Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-04-16
peace 1t could beget WIS that OF the wilder
ness and the grave.
NoticeahIN ChnuUe

The extraordinary activity that character |
the insurgents invaded even the hitherto |
unharmed fields of Pinar del Rio and car |
ried havoc and restitution up to the walls
of the city of Havana itself, had relapsed
into dogged struggle in the central and
eastern provinces. The Spanish arms re-
Rio and parts OF Havana. but, under the
existing conditions OF the rural country,
without immediate improvement of their
TALLY restricted the revolutlonsts held
their own, and their submission. put
basis Of peace, seemed as far distant as
at the outset.
steps Taken for Relief.
In this state Of affairs. my, administration
problem of its duty, My message OF last
December reviewed the situation and de-
tailed the steps taken with view of re-
to some form of honorable settlement. The
assassination of the prime minister.
Spain. The former administration pledged
to subjugaton without concession gave
place to that of more liberal party. COM
form. involving the wider principle OF
home rule for Cuba and Puerto Rico. The
oyertures of this government, made
and looking to an immediate and effective
amelioration of the condition Of the is
| of admitted mediation In any shape, were
met by assurances that home rule, in an
|
fered to Cuba. without waiting for the
| war to end and that more humane meth
DDS should thenceforth prevail in the con-
| duct of hostilities. incidentally with these
| declarations the new government of Spain
! continued and completed the policy already
| begun by its predecessor of testifying
friendly regard for this nation by releasing
| American citizens held under one charge
/ or another connected with the insurrection,
] single person entitled in any way to our
national protection remained in Spanish
| prison.
An Appeal for Help.
| While these negotiations were in prog
ress. the increasing destitution of the UNI
| fortunate reconcentradosi and the alarming
| mortality among them claimed earnest at
| tentiorL The success which had attended
the limited measure of relief extended to
| the suffering American citizens among
them by the judicious expenditure through
| the consular agencies of the money ap-
| propriatcd expressly for their succor by
| the joint resolution approved May "a 1897
prompted the humane extension Of a sim
| liar scheme of aid to the great body of
| sufferers. A suggestion to this end was
| acquiesced in by the Spanish authorities
! on the 2ith OF December last caused to
| be issued an appeal to the American peo-
kind for the succor of the starving suffer-
| ers In Cuba, following this on the Sth cf
| January by a similar public announcement
| of the formation Of a central Cuban relief
| committee, with headquarters in New
| York city, composed of three members rep
resentirg the American National Red Cross
/ ard the religious and business clements of
the community. The efforts of that COM
mittee, have been untiring and accom-
| portation' to Cuba have greatly aided the
| charitable work. The president of the
American Red Cross and representatives
| OF other cortributory organizations have
| generously visited Cuba and co-operated
| with the consul-general and the local ar-
| thorit!es to make effective distribution OF
the relief collected through the efforts of
the central committee. Nearly $500 600 in
| money and supplies has already reached
g1lfInrpFE mi &c tIyr1 ,iy,rr
| The supplies are admitted duty free, and
| transportation to the interior has been
| arranged. so that the relief, at first neces-
| sarily confined to Havana and the larger
| cities. is now extended through most, IL not
AL, Of the towns where suffering exists
| thousands OF lives have already been
saved The. necessity for change in the
condition OF the reconcentrados is recog-
few days past the orders Of General Wey-
Ter nave been revoked, the recorcentra-
DOS are II Is said, TO be permitted to re-
| turh 70 their homes and aided to resume
| the sell t-supportinE pursuits of peace: pub
enc T9yEs nave "a been ordered ed, to give them
| appropriated for their relief
Can Sec No End
The war in Cuba is of such nature that
snort of subJugation or eXtermina ton a
impracticabie. The alternative lies in the
! physlcal exhaustion of the one or the other
Party, party, or or perhaps OF both-a condition
by the truce of Zenjon. The prospect of
| such protraction and conclusion of the
be contemplated with eq9aninlty tiaiGty by the 3e
| Civilized world, and least of all by the
United States. affected and injured as we
| are, deeply and tntim ately by its very ex-
| istence.
Asked for nm Armistice.
Realizing this. 1t appeared to be my duty,
n spirit of true friendliness, no less to
Spain than to the Cubans who have so
much to lose by the prolongation of the
sfrHggle. to seek to bring about an imme-
l submitted, on the 9th ultimo, as a re-
suit of much representation and corre-
spondence, through the United States min
ister at Madrid, propositions to the. Span
| ish government looking TO an armiStice un-
Ill October l for the Negotiation of peace
with the good offices of the president
In addition asked the immediate revoca-
tIon OF the order of recommendation so as
70 permit the people to return to their
| provisions and supplies from the United
States, cooperating, with the Spanish au-
thorties so as to afford full relief.
The Reply of Spain.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet was
offers, as the means to bring about peace
in Cuba, TO ccntide the preparation thereof
to the insular department. inasmuch as the
concurrence of that body would be neces-
sary to reach a final result, it being, how
eyer EVE t Hnderst09d t wa that the powerS reserved
ment are not lessened or diminished. AS
the cuban parliament does not meet until
ment would not object, for its part, to ac-
cept at once a suspension OF hostilities, II
asked for by the insurgents from the gem
eral in chief. to whom 1t would pertain, in
such case, to determine the duration and
conditions of the armistice.
The propositions submitted by Gen.
Woodford and the reply of the Spanish
government were both in the form of brief
memoranda, the texts of which are be-
fore me-and are substantially in the Ian
guage above given. The function of the
Cuban parliament in the matter of pre-
ing so are not expressed in the Spanish
memorandum: but from Gen. Woodford s
explanatory reports of preliminary discus
sions preceding the final conference 1t is
understood that the Spanish government
stands ready to give the insular congress
full powers to settle the terms of peace
with the insurgents, whether by direct ne
gotiations or indirectly by means OF legis-
lation, does not appear.
End of DInInmncX.