The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1898-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Chief Executive Devotes Much Space to
Spanish War.
Importance Of the Nicaraauan Canal Strongly
Presented and Congress Urged to Take Inn
mediate ActIon--0ur Foreign Relations Gen
orally Touched Upon.
Washington. D. c. Dec. 3, 1893.

joice in very satisfactory and steadily
increasing degree of prosperity evidenced
by the largest volume of business ever re
corded Manufacture has been productive.
agricultural pursuits have yielded abun-
dant returns, labor In the fields of indus
try is better rewarded, revenue legislation,
passed by the present congress, has In
creased the treasury's receipts to the
amount estimated by It's authors the hhah-
ces of the government have been success
fully administered and It's credit advanced
to the first rauk; while its currency has
been maintained at the worlds highest
standard. Military service, under a com
mon flag and for q 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,
review Of the relations Of the United
States to other powers. always appropri-
ate. Is this year of primary Importance in
view OF the momentous issues which hay.
arisen, demanding In one instance the nj.
innate determination by arms and inyolv'
ing far-reachng consequences which will
require the earnest attention of the con-
Gress.
THE CUBAN QUESTION.
In my last annual message very full con.
sderaton was given to the question of the
duty of the government of the United
States toward Spain and the Cuban insur-
recton. as being by far the most imper~
tant problem with which we were then
called upon to deal. The considerations
then advanced and the exposition of the
views therein expressed disclosed my sense
of the extreme gravity of the situation
Setting aside as logically unfounded or
practically inadmissible. the recognition
Of the Cuban insurgents as belligerents,
the recognition of the independence Of
Cuba, national Intervention to end the
war by imposing a rational compromise
between the contestants. Intervention in
favor OF one or the other party, and for
chile annexation of the island; | concud-
ed 1t was honestly due to our friendly re-
lations with Spain that she should be Civ
en- reasonable chance to realize her eN-
pectations of reform to which she had be
come irrevocably committed. Within few
weeks previously she had announced com
prehensive plans which 1t was confident
~ asserted would be efflcacious to remedy
the evils so deeply affecting our own couu.
try, so injurious to the true interests of
the mother country as well as to those Of
Cuba and SO repugnant to the universal
sentiment Of humanity.
The ensuing month brought little sign
of real progress toward the pactication of
Cuba. The autonomous administration set
up In the capital and some Of the principal
cities appeared not to gain the favor of
the inhabitants. nor to be able to extend
their influence to the large extent of ter
rtory held by the insurgents, white the
military arm. obviously unable to cope with
the still active rebellion, continued many
of the most Objectionable and offensive pol
icles OF the government that had preceded
It. No tangible relief was afforded the vast
numbers OF unhappy reconcentrados de-
spite the reiterated professions made In that
regard and the amount appropriated by
Spain to that end The proposed eypedi-
ent Of zones of cultivation proved illusory
indeed, no less practical nor more delu-
slve promises Of succor could well have
been rendered to the exhausted and destl-
tute people, stripped of all that made life
and home dear ard herded In a strange re-
gion among unsympathetic strangers hard
ly less necessltous than themselves. BY
the end Of December the mortality anon:
them had frightfully increased. Conserva-
tive estimates from Spanish sources plac-
cd the deaths among these distressed peO-
pie at over 40 per cent from the time Gen
Weyler's decree of RECOMMENDATION was en-
forced. With the acqulescence Of the Span
lsh authorities scheme was adopted for
relief by charitable contributions, raised In
this country and distributed under the d.
rectiOn OF our consul general and the several
consuls. by noble and earnest individuals,
and also through the organized agencies Of
the American Red Cross, Thousands of
lives were thus saved, but many thousands
more were inaccessible to such forms Of aid.
The war continued on the old footing,
without comprehensive plan. developing on
~ the same spasmodic encounters. barren
Of strategic result. that had marked the
course Of the earlier ten years rebellion as
we'll as the present Instruction from its
start No alternative save physical ex-
haustion Of either cOmbatant. and there
wlthal the practical ruin Of the island lay
In sight, but how far distant no one could
venture to conjecture.
DESTRUCTION OF THE MAINE.
At this juncture, on the 18th of Febru-
airy last, occurred the destruction Of the
battleship Maine, while rlghtfully lying In
the harbor Of Havana on mission OF In
ternauonal courtesy and good villa ca
tastrophe, the suspicious nature and horror
Of which. stirred the nations heart pro-
foundly. 1t Is a striking evidence Of the
poise and sturdy good sense distinguishing
our national character that this shocking
blow. falling upon generous people, al
ready touched by preceding events In Gu
ba, did not move them to an instant. des-
perate resolve to tolerate no longer the ex-
ercse of condition Of danger and disor-
der at our doors, that made possible such
deed, by whomsoever wrought. Yet an
instinct Of justice prevailed, and the ma
ton anxiOusly awaited the result of the
searching investigation at once set on foot.
The finding of the naval board of inquiry
pStuDnSneu tnat the Or1Rfn VI Tue eAptOsfOh
was external by a submarine mine, and on
ly halted through lack Of positive testi-
mony to fix the responsibility Of Its au-
thorshlp.
STRAINED RELATIONS WITH SPAIN.
All these things carried conviction to the
most tn ,ughtful, even before the finding of
the naval court that a crisis In our rela-
tons, with Spain and toward Cuba was at
hand. SO strong was this belief that 1t
needed but brief executive suggestion to
the congress to receive immediate answer
to the duty Of making instant provision for
the possible and perhaps speedily probable
emergency Of war, and the remarkable al
most unique, spectacle was presented Of
unanimous vote Of both houses, on the 9th
Of March. approprlating fifty million dol
lars for the national defense and for each
and every purpose connected Herewith, to
pc expended at the discretion OF the pres.
ident." That this act of provision came
none to soon was disclosed when the ap-
pllcaton Of the fund was undertaken. Our
coasts We're practically undefended. Our
navy needed large provision for ammuni-
ton and supplies. even numbers to cope
With any sudden attack from the navy of
kpaln which comprised modern vessels of
the highest type Of continental perfection.
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