The true Democrat., 1898-12-10
MESSAGE
Chief Executive DevOtes Much Space 10
Spanish War.
,m,ortsnce Of the Nicaraguan Canal Strongly
Presented and Congress Urged to Take I'M
mediate Action--Our Foreign Relations uen'
orally Touched Upon'
Washington, D. C. Dec: s, 1898:
cnnotn 80 and House Of Representa-

Notwithstanding the added burdens rem \
derCd necessary by the war our PeopnediIr +
joice in a very satisfactory anu stT"umI s1nrnoJ
Increasing degree Of prosperity eFluen Fe !
Nv tho largest volume OF business ever re-
corded Manufacture has been prO9uctlIe'
agricultural pursuits have ylelueu aUuu-
d9nt returns labor in the fields OF luuus-
trv is better rewarded, revenue Iesisla"GGn'
nasspd by the present congress- mas ~ ~
rrreasnd the treasury's receipts TO the
nn,Gunt estimated by it's authors; the IMAM
res of the government have Deeh Succes1ll
fully administered and its credit auNahCeu
10 the first rank while It's curFehyS na
been maintained at the worlds nlsuSS'
standard. Military service uhueL 'I Tas
mon dag and for righteous cause nus
strengthened the national spirit, ana serV-
cd to cement more closely than ever Tue
fraternal bonds between every sectlon VI
the country. -, r-,,+od
A review Of the relations OF the UnteiH
States to other powers, always appaopti toca IN
ate. is this year Of primary lmp0rtahTe ~
view Of the momentOus issues when nav
arisen demanding in one instance the w
tImate determination by arms anu ih'on
Ing far-reaching consequences WhiSh VIZ WI.
require the earnest attention ol TIC ""
grcSs
THE CUBAN QUESTION.
In nv last annual message very full con
sIleratlon was given to the question oL my tn9
Jutv of the government Of the Chileu
Stoies toward Spain and the Cuban lhsur-
rectlon. as being by far the most linpoI,
tant problem with which we "GIe IlI, tnUL
rallied npon to deal The considerations
t%nn advanced and the exposition Of the
views therein expressed disclosed my sehSe
Of the extreme gravity of the situation.
Setting aside as logically unfounueG or
practically inadmiSSibe, the reGo5b tioI
OF the Cuban insurgents as DelilseleH'o o.
the RECOGNITION of the independence VI
Cuba. national Intervention to emu the
war by imposing a rational compromlSe
between the contestants, intervention III
favor Of one or the other party, anu Loi
chile annexation Of the Island; c0hciuu
ed II was honestly due to our friendly re
lRtions with Spain that she shOulu Oe ee
on n reasonable chance to realize her eA
pectatious of reform to which sne hau Oe.
come irreyocabfy committed. "lthlh , lcN
weeks previously she had announced com
prehensiyP DlanS which 1t was cOhhueht
iv asserted would be effiCaCious to remeh,
she evils so deeply affecting our own coun
try, so Injurious to the true interests o
the mother country as well as 10 lnosc -
Cuba, aud so repugnant 10 the uui'cl0'
sentiment of humanity. ,,., T.,
The ensuing month brought ,ntue s's
Of real progress toward the pacihcatfeh q
Cuba. The autonomous ADMINISTRATION 81
up In the capital and some or the prlhclpd
cities appeared not to gain the favor Q
thn Inhabitants, nor 10 be able to exten
l ritory held by the insurgents, while IN
military arm, obviously unable to cope VIII
the stll active rebellion, continued man
W the most Objectionable and offensive po
iccs Of the government that had P[fcetue ,.n
II. No tangible relief was afforded the Va'
numbers of unhappy recOncentradOs a.
spte the reiterated professions made in TN
regard and the amount appropriated !
Spain to that end. The proposed eAped
ent OF zones of cultivation proved llluSor.
I'LL
slve promises Of sucC0r could well nay
been rendered TO the exhausted ana deSt
tute people, stripped of all that made III
and home dear and herded In strange r
zion among unsympathctlC strangers mar,
ly less neCesstOus than themselves L
the end Of December the mortality amor
them had frghtfully Increased. COnsery
tive estimates from Spanish sources Pa
ed the deaths among these distressed pc
ple at over 40 per cent. from the time &c
Wpylers decree Of recommendation was {
forced With the aCQuiesCence OF the spa
Ish authorities q scheme was adopted 4
relief by charitable contributions, raised
this country and distributed under the .
rection of our consul general ana the sever eve,
rousuls, by noble and earnest indiYidual
and also through the organized agencies
fine American Red Cross. Thousands
lives were thus saved, bat many thOnSan
more were inaccessible to such forms OF al
The war continued on the old tooth
ly the same spasmOdic encounters, DarI
of strategic result, that had marked [
course Of the eaIer ten years reDelhOh
we'll as the present insurrection from
start No alternative save physical {
haustlOn of either, comOatanit' H. anu 9iidn 1he'
withal the practical ruin of the Island, |
in Sight, but how far distant $40 one cOu
venture to conjecture.
DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE
Al this 1uncture, on the 18th of Feb
brv last, occurred the destrucIOn OF l
battleshp Maine, WINE rlshtIIiiy ~ ~
thp harbor of Havana on MISSION Oh
tprnational courtesy and good villa
toatrOnhp, the suspicious nature ana hOrl
of which, stirred the nations heaft p
foundly. 1t is a striking evidence OF !
noise and sturdy good sense distlhSuls ili
our national character that this sh0chi
SInv falling upon a generous people,
ready touched by preceding events IN !
ia did not move them to an instant Ut
prrate resolve to tolerate no longer thG
rrrisp of condition of danger ana dlS
der at our doors, that maue possibly 81
n deed, by whOmsoeyer wrought 1et
INSTINCT of Justice prevailed, and the l
tjnr nnxiOusly awaited the result OF t
searching investigation at once set Oh lo
The finding of the naval BOARD OF lIqui
established that the origin OF the eApi0sl
was external by q submarine mine, ana
iv boItad through lack Of positive teS
mOny to fix the responsibility OF lts
thorShlp.
STRAINED RELATIONS WITH sPA1
All these things carried conviction to
most thoughtful, even before the finding
the naval court that a crisis IN our re
tions with Spain and toward Cuba was
hand. So strong was this belief that
needed but a brief executive suggestion
the congress to receive immediate ansN
t0 the duty Of making instant provision
the possible and perhaps speedily proOal
emergency of war, and the remarkable,
most unique, spectacle was presented OF
unanimous vote of both houses, on the
of March, apprOpriating fifty million d
lars for the national defense and for eG
and every purpose connected Herewith,
be expended at the discretion Of the pr
ident." That this act Of provision ca
none to soon was disclosed when the
pllcation of the fund was undertaken. I
coasts were practically undefended I
navy needed large provision for ammu
ton and supplies, even numbers, to CO
with any sudden attack from the navy
Spain which comprised modern vessels
the highest type Of continental perfectl
Our army also required enlargement a
men and munitions. The details Of the b
red preparation for the dread contingel
Ia told in the reports OF the secretaries