Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1898-12-09
THE MESSAGE,
Sent 10 the Senate and House OF Rep-
resentatives by the President.
To the Senate and House of Representa-

To the Senate and House Of Representa-
tiVes:
Notwithstanding the added burdens
rendered necessary by the war, our peo-
pie rejoice in a very satisfactory ana
steadily increasing degree of prosperity
evidenced by the largest volume OF busl-
ness ever recorded. Manufacture mas
been productive, agricultural pursuits
have yielded abundant returns, LABOR III
all fields OF industry is better rewarded
revenue legislation passed by the present
congress has increased the treasury
receipts to the amount estimated by It's
authors; the finances of the government
have been successfully administered ana
its credit advanced to the first rank,
while its currency has been maintained
at the worlds highest standard. Mill
tary service under a common nag ana LOT
a righteous cause has strengthened the
national spirit and served to cement more
closely than ever the fraternaI BONDS De-
tween every section of the country.
In my last annual message, very full
consideration was given to the question
Of the duty OF the government OF the
United States toward Spain ana the Gu
ban insurrection as being by far the most
important problem with which we have
been called upon to deal. The consldera-
tionS then advanced, and the exposition
OF the views therein eNp't 'tsSe'I, uIs, - -.
my sense Oh the eNlreH'e 5I"' ~ yI,I,. "a III
situation. SettlhS aslue' dS lVslC%HS
unfounded or practically inadmtssable,
the recognition of the independence OF
Cuba, neutral Intervention to end the
war by imposing rational compromise
between the contestants, inter etll'oH III
tdNOr OF one OF Iiie otlSt P"' -
IoFCipie annexation ol thc ISIallu, l Noii
cluded IL was honestly uue 10 ouI tehu
" relations with SPAN that sne shouIu sh,iu
oe given ltaSoHapIt tHd'lOe ~ I".'Ee ~
Her expectations Oi Ieiotil 10 NHlot SltS
had become lrreNo'aoIy 'seu ,,-;
Nlthih ie" weeks P PleN'ousl! S sIt it"t ~
announced colhprehehsINe PlaHS VIII" ~, II
was cohiluelltly asserttq WoulI pv T,.'Cts
C!ous 10 reiheu! lhe eN'4s 50 uttP'S a.
tecIHs our oN VI 'otlSI ~ ',, ~ ~
tIle rue lhte' tSlS u Vi'I ,,,o ~
as wen us " 'lloec u -, = 20 ,!,-,. -
Pushdnl ~ 'le' UNI ''"' SCI ''''''' ''' va
"uLilal'S' -.
Inc ensuing ihohth pIou6hI H;oie sieH
or real progress toward lhe paCIHCaH"h
ot Cuba
The autonomous administration set up
IN the capital and some of the principal
cities appeared not to gain the favor
Of the inhabitants nor to be able to eX-
tend their influence to the largest extent
of territory held by the insurgents. while
. the military arm, obviously unable to
! cope with the stu active repeIlloh' con
ttnued many of the most ohJecuohahIe
and ufenSiNe policies OF the government
| that mad preceded II, NO tanSlpIe ItHel
was afforded the vast numbers OF un-
happy recUncentrados, despite the re-
1terated protestations made IN that re-
gard and the amount Appropriated by
, spain to that end. The preferred eN-
pedient of zones of cultivation proved
tllusory; indeed, no less practical nor
more delusive promises of succor could
well have been rendered to the exhausted
and destitute people. stripped 01 all that
made life and home dear herded IN a
strange region among unsympatheuc
strangers hardly less necessitous than
themselves.
BY the end Of December the mortality
among them had fright|uIly increased.
| 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 10
/ years rebellion as we'll as the present in
| surrection from its start. No alternative
/ save physic | exhaustion Of either COM
1 batant and herewith the practical ruin
/ Of the islar1 lay in sight but how far
| distant no uHe would venture to con-
| lecture
At this I',,- rture on Feb Il last Or
| Cured the i, ,truction Of the hattIeshiu
! Maine. Will, ,yghtfullv living in the har
| bvr Of Hav,Ia on n r,irei0,1 of tntarra- -
I tional cOur asv and good villa catas-
/ trophe the ~"SpiciOus nature and horror
Of which sti red the nations heart pro-
| foundly. Ii is a striking eytdanra o. tha
noise and sturdy good sense distiucuish-
| ing our national character thar this
shocking blow. ra ling upon = genoroIIs
people. already deaply touched by pre-
,eding events in Cuha did not move them
to an instant desperate resolve to tolerate
no longer the existence of a condition of
danger and disorder at our doors that
made possible srth deed. by whumso-
ever wrought. Yet the instinct of justice
| prevailed and the nation anXiously
| awaited the result of the searching in
/ Vest.EatiOn at once set on foot The
finding of the naval board Of INQUIRY
| established that the origin of the eX-
plosion was external by a submarine
mine, and only halted through lack of
/ positive testimony, to fix the responsi-
bility Of its authorship.
All these things carried conviction tc
the most thoughtful. even before the
| finding of the naval court that a crisis
| in our relations with Spain and toward
! Cuba was at hand. So strong was this
belief that it needed but a brief executive
! suggestion to the congress to receive i'm
mediate answer to the duty of making
instant provision for the possible and
perhaps, speedily probable emergency OF
war and the remarkable, almost unique
| spectacle was presented of a unanimous
vote of both houses on March ap-
propTiating $5O,OOO,O00 for the national
| defense and FOR each and every purpose
connected Herewith, to be expended at
the discretion of the president"