The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1898-04-08
FREEDOM At LAST FOR CUBA
War Between United States and
Spain to Bring 1t,
SPAIN REFUSED OUR DEMANDS
This Left No Alternative for the United
States but To Declare War-President
and Congress Agreed-Both Navies
Ready for the Fray.

American patience has reached it's lin
It's. The people of the United States have
stood by for three years and Witnessed
thu cruel butchery and starvation OF
thousands of innoccnts by the treacherous
Spanllrds, almost within stones throw
OF our shores. We have had hurled back
with insults our honest and humane en-
deavors to bring peace to the beautifu
Isle OF Cuba. We have kept our hands off
ana maintained Il street course o. ueu-
trality during all this time when our
hearts were wrung by the pitiful appeais
for help from bleeding, dying Cuba ana
E we nave displayed to the world an ad-
herence to International usage which has
won the admiral on of all unbiased ma
lions, even when nearly 300 ~ our brave
sailor boys were hurled into eternity I'm
an instant by Spanish treachery. But all
things must have an end. and again we
limits.
The blood-reddened soil of Cuba shall
cry TO us no longer without avail. The
thousands of fatherlsss little ones the
thousands OF homeless and starving inno-
cents wasting away in unhappy Cuba
hall appeal UNDECIDED to us no more. The
thousands of brave men fighting and
suffering for freedoms sake In that
.treachery spot shall have the glo.
rlous privilege OF seeing their banner tn
one bright star float 10 the breeze beside
the Stars and Stripes, and snail at last
know that Cuba Is free, FREE! The brave
lads whose souls were hurled into the
presence of their Maker without an in
stants warning, While they were guests
OF the treacheroUs ~"0r'a
hiarbor. shall be avenged; and. although
loved ones left behind. their martyrdom
shall mark the opening of a new era in
the history of a nation made free.
The time for diplomacy has come to an
end and the hour for action has arrived.
Spa has refused 10 accept propositions
from the United States looking to a Set
element OF the Cuban war Of war II may
be called; offers which have been of the
greatest NbeIality and which other DOW
ers have regarded as favorable to the
fGst-crumDling Kingdom OI agd.n. re.
dent Mckinney, in the face of the mes,
bitter criticisms by political opponents
and even of his friends. and with a gen
crosby seldom equa.ed in national affairs,
laid aside the Maine disaster and asked
Spain to end the war in Cuba and give
independence to that island. In return
Spain was promised an enormous in
dCmnity, but she refused to accept, and In
return submitted proposition which
would tend to delay the whole matter for
another six months. Spain wanted an
armistice unit Cctober, and wanted to
negotiate with the Cub9nS direct as TO
independence, but this game had been
tried before, and the terrible state Of af-
fairs in Cuba to-day was the result. The
President, therefore, replied that he would
| consider no pIopos ton at this late day
that did not carry with IL the absolute
independence of Cuba, that the CUbans
were willing to pay a reasonable .ndem-
nifty to Spain for their Independence The
President represented the insurgents IL
h $ demands on Spain. He would nego-
tate for nothing short of Independence.
Sagasta. the Spanish premier, pretended
not to clearly understand the demand, and
induced Minister Woodford 10 cable for
explanation to the self-goverrment Of
Cuba and whether some other form could
rot be offered that would leave the Span
ish flag in Cuba. The Presidents reply
was that he could use his good offices for
an agreement between Spain and the in
III nt &
absolute independence.
The situation then depended entirely
upon the reply of Spain.
In the meantime both houses of con-
gress were permeated with a war feeling
which could scarcely be controlled. The
delay after delay had worn the patience
of the people Of the United States and
their representatives at Washington were
clearly made to feel the pressure. With
I'm one week over a dozen resolutions de-
claring for the Independence of Cuba ana
for armed Intervention to put stop TO
hostilities and end the suffering We're in
troduced in the Senate and the House. 1t
required all the powers Of argument, per
suas.on and almost Of force to prevent
an outbreak and the passage of n declara-
ton of war. The President was
besieged by Senators and Representa-
tives demanding of him that some
action be taken TO bring an end to the un-
certainty, but all he could do was to ask
them to wait but a short time longer. the
House Republicans finally decided in eau
Gus to delay action for few days and
the Senate committee on foreign affairs
took under consideration the resolutions
offered in that body, and 1t was decided
that action would be taken at certain
time If the Presidents negotiations III
not bear the desired fruit. This was the
situation when Spain's reply to McNin-
ley's ultimatum was received from Minis
ter Woodford. An abstract from the re-
ply is as follows:
Premier SaCasta informs the govern
ment Of the United States that Gen.
Blanco has revoked the bando relating to
the recommendation in the western prov
inces of Cuba, which are understood to
be the provinces OF Matanzas, santa
Clara, Havana and Pinar del RIO; ina,
the Spanish government has placed at
the disposal of the encouragement the
credit of 900. TO the end that the coun-
try people may return at once and with
success to their labors. The Spanish gov
eminent will accept whatever assistance
to feed and succor the necessitous may be
sent from the United States in accord
ance with the plan now in operation. Sa-
gasta proposes to confide the preparation
for an honorable and stable peace 70 the
insular (Spanish) parliament. without
ment would not be able to arrive ut the
final result, IL being understood that the
powers reserved by the constitution 10 the
central government are not lesseneu or
diminished. As the Cuban chambers Will
not meet until May 4, the spanish gov
eminent will not, on its part. object TO
suspension Of hostilities, II asked tor by
the insurgents from the general-in -chiet
to whom IT will belong To determine the
duration and the condition OF the sus-
penSe. -, -.
was wholly unsatisfactory, and even the
ctrongest friends of peace gave Up all
Sope and acknowledged that the situa-
ton was extremely critical. The Presi-
dent Immediately commenced TO prepare
a message to be sent to congress. Inc
cabinet continued in session all day with
brief intervals, and as proof or the
Importance of its deliberations 1t Is re-
portcd that Capt. Crowninshied, chief OF
the navigation bureau. whose duty IL IS
to order movements of all naval vessels
ard to keep track of all matters bear
ing on our comparative naval strength.
was summoned To the meeting during Its
deliberations. Assistant Secretary Day,
Can't Glover, chief Of the naval iutclli-
gence bureau. Dnd Can't. Rarker. naval
aid and a member of the strategy board
Senator Davis, chairman Of the foreign
relations committee, and Speaker Reed.
of the House. were also called in for con-
sultation.
The foregoing was given to the public
after IL had been considered by the Pres
ident and his cabinet for several hours.
According TO the best informal ton Oh.
| tainable Spain has definitely resolved not
| TO make any further concessions TO the