Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-04-14
MkNlEr AS coMMANDER-IS-cmIEr

40 tOA
Spain. extending over a period OF nearly
half century, each OF which, during its
progress, has subjected the United States to
great effort and expense in enforcing its
neutrality laws, caused enormous losses 10
American trade and commerce, caused ir-
ritation, annoyance and disturbance among
our citizens, and by the exercise of cruel,
barbarous and uncivilized practices of war
fare shocked the sensibilites and offended
the humane sympathies of our people.
Since the present revolution began in Feb
ruary, 1895, this country has seen the fer
tile domain at our threshold ravaged by
fire and sword in the course of a struggle
unequalled in the history of the island, and
rarely paralleled as to the number of COM
batants and the bitterness of the contest BY
revolution OF modern times where a de-
pendent people, striving to be free,
have been opposed by the power of the
sovereign State. Our people have behell a
once prosperous community reduced 10
comparative want, its lucrative commerce
virtually paralyzed, its exceptional pro.
ductiveness diminished, its fields laid waste,
its mills in ruins, and its people pcrshng
by tens of thousands from hunger and dest.
tuition.
AS l said in my message of last De-
cember it was not civilized warfare.
1t was determination. The only peace
it could beget was that of the wilder
ness and the grave. Meanwhile, the
military situation in the island had un-
dergone a noticeable change. The ex-
traordinary activity that characterized
the second year of war, when the in
surgents invaded even the hitherto un-
harmed fields Of Pinar del Rio, and
carried havoc and destruction I'D 10
the walls of the city of Havana itself,
had relapsed into a dogged struggle in
the central and eastern provinces. The
Spanish arms regained a measure OF
control in Pinar del Rio and parts of
Havana, but under the existing condi-
ton of the rural country without i'm
mediate Improvement of their produc-
tive situation. Even thus partially re-
stricted, the revolutionists held their
own, and their conques, and submis-
sion put forward by Spain as the os-
sential and sole basis of peace seemed
as far distant as at the outset The
prospect of such protraction and con-
clusion of the present strife is a con-
tingency hardly to be contemplated
with equanimity by the civilized world,
| and least of all by the United States,
affected and concerned as we are, deep
ly and intimately, by its very existence.
Realizing this it appeared to be my
duty in spirit of true friendliness, no
| less to Spain than to the Cubans, who
have so much to lose by the prolonga-
ton of the s .ruggle to seek to bring
about an immediate termination Of the
war. AS result of much representa-
tion and correspondence to this end I
submitted on the 9th ultimo, through
! the United States Minister at Madril,
propositions to the Spanish govern
ment looking to an armistice until Oct.
good offices of the President. In adhi-
ton / asked the immediate revocation
of the order of reconcentration so as to
permit the people to return to their
farms and the needy to be relieved
with provisions and supplies, the
United States, cooperating with the
| Spanish authorities so as to afford full
relief. The reply of the Spanish Cab
met was received on the night of the
3lst ultimo. 1t offers, as the means to
| bring about peace in Cuba, to confide
the preparation thereof to the insular
parliament, inasmuch as the concur
renee of that body would be necessary
to reach final result. it being, how
ever, understood that tho powers re-
served by the Con stitution to the CEN
trail government are not lessened or
diminished.
These ellen ents Of danger and disorder
already pointed out AaYs Jctu slrik us "