Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-04-15

Il.
side seems impracticable. The alterna-
tive lies in the physical exhaustion of one
or the other party or perhaps both. a con-
dition which in effect. ended the IL years
way by the truce of Zan Jon. The pros
pt-ct OF such n protraCtion and confusion
of the present strife is a contingency
hardly TO be contemplated with equanim-
i:y by the civilized world and least OF all
by the United States. affected and injur
ed as We are deeply and intimately. by
its very existence.
Asked for an Armistice.
Realizing this. IL appeared TO be my
duty. in a spirit OF true friendliness no
less to Spain than TO those Cubans who
have SO much 10 lose by the prolonga-
tion OF the struggle, 10 seek TO bring
about an immediate termination of the
war. To this end l submitted, on the
9th ultimo, as a result OF much represent
tation and correspondence through the
United States minister at Madrid. PROPOSE
tions to the Spanish government looking
TO an armistce until October ! for the
negotiation of peace with the good Off
c.-s of the president.
In addition, | asked the immediate re-
vocation of the order of reconcentratio
so as to permit the people TO return TO
their farms and the needy to be relieved
with provisions and supplies by the Unit
ed States cooperating with the Spanish
authorities SO as 10 afford full relief.
The reply of the Spanish cabinet wa,
received on the 3lst ult. 1t offers as the
means to bring about peace in Cuba. to
Confide the preparation thereof to the in
sular parliament, inasmuch as the con-
currence of that body would be necessary
to establish a final result; it being. how
ever understood that the powers reserved
by the constitution to the central govern
lrent are not lessened or diminished. AS
the Cuban parliament does not meet I'M
til the fourth of May next the Spanish
government would not object for its part
to accept at once suspension of hos
tiites If asked for by the insurgents
from the general-in-chief. to whom it
would pertain in such case to determine
the duration and condition of the arms
tice.
The function of the Cuban parliament
in the matter of preparing peace and
the manner of doing so are not expressed
in the Spanish memorandum, but from
General Woodford's explanatory reports
of preliminary discussions preceding the
final conferences it is understood that the
Spanish government stands ready to give
the insular congress full power to settle
the terms of peace with the insurgents
| whether by direct negotiations or indi-
rectly by means of legislation does not
| appear.
The End of the Effort.
| With this last overture in the direction
of immediate peace and it's disappointing
| reception by Spain, the executive wa.
| brought to the end of his effort.
In my annual message of last Deem
Der l said: "Of the untried measure:
| there remain recognition of the insur
| gents as belligerents. recognition of thu
independence of Cuba and intervention t.
| end the war by imposing rational com
| hot hp fps
| tervention in favor of one or the othe
| party. | speak not of forcible annexa
| ton for that can not be thought of. Tha
| by our code of morality would be Grim
| inal aggression
Thereupon, l reviewed these alterna
tives in the light of President Grant
message in the words uttered in 49,
when. after seven years of sanguinary
destructive and cruel barbarities in Cuba
he reached the conclusion that the recog
milton of the independence of Cuba wa
impracticable and indefensible and tina
the recognition of belligerence was no
warranted by the facts according to tn
texts of public law.
l commented especially upon this phas
of the question, pointing out the ineon
veniences and positive dangers of recogni
ton of belligerence, which, while addin
to the already onerous burdens of neu
trality within our own jurisdiction, cOul
not in any way extend our influence q
effective Office in the territory of hosti
tiles.
Nothing has since occurred to chang
my view I'm this regard and l recogniz
, as fuzzy now as then that the issuanc
of a proclamation of neutrality. by whic
process the so-called recognition of be
; ligerency is published, could, of itself an
unattended by other action accomplis
not hing toward the end for which we IL
h,,. ! it,S.t tinn .Nft nh
the cessation of the misery that aIt!ic
the island.
Against RecOGn ixinG independence
. Turning to the question of recognizin
at this time the independence of the pre-.
ent insurgent movement in Cuba we Tin
safe precedents in our history from a
! early day. They are well summed up
. ! President Jacksons message to congre.
F. December 2l 1886, on the subject of II
recognition of the independence of TIE,
as, when he said:
2 In all the contests that have arisen o,
= of the revolutions of France, out of di
9 putes relating to Portugal and Spain, o,
of the separation of the American pc
= sessions of both from the European go
l ernments and out of the numerous al
n constantly occurring struggles for domil
ion in Spanish American states 50 wise
: consistent with our just principles h
!. been the action of our government th
: We have. under the most critical circur
), stances avoided all ceusure and encou
: tered no other evil than that produced |
"A transient re-estrangemont of good W
Il in those against whom we have bee
~ by force of evidence. compelled TO d
+, eide.
u 1T has thus been made known to Il
u world that the uniform policy and practi
p of the United States is to avoid all inte
/ ference in disputes which merely reli
. to the internal government of other n
" tons and eventually to recognize the a
thority Of the prevailing party witho
reference TO our particular interests a
views or to The merits of the original co
troNprSy.