Evening journal., 1898-04-12
M'KINLEY'S MESSAGE
What the President Has to
Say on Cuban Situation.

congress.
The Congress OF the United States:
Obedlent to that precept Of the consti-
tuition which commands the president TO
give from time to time TO the congress IN
formation OF the state OF the Union and 20
recommend TO their consideration such
measures as he shall judge necessary and
expedlent, It becomes my duty now to ad
dress your body with regard to the grave
crisis that has arisen in the relations Of
the United States TO Spain by reason Of
the warfare that for more than three years
has ragged in the neighboring island Of
Cuba. do 80 because of the intimate con
ncction of the Cuban question with the
state Of our own Union and the grave re-
lation the course which it is now incum-
bent upon the nation to adopt must needs
bear to the traditional policy Of our gov
ernment n Il Is to accord with the pro
oepts laid down by the founders Of tho re-
public and roligiously observed by sue
ceeding administrations to the present
day
The present revolution Is but the sue
cessor of othor similar Instructions which
have occurred In Cuba against the domin-
Ion of Spain, extending over period Of
neatly half "a century, each Of which dur
ing It's progress has subjected the United
StRtos to great effort and expense in en-
forcing It's neutrality laws, caused enor-
nous losses to American trade and COM
moroe caused irritation, annoyance and
disturbance among our citizens and by
the exercise of cruel barbarous and unciy-
ilized practices OF warfare shocked tho
sensbiltios and offended the humane
aympnthies OF our people.
Since tho present revolution began In
February 1895, this country has seen the
fertile domain at our threshold ravaged
by fire and sword in the course of q struR-
gle unedualed in the history of the island
and rarely pnralleled as to the number Of
the combatants and the bitterness Of the
contest by any revolution Of modern times
where a dependent people, striving TO be
free, have been opposed by the power of
the sovereign state. Our people have be-
held once prosperous community reduced
60 comparative want It's lucrative com
merce virtually paralyzed, its exceptional
productiveness diminished, It's fields laid
waste, It's mills In ruins and its people
perishing by tens Of thousands from hun
ger and destitution. We have found our
selves constrained, i'm the observance Of
that strict neutrality which our laws en-
Join and which the law of nations COM
mands, to police our own waters and
watch our own seaports in prevention Of
any unlawful act In aid Of the Cubans.
Our trade has suffered, the capital Invest
ed 10y oui citizens in Cuba has been large
ly lost and the temper and forbearance Of
our people have been so severely tried as
to beget a perilOus unrest among our own
citizens, which has inevitably found ex-
preston from time to time in the national
legislature, so that issues wholly external
TO our own body politio engross attention
and stand in the way of that close deyo-
tion TO domestic advancement that be-
comes self contained commonwealth
whose primal maxim has been the avoid
nnco Of all foreign ontanglements. All
this must needs awaken and has indeed
aroused the utmost concern ON the part Of
this government as we'll during my pred
eocssor's term as In my own.
In April, 1896, tho OWLS from which our
country suffered through the Cuban war
became so onerOus that my predecessor
made an effort TO bring about a peace
through tho mediation of this government
IN any way that might tend TO an honora-
BILE adjustment Of the contest between
Spain and her revolted colony, on the basis
of some effective scheme OF self govern
mcnt for Cuba under the flag and SOW
ereignty OF Spain. 1t failed through the
refusal Of the Spanish government then
an power to consider any form Of media
tion or indeed any plan OF settlement
which did not begin with the actual sub
mission of the insurgents 20 the mother
country, and then only on such terms as
Spain herself might sec fit to grant The
war continued unabated. The resistance
Al. IA.
ished.
The Efforts Of Spain were increased
both by the dispatch OF fresh lcvies 10
Cuba and by tho addition to the horrors
of the strife of a new aid in human phase
happily unprecedented In the modern his
tory OF civilized Christian peoples The
policy of devastation and concentration
iunugurated 10y the captain general Ban
do Of Oct 81, 1896, in the province Of
Pinar del Rio was thence extended TO en-
brace all Of the island to which the power
Of the Spanish arms was able TO reach by
occupation or by military operations The
peaaantry, including all dwelling in the
open agricultural interior, were driven
into the garrison towns or Isolated places
held by the troops. The raising and move
ment Of provisions of all kinds were inter
dioted. The fields were laid waste dwell
ings unruOted ana frod, mills destroyed,
and, in short, everything that could desc
late the land and render IL unfit for hu-
man hahitation or support was command
ed by one or the other of the contestng
parties and executed by all the powers az
their disposal
BY the time the present administration
took Office q year ago RECOMMENDATION, 50
called, had been made effective over the
bettor part OF the four central and western
provinces, Santa Clara, Matanzas, Havana
and pinar del Rio The agricultural
population to the estimated number OF
800, 600 or more was herded within tn,
towns and their immediate vicinage, de
prived OF the means of support. rendered
destitute OF shelter, left poorly clad ant
exposed to the most insanitary conditions
AS the scarcity Of food increased with tht
devastation of the depopulated areas O
production, destitution and want beoam
misery and starvation. Month by montl
the death rate increased in an alarming
ratio, BY March, 1897, according TO con
servative estimates from official Spanisl
Il. -