The western recorder., 1898-04-14
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
TURNS YHE CUBAN QUESTION OYER TO CONGRESS-.
MI. MeKney Says The Present Situation is Inolerab1e and
Asks dhat Power be Given Hin to Terminate Hoo
tlites

Joint resolution approved May "a, 1897,
prompted the humane extension OF a
similar scheme to that great body Of
sufferers.
suggestion to this end was aequi-
esccd In by the Spanish autliorities- On
December 25th last. l caused to be Is
: sued an appeal to the American people
. inviting contributions in money or In
kind FOR the succor OF the starving suf-
: ferers In Cuba.
Following this on January Sth came
Jimilnr public announcement of the
formation OF n central Cuban relief
committee, with headquarters In New
York City. composed OF the members
representing the American National
Red Cross aud the religious and busi-
. ness elements OF the community. The
efforts Of that committee have been
untiring and accomplished much.
I Arrangements for free trnnsportn-
tion to Cuba have greatly aided the
charitable work. The president of the
American Red Cross and representa-
tives OF other contributory orgnnizn-
tions. have generously visited Cuba
and co-cperated with the consul gener-
nj and the local authorities to make
effective distribution OF the relief col
lected through the efforts Of the cen
fral committees Nearly <20o.0O0 In
money and supplies has already reach
ed the sufferers and more is forthcon-
Ing. The supplies are admitted duty
free. and transportation to the interior
has been arranged. 80 that the relief,
Mt first necessarily confined TO Havana
and the larger cities. Is now extended
through most II not all, OF the towns
where suffering exists. Thousands OF
lives have already been saved.
The necessity for a change in the
condition of the reconccntrados Is rec
ognized by the Spanish government.
Within few days past the orders Of
General Wheeler have been revoked.
the reconcentrndos are. 1t Is said. TO be
permitted to return 10 their homes and
aided TO resume the self-supporting
pursuits OF peace; public works hive
been started to give them employment,
and sum OF S60O.O0O has been appro-
priated for their relief.
The war In Cuba is OF such nature
that. short OF subjugation or extermIn-
alton, final military victory for
either side seems impractIcable The
alternative lies In the physical ex-
haustion Of the one or the other party,
or perhaps OF both-a condition which
in effect ended the ten years war by
the truce of ZnnJon. The prospect OF
such protrnctlon and conclusion OF
the present strife IL contingency
hardly to be contemplated with eqtnn-
unity by the civilized world, and least
Of all by the United States, affected
and injured as we are deeply and In
timately by its very existence.
Realizing this, II appeared to be my
duty, In spirit of true friendlIness to
Spain and to the Cubans to bring
about an immediate termination OF the
war.
To this end submitted on the 27th
ultimo. ms result OF much representa-
tion and correspondence through the
/ United States minister Mt Madrid,
propositions to the Spanish govern
ment, looking to an nrmistIce until Oc-
tober LIST, for the negotiation OF peace
with the good Offices OF the President
In addition. asked the Immediate re-
vocation of the order OF RECOMMENDATION
SO far us to permit the people to re-
turn to their farms and the needy TO
< be relieved with provisions and sup
plies from the United States, co-opernt-
ing with the Spanish authorities 80 us
to afford full relief.
The reply OF Spain offering to leave
IN penceful settlement to the Cuban Par
lament was received March 31st. This
parliament meets May 4th. and In the
meantime the Spanish government of
fereh temporary armistice provided
Il were asked for by the insurgents.
The proposition submitted by General
Woodford and the reply to the Spanish
government We're both In The form of
brief memoranda. The function OF the
Cuban Parliament In the matter of
preparing peace and the manner OF
Its doing so are not expressed in the
Spanish memorandum.
II Is understood that the Spanish
government stands ready to give the
insular Congress full power to settle
the terms of peace with the insurgents
either by direct negotiation or indi-
rectly by means of Legislation does not
appear. With this last overture for I'm
mediate peace and Its disappointing
reception by Spain, the executive was
brought to the end Of its efforts.
In my annual message of December
last l said:
''Of the untried measures there re-
mains only recognition OF the insur-
gents as belligerents, recognition OF
the Independence OF Cuba, neutral in
tervention and forcible annexation.
Now, ns then, annexation is not to be
thought OF. II Is recognized fully that
n declaration of neutrality, by which
belllgerency would he recognized,
would of itself accomplish nothing"
Turning to the question of recogniz-
ing Mt this time the independence of
the present insurgcnt government In
Cuba we find safe precedents In Our
own history from mn enrly day. They
are well summed up in President
Jackson's message to Congress. De-
cember 81, 1885, on the subject of the
recognition Of the independence Of
Texas. He said:
'1n NIL the contests that have arisen
out of the revolutions OF France. out
Of the disputes relating to the crews of
Portugal and Spain, out Of the sepaisl-
tlon of the American possessions of
both from the European governments.
and out of the numerous and constant
~ occurring struggles for dominion In
Spanish America, SO wisely consistent
with our just principles has been the
notion OF our government that we have
under the most critical circumstances
avoided all censure and encountered no
other evil than that produced by n
transient re-estrangement of good will
in those against whom we have been
by force OF evidence compelled
to decide. II has thus been
mnde known to the world that the
uniform policy and practice OF the
United States is to avoid all interfer-
ence In disputes which merely relate
to the international government OF
other nations and eventually to recog-
nize the authority OF the prevailing
party without reference TO our partic-
4 ulnr interests and views or TO the mer-
Its OF the original controversy. But in
this. MS in every other occasion snfcty
Is TO be found In rigid adherence TO
principle.
In the contest between Spain and
the revolving colonies we stood aloof
and xraiind not l.nl.. .1utu tI,.. al,iIi...