The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-04-14
steps. Taken tor Relief.I

mitted long IN advance to q policy Of re-
form, involving the wider principle of
home rule for Cuba and Puerto Rico. The
through It's new envoy, Cen. Woodford,
and looking to an immediate and effective
amelioration OF the condition Of the is.
Of admitted mediation In any shape. were
met by ASSURANCES that home rule, in an
adyanced phase, would be. forthwith Of
war to end. and that mors sh humane eG meth he
duct Of hostilities. incidentally with! these
continued and completed tie policy a already Ready
begun by its predecessor Of testtfying
friendly regard for this nation by releasing
American citizens held under one charge
50 that by the end of November not a
single person entitled In any way to our
national protection remained In Spanish
prison. ,'
An Appeal for Help.
While these negotiations were in prog
ress. the increasing restitution Of the UNI
fortunate reconcentrsa dos and the alarming
mortality among them claimed earnest ct;
tention The success which had attended
the limited measure of relief extended to
the suffering American citizens among
them by the judicious expenditure through
propriated expressly for their succor by
the joint resolution approved May "a, 1897,
prompted tho humane extension Of a sim
sufferers. A suggestion to this this end was as
acquiesced in by the Spanish authorities.
On the 24th Of December last caused to
be Issued ;su an appeal to the American peo-
pie inviting contributions In money or in
kind for the succor of the starving suffer-
ers in Cuba, following this on the 9Th eff
January by similar public annbuncement
committee, with headquarters in New
resenting the American National Red Cross
the community. The efforts of that com
mittee have been untiring and accom-
pnsh ns1 much. Arrangementsforfr free trans
to GIoa have greay aided the
american Red Cross and representatives
OF other contrbutory organizations have
generously e;9s qps visited Cuba and co-operated
thorities to make effective distribution OF
t tn relief collected through the efforts Of
the central committee. Nearly 100000 in
the sufferers and more is forthcoming
me supplies are admitted duty free, and
transportation. to the interior has been
sarly confined to Havana and the larger
cities, is now extended through most, If not
All, OF the towns where suffering exists.
saved The necessity for change in the
condition Of the reconcentrados, Is recog-
nized by the Spanish government Within
Ter have been revoked, the reconcen NJ T a.
dos are, it is said, to be permitted to re-
turn to their homes and aided to resume
Inc ,se1i5-support1ng pursuits of.peace: pub
environment employment; and sum Of 5000 600 has been
Can See No End.
zine Inc war IN Cuba is of such a nature that
f Snoft OF +sub5ugation or determination
1mpra cticable. The alterna tive lies in the
pnyslcal exhaustion Of the one or the other
Parry, o., or perhaps of both-a condition
by the truce of Zenjon. The prospect of
such protra ction and conclusion Of the
present strife is contingency hardly to
Civilized world, and least Of ali BY the
United States, affected and injured as we
are, deeply and Intimately, by it's very ex-
Asked for an Armistlce.
Realizing this, it appeared to be my duty,
IN a spirit of true friendliness, no less to
Spain than to the Cubans who have SO
much m seha, to lose by the prolongation Of the
diate termination of the war 10 this end,
I submitted, on the 9th ultimo, as a re-
suit of much representation and corre-
lister at Madrid, propositions to the Span
ish government looking to an armtstice I'M
til October for the negotiation of peace
In addition asked the immediate revoca-
ton of the order of recommendation, 50 as
to permit the people to return to their
provisions and supplies from the United
States, cooperating with the Spanish au-
thorities so as to afford full relief.
The Reply of Spain.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was
received on the night of the 31st ult. It
in Cuba, to ccnfide the preparation thereof
to the insular department., ina smuch as the
concurrence of that body would be neces-
sary to reach final result, it being, how
the 4th Of May next, the Spanish govern
ment are not lessened or diminished. AS
the h on Ma na dees not meet
ment would not object, for it's part, to &C
cept at once a suspension of hostilities, If
asked for by the insurgents from the gen.
eral in chief. to whom it would pertain, in
such case, to determine the duration and
conditions of the armistice.
The propositions submitted by Gen.
government were both in the form Of brief
memoranda. the texts Of which are be-
fore me-.and are substantially in the Ian
ggu IIaI above 9! given The function Of the
pairing peace and the manner of its do
Ing so are not expressed in the Spanish
memorandum; but from Gen. Woodford' a
sions preceding the final conference it is
understood that the Spanish government
stands ready to give the insular congress
With the insurgents, whether by direct ne
gotiations or indirectly by means Of legis-
lation. does not appear.
End of Diplomacy.
With this last overture in the direction of
immediate peace and it's disappointing re-
ception by Spain, the executive was brought
to the end of his effort.
In my annual message of December last
"Of the untried measures there remain: :
ReCOQnitinN of fha inS11rpanfa ho11
ents, recognition of the independence Of
cuba, neutral intervention to end the
war by imposing a rational compromise
between. the contestants and the interview
ton IN favor of one or the other party. T
speak not of forcible annexation, for that
cannot be thought of. That, by our code
Thereupon l reviewed these alternatives,
in the light of President Grants measured
words. uttered In 1875, when after seven
barbarities in Cuba he reached the com
clusion that the recognition Of the inde--
in N and that the recognition Of
facts according to the tests Of public law.
I commented especially upon the latter as
se snd nog1a a 0q the
recognition of belMgerency which, while
adding. to the already onerous burdens of
neutrality within our own jurisdiction,
or effective offices in the territory Of hos
tillties. Nothing has since occurred. to
change my view In this regard, and recog-
nize as fully now as then that the issuance
process the so-called. recognition: of bel
ligerence is published, could, of itself and
unattended by other action, accomplish
nothing toward the one end for which we
labor, the instant pacification of Cuba and
the cessation Of the misery that af1icts the
island. ~ -. -! g:
Precedents from History.
Turning to the question of recognizing
at this time the independence Of the pres
ent insurgent government in Cuba, we find
safe precedents in our history from an
early day. They are well summed up in
PreSident Iacks0n,s Irnessapee to cnnPreSs