Middletown transcript., 1898-04-16
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE ON CUBA.
HE OPPOSES THE RECOGNITION OF

President Kinley's long expectet
message was sent to the Congress Mon
day. In 1t be reviews the long strug
gle in the Island of Cuba, the crue
and barbarious warfare waged. the suf
ferings, misery and starvation enduret
by the Cubans, the ruin and desolatiol
wrought, and the losses sustained b.
American interests consequent to th'
long struggle. He refers to the failure
Of Spain to stop the rebellion afte
years of bloody warware, and asks Con
gress to authorize and empower him Il
secure full and final termination o
hostilities between the government o
Spain and the people Of Cuba, TO secure
the establishment Of q stable govern
ment capable of maintaining order and
observing its international obligations
ensuring peace and tranquility and th'
security Of its citizens as we'll as onl
own. and to use the military and nava
forces of the United States as may bt
necessary for these purposes.
The President opposes recognition al
this time of the independence Of tht
present insurgent government in Cuba
quoting from the message of President
jackson and President Grant to sus'
tain his position. He refers to his
previous messages to Congress, detail
ing bis efforts to bring about cessa'
tion OF hostilities between the opposing
forces through diplomatic channels
and Of his failure to accomplish tangi-
BILE results. Friendly Intervention has
been q failure, and the President asks
for authority to use force, if necessary.
On this point he says:
"The forcible intervention of the
United States as a neutral TO stop the
war, according to the large dictates OF
humanity, and following many histor-
ical precedents where neighboring
States have interfered to check the
hopeless sacrifice Of life by internecine
conflicts beyonds their borders, is jus.
tidaSle on rational grounds. 1t in
wolves, however, hostile contraint upon
both the parties to the contest, as well
to enfore truce as to guide the event
nal settlement.
"The grounds for such Intervention
may be briefly summarized as follows:
First-In the cause of humanity and to
put an end to the barbarites, blood
shed, starvation and horrible miseries
now existing there. and which the par
ties to the conflict are either unable or
unwilling to stop or mitigate. 1t is no
answer to say this is oil in another
country, belonging to another nation,
and is therefore, none our business. It
is especially our duty, for it is right at
our door.
"Second-We owe 1t to our citizens
In Cuba to afford them that protection
and indemnity for life and property
which no government there can or will
afford, and to that end to terminate the
conditions that deprive them Of legal
protection.
"Third-The right to intervene NAV
be justified by the very serious injury
to the commerce. trade and business of
our people, and by the wanton des.
truction of property and devastation of
the Island.
"Fourth-And which is Of the most
Importance. The present condition of
affairs in Cuba is constant menace to
our peace, and entails upon this govern
ment an enormous expense. With
such a conflict waged for years in an
Island SO near US and with which our
people have such trade and business re.
lations-when the lives and liberty OF
our citizens are In constant danger.
and their property destroyed and them
selves ruined-where our trading
vessels are liable to seizure and are
seized at our very door by warships OF
q aforeign nation, the expenditions Of
filbustering that we are powerless alto.
gether to prevent, and the irritating
questions and entanglements thus aris.
ing-all these and others that I need
not mention, with the resulting strain.
ed relations, are constant menace to
our peace and compel US to keep ou a
semi-war footing with nation with
which we are at peace.
These elements Of danger and dis.
order already pointed out have been
strikingly illustrated by tragic event
which has deeply and justly moved the
American people. have already trans.
mitted to Congress the report of the
Naval Court Of Inquiry on the destruc.
tion OF the battleship Maine in the
harbor of Havana during the night of
10th OF February. The destruction OF
mat noble vessel has filled the national
heart with inexpressible horror. Two
huudred and fifty-eight brave soldiers
and marines and two officers of cur
Navy, reposing in the fancied security
Of . friendly harbor, have been hurled
to death, grief and want brought
to their homes and sorrow to their
nation.
"The Naval Court Of Inquiry, which
A. 70 needless to say. commands the
unqualified confidence of the Govern
ment, was unanimous in its concIu-
sion that the destruction of the Maine
was caused by an exterior explosion
that of q submarine mine. II does
not assume to place the respopsibility.
That remains to be fixed.
sin any event the destruction Of the
Maine. BY whatever exterior cause ia
q patent and impressive proof Of
Q ate Of things In Cuba that is intoler.
able. The conditions is thus shown to
De such that the Spanish Government
Ganf1t,f aastaro a. fat :, .,,,s ,..-....-s.