The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-04-15
THE MESSAGE

AS an artful. deliberate and alto.
getber successful attempt 20 say moth.
ing, Mr.. McKinley's remarkable mes.
sage may be reckoncd a masterpiece.
Beyond "A mere recital OF events, long
since passed, and with which the
country is familiar, the lengthy docu-
ment is weak to the verge OF pusil-
lanimity, indefinite as 10 any deter.
mined purpose or policy, vacillating,
stale, fiat and improbable. 1t is
neither flesh, fowl nor good red her.
ring. One looks in vain for a single
expression Of that American vigor,
which was the unmistakable and un-
failing characteristic OF every state
paper emanating from the stalwart
heart and brain Of Grover Cleveland.
whose bitterest enemies have never
yet accused him Of timidity or indie
cision. The contrast between the
present executive and his immediate
predecessor Is so great and glaring.
that in speaking Of the message, now
the one topic OF public comment, the
two opposite examples Of infrmity
and strength are unconsciously forced
upon the public mind.
Mr.. McKinley's paper-remarkablc
10 its way-is devoid OF any tangible
expression Of decision to let US know
whether he sides with Spain, Cuba or
the United States. While he gives
vent To a certain amount Of in.
dignation and horror at the hell now
rigging throughout the unhappy island,
he leaves us in the dark as to who
should bear the blame, Spaniards or
Cuban, to neither OF whom does his
message carry sympathy or threat.
His reference to the Maine explosion
is bare OF comment, and is confined To
a simple statement OF the fact with
no suggestion OF Naturalization or
retaliation. The one sentence that
shows the faintest trace OF spirit,
and which brought forth a sickly and
hesitating modicum ofapplause from
part only Of the Republican side of the
chamber, is the rather positive utter
ance that the wal ia Cuba must stop.
But ven this palpably weak effort
gives no indication as to how or when
the end is to be reached, and its effect
was quickly smothered by the conclud.
ing paragraph, which, while stating
as a piece OF fresh and startling inf1r
nation what was already known,
namely, that the Queen Regent was
about to proclaim an armistice, was
nothing more nor less than an artful
but ill-c0ncealcd device to obtain more
delay; a delay which the people are
beginning to believe is conceived ant
prOtracted in the interests Of the
capitalist in whom the love OF gain Is
stronger than the love Of country
When the last words Of the Presi
dents communication had echoed
throughout the nations council cham
Der, a faint and half-hearted ripple o
approval was noticed among the Re
%publicans; but the Ominous silence il
the galleries-where is to be found til,
real index to public opinion-showet
beyond a doubt that patriotic expecta
tion had given way to shame and dis
appointment. The message had salt
nothing, defined nothing, decided
nothing; had asked no advice NJ
offered any had indicated no policy
lad suggested no positive line of con
duct, one way or the other, beyont
asking Congress to abrogatc its OWL
powers and yield to the executive tn,
authority OF settling the momentum
question Of the hour as he, In his as
sumed wisdom, might decide. Thi
: egotistical request-the only one OF 1t
: kind In American histOry-needS n
comment, and with this cursory re
view we leave to our readers and thei
just appreciation an executive mes
sage which is indefinite and disap
pointing alike to Spain, to Cuba and
most of all, to the United States.
The editor Of the DEMoCRAT-STAR
r while recognizing tue difficulties ant
] vexatiOn attending the Cuban i'm
. brogllo, has all along hoped for
-, p%eaceable solution. lie has seer an(
felt the unspeakable horrors of wal
and knows whereof he speaks. Bul
he is, first OF all an American and does
not belong to the sO-called conserva,
tives who are for peace at any price.
PEACE WITH HONOR, YES THE
: PEACE THAT GRANTS THE JUST DE.
MANDS OF TIE NATION FOR PRESENT
PREPARATION AND FOR FUTURE Sc
CURITY. On THESE TERMS, PEACE.
Jon ANY OTHER TERMS, WAR, AND
THE QUICKER THE BETTER.
E~XtraVagant speech Is the Flemish