The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1898-04-13

rhere heiEhboeInF states have interfered
10 cheek the hopeless Fncrinces Of NE by
Internecfne conflicts beyond their borders,
BE- fuEtln11Ie rational grounds IL IN
wolves, however. hostile eonstra7nt upon
1oth the parties to the contests as vel 70
1rforce truce aa to guide the eventual
settlement
Tie grounds FOR such Intervention may
be briefly summarized az follows:
Fir8t-In the cause OF humanity and TO
put an end to the barbaritles. bl0odshed.
starvation and horrible miseries now ex-
IstiuE there. and which the parties 70 the
conflict are either unable OF unwilling 70
stop or mitigate. It IS no answer to say
this Is all In another country belonging to
another nation. and Is, therefore, none Of
our business It - especially our duty Tor
# IS right at our door
To Protest Americans
second-re owe It to our citizens in
Cuba to AFFORD them protection and indem-
nifty FOR life and properly which no govern
ment there e1n or Win anord. and TO that
end to terminate the conditions that de-
prive them OF legal protection-
Thlrd-The right TO intervene may be.
Justified by the very serious injury to the
commerce. trade and business OF our peo-.
pie ard by the wanton destruction OF prop
erty and devastation Of the Island.
Fourth-And which Is OF the utmost Inns
portnnce- The present. condition OF AFFAIRS
IN Cuba Is q constant menace 10 our peace.
and entails upon this government an
enormous expense. With such conflict
waged for years n an leland so near us
and with which our peopte nave sn s tlslse
ard bushes relations hen the lives and
liberty OF our citizens are In constant dam
ger ana their property destroyed and them
solves rune where our trading vessels.
are liable to seizure and are seized at our
very d0ors<hy watshIps OF q foreign M ton,
the expeditions OF dlibustering that We are
powerless to prevent altogether and the
Irritating questions and entaslements tnns
nrisilie--lail these and others that need
-n0t mention with the resulting strained
lotions are constant menace to our
ssfootilfg ElthSa natlon with which we are
Il Tragic Maine Anhir.
These eierneiits OF danger ana disorder
direadF pointed out have been strikingly
Illustrated by a tragic event which has
stieepIy 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 battieshIp Maine In
the harbor OF Havana during the night of
Feb 10.
The destruction of that noble vessel has
alIed the national heart with lnexpressible
horror. Two hundred and hfty-eight
brave sailors and marines and two officers
OF our navy, reposIng in the faneied secur-
fty OF a friendly harbor. have been hurled
homes and sorrow to the nation.
The naval court of inquiry, which, 1t Is
needless to say, commands the unqualified
confidence of the government, was unanI-
nous In Its conclusion that the destruction
or the. Maine was caused by an exterior
explosion, that OF submarine mine. It
did not assume to place the responsibility.
That remains to be fixed.
In any event, the destruction of the
Maine; by whatever exterior cause. Is a
patent and Impressive proof of state of
things In Cuba that is intoIerable.
That condition Is thus shown to be such
sure safety and security to a vessel of the
American navy In the harbor OF Havana
on mission OF peace and nghtfully there
Further referring in this connection TO
recent diplomatic correspondence dis
patch from our minister TO Spain of the
sured him positively that Spain will do all
that the highest honor and Justice require
In the matter OF the NIaiSe.
The reply referred to of the 31st ulto
also contained an expression of the readi-
ness OF Spain to submit to an arbitration
all the differences which can arise In this
matter, which Is subsequently explained
by the note of the Spanish mfBister at
Washington OF the 10th instant as follows:
AS to the question of fact which springs
from the diversity of views between the
report of the American and Spanish boards
Spain proposes that the fact be ascertained
by an Impartial sestlgat,on - by saPsEts
10 this i have made no reply
I President Grant. In, 1879. after discus
sing the phases OF the contest as 1t appear
ed andeIts hopeless and apparent Indefinite
55s4sIn such event, am of opinion that
other nations Will be compelled to assume
the responsibility which deyolYeS upon
them, and to seriously consider the only
remaining measures possible, mediation
and Intervention Owing, perhaps, to tie
large expanse of water separating the Is
hand from the peninsula, the contending
parties appear to have within themselves
no depository of common confidence to sug-
gest wisdom when passion and excitement
have their sway and to assume the part of
In this view, In the earlier days of the
contest the good offices of the United
States as mediator were rendered In
good faith, without any selfish purpose, in
the interest of humanity and in sincere
friendship for both parties, but were Il
the time declined by Spain with the declar-
alton, nevertheless, that at a future time
they would be Indispensable.
No Int nation has been received that in
the opinion OF Spain that time has been
reached. And yet the strife continues with
all it's dread horrors, and all its injuries
to the interests OF the United States and of
other nations. Each party seems quite
capable of working great Injury and dam
age to the other, as we'll as TO all the rela-
lions and Interests dependent on the exist
ence of peace in the island; but they seem
incapable of reaching any adjustment, and
both have thus far failed of achieving any
ana control the island to the exclusion OF
the other.
Under the circumstances, the agency of
others, either by mediation by interven-
ton, seems to be the only alternative
which. must, sooner or later, be invoked
for the termination OF the strife. .
clevelaud,s Last Message.
In the last annual message of my In
mediate predecessor during the pending
struggle. 1t was said:
when the inability of Spain to deal
suecessfufly with the insurrectIon has be
come manifest, and 1t is demonstrated
that her sovereignty lg extinct In Cuba for
all purposes OF It's rghtful existence, and
when hopeless struggle for Its re-estab-
lfshment has degenerated into STRIFE
which means nothing more than the use
less sacrifice of human life, and the utteR
destruction of the very subject matter of
the conflict, a situation win be presented
In which our obligations TO the sovereignty
of Spain VIII be superseded by higher obi
cations, which we can hardly hesitate -
recognize and discharge"
In my annual message to congress Dc