The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-04-15
ISSUE IS WITH congress.
President Mckinley Sends His
Promised Cuban Message
Into Congress.
ASKS FOR POWER TO END HOSTILITIES,

"In the Name OF Humanity, In the Name
Of Civilization, in Behalf of Endan.
Eered American Interests which Give
Us the Right and the Duty to speak
and to Act, the War in Cuba Must
stop"
NAsAINGTON, April 1.-THE presi-
dent sent the following message to the
congress Of the United States.
The Message.
Ooedient % that Trecept OF the constitution.
Mhich commands the president 70 give from
time 70 tluIc the cUuZrcSs information Of the
state of the Union and 10 recommend TO their
consideration such measures aS he shall Judge
necessary ana eEpedIent it becomes my duIy
Ho| 60 address Your body with regard to the
grave crisis that has arisen in the relations OF
son of the Vurfare that for more
Than three yU0r~ has RACED in tho neighbOring
Island OF Cuba do so because Of the lntl-
mdlt connection OF tho Cuban question with the
state OF uUrs0Wu nlOn. and the grave relations,
lac course which Ii now incumbent upon the
nation t0 adopt must n'cGs bear TO the tTadi-
tuuIl policy Uf uur government. 4 IL is 10 ac-
CUrl W4th tue prgCepts laid down by the found
tr- ui tAe republic and reIigiOuSIy observed by
succeeding administrations to the Present day.
But the Successor OF similar Revolutions.
The present revolution is but the successor
OF other similar instructions which have oc-
C0rFeu iu CUBA against the dominion OF Spain.
eAleHuiuE over period OF nearly half a cen
tHrN- gacu OF which. during its progress has
subjected the Omitted States To yrtslt effort and
expense iu enforcing its neutrality laws. caused
euurUOu> lu>>c, o. American trade and COM
u"Iyc. caused irritation. annoyance and dis
llEhaEce among our citizens, and By IT, eXer-
,i't 'i .lttt. uaFlarouS and unClvlllZ u praC-
Uses oI warfare, shocked the SensIbilsties and
'-l"1'N tht humane >ympathles OF our people.
a Fertile Domain Rayaged.
since the present revolution began. in Feb
ruary. les7. this country has seen the fertile
N'uidlh ul cdr threshold ruyaged by fire and
sworn ia lLs Sgdrse oI a struggle unequaled IN
lhe history oI the island, and rarely paralleled
a. 10 the number UG the ComDatants and the
bitterness OF the contest by any revolution OF
lnuleru Times where q dependent people. Striv-
luE TO be- free, have been opposed by the power
Oi the sovereign state our people have beheId
once prosperous community reduced TO com
paratIye want. its commerce virtually para
~ htdr ll> exceptional pruCUCtlVencSS dlmln-
i~utu. lJ~ fields laid waste its mills in ruins,
aud its people perl> hing y tens Of thousands
from hunger and Cc>tfutiou.
OneruUs Duties EH;aiIed by Neutrality.
we have found ourselves constrained. in the
observance Cl that strict neutrality which our
commands 10 police our own waters and watch
cur own ~gapuTt~ iu prevention Of any unlawful
att Iu aiu ui the Cuu-u,. Our Ftradc has suffered: :
tHt ,"pitat AhFtNlcA by our citizens in Cuba
has been largely lost, and the temper and
Icrn, aIancc OF cur Teople have been so
S"Ecl} tried as 10 t"-et peri.Ous unrest
among OR own citizens which has in
tNlLJhlT found its eNp-ES sion from time To
time lu The EatiCEgl legislature SO that issues
wholly external tu our own body polite engrOSS
attention ana stand ia the way or that close de-
NotOn 10 domts-I, advancemant that becomes
maxim has been the avoidance Of all for, IGN
tAlauEitntut>- All this 90 uSt needs awaken
ana mas indeed aroused the utmost concern on
'ha part OF lbl> government as wei during my
predecessors = as my uwG administration
Efforts oT the Previous Administration.
In April 1896. the evils from which our coun-
Try >LACre through the Cuban war became so
Ouerou~ that my predecessor made an effort To
bTlhE ABOUT peace Through the Intervention
81 TINS government i'm any way that might tend
90 an AuI- fdblt adjustment Oh the contest be-
tween Spain and nrr rcyuItcd colony on the
oasis OF some effective scheme OF SClf-gOv-
crument for Cuba under the flag and
sovereignty of spain II failed Through
the refusal of the Spanish government then in
power T. consider any form of mediariOn or
indeed. any plan OF settlement which did not be-
gin with the ar.Uu submission Of the inSur-
gents Jo the m1LIer country, and then only on
Suth terms G' spain herself might see mt TO
grant Tie war continued unaoateL The re-
sisiauc1 OF the insurgents in uowiSe dimin-
ISheu.
Spain's Futile and Inhuman Efforts.
The efforts Og Spain were increased both bv
the dispatch Of fresh levicS TO Cuba and by the
addition O. the horror, of the strife OF a new
ana luhumlu phase. happily unprecedented in
l1e m,util 'uly n civilized Christian peO-
pies. ILc policy uI devastation and concentra-
tlon, luau- uratcu 10y CgpL-Gtn Bando. on Oc-
tupyr =, $50 lu the province Uf Pinar del Rio
was thence extended to embrace an OF the
t>!auu to winch the power Of Span
lNh arms was able TO reach by
4
peu~autry. inC-Ug-u- an dwelling in the Cpan
agricultural interior were driven into the gar
ri>ou towns or Isolated places held by the
tEooI~ Inc raising and movement Of provi-
sICus Of an kinds were iuterllcted The fields
were laid waste. dwellings uuroofed and fired
mills destroyed and, IN short. everything that
could de>Hlutg the land and render u unrit for
human hunItItIOu or support was commanded
Ny one or the other ot the COutending parties
pu>aL
The So-CalIed Recommendation.
by the time The present administration took
CfilcC. year ago. IeCOuCeutratiOn- -sO-called-
had been made effective over ths better mari Of
the four central gII western provinces Santa
Clara. Aatauza>. havana and Pinar del Rio.
The agricultural population, TO the estimated
number %. suu. 40 OF more. was herGed within
the towns and their immediate yicinage de-
priyt1 ct tHc means OF support. rendered
10 the most ul~aultJry conditions.
Destruction. Misery and Starvation.
As the scarcity OF food increased with the de-
tluu- C1~tiIEJuu and want became misery and
starvation. Month bv month the death rate in
creased 100 alarming ratio. BY March. 1897 ac-
CUrulnE fu conservative estimates from Official
spanish sources the mortality among the re-
CCnceutrugCc~ nom starvation and the diseases
thereto llCIUCut. exceeded 50 per ceutun of their
total number No Practical relief was ac-
corded 90 the ug>tltu.C. The Overburdpned
towns, already suffering from the General |
CCarJh. could give no aid. So-caIled zones OF
cultivation established within the immediate
area Of euectlFe military control about the cit
remedy Tor the suffering. The UnfOrtunateS. |
ltl-E for the most pare women and ch.Idren
with aged ana helpless men. Jufteblcd hy dis I
ease ana hunger. could not have titled the soil /
without tools. seed or shelter. for their own /
support Cr ior the supply OF the cit
lCs- Recommendation, aIOp,ed avOwedIy as
a war measure IN CrtCr 10 cut OF the |
resources Of the insurgents. worked its predeS- |
tined result A said IN my message OF last |
Acteuufr u was not "a civilized warfare; II !
was determination The only peace il could |
bestt was that of the wilderness and the grave. !
\ nogged Struggle.
Meanwhile the military situation in the I
island had undergone "a noticeable change. The /
secOnI year Cf the war, when the insurgents in /
VgUed even the hitherto unharmed neidS of I
P.uar del Rio, ana carried havoc and deStitu- /
tlou up to the walls Cf the city Of 4
doeged struggle in the central and 4
eastern provinces. The Spanish arms re-
EainCi a measure OF control in Pinar del Rio 1
aud parts OF Havana. but. under the existing
mediate improvement Of their productive situa- [
tiOu- Even thus partially restricted. the revO-
4utlOrl-t~ held their own. and their SubmiS- /
sion. put forward by spain as the essential and !
sole basis of peace, seemed a. far distant as at /
the outset
Confronted with a Grave Problem.
In this state Cf affairs. my administration 4
found itself confronted with the grave problem Il
OF its duty Ny message OF last December re-
viewed the situation ana detailed the steps
and opening the way 70 some form of hOnlra-
lie settlement The assassination Of the prime i
minister, OanOvas- led 10 change Of govern
rueur in Spain TIE former administration.
gave place 20 that Of more liberal /
patty. committed long IN advance 10 policy Il
Of T. form involving the principle Of home II
rule for cuba and Puerto Rico, The Oyertures |