Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-04-14

tions have generously visited Cuba,
and co-operated with the consul gem
eral and the local authorities to make
effective distribution of the relief col
lected through the efforts of the CEN
tral committee.
Nearly 100000 in money and supplies
has already reached the sufferers and
more is forthcoming The supplies are
admitted duty free and transportation
to the interior has been arranged so
that the relief, at first necessarily con-
fined to Havana and the larger cities,
is now extended through most, IL not
all, of the towns where the suffering
exists. Thousands of lives have al
ready been saved. The necessity for
change in the condition of the re-
concentrates is recognized by the
| Spanish government.
Within a few days past the order of
| General Weyler has been revoked, the
reconcentrados, 1t is said. are to be
permitted to return to their homes
and aided to resume the self-support-
ing pursuits of peace, public works
have been ordered to give them EN- 1.
ployment and a sum of 5000, 900 h: a
been appropriated for their relief.
The war in Cuba is of such ma n,rre
|
nation final military victo' 70 for
either side seems impossible. me ,sa-
tentative lies in the physical exl1aus-
tion of one or the other party or per
haps OF both, a condition WI deh in eff
feet ended the 10 years, W atr by the
truce of ZanJon. The pros ,pert ,of such
u protection and conclusio a of the pres
ent strife is q continge- acy hardly to
be contemplated with equanimity by
tho civilized world. AMI least of all by
the United States, affected and injured
as we are deeply and intimately by its
very existence.
Realizing this. 1t appeared to be my
duty, in a spirit of true friendliness, no
less to Spain than to the Cubans who
have so much to lose by the prolonga-
tion of the struggle, to seek to bring
about s,n immediate termination of the
war. To this end l submitted, on the
27th alt. as a resuls of much represen-
tation and correspondence through the
United States minister at Madrid,
propositions to the Spanish govern
meEt looking to an armistice until
. Oct. for the negotiation of peace, with
the good offices OF the president. In
addition. asked the immediate revoca-
| tion OF the order of recommendation,
SO as to permit the people to return
to their farms and the needy to be re-
iheved with provisions and supplies
from the United States. cooperating
with the Spanish authorities, so as to
| afford full relief.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was
received on the night of the 21st ult
1t offers, as the means to bring about
peace in Cuba, to confide the prepara-
ton thereof to the insular parliament,
| ingaSnllrh a he 30 hot
body would be necessary to reach a
|. final result. 1t being, however, under
| stood that the powers reserved by the
| constitution to the central government
are not lessened or diminished. AS the
| cuban parliament does not meet until
the 4th of May next, the Spanish gov
ernment would not object for it's part
TO accept at once a suspension of hos
| tilities if asked for by the insurgents
! from the general in chief, to whom it
woud pertain in such case to determine
the duration and condition of the arm
istce.
The proposition submitted by Cen
eral Woodford and reply of the Span
ish government were both in the form
of brief memoranda, the texts of which
are before me and are substantially
in the language above given The
function of the Cuban parliament in
the mater of preparing" peace and
the maner of it's doing so are not ex-
pressed In the Spanish memorandum;
but from General Woodford's explana-
| tory reports of preliminary discus
sions preceding the final conference
1t is understood that the Spanish gov
| ernment stands ready to give the in
sular congress full powers to settle
the terms of peace with the insur-
| gents, whether by direct negotiation
or indirectly by means of legislation
does not appear. With the last over
ture in the direction of immediate
peace and its disappointing reception
by Spain. the executive was brought
| to the end of his effort.