The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-19
THE PRESS ON THE MESSAGE

If we fight it must be to free the Gu
bans. and when they are free We must
see TO 1t that they do not practice upon
the Spanish residents of Cuba those
ticed. II we fight. it may be that
We shall feel called upo to free Porto
Rico and set up a republican govern
ment there as in Cuba.-Rtchmond Times.
(Gold.)
While he may not have expressed him
self with special emphasis or given to
congress an explicit outline OF his plans.
the fac< is patent that he believes peace
and order can be restored in Cuba with
out resort TO war. and that he desires at
the hands of congress full authority TO
test the virtue of his plans. The presi-
dent may be mistaken, or he may De well
advised in this. We must wait for the
verdict OF events.-Washington Post.
0nd. Rep)
There is no reason why the United
States government should initiate Span
ish tactics in the hope OF being able TO
put Spain more in the wrong than 4 is
now. Spain has already struck the first
blow. It mas committed war OF the
United States. Spain has made the
act Of the Spaniards who blew up the
Maine its act 1t has thereby begun war
on the United States without the cere-
mony of a formal declaration" II is the
aggressor, and whatever blow the United
States may strike viii be the second
blow. and not the first.-Chicago Tribune,
(Rep)
He seems TO temporize, and does not Of
fer n remedy further than to suggest
10 congress the advisability OF vesting
in him the power TO intervene between
Spain and Cuba whenever he, in his judg-
ment, shall deem it wise and expedient
so to do. In other words to give him the
power to declare war at his discretion. or
else take upon themselves the sole re-
sponsibility of any and all consequences
which may follow Intervention at this
time, although he himself has unto this
TWO hrnD - ? 90 III
the diplomatic controversy.-Norfolk VIr-
ginian and Pilot.
What sort of government are we to
see established in Cuba? Certainly no
government which Spain could set up
there would be tolerated by the insur-
gents. The Cuban junta has already no.
titled us that it will not submit to a
pleDiscite. Does the president con-
template a permanent, or even a tenn
porary protectorate by the United States
over Cube? Does he look toward annex
alton? We submit that no one can tell
by reading his message what his plans
or ideas are beyond the enforced cessa-
ton of hostilities in Cuba. He should
have gone further on that point.-Atlan-
ia Journal.
Senator Faulkner, of West Virginia.
probably voices the dominant sentiment
in that party when he says that, while
the presidents portrayal Of facts is
strong, he will not support a resolution
giving the president discretionary power
to use force, as congress alone has the
right to declare when and how force
should be employed. This view is also
held by Senators Bacon, Martin, Daniel
and Lindsay, the Kentucky senator
going to the extent OF saying that the
presidents argument in urging interview
ton is more in favor OF re-establishing
Spanish supremacy than of establishing
the independence of Cuba.-Baltimore
Herald, Rep)
1t is throughout the message of a peace
nyvinr ctn q M N n I'm xun nrI
thoroughly rational. He does not recon-
mend war, but recommends that power
be given to him to make war If neces-
sary. He acknowledges all the Spanish
concessions, but leaves it to congress to
say what weight should be attached to
them. including the armiStice. He does
not insist on the expulsion of the Span
ish from the Island. = In short he has
justified all the praise we have bestowed
on him. followed the line we have all
along hoped for, and has COMPOUNDED his
blOodthirsty slanderers.-NeW York Ev-
ening Post, CMugwump.H
We said on Sunday, referring to this
armistice, then just announced from
Madrid, that we were ar a loss to IN
derstand why Minister Woodford had
so such II] Importance er to it." ave We a adde aIl in the.
same article that the cessation of hos
~tilities by Spain might be made the
ground of a demand by the United States
upon the insurgents to cease hostilities
also-anOther very desirable thing for
Spain, if it could be achieved" These
two remarks we should have put togeth-
er as an inquiry and it's answer, but we
did not then know that the president
was going to ask congress for authority
to put hostile cOnStraint upon both the
parties" This addition makes the whole
matter clear.-Columbia (S. CO State.
Worse than this, and worst of all. the
president has put the country on notice
that the policy of the administration is
to intervene in behalf of the continuation
of SDl niSh domino tinn of the island of
Cuba.-The president wants peace so
earnestly that he is evidently willing to
force it at n price. He asks for the
privilege Of making fOrcible intervention.
and in doing so serves distinct notice
that lit involves hostile constraint upon
both the parties to the contest. as well as
settlement In other words, the presi-
dent asks the light to turn the guns of
the United States not only upon the
Spanish butchers. but also upOn the help
less and innocent victims of the das-
tardIy warfare which has been waged I'M
der the Soanish flag in cuba for the past
three years.-AIIanta Constitution.
In trying to get Spain into a corner,
the republican president tramped en- the
toes of all tire diplomatic representatives
about him. The wholesale and prOlOng-
ed slaughter of the Christian people of
Bulgaria.. and Armenia and Crete, with
the consent Of the Christian powers Of
England, France, Germany, Austria. lta-
ly anG, Russia. is of too recent and too
frequent occurrence for q declaration Of
the duty CT iris government to stop the
tide C slaughter in Cuba. lin the name
of humanity and civilization" to be quite
acceptable TO the representatives of those
powers. For them to concede that the
president is right in his views of duty
in such cases would be simply to con-
denim their own powers" out of hand.
While the European powers certainly
represent civilization" they have never
got their Cwn consent to represent it in
the way indicated by Characterization
News and Courier.
Rn1y to Look Good