Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-04-16
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
ISSUE IS NOW WITH CONGRESS
The only Hope for Relief From "
Condition which Can No Longer
BE Endured IL the Enforced rae
iHcntion of the IsIand-Sp"tn'
OfTer of Arbitration.

Washington. April President Nc
Kinlev sent his Cuban message to con
press today. After reviewing the history
of the war in Cuba the president says
The war in Cuba is of such nature
that. short of subjugation or eXtermlna-
ton, final military victory tor either
side seems impracticable The alterna-
tive lies in the physical exhaustion Of one
or the other party or perhaps both, a con-
dtion which, in effect, ended the 10 years
way by the truce of Zan Jon. The pros
meet of such protraCtion and confusion
of the present strife is contingency
hardly to be contemplated with equanim-
ity by the civilized world and least OF all
by the United States, affected and injur-
ed as we are, deeply and intimately, by
its very existence.
Asked for an Armisticc.
Realizing this, it appeared to be my
duty in a spirit of true friendliness no
less to Spain than to those Cubans who
have so much TO lose by the prolonga-
ZION of the struggle, to seek to bring
about an immediate termination of the
war. To this end l submitted. on the
9TH ultimo, as a result of much represen-
iation and correspondence through the
United States minister at Madrid, PROPOSE
lions to the Spanish government looking
10 an armistice until October for the
negotiation of peace with the good ON
ccs Of the president.
In addition l asked the immediate re-
vocation of the order of RECOMMENDATION,
so as to permit the people to return to
their farms and the needy to be relieved
with provisions and supplies by the Unit
ed states cooperating with the Spanish
authorities so as to afford full relief
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was
4 81 L. nj a & =
means to bring about peace in Cuba, to
Confde the preparation thereof to the in
sular parliament, inaSmuch as the con-
currence of that body would be necessary
to establish final result; it being, hoy
ever, understood that the powers r-eryed
10y the constitution TO the central p 1ern-
1nent are not lessened or diminished. As
the Cuban parliament does not meet un-
Ill the fourth of May next the Spanish
government would not object for its part
10 accept at once q suspension of hos
Titles If asked for by the insurgents
from the general-in- chief, TO whom II
would pertain in such case to determine
the duration and condition OF the armis-
tice.
The function of the Cuban parliament
in the matter of preparing peace and
the manner of doing so are not expressed
In the Spanish memorandum, but from
General Woodfords explanatory reports
of preliminary discussions preceding the
final conferences it is understood that the
Spanish government stands ready to give
the insular congress full power to settle
the terms of peace with the insurgents,
whether by direct negotiations or indi-
rectly by means of legislation does not
appear.
The End of the Effort,
With this last overture in the direction
of immediate peace and its disappointing
reception by Spain, the executive was
brought to the end of his effort.
In my annual message of last Deem
her | said: "Of the untred measures
there remain recognition of the insur-
gents as beligerents, recognition of the
independence of Cuba and Intervention to
end the war by imposing a rational COM
promise between the contestants and in
terVention in favor of one or the other
party. ! speak not of forcible anneNa-
ton for that can not be thought of. That
by our code of morality would be Grim
inal aggression
Thereupon, l reviewed these alterna-
tives in the light of President Grants
message in the words uttered in 1879,
when, after seven years Of sanguinary,
destructive and cruel baTbarities in Cuba,
he reached the conclusion that the recog
milton of the independence of Cuba was
impracticabe and indefensible and that
warranted by the facts according TO the
texts of public law.
| commented especially upon this phase
OF the question, pointing out the incon-
veniences and positive dangers of recogni-
uon of belligerence, which, while adding
10 the already onerous burdens of neu-
trality within our own jurisdiction, could
not in any way extend our influence or
effective office in the territory OF hostil-
tiles.
Nothing has since occurred TO change
my view in this regard and | recognize
as fuzzy now as then that the issuance
of a proclamation of neutrality. by which
process the so-called recognition Of bell
ligerency is published, could, of itself and
unattended by other action, accomplish
nothing toward the end for which we la
Dor, the instant pacitication of Cuba and
the cessation o. the misery that afiiicts
the island
Against Recognizing Independence.
Turning to the question of recognizing
at this time the Independence of the pres
ent insurgent movement in Cuba we tind
safe precedents in our history from an
early day. They are we'll summed up in
President JacksonS message TO congress
December p, 1886, on the subject Of the
recognition of the independence of Tex
as. when he said:
In all the contests that have arisen out
of the revolutions of France out of dis
putes relating TO Portugal and Spain, out
of the separation of the American pos
sessions Of both from the European gov
ernments and out of the numerous and
constantly occurring struggles for domin-
ion In Spanish-American states, so wisely
consistent with our just principles has
been the action of our government that
We have, under the most critical circum-
stances avoided all censure and encoun-
tered no other evil than that produced by
a transient re-estrangement of good will
in those against whom We have been,
eide
1T has thus been made known to the
world that the nnIfnrm noliEY and nractice