The western recorder., 1898-04-14


Washington, April 11.-Presidcr1
McKinley's mesrage wns sent to Con
greS AT II O'Clock today. II Is as fol
lows:
To the Congress OF the United States
obedIent to that prccept OF the con
stitufi0n which commands the Preei
dent to give from time to time to tho
Congress Information OF the state Of
the Union and TO recommend to fheii
consideration such measures ns he
shall Judge necessary and expedie7t
II becomes my duty to address your
body with regard to the grave crisis
that has arisen In the relations Of the
United Stntes to Spain, brought about
by the warfare That for more Than
three years has ragged IN the neighbor,
Ing island OF Cubn. do so because OF
the Intimate connection OF the Cuban
question with the states OF this Union
and the grave responsibility which II
IL now incumbent upon the nation to
adopt, must needs bear to the frndi-
iIonni policy OF our government. IT Is
In accord with the precepts laid down
by the founders OF the republic and re-
Americans TO the present time.
The present revolution Is successor
10 other ssmilnr ones which occurred In
Cuba under the dominion OF Spain. ex-
tending over n period OF nearly half
century. each OF which. during Its
progress has subjected the United
Sintes TO great effort and expense In
enforcing Its neutrality laws, caused
enormous losses TO American trade and
commerce. caused agitation and dis
furbnncc among our citizens and by the
exercise Of cruel. barbnrous and unciv-
illzed practices OF warfare. shocked
fiie sensIbilities nnd offended the hu-
man sympathies Of our people;
Since the present revolution began,
In February. 1895. this fertile domain
has nt every threshold been ravnged
by fire and sword In the course Of n
struggle unequalcd In the history OF
the Island and rarely paralleled Ms TO
the number of the combatnnts and the
bitterness of the contest.
All this must needs awake and
has indeed aroused the utmost concern
ON the part OF this government, as well
during my predecessors term, as In
my own.
In April. 1896, the evils by which
our country suffered through the Cuban
war became so onerous that my prcdc-
peace through the mediation OF this
government in any way that might
tend to an honorable adjustment OF the
contest between Spain aud her revolted
colony on the basis Of some effective
scheme Of self-government for Cuba
under the flag and sovereignty of
Spain.
1t failed. The war continued unabnt-
cd and the army of the Insurgents In
no wise lessened. once prosperous
community has been reduced to COM
pnrative want and its people have per-
ished by tens OF thousands from hum
ger and destitutIon. Our trade hns
suffered; the capital Invested by our
citizens In Cnba has been entirely lost
nnd the temper and forbearance OF our
people have been SO sorely tried as to
beget n perilous unrest among our own
citizens which has Inevitably found Its
expression from time to time In the
national Legislature. SO that issues
were not wholly external to our own
body polite, demanding attention and
standing In the wny of that close devo-
tlon 70 domestic ndvnnccment.
The policy of devastation and con-
centrntion inauguratcd by the captain
generals order to Pnndo OF October 21.
it>%'Ar III tiit lfiVt INV Va lAAk tltl lklO
was extended to embrace nll of the
island to which the power of the Span
Ish arms was able to reach. Every
thing that could desolnte the land and
render It unfit for human hnbitatioh or
support was commanded by one or the
other OF the contending parties and ex-
ecuted by all the powers at their dis
posnl.
BY the time the present admInlstrn-
ton took office n year ngo. the ngricul-
turnl population, to the estImnted num-
ber OF 100000 or more. was hcrded
within the towns and their immediate
vicinity, deprived of the means of sup
port. rendered destitute of shelter, left
poorly clad and exposed to the
most unsanltary conditions. BY March
1. 1897, conservative estimate from
Spanish sources, the mortality among
the reconcentrndos from starvation
and the diseases thereto incident, ex-
ceeded so per cent. of their total num-
ber So-callcd ''zones of cultivation
established within the Immediate area
OF effective military control about the
cities and fortified camps proved illu-
sorry.
The unfortunntes, being for the most
part women and children. with aged
and helpless men, enfeebled by hun
ger, could not hive titled the soil with
out tools, seed or shelter for their own
support or for the supply Of the cities.
Recommendation. adopted avowediy as
n war measure In order to cut on the
resources OF the insurgents. worked Its
predcstlned results.
As l said In my message of last De-
cember, It was not civilized warfare;
1t could begct was that of the wilder
ness and the grave.
Meanwhile the military situation in
the island had undergone noticeable
change. The extraordinary activity
that characterized the second year of
war, when the insurgents invaded the
hitherto unharmed fields OF Pinar del
Rio and cnrried havoc and destruction
up to the walls of the city OF Havana
itself, had relapsed into dogce,l
struggle In the central md eastern
provinces.
Even thus partially restricted. the
revolutlonlsts held their own and their
conquest and submission, put forward
by Spain us the essential and sole bn-
sis OF peace, seemed ns fnr distant MS
at the outset. In this state OF affairs
my administration found itself con-
fronted with the grave problem of Its
duty. My message of last December
reviewed the situation and narrated
steps taken to open the why for some
form Of honorable settlement.
The assassination OF the prime min,
lister, Senior Canovas. led 10 change
OF government IN Spain. The former
administration. pledged to subJugaiion
without concession. gave place to TINT
OF more liberal pnrty. committed
long In advance to n policy Of reform
involving the wider principle OF home
rule OF Cuba and Porto Rico. the over
lures OF this government, although not
accepted to the extent of admitted
mediation 10 any shape. were met by
assurances that home rule. In an adj