The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-12
NOW RESTS WITH CONGRESS
COURSE IN SPANISH CRISIS CANNOT
 YET BE FoREToLD.

Foreign Relations Committees Now Have the Subject in Their Control-Conserva- tive Senators to Oppose Any Radical Measure-Efforts Directed All Day Toward Action That Will Secure the Solid Support of the Republicans.
 Washington, April 1.-The feature of the relations of the United States with Spain and with the Cuba now rests with congress, the representative body of the American people. What course the men composing it will pur- sue cannot be foretold tonight The foreign committees of both houses now have the subject in their control and after deliberation will report to their respective branches what they consider should be the attitude of the United States on the grave question presented. Early action by the committees is ex- pected, but exactly when it may be looked for is not now determinable. The full responsibility of the subject was placed upon congress when Pres ident Mckinley to-day transmitted to
 it a carefully prepared message of the negotiations with Spain as to it's war;
 fare in Cuba and drawing therefrom his personal conclusions and recom- mendations. He placed the trust with these words: The issue is now with congress. It is solemn responsibility 1 have exhausted every effort to re- lieve the intolerahle condition of affairs which is at our doors. Prepared to ex- ecute every obligation imposed upon me by the constitution and the law, I await your action
 1 No message in recent years, not even that of President Cleveland on vene- zuela, nor of President Harrison on Chilli caused such widespread and in- l tense interest. No message was ever listened to with more close attention l by both galleries and members at both
 ends of the capitol. That it did not
 create profound enthusiasm may have l been due to the fact that its main l features had been accurately forecast | ed in the Associated Press dispatches, | or to a disappointment among those who wanted Cuban independence and I immediate reprisal upon Spain for the destruction of the Maine. For a long l time a large majority in both houses
 have favored recognition of the inde- | pendence of Cuba; for more than two years, as voiced in resolutions passed | by congress, the recognition of bellig- l ho hear, l,t pnth If | propositions were antagonized in the l message and consequently in this re- gard the message did not accord with the majority sentiment. The message 1 left congress very much at sea because of the disagreemnt in views between it l and the executive, an obstacle hard to
 surmount, unless as now seems possi- | ble, congress sees its course to lie in
 accord with the presidents reeommen- 1 dation. It is generally believed that l the president would have been author | ized to intervene with the army and navy had 1t not been for the concluding paragraphs of the document which an- nounced the latest phase of diplomatic
 negotiations.
 l The senate committee on foreign re- l
 but reached no definite conclusion. i From the fact that the republican
 members held consultation after the
 meeting adjourned, and what was said
 regarding it. the inference was drawn
 that some strong measure was neces- 1 sary in order to carry any action by l the committee through the senate. A | declaration of war was talked of, and | a declaration that the people of Cuba | should be free, coupled with authoriza- l ton to the president to bring it about
 by armed intervention, was suggested. The conservative senators also met in the afternoon and determined to op-
 pose any radical measure if it should
 be reported by the senate committee
 on foreign relations. It will oppose by debate recognition of independence of the present government and declar-
 ation of war, or will consent to action
 only along the lines of the recommend
 ations of the president as to interven-
 tion at his discretion.
 The temper of the house could not be
 accurately determined, but there, as
 in the senate, the proposition for Gu
 ban independence has to be met. Any report from the committee on foreign :. affairs that does not carry with it this feature will be antagonized by an amendment, and the prospects are that
 nearly all the democrats and many re-
 publicans would favor it. Efforts have
 been directed all day toward action
 which will secure the solid support of
 the republican organization and repub-
 lican majority of the house. To this
 end the republican members of the
 house committee, to whom the message
 was referred, were in conference dur ing the day and night.
 Outside of the capitol the same in-
 tense interest was everywhere mani fested in the presidents message. The
 embassies and legations were practi-
 cally empty by Il o'clock, the foreign
 representatives and their staffs going
 to the capitol to hear the message Cabinet officers busted themselves with
 their departmental affairs, feeling that
 the message now transferred the scene
 of action and of responsibility to the
 capitol Even at the White house there
 was a lull in the excitement which has
 centered there for the last fortnight | The president saw several of his cab
 inet advisers early in the day, but i there was no cabinet meeting. The
 message left the White house shortly