New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Washington, April 1.-THE President to-day
gent the following message to Congress:
To the Congress OF the United states.
Obedient to that precept Of the Constitution
which commands the President to give from
time 70 time to the Congress information OF the
state OF the Union. and to recommend 10 the'r
consideration such measures as he shall judge
necessary and expedent. 1t becomes my ou'y
now to address your body with regard to the
gray. crisis that has arisen in the relations OF
the United states 10 Spain by reason OF the
warfare that FOR more than three years mas
raged in the neighboring island or CuDa
do 40 because OF the intimate connection OF the
Cuhan question with the state of our own
Union and the grave relation the course "hich
II &. NOW incumbent upon the Nation 70 adopt
must needs bear 70 the trad ,ional policy OF our
Government II It Is TO accord with the preceP's
laid down By the founders OF the Republic ana
rellgiously observed by succeeding Adminis'ra-
tlons 10 the present day.
CUBAN REVOLUTIONS REVIEWED
Tho present revolution IS but the successor
or other similar Instructions when nave oc-
Cured in Cuba against the dominion OF 9pai"
extending over period OF nearly half century
each Of which during It's progress mas SUD-
,ected the United States to great effort ana eN
pense in enforcing rs neutrality laws cause'
enormous losses 70 American trade ana co'i'-
nero. caused irritation, annoyance ana disturb.
anc. among our citizens. and by the exercise OF
cruel harbarous and uncivilizei practices OF
war,are shocked the sensitilitles ana oHFhueu
the humane sympathles OF our people
Since the present revolution began IN reo'u-
domain at our threshold ravaged by fire ana
sword in the course OF struggle unelu''''N
IN the history OF the island and rarely par
al,eled as TO the number OF corhatants ana 'he
b,,t.rnoss O. the contest by any revolution
n, modern times where dependent people,
s.r,vi.g to be free. have been opposed by the
nover OF the sovereign state our people nave
heb.,a n once prosperous community reduced 20
comparatiye want its lucrative commerce Vir'u-
ory rarolyzed rs exceptional productiveness
diminished. its field. laid waste, its mills IN
ruins and IT'S people perishing by tens OF thou-
sands from hunger and destitution
Ua have found ourselves constrained IN the
| ohsorvance OF that strict neutrality when our
laws enfoin and which the law OF nations COM
ua,d. 70 police our own waters and watch our
own seaports In prevention OF any unla"lui
oc, 4, oid OF the Cubans. Our trade mas SUI
torsd the capital invested by our citizens IN
Cuba has been largely lost. and the temper ana
,orbearance of our people have been so severely
tried as TO beget perllous unrest among our own
citizens. which has inevitably FOUND expression
from time TO time in the National legislature
| so that issues wholly external 10 our own poos
.,r,,c oreross attention and stand in the way
| n, that close devotion 10 domestic advancement
that becomes a selr-contained Commonwealth
bosa nr,mal maxim has been the avoidance or
oil foreign entanglements All this must needs
awaken. and has indeed. aroused the utmost
concern on the part OF this Government, as well
during my predecessors term as in my own
FAILURE OF MEDIATION.
" Anr,,. 1896 the evils from which our
country suffered through the Cuban war De
| CANA so onerous that my predecessor made an
.ror. ~ hiring about a peace through the medi-
alton Of this Government in any way that
WIGHT tend to an honorable adjustment OF the
contest between Spain and her revolted colony,
On tha basis Of some effective scheme of self
Sovsrnment for Cuba under the flag and SOW
| o-o,grtv Of Spain II failed. through the re-
! ,,sal or tho Spanish Government then In power
10 consider any form OF mediation or. indeed.
INV nIan Of settlement which did not begin
win the actual submission OF the insurgents
N the mother country. and then only on such
tarms as Spain herself might see Mt 70 grant.
Tho war continued unabated. The resistance
| =, the insurgents was in no wise diminished
The efforts OF Spain were increased. both by
| ,,a disnatch OF fresh levies 10 Cuba ana by the
| .a,,,io, To the horrors OF the strife OF a new
aid in human phase happily unprecedented IN
,ba modern history of civilized Christian peo-
,,os The policy OF devastation and concen-
| ,ot,on inaugurated by the Captan-GeneraIs
hardo ~ October 2l 1896. In the province or
p,ror ne, Rio was thence extended to embrace
au ., tho island to which the power of Span
g., arms was able to reach by occupation or by
| u,t,rv operations The peasantry including
| al dxvelIing in the open agricultural interior.
rors driven into the garrison towns or Isolated
,,acss held by the troops. The raising and
movement of provisions OF all kinds were In
terdicted The fields were laid waste, dwellings
rrroofed and fred, mills destroyed, and. In
abort everything that could desolate the land
and render It UNIT for human habtation or
support was commanded by one or the other OF
the contesting parties and executed by all
the powers at their disposal.
THE RECOMMENDATION ORDER.
| BY the time the present Administration took
office. a year ago. reconcentratioR so-called, had
been made effective over the better part Of the
four central and western provinces-Santa
Clara, Matanzas, Havana and Pinar Del RIO.