The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-08

All fArtiee eos ed To Indepeudeuce uf
the Island A Republican senator
Charges the Presfdent's Conndentr nj See
Rotary wlthsworking Secretly for Pesee
Measurss-Another Urges spain's Recog-
milton Of the Southern C~onfederacy N
ar Argument for Action In Behalf OF the
Cubans
SENATE.
Washington, April TT was frankly
and openly charged in the n to-
day by Senator Perkins, OF California.
in a set speech. hat Spain was respoa-
sible for the Maine disaster. as it had
been brought about by Spanish
maohinations and Spanish treachery.
The speech OF Senator Perkins was only
one OF -four prepared addresses upon the
Cuban question delivered in the ma
today.
After the Cuban speeches had been
delivered, the senate resumed consd-
Grafton Of the sundry civil bill and
finished ithirty-three pages before ad-
journment.
Senate P~ettigrew, OF South Dakota,
presented a telegram signed by more
h 100 of his constituents, reading:
'All parties here want Spanish tor
pedo fiotilla urn back or destroyed.
Patience is exhausted"
Senator Turner, of Washington, in
troduced a resolution which he asked
should go over Until tomorrow, If in
the meantime nothing has been done
in the matter" The resolution directs
the committee on foreign relations to
report at the earliest moment without
waiting for the concurrence or advice
of any department of the government,
what action if any, in view of the
Maine disaster and of the d~eplorable
condition of Cuban affairs, should be
taken ITO preserve the honor and dig
nifty Of this country"
When the resolution offered last Fri
day by ena Chandler. of New
Hampshire, requesting the secretary Of
state to send to the senate THE Cuban
consular correspondence was laid be
fore the senate, Senator Davis. chair
man of uhe foreign relations committee,
that the resolution go over until
Wednesday. To this Senator Chandler
| assented.
Quite unexpectedly a discussion of the
Cuban question was precipitated.
Senator Clay, of Georgia, based his
remarks, he said, upon the resolution
submitted by Senator Foraker, of Ohio,
a resolution in favor of .independen nee
and, if necessary, of armed interview
ton. While he was fully prepared to
support the administration in action
upon the Cuban matter, he was de-
| SirOuS that war should be averted If
1T could be, by any possibility. Senator
Clay felt that the administration ought
to be afforded every opportunity tobring
about a diplomatic solution of the
pending trouble AND he felt certain that
| 90 long as tho laOiS1atiyn 1ranch ,f
the government was assured that the
president was acting with Judgment
| and patriotism it would await upon his
recommendations. Senator Clay said he
was satisfied that no permanent peace
could be had in Cuba that did not in
clude the independence Of the Cubans.
With them it is liberty or death. The
remedy to be applied to the situation
in Cuba, was, in Senate Clay's opin-
ion, absolute independence, as it was
evident that the island could no longer
be held under Spanish sovereignty. BY
herself recognizing the independence Of
Cuba n withdrawing her troops from
the island, Spain was afforded the one
opportunity to make Cuba her friend.
Unless she embraced this opportunity
| Spain could not support her rule upon
the island for five times as much as the
island was worth to her.
ONAASo NAY IulIy ISdllZtu, lie Sdlu,
that in h event of war the south
would be a greater sufferer than any
other part of the country. Her sea-
coast cities would be open to attack
by the enemy, her people would be first
called upon to defend their homes from
invasion and her would he
most seriously crippled. He would not
vote for war unless every effort ito
bring about a peaceful solution of the
| present difficulty WAS fret ayTharrCtaI
If, however, the matter could not be
settled automatically in c~onsonance
with the honor and dignity of the coun-
try he would favor drastic action. Il
believe" he said, sin the independence
Of Cuba and if Spain will not agree tc
that peacefully the United States must
enforce it with all the power Of her
land and naval forces. The people oi
the south believe in the peaceful 50.
luton of the question, if possible, bur
are willing to employ force if neces.
sary."
This fact ought, in the opinion o.
Senator Clay, to be distinctly com.
municated to Spain. She ought to ID
told that the American people abso-
Futely demand the freedom Of the Gu
bans. Then If she does not accede II
the demand the results would be Of ne
making. In the accomplishment o
Cuba's independence, Georgia, IN EN-,
pire state of the south, Senator Clay
said, in conclusion. would do its ful
share.
In opening a set speech upon the Gu
ban question, Senator Perkins, Of Cali
fOrnia, eulOgiZed the conduct OF In.
president for the calm. dignif ant
conservative in which ne ma
handled the grave problem presented
for HIS solution.
Senator Perkins referred briefly to tn
scheme instituted by Weyler to starry,
more than a million OF Spanish sub
tects into submission and declared tina
nothing in all history compared witt
the atTOcfty a Weyler had exercise
against the Cubans. The time for &C
ton had, In his opinion, arrived.
Senator Perkins, who has had a liz
time experience in the handling o
great vessels, discussed the destruction
OF the Maine from the view point o
an expert. He declared that our a
ors and officers had been begufled d,
the deception OF the Spaniards to