The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1898-04-15
The PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
READ In CONGRESS AT LAST.

II waa determination. The only peace 1
derness aud the grave.
CONFRONTED WITH A PROBLEM /
Meanwhile the military situation 10
the island had undergone noticeable /
change The extraordinary activity |
that characterized the second year OF /
the war. when the insurgents invaded /
It could begat was that Of the vii. /
even the hitherto unframed fields OF |
Plnar del Rio and carried havoc aud
Of Havana Itself had relapsed into
a logged struggle In the central and
eastern provinces. The Spanish arms
rcgalned a measure Of control In Plnar
del Rio and parts OF Havana, but, IN,
der the existing conditions OF the rural
20 cut of the resources Of the insur.
country, without immediate improve
ment Of their productive situation
Even thus partially restricted the rev
olutionists held their own, aud their
conquest and submission, put forward
/ by Spain as the essential and sole ba-
sis of peace, seemed as far distant as
destruction up to the walls of the city
at the outset.
While negotiations were In progress.
the increasing restitution Of the unfor.
tunate recOncentradOs and the alarm
ng mortality among them claimed ear
nest attention. The success which had
attended the limited measure Of relief
extended TO the suffering Americas
citizens among them by the judlcious
expenditure, through the consular
agencies, of the money appropriated
expressly for their succor by the joint
resolution approved May "a, 1897.
prompted by the humane extension of
a similar scheme Of aid to the great
body Of sufferers. A suggestion to this
end was acquiesced In by the Spanish
authoriti IS. On the oath of December
last l caused to be issued an appeal to
the American people, inviting contri
buttons in money or in kind for the
succor Of the starving sufferers in Gu
ba, following this on the Sth of Jan
nary by a similar public announce
ment Of the formation Of the Contra
, Cuban Relief Committee, with head
quarters in New York city, compose,
= of three members representing tn,
, American National Red Cross and tn,
religious and business elements Of tn
community. The efforts of that com
mittee have been untiring and accom-
\ plished much. Arrangements for FIRE
= transportation to Cuba have greatl
aided the charitable work. The Pres
ident of the American Red Cross an
representatives of other contributor
organizations have generously ylsite
= Cuba and co-Operated with the Cor
-. sui General and the local authorize
!. to make effective distribution of til
n relief collected through the efforts {
o. the central committee.
n The war in Cuba is of such natul
st that, short Of subjugation or EXTERN
n nation, a final military victory fl
:. either side seems impractcable. TT
alternative lies in the physical exhau
ton Of the one or the other party,
n perhaps of both, a condltin which.
u effect, ended the ten years war by IL
~ truce of Zanjon. The prospect of sue
lg a protection and conclusion of the pre-
on ent strife is a contingency hardly
at he contemplated with equanimity
Mt the civilized world, and least of all
er the United States, affected and iniur
ne as we are, deeply and intimately by
n+ very existence.
N. POSITION IN DECEMBER.
!. In my annual message of Decemb
- last said: "Of the untried measurt
! there remain only:
To- Recognition of the insurgents
no belligcrents; recognition of the in(
TO pendence of Cuba; neutral interventi
on to end the war by imposing a ration
zee compromise between the contestan
and Intervention in favor of one
ry- the other party. l speak not of fol
bic annexation, for that cannot
:, thought of. That by our code
~ morality, would be criminal aggr
- sion"
tho Turning to the question of recogI
na ing at this time the independence
r,1 the present insurgent government
lad Cuba, we fnl safe precedents in
nod history from an early day. They W
iva well summed up in President Jacksc
md message to Congress, Dec. q, 1886,