of the
wilderness and the grave
Meanwhile the military situation ~,
the island had undergone a noticeable
chat9c- The extraordinary activity that
characterized the second year OF tho war
when the insurgents invaded even the
hitherto unframed fields of Pinar del Rio
ana carried havoc and destitut on lIp to
the walls OF the city of Havana itself
had relapsed into "A logged struggle i'm
the central and eastern provinces The
spanish arms resained "A measure of con-
troll in Pinar del Rio and parts of Ha-
Nana. but under the existing conditions
OF the rural country. without immediate
improvement of their productive situa-
ton Even inus partially restricted the
reVoluiionists neld their own. and their
submission. put forward by Spain as the
essential and sole basis of peace. seemed
"a Ear distant as at the outset
In this state of affairs. my admins
tfation found itself confronted with The
grave problem OF its duty. My message
OF last December reviewed the situ,tion
and detailed the steps taken with a viev,
OF relieving its acuteness and opening the
way to some form of honorable settle
Inent. The assassination of the Drime
minister. Canovas. led to "A change of
government i'm Spain. The former adj
pledged 10 subjugation with
out concession. gave place TO that of a
more liberal party. committed long i'm
advance TO policy of reform involving
the wider prime iples of home rule for
Cub? and Porto Rico. The overtures of
this government. made through its new
envoy. Gen. Woodford. and looking to an
immediate and effective amelioration of
the condition of the island. although not
accepted TO the extent of admitted medi-
alton in any shape. were met by asstir-
ances that home rule. il an advanced
phase. would he forthwith offered TO
Cuba without waiting for the war to
end. and that more humane methods
should thenceforth prevail in the conduct
or hostiities.
While these negotiations were i'm prog
ress. the increasing restitution of the
unfortunate reconcentrados and the
alrrming mortality among them claimed
earnest attention. The success which had
attended the limited measure of relief ex
fenced TO the suffering American citizens
among them by the judicious expenditure
through the consular agencies of the
money appropriated expressly by the Joint
resolution. approved May "a. 1897 prompt
ed the humane extension of similar
scheme of aid 10 the great bO1v