Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
To the senate and house of represents

II
To the senate and house of representa-
tlves:
Notwithstanding the added burdens rem
dered niece ssary by the war our people
rejoice i'll very satisfactory and steadi-
ly increasing degree of prosperity evil
denced by the largest volume Of business
ever recorded.
The president here reviews the causes
that led UP to the war with Spain and
the prosecution OF the war by the army
and navy. The message then continues:
! do not discuss at this time the govern
mcnt or the future OF the now possess
sions which will come to us as the result
Of the war with Spain. Such discussion
will be appropriate after the treaty OF
peace shall be ratified.
AS soon as we are In possession of Cuba
and have pacified the Island 1t will be
necessary 10 give aid and direction to Its
people to form q government for them
selves. This should be undertaken at the
earliest moment consistent with safety
and assured success 1t Is important that
our relations with this people shall be of
the most friendly character and our COM
mercial relations close and reciprocal. II
proper way to build up the waste places
OF the island. encourage the industry OF
the people and assist them to form gov
eminent which shall be free and equal.
Spanish rule must be replaced by just
benevolent and humane government, Gre
ated by the people of Cuba. capable OF
performing all international obligations
and which shall encourage thrift. indus
try and prosperity and promote peace and
good will among all Of the inhabitants.
whatever may have been their relations
in the past. Neither revenge nor passion
should have a place In the new govern
ment. Until there is complete tranquil
ty in the island and stable government
inaugurated military occupation will be
continued.
The Lattimer Shooting,
On the 10th of September. 1897. con-
flict took place at Lattimer, Pa. between
n body of striking miners and the sheriff
of Luzerne county and his deputies, in
which % miners were killed and "A wound
ed of whom 10 of the killed and II Of the
wounded were Austrian and Hungarian
subjects This deplorable event natural
" aroused the sollcitude of the Austro-
Hungarian government. which. on the as
sumption that the killing and wounding
involved the unjustinable misuse of au-
thority. claimed reparation for the SUI
ferers. Apart from the searching inVes-
tigation and peremptory action of the
authorities Of Pennsylvania. the federal
executive took appropriate steps to learn
the merits OF the case, In order to be In
position to meet the urgent complaint of
q friendly power The sheriff and his dep
uties, having been indicted for murder.
were acquitted after protracted proceed
ings and the hearing Of hundreds OF wit
nesses on the ground that the killing was
in the line OF their official duty to uphold
the law and preserve public order In tho
state A representative of the depart
ment of justice attended the trial and re-
ported Its course fully. With all the facts
in its possession this government expects
to reach a harmonious understanding on
the subject with that OF Austro-Hungary.
The Nicaragua Canal.
The Nicaragua canal commission has
nearly completed It's labors. and the re-
suits OF It's exhaustive Inquiry into the
proper route the feasibility, and the cost
of construction Of an interoceanic canal
by a Nicaraguan route will be laid be-
fore you.
AS the scope of the recent inquiry en-
braced the whole subject with the aim OF
making plans and surveys for canal by
the most convenient route. It necessarily
included a review OF the results OF pre-
vlous surveys and plans and in partic-
ular those adopted by the Maritime Canal
company under It's existing concessions
from Nicaragua and Costa Rica. so that
to this extent those grants necessarily
hold as essential a part in the delibera-
tions and conclusions OF the canal COM
mission as they have held and must needs
OF Of 10
congress. 1 have not hesitated TO ex-
press my conviction that considerations
OF expediency and international policy as
between the several governments inter-
ested In the construction and control OF
an interoceanic canal by this route re-
quire the maintenance Of the status quo
until the canal commission shall have re-
ported.
Nevertheless. It appears that the gov
eminent Of Nicaragua, as one OF Its last
sovereign acts before merging its powers
In those Of the newly formed United
States Of Central America. has granted
an optional concession to another asso-
ciation, to become effective on the expira-
ton of the present grant. 1t does not
appear what surveys have been made or
what route Is proposed under this con-
tinrent grant so that an examination OF
the feasibility OF its plans is necessarily
not embraced in the report OF the canal
commission. All these circumstances sug-
gest the urgency of some definite action
by the congress at this session II the Ia
bors of the past are TO be utilized and the
linking of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
by practical waterway Is TO be realized.
That the construction Of such maritime
highway Is now more than ever indispen-
sable to that intimate and ready inter-
communication between our eastern and
western seaboards demanded by the an
nexation of the Hawaiian Islands and the
prospective expansion of our influence
and commerce in the Pacific. and that our
national policy now more imperatively
than ever CALLS for It's control by this
government, are propositions which |
doubt not the congress will duly appre-
ciate and wisely act upon.
Our interests in China.
The United States has not been an In
different spectator Of the extraordinary
events transpiring in the Chinese empire
whereby portions of its maritime prov
inces are passing under the control of va
rious European powers, but the prospect
that the vast commerce which the ener-
CIV of our citizens and the necessity of our
staple productions for Chinese uses has
built up in those regions may not be pref
udiced through any exclusive treatment
by the new occupants has obviated the
need of our country becoming an actor
in the scene Our position among nations
having a large Pacific coast and a con-
stantly expanding direct trade with the
farther Orient, gives us the equitable
claim to consideration and friendly treat
ment in this regard. and 1t will be my
aim to subserve our large interests In that