Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-04-14

said, will be permitted to return to
their homes and aided to resume the
self-supporting pursuits of peace; pub
lie works have been ordered and $780,
900 appropriated for their relief. The
war in Cuba Is of such a nature that
short of subjugation or determination
final military victory on either side
seems impractioable.
Realizing that the alternatives lie
in the physical exhaustion of one or
the other party, or perhaps both, in a
spirit Of true friendliness no less to
Spain than to the Cubans who have
SO much to lose by prolongation of the
struggle. it appeared to be my duty,
says the president, Ito bring about the
immediate end of the war. To this
end submitted on the 9th ult. propo-
sitions to the Spanish government
looking to an armistice until Oct.
for negotiation of peace with the good
offices of the president. In addition
I asked the immediate revocation of
the order of recommendation. The re-
ply of the Spanish cabinet was received
the night of the 31st ultimo. 1t Of
fers as a means to bring about peace
in Cuba to confine the preparations
therefor to the insular department, it
being, however, und. rstood that pow
ers reserved by the constitution to the
central government be not lessened or
diminished. The Cuban parliament
doesn't meet until May a. but the
Spanish government would accept at
once suspension of hostilities if asked
by the insurgents from the general in
chief, to whom it would pertain in
such case to determine the duration
and conditions of an armistice. The
propositions submitted by Woodford
and the reply of Spain were both in
the form of brief memoranda, the
text Of which are before me and are
substantially in the language given
While 1t is understood the government
stands ready to give the insular con-
gress full power to settle the terms of
peace with the insurgents, whether by
direct negotiation or by means of leg
isation, does not appear.
With this last overture in the direc-
ton of immediate peace and it's disap-
pointing reception by Spain the execu-
tive brought to an end his effort.
The president then quotes from his
message of December last, in which
the alternatives of recognition of bel
ligerency, recognition of independence,
neutral Intervention and the imposi-
ton of q compromise of the contest
ants, and Intervention in favor of one
! party or the other leaving annexation
out of the question as criminal ag
ereSsion," are discussed. He says he
then held that recognition of belliger-
ency or independence could not be
i justified in the light of presidents in
our history, nor could either bring re-
lief to the situation. He says events
since then have not caused him to
change his mind on those points, He
quotes from President Jackson's mes
sage on recognition of the independ-
ence of Texas, laying down the law
| that q revolving government must
establish itself SO firmly as not to ap-
pear in danger of being reConquered
by its former sovereign. Jackson did
not believe Texas had reached this
condition of stability, and it was not
until March 25 that independence was
recognized by Van Buren, sending a
representative of the United States,
after Mexico had abandoned its at
tempt to reconquer Texas territory,
and when there was at the time no
bona f1de contest going on between the
insurgent province and the former
sovereign. | said in the message
of December last 1T is to be seri-
ously considered whether the Cuban
instruction possesses beyond dispute
the attributes of statehood which
alone can demand recognition of bel
ligerency in it's favor" The same re-
quirement must certainly be no less
seriously considered when the graver
issue Of recognizing independence is
in question, for a no less positive test
can be applied to a greater act than to
a lesser, while on the other hand the
influences and consequences of the
struggle form important factors when
recognition of belligerency is con-
cerned, but are secondary If not right
ly elminable factors when the real
question is whether the community
claiming recognition is or is not indie
pendent beyond peradventure. Nor
from the standpoint of expedience
does the president think it would be
wise or prudent for this government to
recognize at the present time the in
dependence of the so-called Cuban re-
public. Such recognition is not nee
essary in order to enable the United
States to intervene and pacify the ISL
and. To commit this country now to
recognition Of any particular govern
ment in Cuba might subject us to an
embarrassing condition of interna-
tional obligation towards the organi-
cation recognized. In case Of inter-
vention our conduct would be subject
to the approval or disapproval of such