The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1898-04-15

states.
Obedlcnt to the precept Of the Con
titutlon which commands the Prcsi-
dent 10 give from time 20 time the Con
gress information Of the state Of the
Union. aud 10 recommend TO their con-
slderauon such measures as he shall
Judge necessary and expedlent, Il be /
comes my duty now to address your
body with regard 10 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 nelghboring island
NJ China. I do so because of the init
mate connection Of the Cuban question
with the State OF our own Union ana
the grave relation the course which II
IA now encumbent upon the nation to
adopt must needs bear TO the tradi-
tional policy Of our Government II II
Is 10 accord with the precepts lald
down by the founders of the republic
and rellglously observed by succeed
inc administrations TO the present day.
Since the present revolution began,
In February, 1895, this country has
seen the fertile domain at our thresh-
hold rayaged by IRE and sword In the
course Of struggle unequaled IN the
history of the island and rarely paral-
eled as TO the number OF combatants
and the bitterness of the contest by
any revolution Of modern times where
n dependent people, striving to be iree'
have been opposed by the power Of
the sovereign state. Our people hive
beheld a once prosperous community
reduced TO comparative want, its luera-
tive commerce virtually paralyzed, its
exceptional productiyeness diminished
It's fields laid waste, its mills In ruin
and It's people perishing by tens OF
thousands from hunger and restitution
We have found ourselves constrained
IN the observance of that strict neu-
trality which our laws enjoin, ana
which the law of nations commands,
to police our own waters and Watcn
our own seaports to prevent any un
law act In aid of the Cubans. Oul
trade has suffered; the capital invested
bv our citizens in Cuba has been large
ly lost, and the temper and foroear
ance Of our people have been so sore
" tried as to begot a perilous unres
among our own citizens, which has
inevitably found its expression from
time to time in the National Legisla
tire so that issues wholly external {
our own body polite engross atten
tin and stand In the way of that clos
devotion to dmestic advancement tha
becomes a self-contained common
wealth whose primal maxim has bee
the avoidance of all foreign entangle
ments. All this must needs awaken
and has, indeed, aroused the utmos
concern on the part of this Govern
mcnt. as we'll during my predece'
gors term as in my own.
SPAIN DECLINED MEDIATION
In April, 1896, the evils from VINO
cur country suffered through the u
han war became so onerous that m
PREDECESSOR made an effort to brln
about a peace through the mediatio
of this Gvernment in any way TN
might tend to an honorable adjustmel
of the contest between Spain and IL
reyolted colony, on the basis Of son
effective scheme of self-governme'
for Cuba under the flag and soyereig
~ of Spain. 1t failed through the
fllsal of the Spanish Government TN
in mower to consider any form of M
diation, or, indeed, any plan OF settI
ment which did not begin with t
actual submisson of the insurgents
the mother country, and then only
such terms as Spain herself might S
fit to grant.
In March, 1897, according to consel
otivn estimates. from official Spani
sources, the mortality among the
concentrates, from starvation and
diseases thereto incident exceeded
per centum of their total number
practical relief was accorded to
destitute. The overburdened tow
already suffering from the gene
Gearth. could give no aid Social
"zones of cultivation" establish
within the immediate area of effect
military control about the cities a
fortified camps, proved illusory as
remedy for the suffering. The unf
tunates, being for the most part VIC