Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-03-29
|RNARINE MINE DID THE WORK.
Could Not Be Placed
 Upon Anyone.
VT TO CONGRESS
 BY THE PRESIDENT.
Recommendation Is Made of ths ..ter the President Relying Upon tba Honor of Spain to Do What Is Justice In Af-
 fairs of This Kind.


 ashington, March 29.-The presi-
 vesterdad sent the following mes # to congress:
 N the congress of the United States:
 br some time prior to the visit of the
 ;ue to Havana harbor our consular nEesentatiye pointed out the advant-
 @ to flow from the visit of national
 s to Cuban waters, in aeeustoming Ss,eople to the presence of our flag as
 zmbol of good will and our ships in z6llment of the mission of the pretec. sa to American interests even though Immediate need thereof might exist. Accordingly on the 24th day of Janu- Blast, after a conference with the 1nish minister ill which renewal wis. |8f our warships to Spanish waters Is discussed and accepted, the benin.
 sr authorities at Madrid and Havana |@ advised of the purpose of this gov lElent to resume friendly naval visits Gnban ports and that in that view Blaine would forthwith call at the T of Havana. This announcement E received by the Spanish govern 'At by appreciating the friendly char |ar of the visit of the Maine and with Specification of the intention to re- za the courtesy by sending Spanish IB to the principal ports of the United aEes In the meanwhile the Maine Erred the port of Havana on the 25th Tof January, her arrival being mark Fith no special incident, besides the Aange of the customary salutes and |swal visits.
 ehe Maine continued in the harbor of Nana during the three weeks follow 'her arrival. No appreciable excite Y attended her stay; on the con- F, a feeling of relief and confidence Owed the resumption of a long inter- 'fed friendly intercourse. So notice 2 was this immediate effect of her \ that the consul general strongly Hd that the presence of our ships in Rn waters should be kept up by re- AAng them at Havana, or, in the event ger recall, by sending another vessel F to take her place.
 F 40 minutes past nine in the even. 'pf Feb 10th, the Maine was destroy. E an explosion by which the entire Yard part of the ship was utterly sked. In this catastrophe two off Sand S6O of her crew perished, those were not killed outright by her ex- #on being penned between decks by Sled wreckage and drowned by the Healate sinking of the hull. Prompt S'ance rendered by neigboring vessels eorea Tn the harbor, aid being espec.
 gwen by the boats of the Spanish ponse XII and the Ward line steam. ny of Washington, which lay not siseant' The wounded were gener- cared for by the authorities of
 'na' the hospitals being freely open 'nem' while the earliest recovered F. !. ol the dead were inferred by the ''ieipalty in the public cemetery of .'''y' Tributes of grief and sym were offered from officials of all sslers of the island.
 \ appalling calamity fell upon our Ps With crushing force and for a I '.ne Intense excitement prevailed,
 . III a community less just and self
 0Rea than ours might have led to acts of blind resentment. This r however, soon gave way to = reason, to resolve to investigate ana await material proof before
 ms a Judgment as to the cause and p4siollity, and, if facts warranted, |emedy due This course necessarily amended itself from the outset to as'u0lve' for only in the light of '9'0naeeiy ascertained certainty