The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-12

Third-The right to intervene may be justified by the very serious injury to the commerce, trade and business of our people and by the wanton destruc- ton of property and devastation of the island.
 Fourth, and which is of the utmost importance. The present condition of affairs in Cuba is a constant menace to our peace, and entails upon this gov ernment an enormous expense. With such a conflict waged for years in an island so near us and with which our people have such trade and busi- ness relations-when the lives and lib
 erty of our citizens are in constant danger and their property destroyed and themselves ruined; when our trad ing vessels are liable to seizure and are seized at our very door by warships of a foreign nation, the expeditions of fili- bustering that we are powerless alto- gether to prevent, and the irritating questions and entanglements thus aris- ing; all these and others that I need not mention, with the resulting strained re- lationS, are a constant menace to our peace and compel us to keep on a semi war footing with a war nation with which we are at peace. These elements of danger and disorder already pointed out have been strikingly illustrated by a tragic event which has deeply and justly moved the American people. I have already transmitted to congress the report of the naval court of inquiry on the destruction of the battleship Maine in the harbor of Havana during the night of the 18th of February. The
 destruction of that noble vessel has filled the national heart with inexpress-
 ible horror Two hundred and fifty
 eight brave sailors and marines and
 two officers of our navy, reposing in
 the fancied security of a friendly har-
 bor, have been hurled to death, grief
 and want wrought to their homes and
 sorrow to the nation.
 The naval court of inquiry, which it
 is needless to say commands the un-
 qualified confidence of the government, was unanimous in it's conclusion that
 the destruction of the Maine was caus-
 ed by an exterior explosion, that of
 submarine mine.
 It did not assume to place the re-
 sponsibility. That remains to be fixed.
 What Maine Disaster Proved.
 In any event, the destruction of the
 Maine, by whatever exterior cause, is a
 patent and impressive proof of a state
 of things ih Cuba that is intolerable.
 That condition is thus shown to be
 such that the Spanish government can
 not assure safety and security to ves-
 sel of the American navy in the harbor
 of Havana on a mission of peace and
 rightfully there.
 Further referring in this connection to recent diplomatic correspondence, a dispatch from our minister to Spain, of the 26th ultimo, contained the state
 ment that the Spanish minister for for eign affairs assured him positively that Spain will do all that the highest
 honor and justice required in the mat
 ter of the Maine. The reply above re- ferred to of the 31st ulto. also contained an expression of the readiness of Spain to submit to an arbitration all the diff ferences which can arise in this mat ter, which is subsequently, explained by the note of the Spanish minister at Washington of the 10th inst, as fol- lows:
 "As to the question of fact which springs from the diversity of views be-
 tween the report of the American and
 Spanish boards, Spain proposes that the
 fact be ascertained by an impartial in- vestigation by experts, whose decision Spain accepts in advance"
 To this have made no reply. Grants Opinion.
 President Grant, in 1875, after dis cussing the phases of the contest as it | then appeared and it's hopeless and ap- i parent indefinite prolongation, said: "In such event ] am of opinion that 1 other nations will be compelled to as sume the responsibility which devolves | upon them, and to seriously consider | the only remaining measures possible, | mediation and intervention. Owing l perhaps to the large expanse of water
 separating the island from the penin- I sula the contending parties | appear to have within themselves no l depository of common confidence, to l suggest wisdom when passion and ex- | citement have their sway, and to as- | sume the part of peacemaker." | In this view, in the earlier days of ! the contest, the good offices of the | United States as mediator were ten l dered in good faith, without any selfish | purpose, in the interest of humanity l and in sincere friendship for both par | ties, but were at the time declined by l Spain with the declaration, neverthe- | less, that at a future time they would 1 be indispensable.
 | No intimation has been received that | in the opinion of Spain that time has l been reached And yet the strife con- l tinues with all it's dread horrors and | all it's injuries to the interests of the | United States and of other nations. | have already transmitted to, congress Each party seems quite capable of ! working great injury and damage to | the other as we'll as to all the relations
 and interests dependent on the exist ence of peace in the island; but they | seem incapable of reaching any ad- | justment, and both have thus far fail- l ed in achieving any success whereby one party shall possess control of the l island to the exclusion of the other. Under the circumstances the agency of l others, either by mediation or by in- | tervention, seems to be the only all | formative which must, sooner or later, l be invoked for the termination of | strife.
 | Cleveland's Worlds
 | In the last annual message of my im-