The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-06

WASHINGTON, D. q, Dec. 5.-F'ol-
lowing is the full text of the Presidents
annual message sent o Congress to-
day;
To the Senate and Hcuso.of Representa-
tives;
Notwithstanding the added burdens
rendered necessary by the war our peo-
pie are IN very satisfaetoFy and stead
lly Increasing degree OF prosperity. eyi-
deneed by the largest volume OF busi-
ness ever recorded. Manufacture has
been productive, agricultural pursuits
have yielded abundant returns, labor in
all fields OF industry r better rewarded
revenue legislation paGsad by the pres
ent Congress has Increased the treas
ury's receipts to the amount estimated
by its author; the finances OF the gov
ernment have been succe fully admin
lstered and its credit ADVANCED 60 the
FIRST rank; while It's currency has been
maintained at the worlds highest atand-
ard. Military service under common
flag and for a rlghleou9 cause has
strenFthened the national spirit and
served to cement more closely than ever
kAAgA AAdANAAltAA 8NAAA-F - sNtNAH' - -
tlon\of the country.
A review of the relation Of the United
States to other powers, always appro-
prlate. is this year OF primary import
ance IN View OF the nlomentous issues
which have arisen, demanding In one In
stance the ultimate discrimination by
arms and Involving fGf-feaching conse-
! quences which VIII require the earnest
attention Of the Congrkss
In my last annual message very full
consideration was given 20 the question
OF the duty OF the government OF the
United States toward Spain and the
Cuban fnaurrection Rs being hy far the
most important problem ~ u which We
wer then called upon to deal The con-
slderatioh then advtnced and the expo
sition Of the Views thereln expressed.
disclosed my sense of the exireme Brav-
ity OF the situation, Setting aside, rs
logically uufounded or practically mad
mlsslble, the recognition Of the Cuban
insurgents as belligerentB the recognl-
tlon OF the independence Of Cuba. neu-
tral Intervention to END the war by inn
posing a rational compr0mise between
the contestants, Intervention IN favor Of
one or the other party. and forclble an
nexaGon Of the islnnd-I concluded 1t
was honestly due to our friendly rela-
tidns with Spain that she should be
given a chance to realize her eXpectn-
tlons OF reform to which che had become
irrevocably committed Within few
weeks previously she had announced
comprehensive plans which Il was confl-
IDENTIFY asserted would be edicacious to
remedy the evils SO dssply Affecting our
own country. so injurious 70 the true In
tarests of the mother country as well as
TO those Of Cuba, and 20 repugnant to
the universal sentiment OF humanity.
The ensuing month brought little sign
Of real progress toward the pacltication
OF Cuba, The autonomous adminlstra-
tons set up in the capital and some of
the principal cities appeared not to gain
the favor OF the Inhabitants. nor be able
to extend their influence to the large eX-
tent of territory held by the Insurgents
while the military arm, obviously un-
able to cope with the still active rebel
lion, continued many OF the most obiec-
tlonable and Offensive policies OF the
government that had preceded Il. No
tangible relief was afforded the vast
number Of unhappy reeoncentrados de-
spite the reiterated prOfeasiols made In
that regard and the amount appropri-
ated by Spain to that end, The proffer-
ed expedlent Of zones OF cultivation
proved lllusory; Indeed, no less practi-
cal nor more delusive promises of sue
cor could well have been rendered to the
exhausted and destitute people, stripped
Of all that made life and home dear and
herded In a strange region among un-
sympathetic strangers. hardly less ne
cessitous than themselves.
By the end OF December the mortality
among them had frightfuily increased,
Ffah
sources placed the deaths among these
distressed people az over forty per cent.
from the time General Weyler's decree
Of Recommendation was enforced. With
the acqulescence OF the Spanish authori-
ties scheme was adopted for relief by
charitable work in distributions raised In
this country and distributed, under the
direction of the consul genral and the
several consuis, by noble and earnest IN
dividuai effort through the organized
agencies of the American Red Cross.
Thousands of lives were thus saved. but
many thousands more were inaccessible
to such forms OF aid
The war continued on the old footing
without Comprehensive plan, developing
only the same spasmodic encounters,
barren OF strategic result, that had
marked the course OF the earlier ten
years TeDelloDs hA Wen ~ tne present
insurrection from ita start. No alterna-
tive save physical exhaustion OF either
cambatnnt, and therewithal the practi-
cal ruin OF the island, lay in sight, but
how far distant no one could venture TO
conjecture.
Destination oE the AIains.
At this juncture. on the 18th Of Febru-
AIRY, last, occurred the destruction OF the
battleship Maine, while rightfully lying
IN the harbor Of Havana on mission Of
International courtesy and good villa
catastrophe the Suspicious nature and
horror OF which stirred the nations heart
profoundly. Il Is a striking evidence OF
the poise and sturdy good sense ds,ln-
gushing our national character that this
shocking blow, falling upon a generous
people, already deeply touched by pre-
cedlng events In Cuba, dli net move
them 20 an instant, desperate resolve 10
tolerate no longer the existence OF con-
dltlon Of danger and disorder az our
doors that made poss,ble such deed.
by whosoeyer wrought Yet the lnstlnc.
OF jusllce prevailed and the nation an-
xiuusly awaited the result Of tho Search
Ing investigation ut once set on foot.
The finding OF the naval board otinQulry