Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-04-15
The Presidents War Message.

The long looked for and anxiously |
awaited message of the President on the |
Spain Cuba imbroglio has at last come
to light, and it is generally conceded to
be weak, hesitating document, and |
Disappointing 1t is sort of neither
one thing nor the other. 1t neither
favors war as a means Of suppressing
Spanish cruelties and as a vengeance
for the cold blooded murder Of SO many
of our sailors who died on the Maine
when the latter was blown up by Spanish
agencies, or the recognition of Cuban
independence as a principle of right III
this advanced age when we have 50
many evidences Of the ability of the PEG
pie to govern themselves.
The message reviews the history, al
ready well known, Of the controversy
that has been going on for some time
between this country and the Spanish
government over a settlement Of the
Cuban difficulty And admits the same to
have been failure. and then asks for
authority to use military force to stop
the war between the mother country and
her province, involving as the President
very properly says "hOstile eonstraiut'
upon both contending parties-taat is to
say a war against the Spanish Authori-
ties, and Insurrectionists, which is alto
gether unsatisfactory There is no de-
sire to war against the Cubans. The
right to govern themselves is the princi-
pie for which they are contending and
this government should recognize it out
right, without cavil or hesitancy We
have stood aside and allowed the war tc
go on, until it is clearly proven that the
Spanish government is no longer able tc
govern the Cuban province, and why
not recognize this fact, and as Nation
believing in the wisdom and stability o.
the Republican form of government side
with the CGbsn's claim for independence
aid use armed Intervention to help at
tain that end.
What viii armed Intervention for any
other purpose amount to. It's proposed
that the United States shall use its mill
tary power to get in between the waring
parties and stand there, keeping them
apart, to go on with the fight so soon as
the obstacle in the way is removed
The position would be worth contend
ing for, if pending the stay Of hostilities
by armed Intervention" satisfactory
settlement could be arranged, but the
President says such a possibility is i'm
possible by peaceful means, that being
SO, by what course Of sound reasoning
can it then be made to appear that armed
force will accomplish different result,
Ii ad armed Intervention been exerted il
the beginning of the difficulty, ther'
might have been some solution reached
but it is now too late. The Spanisl
government could not be expected t.
give up portion of its territory at th
mere dictation of another country, an,
the Cubans having suffered so much il
blood and otherwise, for the sake of tn
great principle of self government, it
sheer folly to suppose that they wi
ever be satisfied with any other result
Public sentiment in this country is 70
the recognition of Cuban independents
and the President therefore should hav
asked Congress for military aid for tha
purpose and that purpose only, and i
not doing so be has lost the great OF
portunity of his life of beeoming famou
as leader of men, and disappointed
con6ding people.
As consequence Congress will in a
likelihood take the matter in hand an
declare that Cuba ought and shall
free.