The Meeker herald., 1898-04-16

Kre8 at IL o'clock today. II Ii n foi-
lows:
To the Congress Of the United States:
Obedient to that precept Of the con-
stitution which commands the Presi-
dent to give from time to time to the
Congress Information of the state OF
the Union and to recommend to their
consideration such measures as he
shall judge necessary and expedient,
1t becomes my duty TO address your
body with regard 10 the grave crisis
that has arisen in the relations Of the
United States to Spain, brought about
by the warfare that for more than
three years has raged in the neighbor
ing island of Cuba. do so because of
the intimate connection of the Cuban
question with the states Of this Union
and the grave responsibility which 1t
Is now incumbent upon the nation to
adopt, must needs bear to the tradi-
tional policy of our government. 1t Is
in accord with the precepts laid down
by the founders of the republic and re-
ligiously observed by succeeding
Americans to the present time.
The present revolution is successor
to other similar ones which occurred In
Cuba under the dominion of Spain, ex-
tending over period of nearly half
century, each OF which, during Its
progress has subjected the United
States to great effort and expense in
enforcing its neutrality laws, caused
enormous losses to American trade and
commerce, caused agitation and dis
turbance among our citizens and by the
exercise OF cruel. barbarous and unciv-
iliZed practices OF warfare. shocked
the sensibilities and offended the hu-
man sympathies of our people.
Since the presen; revolution began,
In February. 1895. this fertile domain
has at every threshold been ravaged
by fire and sword in the course Of
struggle unequnled in the history of
the island and rarely paralleled as to
the number of the combatants and the
bitterness Of the contest
All this must needs awake and
has indeed aroused the utmost concern
on the part Of this government, as well
during my predecessors term, as in
my own.
In April, 1896, the evils by which
our country suffered through the Cuban
war became SO onerous that my prede-
:essOr made an effort to bring about a
peace through the mediation of this
government In any way that might
tend to an honorable adjustment Of the
contest between Spain and her revOlted
colony on the basis of some effective
scheme Of self-goyernment for Cuba
under the flag and sovereignty Of
Spain.
1t failed. The war continued unabat-
ed and the army Of the insurgents In
no wise lessened. A once prosperous
community has been reduced to COM
parative want and its people have per-
ished by tens of thousands from hun
ger and destitation. Our trade has
suffered; the capital invested by our
citizens in Cuba has been entirely lost
and the temper and forbearance of our
people have been 80 sorely tried as to
beget perilous unrest among our own
citizens which has inevitably found its
expression from time to time In the
national Legislature, so that issues
were not wholly external to our own
body polite. demanding attention and
standing In the way of that close devo-
ton to domestic advancement.
The policy Of devastation and con-
centration inaugurated by the captain
generals order to Pando of October 81,
1895, In the province of Pinar del Rio
was extended to embrace all of the
island to which the power of the Span
ish arms was able to reach. Every
thing that could desolate the land and
render 1t unfit for human habitation or
support was commanded by one or the
other Of the contending parties and x
ecuted by all the powers at their dis
posal.
By the time the present administra-
ton took office year ago. the agricul-
tural population, to the estimated num-
ber of 100000 or more, was herded
within the towns and their immediate
vicinity. deprived of the means of sup
port. rendered destitute of shelter left
poorly clad and exposed to the
most unsanitary conditions. BY March
1, 1897, conservative estimate from
Spanish sources. the mortality among
the reconcentrados from starvation
and the diseases thereto incident. ex-
ceeded so per cent. Of their total num-
her. SO-called zones of cultivation
established within the immediate area
OF effective military control about the
cities and fortified camps proved illu-
sorry.
The unfOrtunates, being for the most
part women and children. with aged
and helpless men, enfeebled by hun
ger, coulO NOT nave TILED the soil with
out tools, seed or shelter for their own
support or for the supply of the cities.
Recommendation, adopted avowedly as
war measure In order to cut Oh the
resources Of the insurgents, worked its
predestined results.
As said in my message Of last De-
cember, 1t was not civilized warfare:
1t was determination. The only peace
1t could beget was that Of the wilder
ness and the grave.
Meanwhile the military situation in
the island had undergone a noticeable
change. The extraordinary activity
that characterized the second year Of
war, VIXEN the insurgents invaded the
hitherto unharmed fields Of Pinar del
Rio and carried havoc and destruction
up to the walls Of the city Of Havana
itself, I'D relapsed into a dogged
stru4Rjo in the central and eastern