The San Francisco call., 1898-04-12
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

THE message will be carefully read by every citi
 zen. It is the most important state paper since
 Lincolns inaugural and his first call for troops. It Is the document which may break the peace ot God and the nations and written in the full sense ot the responsibility creates for this Government Tn taking momentous step.
 Its historical review of the Cuban situation is les son to the world enforcing the joint responsibility of for the worlds peace and suggesting, as its best guarantee that good government which IS the sole of peace and content the part of subjects and citizens The interest of this country, through its and the personal rights of its citizens invited to domcile and investment in Cuba by the laws of Spain, is graphically put. The nara tive of diplomacy, the desire to leave Spain free to adjust within reasonable time her dlf- erences with insurgent subjects and herresponsbity for failure is plainly stated. The message demon strates that the incidents common to civil war have assumed aggravated forms in Cuba. On both sides the struggle has descended from the plane of to that of common murder. Non-combatants have none of the rights and protection demanded by the laws of war There is none of that discrimination which modern civilization has written into the code of the world to mitigate the horrors of carnage Our right to intervene by force the only effective way, put grounds that justify in the eyes of the world No demand Is made to effect the dismemberment of Spain The Juna and their sympathizers will criticize this position, and 1t may be the subject of drastic comment the President. It must not be forgotten however, that this great issue must be treated en- tirely American question. A right reading of the message amply discloses that to be the strong purpose of the President. A demand for independ- ence of Cuba and the installation of the unta the ruling power of the island in place of Spanish authority is a demand for the dismemberment of European power Spain has for months sought
 
 have seen in the issue no European question foundation for such alliance Our administration has not moved hairs breath off American ground and is now put by the message intervenor in asser ton of its clear American rights and to the world is presented in position highly satisfactory to other nations as humane protector of the rights of person and property all civilization and necessary to existence. The exercise of further powers by the President passes from the devices of peace to the ways of war The purse and the sword are committed to Congress by the constitution. That body must now act It may limit its action to the use by the Pres- dent of our whole military and naval strength in Cuba to put an end to hosttes, it may go much further it choose and make specific declara ton of against Span which will point to reprsas upon that nation of such nature Congress may die Armed intervention to peace in Cuba will of be taken by Spain hostile declaration, ana Snc VIII treat II as or war, ana struggle is inevitable.
 The President has wisely refused to make the of Spain of common interest to continental Europe, as would be the case if demand disrnemberment He has left her in that retributive isolation which IS the punishment of misgovernment and has planned her position and that she military operations in Cuba and herself grant independence to the island such terms she make
 The country has not failed to note the intrusion of partisanship the form of Senator Buffers resolution attempting forestal the orderly action of the Com mittee Foreign Affairs Buffers plan enables Spain to draw the card she has sought in a European al- against the United States. As agent of the Junta that Senator is willing to involve this country in struggle of surpasslng magnitude to help the des perate and selfish purpose of few men who want to secure supreme power in Cuba to the exclusion of their island countrymen who have been bearing the brunt of war while they have been doing office work in New York.
 The Presidents policy will disembarrass Cuba from Spanish rule and enranchse her people with power to choose their Government. If the Junta de- serve to be that Government they should naugurate the rule of the majority by assentng to it.