Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-04-16
CUBAN MESSAGE.
President Submits HIS Views to
the Congress.
he FAvORS INTERVENTION.
Cuban Insurgents Have Not Yet
Earned Recognition.
lie FAvORS INTERVENTION.
SPAIN PROVEN INCOMPETENT.

IA 0AA 4 6O AA AAsN0NAA ~ 4 AA&N a .
President Asks Congress for Power 60
Use the Lana aud Naval Forces OF
the United States 60 Bring Peace to
Cuba-Adheres to His Policy That
the War Must Cease-Ho Refers at
Length to the sufrerings OF the Re
concentrates and Makes Brief Ref
erence to the Maine Horror.
Washington, April 1.-THE president
today sent the following message to
congress:
The Congress of the United States:
Obedient to that precept of the con-
stitution which commands the presi-
dent to give from time to time
to the congress information of the
state of the Union, and to rec
ommend to their consideration such
measures as he shall Judge nee
essary and expedient, it becomes
my duty now to address your body with
regard to the grave crisis that has
arisen in the relations Of the United
States to Spain by reason of the war
fare that for more than three years has
ragged in. the neighboring Island of
Cuba. 1 do so because of the intimate
connection of the Cuban question with
the state of our own Union and the
grave relation the course which 1t is
now incumbent upon the nation to
adopt must needs bear to the ira
ditional policy of our government If 1t
Is to accord with the precepts laid down
by the founders of the republic and re-
ligiously observed by succeeding adj
ministrations to the present day.
The present revolution is but the sue
cessor of other similar Instructions
which have occurred in Cuba against
the dominion of Spain, extending over
period of nearly half century, each
of which, duidng its progress, has sub
jected the United States to great effort
and expense in enforcing it's neutral
ity laws, caused enormous losses to
American trade and commerce, caused
irritation, annoyance and disturbance
among our citizens and by the exer-
else of cruel. barbarous and uncivilized
practices of warfare, shocked the SEN
sibilities and offended the humane sym
pathies of our people.
Ravaged by Fire and Sword.
Since the present revolution began in
February, 1895. this country has seen
the fertile domain at our threshold raw
aged by fire and sword in the course
of struggle unequaled in the history
of the island and rarely paralleled as
to the number of the combatants and
the bitterness of the contest by any
revolution of modern times where
dependent people striving to be free
have been oppressed by the power of the
sovereign state. Our people have be-
held a once prosperous community re-
duced to comparative want, its lucra-
tive commerce virtually paralyzed, it's
exceptional productiveness diminished,
it's fields laid waste, its mills in ruins
and it's people perishing by tens of
thousands from hunger and destitu-
ton. We have found ourselves con-
strained, in the observance of that
strict neutrality which our laws en-
commands, to police our own waters
and watch our own seaports in proven
ton of any unlawful act in aid of the
Cubans. Our trade has suffered, the
capital invested by our citizens in Gu
ba has been largely lost and the tenn
per and forbearance of our people
have been so sorely tried as to beget
at&
liens, which has inevitably found it's
expression from time to time in
the national legislature, so that is
sues wholly external to our body
polite engross attention and stand
in the way of close devotion to
domestic advancement that becomes
self contained commonwealth
whose primal maxim has been the
avoidance of all foreign entangle-
ments. All this must needs awaken,
and has indeed aroused, the utmost
concern on the part of this govern
ment, as well during my predecessors
term as in my own.
President Cleveland's Peace Efforts.
In April. 1896 the evils from which
our country suffered through the Gu
ban war became so onerous that my
predecessor made an effort to bring
about peace through the mediation Of
this government in any way that
might tend to an honorable adjustment
of the contest between Spain and her
revolted colony, on the basis of some
effective scheme Of self government for
Cuba under the flag and sovereignty of
Spain. 1t failed. through the refusal
OF the Spanish government then in
power to consider any form OF media