The Portland daily press., 1898-12-06
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
Transmits His Views On Pending
Questions To congress.
To the Senate and House of Representa-

Notwithstanding the added puruelS
rendered necessary by the war, ouA "a
pie rejoice in very satlsfacloiy ,a,.ity
steadily increasing degree Oh plosff h,,si,
evidenced by the largest yoluIiie ~ Ia hos
ness ever recorded. Manu1acluie -.
hsen Y,,so5,,ctive agricultural pursuits
have Welded abundant returns ldo '1.5. =. =
all fields of Industry is better reWaf isi'5
revenue legislation passed by the pressiil
congress has increased the lIeasuliy .
receipts to the amount estimator ny 10
authors: the finances OF the sotel ilii en-
have been successfully adnlnlsleieu auu
its credit advanced to the nrst rank.
VIM ire currency has been maintained
nj the worlds highest standard Mill
tarv service under a common flag and tor
r righteous cause has strengthened the
rational spirit and served to cement more
closely than ever the fraternal bonds be-
tween every section of the country.
A review Of the relation OF the Uniteu
States to other powers, always appro-
pirate, is this year of primary Importance
In view of the momentous issues when
have arisen, demanding in one instance
the ultimate DISSEMINATION by arms ana
involving far-reaching consciousness
which will require the earnest attention
of the congress.
In nv last annual message, very full
consideration was given to the questioh
of the duty of the government OF tne
United States toward Spain ana the eu.
ban instruction as being by far the most
important problem with which we nave
beer called upon to deal The considera-
lions then advanced. and the exposlllon
Of the views therein expressed. disclosed
my sense of the extreme gravity OF the
situation. Setting aside, as logicaly
unfounded or practically inadmissable.
the recognition of the independence OF
Cuba. neutral intervention to end the
war by imposing rational compromise
between the contestants. intervention IN
favor of one or the other party, ana
forcible annexation of the island. con-
cluded it was honestly due to our friend
ly relations with Spain that she should
be given reasonable chance TO. reallze
her expectations of reform to which she
had become irrevocably committed:
Within a few weeks previously she had
announced comprehensive plans when II
was confidently asserted would De elnca-
cious to remedy the evils SO deeply az
fectine our own country. so injurious to
the true interests of the mother country
as well as to those of Cuba and so re-
pugnant to the universal sentiment of
hur'anty-
The ensuing month brought little sign
of real progress toward the paeifcation
of Cuba
The autonomous administration set up
In the capital and some of the principal
cities appeared not to gain the favor
of the irhabita nts nor to be able to ex-
tend their fnffa-e nce to the largest extent
OF territory held by the insurgents. While
the military arm, obviously unable to
cone with the still active rebellion. con-
tinued many of the most objectionable
ard Offensive policies of the government
TIT had preceded it. No tangible relief.
was afforded the vast numbers OF I'M
happy reconcentrados. despite the re-
lterated protestations made insthat re-
gard and the amount appropriated by
Spain TO that end The preferred ex-
pedient of zones of cultivation proved
illusory; indeed. no less practical nor
more delusive promises Of succor could
well have been rendered to the exhausted
and destitute people, stripped of all that
made life and home dear herded in a
grange region among unsympathetic
strangers hardly less znecessitous than
themselves.
Rv the ard of December the mortality
among them had frightfu'ly increased.
Conservative estimates from Spanish
sources placed the deaths among these
distreesef peonle at over 40 percent
from the time General Weyler's decree of
reconcentra ton was enforced. With
the acquiesence of the Spanish authori-
ties scheme was adopted for relief by
charitable contributions raised in this
country and distributed. under the direc-
tfors of the consul general and the sew
erel consuls. nv noble and earnest in
f--i1ual effort thrnu ehout the orga nized
H2ereies IF the American Red Cross.
Thousands Ct lives were thus saved, but
many thnrsar6s r,ore were inaccessible
to such forrns of cid.
TIE war confirmed on the old footing
without con1 rrehensive plan. developing
onlv the same spasmodic encounters
barren Of stra +egic result. that had
married the course of the earlier 10
years rebellion as well as the present in
surrection from it's start. No alternative
save physical exhaustion of either com
Blatant ard herewith the practical ruin
of the island lay in sight but how far
distant no one would venture to con-
lecture
At this 1uncture. on Feb IS lest. oc-
CURED the destrr rtion of the battleship
Maine. while rightfufly lying in the har-
Dor of Havana on mission of interna-
tio7al courtesy ard good villa catas-
trophe +f7e SUSPICIOUS nature and horror
Of whit stirred the na atoms heart pro-
foundry. 1t is striking evidence of the
poise and stirr6v GOOD sense distinguish
ire orr ratiorsl character that, this
shocking blow. falling upon a generous
ptODtS+ Oh ID EF tttply tOUC4eu OY pre-
eedirp events IN Cuba did not move them
to an instant desperate resolve to tolerate
no longer the existence of a condition of
oaroer ard disorder at our doors that
made possible such deed, by whomso-
ever wrought Vet the instinct of justice
prevailed and the nation anxiously
awaited the result of the searching in
vestigation at once set on foot The
finding of the naval board of inquiry
esta blished that the origin of the ex-
pIoSion was external by a submarine
mine. and only halted through lack of
positive testimony to fix the RESPONSE
bility of its authorship.
All these things carried conviction to
the most thoughtful even before the
finding Of the naval court, that crisis
in our relations with Spain and toward
Cuba was at hand. So strong was this
belief that it needed but 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-
propriating $50 900 600 "for the national
defense and for each and every purpose
connected Herewith, to be expended at
the discretion of the president"
That this act of provision came none
tho SOON was CiSpIocaI ~ n ~,