The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-04-16
Why He interviewed.

PIT Ht
The war of Cuba is of such n nature
that, short of subjugation or extermi-
nation, the final military victory OF
either side, seems impracticable. Real
izing that the alternative lies in phys
ical exhaustion of one or the other
party, or perhaps both, in n spirit of
true friendliness, no less to Spain than
to the Cubans, who have so much to
lose by p~rolongation of the struggle,
it appeared to be my duty to see to
bringing about an immediate end of
the war. To this end / submitted on
the 27th ult., as a result OF such repre-
sentation and correspondence, through
the United States minister at Madrid.
proposition to the Spanish government
looking to an armistice until October /
for the negotiation of peace with the
good Offices of the president. In addi-
ton | asked the immediate revocation
of the order of the reconcentrados.
Negotiations Closed.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was
received on the night of the alst ult.
1t offers. as a means to bring about
peace in Cuba, to confine the prepara-
tons thereof to the insular depart
ment, it being, however, understood
that the powers reserved by the con-
%stitution to the central government
was not lessened or diminished. AS
the Cuban parliament does not meet
until May 4 the Spanish government
would accept at once a suspension of
hostilities if asked by the insurgents
from the general in chief, to whom it
would pertain, in such, case, to deter
mine the duration and the condition of
the armistice. The propositions sub
mitted by Woodford and the reply of.
Spain were both in the form of a brief
memoranda. the text Of which is before
me, and are substantially in the Ian
gauge above given. While it is under
stood the government stands ready to
give h insular congress full powers
to settle the terms of peace with the
insurgents, whether it is to be done
by direct negotiation or by means of
legislation does not appear.
With this last overture in the direc-
ton OF immediate peace and its disap-
pointing reception by Spain. the execu-
tive was brought to the end of his eff
fort.
Against Recognizing Independence
The president then quotes from his
message OF Decem Der last in which the
alternatives of q recognition of bellig-
erency, the recognition of %independ-
ence, or a neutral Intervention and i'm
position OF force on contestants and
the intervention in favor of one party
or other, leaving annexation out Of the
question as a criminal aggression
He says he then held the recognition
of %bclligerency or independence could
not be justified in the light of prece-
dents in our history. nor could either
bring relief to the situation. He says
events since then have not caused him
to change his mind. He quotes from
President Jackson's message on the
recognition of the independence
of Texas, laying down the law that
a revolving government must establish
itself SO firmly rs not to appear to be in
danger of being re-conquored by the
former sovereign.
Jackson did not believe Texas had
reached a condition Of stability and it
was not until March, 1887, that indie
pendence was recognized by Van
Buren sending n representative of the
United States, and after Mexico had
abandoned All attempt to reconquer
the Texans territory and when there
was at that time no bona fidc contest
going on between the insurgent prov