The record-union., 1898-12-06
THE MESSAGE.
Full Text of the Paper Sent to
Congress by the President.


To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives: Notwithstanding the added
burdens rendered necessary by the war,
our people rejoice in a very satisfactory
and steadily increasing degree of pros
perity, evidenced by the largest volume
of business ever recorded. Every man
ufacture has been productive, agricult-
ural pursuits have yielded abundant re-
turns labor in the fields of industry
is better rewarded, revenue legislation
passed by the present Congress has in
creased the treasury's receipts to the
amounts estimated by it's authorities,
the finances of the Government have
been successfully administered and its
credit advanced to the first rank; While
its currency has been maintained at the
worlds highest standard. Military Ser
vice under a common flag and for a
righteous cause has strengthened the
national spirit and served to cement
more closely than ever the fraternal
bonds between every section of the
country. A review of the relation of
the United States to other Powers, al
ways appropriate, is this year of pri-
mary Importance in view of the mo-
mentous issues which have risen, de-
manding in one instance the ultimate
determination by arms and involved
far reaching consequences which re-
quire the earnest attention Of Congress.
In my last annual message very full
consideration was given to the question
of the duty of the Government of the
United States toward Spain and the
Cuban insurrection, as being by far the
most important problem with which we
We're called upon to deal. The consider
ations then advanced, and the eXposi-
tion of the views therein expressed, dis
closed my sense Of the extreme gravity
of the situation. Setting aside, as log
ically Unfounded, or practically mad
missible, the recognition of the Cuban
insurgents as belligerents, the recogni-
tion of the independence of Cuba, neu-.
trail Intervention to end the war by
imposing a ratified compromise between
the contestants, intervention in favor
of one or the other party and the fore
ible annexation of the island, I conclud-
ed it was honestly due to our friendly
relations with Spain that she should be
given a reasonable chance to realize
her expectations Of reform, to which
she had become irrevocably committed.
Within few weeks previously she had
announced comprehensive plans, which
it was confidently asserted would be
eficacious to remedy the evils so deeply
affecting our own country so injurious
to the true interests of the mother
country, as we'll as to those of Cuba,
and so repugnant to the universal senti-
ment of humanity.
SPANS INCAPACITY.
The ensuing months brought little
sign of real progress toward the pacifi-
cation of Cuba The autonomist ad-
ministrations set up in the capital and
some of the principal cities appeared
not to gain the favor of the inhabi-
tants nor to- be able to extend their in
fluence to the large extent of territory
held by the insurgents, while the mill
tary arm, obviously unable to cope with
the still active rebellion, continued
many of the most Objectionable and Of
fensive policies of the government that
had preceded it. No tangible relief was
afforded the vast numbers of unhappy
reconcerftrados, despite the reiterated
professions made in that regard, and
the amount appropriated by Spain to
that end. The proffered expedient of
zones of cultivation proved illusory. in
deed, no less practical nor more delu-
sive promises of succor could we'll have
been rendered to the exhausted and
destitute people, stripped of all that
made life and home dear, and herded in
a strange region among unsympathetic
strangers hardly less necessitous than
themselves.
FRIGHTFUL MORTALITY.
By the end of December the mortal
ity among them had frightfnlly in
creased Conservative estimates from
Spanish sources placed the deaths
among these distressed people at over
40 per cent. from the time General
Weylers decree of Recommendation was
enforced. With the acquiescence of the
Spanish authorities a scheme was
adopted for relief by charitable. contri-
buttons raised in this country and dis
tributed under the direction of the
Consul General, and the several Con-
suls, by noble and earnest individual
effort through the organized agencies of
the Red Cross
Thousands of lives were thus saved,
but many thousands more were inac-
cessible to such forms of aid.
The war continued on the old foot
ing without comprehensive plan de-
veloping only the same spasmodic en-
counters, barren of strategic result,
that had marked the courses of the