Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-12-07
To the Senate and House of Representa-

| <~o>r>~~~~N~>~>NoI~>~
To the Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
Notwithstanding the added burdens rem
dered necessary by the war, our people re-
joice in very satisfactory and steadily
increasing degree of prosperity evidenced
by the largest volume of business ever re-
| corded. Manufacture has been produc-
tive, agricultural pursuits have yielded
| abundant returns, labor in the fields of
| industry is better rewarded. revenue legis-
lation passed by the present Congress has
increased the .reasury's receipts TO the
amount estimated by its authors. the
finances Of the Government have been
successfully administered. and its credit
advanced to thefrst rank, while it has
been maintained at the worlds highest
| standard Military service under COM
mon flag and for a righteous cause has
| strengthened the national spirit and serv-
| ed to cement more closely than ever the
fraternal bonds between every section OF
the country. A review of the relations of
the United States to other powers, always
appropriate, is this year of primary impor-
| tance, in view of the momentous issues
| which have arisen demn nding in one in
| stance the ultimate determinations by arms
and involving far-reaching consequences
| which will require the earnest attention of
| the Congress.
| Failure of Autonomy in Cuba.
In my last annual message very full con-
sideration was given to the question of the
| duty of the Government of the United
| States toward Spain and the Cuban insur-
rection as being by far the most important
problem with which we were then called
upon to deal. / concluded it was honestly
| due to our friendly relations with Spain
that she should be given reasonable
| chance to realize her expectations of re-
| form to which she had become irrevocably
committed.
The ensuing month brought little sign Of
| real progress toward the pacification of
| Cuba by the autonomous administration.
No tangible relief was afforded the vast
numbers of unhappy reconcentrados, and
| by the end of December the mortality
among them had frightfully increased.
With the acquiescence of the Spanish au-
| thorities scheme was adopted for relief
by charitable contributions raised in this
country. Thousands of lives were thus
saved, but the war continued on the old
| footing without comprehensive plan. No
| alternative save physical exhaustion of
| either combatant and therewithal the
practical ruin of the island lay in sight.
| Destruction of the Maine.
At this juncture, on the 10Th of Febru-
airy last, occurred the destruction of the
| battleship Maine, while rightfully lying
| in the harbor of Havana-a catastrophe
| the suspicious nature and horror of which
stirred the nations heart profoundly. Yet
| the instinct of juTtice prevailed and the
| nation anxiously awaited the result of the
searching investigation at once set on foot.
| The finding of the naval board of inquiry
| established that the origin Of the explosion
| was external by g submarine mine, and
| only halted through lack of positive testi-
| mony to fix the responsibility of its author
ship.
| All these things carried conviction to
the most thoughtful, even before the find
| ings of the naval court, that a crisis in
our relations with Spain and toward Cuba
| was at hand. SO strong was this belief
| that 1t needed but a brief executive sug-
gestion to the Congress to receive immedi-
nte answer to the duty of making instant
| provision for the possible and perhaps
| speedily probable emergency of war. The
details of the hurried preparation for the
| dreaded contingency is told in the reports
| of the Secretaries of War and of the
Navy. 1t is sufficient to say that the out
break of war, when it did come, found
our nation not unprepared to meet the
| conflict.
| Negotiations with Spain.
| Still, animated by the hope of peaceful
solution and obeying the dictates of duty,
no effort was relaxed to bring about a
speedy ending of the Cuban struggle. Ne
/ ~, r.
| ly with the Government of Spain, looking
| to the immediate conclusion of a six
months armistice in Cuba, with view to
| effect the recognition of her peoples right
| to independence. Negotiations con inued
for some little time ar Madrid, resulting
| in offers by the Spanish Government
| which could not bat be regarded as made
| quate. Grieved and disappointed at this
barren outcome of my sincere endeavors
| to reach a practical solution, l felt it my
| duty TO remit the whole question to the
| Congress. In the message of April II,
| 1898, reviewed the alternative course Of
] action which / had proposed, concluding
| that the only one consonant with interna-
! tional policy and compatible with our firm
| set historical traditions was intervention
| as neutral to stop the war and check the
| hopeless sacrifice of life. Z
| In view of all this, the Congress was
| asked to authorize and empower the Pres
| ident to take measures to secure a full
| and final termination of hostilities be-
| tween Spain and the people of Cuba, and
| to secure in the island the establishment
| Of stable government.
Congress Declares War.
The response of the Congress, after
| nine days of earnest deliberation, during
| which the almost unanimous sentiment of
| your body was developed on every point
| save as to the expediency of coupling the
| proposed action with a formal recogni-
1, ton of the Republic of Cuba as the true
| and lawful government of that island
| a proposition which failed of adoption
| the Congress, after conference, April 10,
| by a vote of AZ to 35 in the Senate and 81
| to 6 in the House of Representatives.
| passed the memorable joint resolution, de-
| claring war.
This resolution was approved by the
| executive on the next day, April 20. A
| copy was at once communicated to the
| Spanish minister at this capital who
| forthwith announced that his continuance
| in Washington had thereby become impcs-
| sible, and asked for his passports, which
| were given him. He thereupon withdrew
| from Washington, leaving the protection
of Spanish interests in the United States
| to the French ambassador and the Aus
| tro-Hungarian minister. simultaneously
| with it's communication to the Spanish
| minister, Gen. Woodford, the American
| minister at Madrid, was telegraphed con-
| firmation of tie text of the joint resolu-
| ton and directed to communicate it to
| the Government of Spain, with the formal
| demand that it at once relinqush its au-
| thority and government in the Island of
| Cuba and withdraw it's forces therefrom. |
| coupling this demand with announcements
| Of the intentions of this Government as to
| the future of the island, in conformity
| with the fourth clause of the resolution.
and giving Spain until noon of April 23
| to reply.
The demand, although, as above shown,
| officially made known to the Spanish en-
| voy here, was not delivered at Madrid. !
| After the instruction reached Gen. Wood !
| ford on the morning of April 81. but be-
| fore he could present it, the Spanish min
/ lister of state notified him that upon the
| Presidents approval of the joint resolu |
| tion the Madrid Government. regarding |
| the act as equivalent to an evident dec |
| laration of war" had ordered its minis |
| ter in Washington to withdraw, thereby |