The Irish standard., 1901-07-13
The Queen Regents Message of Peace Was
Withheld From Congress
by the. Wobbler.
The Entire Diplomatic Correspondence is
Published to the World for
the First Time

After keeping us for more than three
years in the dark, the administration
has at last decided to publish the diplo-
matte correspondence leading up to the
war with Spain, says the New York
Evening Post. This was at first prom
ised in connection with the presidents
war message of April II, 1898; but, on
second thought, it was stated, Mr.. Nc
Kinley determined that it would not
be prudent" to give out the documents
at that time. AS we read them now,
it is easy to agree that it would have
been piece Of terrible imprudence to
give them to the world then, since they
prove that the war was needless. This
tardy publication of the dispatches
makes it impossible to deny what, in
fact, Minister Woodford and Senator
Hoar and Congressman Boutelle
openly asserted in 1898, that there
would have been no war but for the
violence Of congress and the weakness
rof the president.
From the official correspondence we
learn the truth of the statement made
iby Nh. Boutelle in explanation Of his
vote against the war-namely, that
."Spain had conceded nearly every one
.of our demands, and seemed plainly
disposed to meet them ALL" so that,
but for the insane fury Of congress,
before which Mr.. Mckinley fell terror
lied, we should, as Minister Woodford
said publicly in Boston in October,
1898, have seen the Spanish flag leave
Cuba without the firing Of a shot or
the loss of life"
The proof is very simple 1t lies on
the face of the dispatches. Passing by
all preliminaries, we find Secretary
Day on March ~, 1898, telegraphing
Minister Woodford instructions to
make three demands:
@First-Armistice until Oct. 1. Nego-
tiations meantime looking for peace
between Spain and the insurgents
through friendly offices of president
United States.
"Second-Immediate revocation Of
reconcentrado order.
"And, If possible,
'"Third-If terms Of peace not satis-
factorily settled by Oct 1, president Of
the United States to be final arbiter
between Spain and the insurgents"
Now what followed? On March 81
the reconcentrado order was revoked,
and special credit of 100000 pesetas
put at the disposal of Governor General
Blanco to care for the homeless Gu
bans. There was our demand number
two promptly complied with. The offer
to concede. demand number one was
cabled by Minister Woodford ON April
5. 1t is the critical dispatch of the
whole volume, and its suppression un-
til now certainly shows an extraordi-
{ nary degree Of prudence" and posi-
bly, something else, in the president.
We publish it in full, and we ask for it
the careful attention of those clergy
men and church people who were driv-
ing congress on to war:
Should the queen proclaim the fol-
lowing before IL o'clock noon of
Wednesday, April 6, will you sustain
the queen, and can you prevent hostile
action by congress?
ssAt the request of the Holy Father
in this Passion Week and in the name
OF Christ, proclaim immediate and
unconditional suspension of hostilities
in the island Of Cuba.
'This suspension is to become i'm.
mediately effective so soon as accepted
by the insurgents in that island, and
is to continue for the space of six
months, to the 5th day of October, 1898
II do this to give time for passions
to cease, and in the sincere hope and
belief that during this suspension per
manent and honorable peace may bt
obtained between the insular govern
ment of Cuba and those Of my subjects
in that island who are now in rebellion
against the authority of Spain.
Il pray the blessing Of Heaven upor