The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-11
WORK OF DEFENCE PROSPERS
Great crowd Hears the Sorry Doc
ument Read and Catches
Chill From Its FIabby
Sentences.

WASHINGTON, April II. 1Sss.-The
President sent his long expected message
to Congress today.
It asks Congress TO authorize the Presi-
dent to take assures to secure termina-
ton of hostilities in Cuba and TO secure
The establishment of a stable government
there and to use the military and naval
forces of the United States as may De
necessary for those purposes.
The President says the only hope OF
relief from a condition which can no
longer be endured is the enforced pacih-
cation of the island The issue is now
with Congress, and he awaits its action
standing prepared to carry out every OBJ
legation imposed on him by the Constitu-
rion. Spain's decree for a suspension of
hostilities is submitted to Congress for
Just and careful attention, with the OBJ
servation that if the measure attains
successful result ..tnen our aspirations as
a peace-loving people will be realized. II
it fails it will be only another justification
for our contemplated action
The Maine incident figures prominently
in the message. The President argues
that the wreck of the Maine in Havana
harbor shows that Spain is not able to
guanantee security to foreign vessels.
Spain has disavowed any connection with
that disaster and has offered to submit
TO arbitration all the differences which
may arise from that affair.
The consular correspondence accom-
panied the message. It was prepared in
response to resolution of inquiry adopt
ed by both the House and Senate. The
correspondence was prepared for trans
mission to Congress just before the blow
ing up of the Maine and having been held
m since now includes communications up
to April l. 1t covers the communications
of Consul General Lee at Havana, Consul
McGarr at Cienfuegos,. Consul Brice at
Matanzas. Consul Hyatt at Santiago de
Cuba. and Consul Barker at Sagua La
Grande. The communications make about
sixty thousand words They deal largely
with the distress and suffering which
exists in all the districts But General
Lee reports quite fully upon the DEGREES
of the Government with regard to au-
tonomy and other political phases of the
situation.
In preparing the correspondence for
transmission to Congress, considerable
portions of the important communications
and especially those marked confidential,
are omitted The resolutions to which
they are the response in each instance
asked only for such correspondence as It
was not deemed incompatible with the
nublic interest to make public.
General Lees correspondence runs over
the period from November II. 1897, to
April i. 1898. Much of the correspondence
Is Of a confidential nature and of some
of the important communications ex-
cernts only are given. The period OF
the correspondence after the blowing up
Of the Maine contains no reference to
that event, such communications being
irrelevant to the purpose of the resolu-
tions calling for the consular correspond
ence in the possession Of the govern
ment as to the situation Of affairs in
fs,,ba. The frst despatch Of General Lee
contains General Blancos order under
,snMaRRnW'S ELECTION.