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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1898)
Such is the Tonor of the Message on Cuban Affairs Sent to the Two Houses of Congress on Monday. CANNOT RECOGNIZE ISLAND S INDEPENDENCE Executive Opposes Recognition of Bellgerency as Inxpedlentand Favors the Oranting of Authority to Use Such Armed Forces of the Inited States as are Necessary to End Hostilities and Establish a Stable Government. WASHINGTON. April 12—The pres ident sent the following message to ' Ihe rongress of the United States: Obedient to the precept of the con stitution which commands the presi dent to give congress from time to time Information of the state of the union, and to recommend to their con sideration such measures as he shall Judge necessary and expedient, it be comes my duty now to address your body with regard to the grave crisis that has arisen in the relations of ; the United States to Spain, hy reason ■ of the warfare that for more than three years has raged In the neighbor- , lug Island of Cuba. I do so because of the Intimate connection of the Cu ban question with the state of our own union, and the grave relation the course which Is now incumbent upon the nation to adopt must neodR bear to the traditional policy of ou; gov ernment, If It Is to accord with the precept laid down hy the founders of the republic and religiously observ'd by succeeding administrations to the present day. The present revolution Is hut the successor of other similar Insurrections which have occurred in ! Cuba against the dominion of Spain, j extending over a period of nearly j half a century, each of which, during i Its progress, has subjected the Unlie l States to great effort and expense In enforcing Its neutrality laws, caused ; enormous losses to the American ■’ trade and commerce, caused Irritation, : annoyance and disturbance among our 1 citizens, and, hy the exercise of cruel ' and barbarous and uncivilized prac- j tlces dt warfare, shocked the senai- ; *•'*** v LUO llUUlUlir B J IU ~ pathles of our people. Since the present revolution began In February, 1895, this country has Been the fertile domain at our threshold ravaged by lire and sword In the course of a struggle unequaled in the history of the Island and rarely paralleled as to the number of the combatants and bitterness of the con test by any revolution of modern times where a dependent people, striv ing to be free, have been opposed by the power of the sovereign state. Our people have beheld a once prosper ous community reduced to compara tive want. Its commerce virtually par alyzed. its exceptional productiveness diminished, Its Helds laid waste. Its mills in ruins and Us people perish ing by tens of thousands from hun ger and starvation. We have found i ourselves constrained In the observ ance of that strict neutrality which our laws and which the law of ra tions enjoins, to police our own wat ers and watch our own seaports In prevention of any unlawful act In aid of the Cubans. Our trade ha3 suffer- j ed so the capital invested by our citi zens In Cuba has been largely lost and tbe forbearance of our people has been so sorely tried as to beget a per ilous unrest among our own citizens which has Inevitably found its expres sion from time to time in tbe na tional legislature so that issues whol ly external to our own body politic cagross attention and staud' In the way of that close devotion to domes tic advancement that becomes a self- ; contented commonwealth whose nrj. mill maxim has been me avoidance of all foreign entanglements. All this must needs awaken and has Ind ed aroused the utmost concern on the part of this government, as well dur ing my predecessor's us my own. In April. 1898, the evils from which our country suffered through the Cu ban war became so onerous that niv predecessor made an effort to bring ssbout a peace through the mediation of this governbent In any way that might tend to an Honorable adjust ment of the comet* between Spain and Its coveted colony, on the basis of some effective scheme of self-gov --- - • ^ wunri nip lidK ttllU sovereignty of Spain, It failed, through the rtfusal of the Spanish govrrnmru; then In power to consider any form of mediation or Indeed any plan of settlement which did not begiu with the actual eubmlaalou of ihe Insur gents to the mother country, and then only on such terms as Spain Itself might sea lit to grant. The war .on tinned unabated The resistance of tha Insurgents was in no wise dimln tailed. * The efforts of Spain were Increased, both by the dispatch of fresh levies lo Cuba and by the addition to the horrors of the strife of a new ami In human pbaa* happily unpreo denied la the modern history of civtllaad. Christian peopled The policy of ds vaetatios and ioa*-rucation. Inaugu rated by Ileaeral Hi Ur on iMotcr 10, lit*. In lha provin-e of l»;* ar <M rtn, wa* tk**r« ettauded to etuhra e all of ihe Island to whi. h >he p*.wer .1 tha Spanish arm* was able to reach hr occupation nr hr miMtaiy opera tion# The pea Matty in* -ling sit dwelling la the open agmuKural U teru>r wets driven Into Up . . i»< u towns nr Isolated pla.ee h*it »•» th« Hoops The rglstng and m**>* i«eat .d provisions et all hinds were Inter dieted The table wars lacl »». I d waitings u*im***d and ffrad mi.I* d airoieti and. in short, eeervthta# that rwulJ denotata the land *1*4 tender It unit for human habitation or tunp.-t was vummaadad to ha d**lrw»e-t h> Mt o# the other af the tone Mine pari I s and eaartned hy nil tha p*>» .-i. at t hair disposal Hr the lima tha present adminl»u» Him looh o*ee a year ago. ta*«m » Wniton amenlled had hewn mate Imuva over the h»Uat P*»l «* lha h»<* •entral and western provinces, Sar.ra '’lara, Matanzas, Havana and PInar del Ho. The agricultural population, to :he estimated number of 300,000 or nore, was herded within the towns ind their immediate vicinage, deprived >f the means of support, rendered les itute of shelter, left poorly clad and ixposed to the most unsanitary condt ions. As the scarcity of food Increased vith the devastation of the denopu ated areas of production, destitution tnd want became misery and starva ion. Month by month the death rate ncrcascd in an alarming ratio. By dnrrh, 1897. according to conservative stimates from olTlclal Spanish sources, he mortality among the reroncentra los from starvation and the diseases hereto incident exceeded 00 per •optima of their total number. No irartical relief was accorded to the Institute. The overburdened towns, ilreody suffering from the general Icarth, could give no aid. So-called ones of cultivation established within he immediate area of effective mili ary control about the cities and fortl led renips proved illusory as a remedy or the Buffering. The unfortunates, icing for the most part women and hiidren. with aged and helpless men. nfeebled by disease and hunger, co'dd lot have tilled the soil without looK eed or shelter for their own support, ir for the supply of the cities. II-. oacontration, adopted avowedly as a var measure, In order to cut off the •esources of the Insurgents, work.nl tn predestined results. As I said in ny message of last December, it was lot civilized warfare; It was exterml muun. J ne orny -at« it tuum ucun vas that of tne wilderness and tht jrave. Meanwhile the miiiiary situation in :he island had undergone a noticeable :hange. The extraordinary activity hat characterized the second year of lie war when the insurgents invaded iven the hitherto unharmed fields of Pinar del Hio and carried havoc anl lestltutlon up to the wails of the city if Havana itself, had relapsed into a logged struggle in the central and eastern provinces. The Spanish arms •“gained a measure of control in Plnai del Kio and parts of Havana, but. under the existing conditions of thy rural country, without Immediate Im provement of their productive situ atlon. Even thus partially re stricted, the revolutionists had their own territory and their submission put forward by Spain as the essential and sole basis of peace, seemed as far distant as at the outset. At this state of afTalrs my adminis tration found itseif confronted with the grave problem of its duty. My message of last December reviewed the situation and detailed the steps taken with a view of relieving Its acuteness and opening the way to some form of honorable settlement. The assassination of the prime min ister, Canovas, led to a change of gov ernment in Spain. The former ad ministration, pledged to subjugation without concession, gave place to that of a more liberal party, committed long In advance to a policy of reform, involving the wider principle of home rule for Cuba and Porto Uico. The overtures of this government, made through Its new envoy, General Wood ford, and looking to an immediate and effective amelioration of the con dition of the Island, although not ac cepted to the extent of admitted me diation in any shape, were met by assurances that home rule In an ad vanced phase would be forthwith of fered to Cuba without awaiting for the war to end, and that more hu mane methods should henceforth pre vail In the conduct of hostilities. In cidentally with these declarations the new government of Spain continued and completed the policy already be gan by Its predecessor of testifying friendly regard for this na’lon by re leasing American citizens held under one charge or another connected with ihe Insurrection, so that, by the end of Novemlier, not a single person en titled In any way to our national pro tection remained In a Spanish prison. Wfllle these negotiations were In progress the Increasing destitution of the unfortunate re< oocentradoes and the alarming mortality among them claimed earnest attention. The *uc reaa which hed attended the limited measure of relief estended to the suf fering American citizens ann ua thcui by the judicious rspendlture of th< ' money appropriated cspressly for theii anoor by Ihe joint resolution ap prosed May !t. l»»t, prompted the ’ humane ezienai.m of a eluillar »■ h»m< of aid to the great body of sufferers A »uggtallots to this end *»• a>nul eaced tn by the ttpaaleh authoritl*# tin (he itth of ls.»avr la%t I cau.es to he leaned an apieal It the \ mert.au p*«ple Insltlai contribution* tn Inoary or it Stud fur the nsrar of the alert lm •offer.’r# ta i'm' a, Mlontng this or the tth of Jeanary by a stmtUp pnh Its aanuow.emagt of *h» formation » • central I'sUs tellef Committee, will headguaruit la New \.»rh rll r»m p-e'.l of (hr** member* repreesgtiai the Amertcaa National N*d t’ruea em the lettgloM and tnat»*** • lessen' of the .omw tally The efforta «d tha • umwittse base been untiring and a> ■ omptlahad mn. h Art sage neat ,, to he# IraaapurtsMoa to Cuba ha. greatly aided Ihe charitable ».Sk Th president of the American M*4 t'rsae end the representative* of other rts tributary iMgaalaailoae ta>e gghetettz ly vis.ttu ouoa uni! co-opcivtej with the consul general and the loeil au- ! thoriMc3 to make effective dlst.lbutlon of the relief collected through efforts of the central committee. Nearly $2)0,- j COO in money and supplies ba3 already I reached the sufferers and more Is J forthcoming. The supplies are ad- ! mitted duty free and transportation to the interior has been arrarged, so that the relief, at first necessarily confined to .iavana ar.d the larger cit ies, Is now extended through most, If not all, of the towns where suffering exists. Thousands of lives have al ready been saved. The necessity for a change In the condition of tlr> recon tradoes Is recognized by the Spanish j government. Within a few days past j orders of General Weyler have been j revoked, the reconcentradoes are, it is said, to be permitted to return to their homes and aided to resume the self-supporting pursuits of peace; pub lic works have been ordered to give them employment and a euns.of $G00, 000 lias been aproprlated for their relief. The war In Cuba Is of such a nature that short of subjugation or extermi ntlon victory for either side seems Impracticable. The alternative lies In the physical exhaustion of the ono or the other party, or perhaps of both —a condition which in effect ended the ten years’ war by the truce of Zanjon. The prospect of such a pro traction and conclusion of the pres ent strife Is a contingency hardly to be contemplated with equanimity by the civilized world, and least of all by the United States, affected and In jured as we are. deeply and Intimately by Its very existence. Realizing this. It appears to be my duty, In a spirit of true friendliness, not less to Spain than to the Cubans who have so much to lose by the prolongation of the struggle, to seek to bring about an Immediate termina tion of the war. To this end I sub mitted on the 27th ultimo, as a re sult of much representation and cor respondence, through the United States minister at Madrid, propositions to the Spanish government looking to an armistice until October 1, for the negotiations of peace with the good offices of the president. In addi tion I asked the immediate revocation of the order of reconcentration, so ns to permit the people to retnrn to their farms and the needy to be relieved United States, co-operating with the Spanish authorities so as to afford full relief. The reply of the Spanish cabinet was received on the night of the 31st ultimo. It offers, aB the means to | bring about peace in Cuba, to confide the preparation thereof to the insular department, inasmuch as the concur- | rcnce of that body would be noce-sary to reach a final result, it being, how ever, understood that the powers re- i served by the constitution of the cen- ! tral government are not lessened or | diminished. As the Cuban parliament ; does not meet until the 4th of May ! next, the Spanish government would not object, for its part, to accept at once a suspension of hostilities, if asked for by the Insurgents from tho , general-in-chief, to whom It would j pertain, in such case, to determine j the duration and conditions of the ar mistice. The proposition submitted by Gen eral Woodford and the reply of the Spanish government were both In the form of brief memoranda, the texts of which are before me, and are sub stantially in the language above giv en. The function of the Cuban par liament in the matter of ‘‘preparing" peace and the manner of its doing so are not expressed in the Spanish mem orandum; but from General Wood ford's explanatory reports of prelim inary discussions preceding the final conference it is understood that the Spanish government stands ready to give the insular congress full pow ers to settle terms of peace with tho Insurgents whether by direct negotia tion or Indirectly by means of legis lation does not appear. With this last overture in the direc tion of Immediate peace and its dis appointing reception by Spain, the executive was brought to the end of his effort. In my annual message of December last I said: "Of the untried meas ures there remain: Recognition of the insurgents ns belligerents; recog nition of the independence of Cuba; j neutral intervention to end the war 1 by Imposing a rational compromise I between the contestants ami Inter venuon in tavor or one or tne ot,ner party. I speak not of forcible annexation, for that cannot bo thought of. That, by our code of morality, would be criminal aggression. Thereupon. I reviewed these alternatives. in the ' light of President Grant's measured words, uttered In 1875. when, after seven years of sanguinary, destructive ! and cruel barbarities iu Cuba he reached the conclusion that recogni tion of the Independence of Cuba was Impracticable and Indefensible, and that tha recognition of l>«lll(erenca i was not warranted by the facts, ae 1 cording to tha testa of public low. I romtneaed especially upon the latter aspect of the question, ulntlng out the Inconveniences and positive dan gers of a recognition, which, while adding to the already onerous burden* of neutrality within our own jur ladle non. could nut la any way extend our Influence or effective offices In the ter ritory of hostilities Nothing baa sln -e occurred to change my dew in this regard, and I re. ogalse as fully now a* then that the Issuance of g procla mation »| neutrality, tiy which pro cess the mi ailed r. ogniti n of led llgervgie |a published, could nut of |te *11. n*d unattended by otbey act in*. , accomplish nothing toward the one ! »tnt >»< wbpb »» labor, the Instant pm tn. si lou of Cuba and the tssaxiiaa wf kiMUIliba Tu.mng tu Ihe notation of tglervea llrm nt this Hire the IS(lrp>a4stis , tb present Insurgent Hollies' lu fut-e w* And **|e p . cUm, . »n tstr kWetl from an sntir day, They nie w«l| eutoMed up In l*r-*id-.H Isebs*.n a m*s«e»■ to essngreea I*.»*< let ft I S'* ng ' Ice sMb|c* t of tha ' ree«g*ittu* of the in,b (tendstoe uf I , Tessa lie said "1* all the >..no ail«*s that have arleea .el of the reiututlone wf /rxnce t anti ef the lisps'> isloisg to tbs ■ crewa of portngsi end diatn out of i lbs separatum *tf tbe Vast I..it. p.#, ■ tsssiitna uf fcMk from tbs Kurogea* • I government, gat not *4 the * ru ed Mil i-ousluiKiy occurring struggles for domination in Spanish America, so wisely consistent with our principles has been the action of our government that we have under the most critical circumstances avoided all censure and encountered no other evil than that produced by a transient re-estrangs ir.ent of goed will in those against whom we have been by force of evi dence compelled to decide.” It lias thus been made known to the e/orld that the uniform poll' y nn l practice of tho United States Is to avoid all Interference In disputes of other nations, and eventually to recog nize the authority of the prevailing party wflhout reference to the mnriti of the original controversy. But ou this, ns on every other occasion, Rafety 's to be found in a rigid adherence to principle. “In the contest between Spain and the revolted colonies we stood aloof and waited not only until the ahlllty of the new states to protect themselves was fully established, hut until the danger of their being again subjugated had entirely passed away. Then, and not until then, were they recognized. Such was our course In regard to Mexico Itself. "It Is true that with regard to Texas the civil authority of Mexico has been erpelied. Its invading armv. defeated, the chief of the republic himself cap tured. and all present power to control the newly organized government of today annihilated within Its confines, hut on the other hand there Is In ap pearance, at least, an Immense dis parity of physical force on the side c f Texas. The Mexican republic, under another executive, Is rallying Its forces under a new leader and menacing a fresh Invasion to recover Its lost do main. “Upon the issue of this threatened Invasion the independence of Texas may be considered as suspended, anu were there nothing peculiar In the sit uation of the United States and Texas, our acknowledgement of Its Indepen dence at such a crisis should ararrrty be regarded as consistent with that prudent reserve with which we have hitherto hold ourselves bound to treat al! similar questions.” Thereupon Andrew’ Jackson pro ceeded to consider the risk that there might he Imputed to the United States’ motives or seinsn inieresia in view oi the former claim on our part to the j territory of Texas and of me avowed , purpose of the Texans in seeking re cognition of independence as an Inci- , dent to the Incorporation of Texas n j the union, concluding thus: "Prudence, therefore, seems to indi- 1 cate that wc should still stand aloof and maintain our present attitude, if [ not until Mexico itself, or one of the great foreign powers shall recognize the independence of the new govern ment. at least until the lapse of time or the course of events shall have proved beyond cavil or dispute the : ability of the people of mat country to maintain their separate sovereignty and to uphold the government consti tuted by them. Neither of the con tending parties can justly complain of this course, Ily pursuing it we are but carrying out the long established pol icy of our government, a policy which has secured to us respect and influence abroad and inspired confidence at home.” These are the words of the resolute and patriotic Jackson. They are evidence that the United States, in addition to the test imposed by public l_iw as to the condition of the recog nition of Independence by a neutral state (to-wit, that the revolted state shall “constitute in fact a body politic having a government In substance as well as name, possessed of the ele ments of stability and forming de facto, if left to itself, a state among the nations reasonable capable of dis charging the duties of state): has im posed for its own goverance in dealing with cases like these the further con dition that recognition of independent statehood is not due to a revolted de pendency until the danger of its being again subjugated by the parent state has entirely passed away. This ex treme test was in fact applied in the case of Texas. The congress to whom President Jackson referred the ques tion as "one probably leading to war” and therefore a proper subject for a "previous understanding with that body, by whom war alone can bn de clared. and by whom all the provisions for sustaining its perils must be fur nished,” left the matter of the recog nition of Texas to the executive pro viding merely for sending a diplomatic agent, when the president should 1)9 satisfied that the republic of Texas had become “an independent state. It was so recognized by President Van Buren. who commissioned a charge d’ affaires March 17. 1837. after Mexico had abandoned an attempt to reconquer the Texan territory and then there was at the time no bona tide eonlegt going on between the In surgent province and its former sov ereign. I ttald In my message of December last: "It Is to ho seriously considered whether the Cuban Insurrection pos sesses beyond dispute the attributes of statehood, which alone can demand the recognition of belligerency In Ita favor." The same requirement mint cer tainly he no less seriously considered when the graver Issue of recognizing Independence is In question, for no less positive test rsn lie npplled to the rrenter art than to the lesser while on the other hand the Influent ee and consequences of the struggle upon the Internal policy of a recognising state, which form Important factors when the recognition of belligerency Is con cerned. it' secondary If not rightly tlttmlnahle fa«-t »rs when the real ques tion Is whether the rentniunity claim ing recognition Is or Is not Independ ent beyond peyndventurc Nor from the standpoint of expedl erne do I think It would be wise or prudent for this government to recog nise at the pr***n* time the Indepen .Ispcs of th* so called Cuban republic, dm h >* ogaitton is not necessary In order *«» enable the t’nlted Utates to Inlet yens and padfy the Island To „nmH 'his rountrr to the re, ,.gntl!"it of «•« parthular government In Cuba might siibfsrt us to embarrassing ron dittuna of lnte»natl«n#l obligation to ward the organlratu'n so rssngntged In rnae of ln*»tv»«tU■» our oHnlwt would he suhfe* ted In the approtnl or dtaupproxal sf »u«h government ant we would he requited t» submit to lla direction and ■ Winn t*» it ihe msrs ttf % tftoNwM* lilt Hltihfll II •ball at »eui hereafter that Ihs'e Is •Hhin the talan t a government mp< able »f performing «h" d oiea set d'« i barging the fwurlUme of a ssparals nation and ha* mg aa a matter u# f»-1 the proper Home and attributes »l aaHonaltty. b gusmnmeut r*lt ha promptly and readily recognized, and the relations and interests of the United States with such nation ad justed. There remain the alternative forms of Intervention to end the war. either as an Impartial neutral, by Imposing a rational compromise betyeen the contestants or as an active ally of the one party or the other. As to the first, It Is not to he forgot ten that during the last few months the relation of the United States has virtually been one of friendly Inter vention .n many ways, not so conclu sive, but all tending to tne exertion of a potential influence toward an ulti mate pacinc result, Just and honorable to ail Interests concerned. The spirit of au our acts hitherto has been an earnest, unselflsn desire for peace and prosperity In Cuba, untarnished by differences botween us an i-paln, and unstained by the blood of American citizens. The forcible Intervention of the United states as a neutral to stop the war, according to the dictates of hu manity and following many historical precedents where neighboring states have Interfered to check the hopeless sacrifice of life by Internecine conflicts beyond their borders, Is Justifiable on national grounds. It involves, however, hostile constraint upon both the parties to the contest, as well to enforce a truce as to guide the event tual settlement. The grounds for such intervention may be briefly summarized as follows: 1. In the cause of humanity and to put an end to the barbarities, blood shed, starvation and horrible miseries now existing there, and which the parties to the conflict are cither un able or unwilling to stop or mitigate. It is no answer to say this Is all in another country, belonging to another nation and Is therefore none of our business. It is specially our duty for it in right nt ottr door. 2. We owe It to our citizens in Cuba to afford them that protection and in demnity for life and property which no government there can or will afford and to that end to terminate the con ditions which deprive them of legal protection, 3. The right, to intervene may be Justified by the very serious injury to the commerce, trade and business of our people and by the wanton destrue tlon of property and devastation of the island. 4. And which is of the utmost im portance. The present condition of affairs in Cuba is a constant menace to our peace, and entails upon this gov ernment an enormous expense. With such a conflict waged for years in ail Island so near us and with wnich our people navp such trade and business relations—when the lives and liberty of our citizens are in constant danger and their property destroyed and them.selves ruined—where our trading vessel* are liable to reizure and are seized at our very doer by war ships of a foreign nai.on, the expeditions of filibustering that we are powerless to prevent altogether and the irritating questions and entanglements thus aris ing—all these and others tuat I need not mention with the resulting strained relations are a constan' men ace to our peace and como"' us to keep on a semi-war footing with a nation with which we are at peace. These elements of danger and dis order already pointed out have been strikingly illustrated by a tragic event which has deeply and Justly moved the American people. I have already trans mitted to congress the report of the naval court of inquiry on the destruc tion of the battleship Maine in the harbor of Havana during the night of the 15th of February. The destruc tion of that noble vessel lias filled the national heart with inexpressible sor row. 'iwo hundred and fifty-eight brave sailors and marines and two officers of onr navy, reposing in the fancied security of a friendly harbor, have been hurled to death—grief and want brought to their homes and sor row to the nation. The naval court of inquiry, which, it is needless to say, commands the unqualified confidence of the govern ment, was unanimous in its conclusion that the destruction of the Maine was caused by an exterior explosion, that of a submarine mine. It did not as sume to place the responsibility. That remains to be fixed. In any event, the destruction of the Maine, by whatever exterior force, is a patent and Impressive proof of a 1 state of things in Cuba that is intol frame, i nai ronaiuun in uiu» buu»u to lie such that the Spanish govern 1 ment cannot assure safety and security to a vessel of the American navy In the harbor of Havana on a mission of peace and rightfully there. Further referring In this connection to recent diplomatic correspondence, a dispatch from our minister to Spnln of the 26th ult. contained the state, ment that the Spanish minister for foreign Hffalrs assured him positively that Spain will do all that the highest honor and Justice icqulrna In the mat ter of the Maine. The reply above referred to of the 31st ult. also con tained an .xpresslon of the readiness of Spain to submit to an arbitration all the differences which can arise In thla ma.ier, which Is subsequently ex plained by the not* of the Spanish minister at Washington of the 10th i^at. as follows: "As to the question of fact which springs from the diversity of view* from the report of the kmerlraa and Spanish board* Spain propose* that the fan hr ascertained by an Impartial Investigation by expert*, which de rision Spain accept* In advance." To this I have made no reply. The long trial ha* proved that the object for which Spain ha* waged the war cannot be attained I tte tire of Insurrection ma> flame nr mav enuml drr with rarvlng *r*M>n* hut It ha* nut been, and It I* not plain that It ran he. extinguished by p <••#*« method* The nntv hope of relief and ygpggg from ,i condition which I lint longer he eadu-'d l» the an hirer d na< Ideating of Cuba In 'lie name t-f humanllv. In *h* sains of . Ivlllsailoa. in behalf of lhe .* Um> ><l American Interest* whh h give* lit the right and duty to rpeeb and la act, the war In 1 t'uhn m i*t atop President llraat. In (111, after die nursing the abate* < I tbe coolest a* It igen a nee red and It* bopeleeeneee and iyy*ort Indeflnll* yoilnri.il1'* said In *>t. H event t »n« <■* tb* opinion lb«t other nation* will he ewg>P»lted te aitnH the re*m»n*lbt!ttr whh h de vttlvee uyne item and in *ef'*resly , iaeaider the nnl* remaining ynnmre possible medial log *nd interventton ftwlag perbeae to tbe Urge - «I t*»» of water separating tbe 'dead firm tb* peninsula tbe »'»M «)!<*• I* I • ’appear to have within themselves no depository of common confidence it suggest wisdom when passion ana ex citement have their sway, and to as sume the part of peacemakers, in tn case, in the earlier days of p°.nt„ ’ the good offices of the United States as a mediator were tendered in good faun without any selfish purpose, in tne Interest of humanity ana In sincere friendship for both parties, but were at the time declined by Spain with the declaration nevertheless that at a fu ture time they would be Indispensable. No Intimation has been received that In IU opinion that time has been reached, and yet the strife continues with all Its dread horrors and lnJj,r|p» to the Interests of the United States and of other nations. Each party seems quite capable of working great injury and damage to the other as well as to all the relations and inter est dependent upon the existence of peace In the Island, but they seem In capable of reaching any adjustment, and both have thus far failed of achieving any success whereby one party shall possess and control tne Island to the exclusion of the othei. Under the circumstances the agency of others, either by mediation or by Intervention, seems to be the only al ternative which must sooner or later be Invoked for the termination of the strife." ^ - „„„ In view of those facts and these con siderations. I ask the congress iU> au thorize and empower the president to take measures to secure a full sett1 tnent and termination of hostilities between the government of Spain and the people of Cuba, and to secure In the Island the establishment of a stah'.o government capable of maintaining order and observing Its international obligations, ensuring peace and tran quility and the security of Its citizens, as well as our own. and to use the military and naval forces of the United States as may be necessary for these purposes, and In the Interest of humanity and to aid In preserving the lives of the starving people of the island, I recommend that the distrib ution of food and supplies be contin ued and that an appropriation be made out of the public treasury to supple ment the charity of our citizens. The Issue is now with the congress. It is a solemn responsibility. I have ex t A.rn »*r r.ffc.r* rplfpVP the In tolerable condition of affairs which is at our doors. Prepared to execute every obligation imposed upon me by the constitution and the laws, I await your action. In the last annual message of my immediate predecessor, during the pending struggle, it was said: "When the inability of Spain to deal successfully with the insurrec tion has become manifest and It is de monstrated that Its sovereignty is ex tinct in Cuba for all purposes of its rightful existenee, and when a hope less struggle for its re-establishment has degenerated Into a strife which means nothing more than the use less sacrifice of human life and the utter destruction of the very subject matter of the conflict, a situation will be presented In which our obligations to the sovereignty of Spain will be superseded by higher obligations, which we can hardly hesitate to rec ognize and discharge. In my annual message to congress, December last, speaking of this ques tion, I said: "The near future will demonstrate whether the indispensable condition of a righteous peace. Just alike to the Cubans and to Spain, as well as equitable to all our interests go Inti mately involved in the welfare of Cu ba, is likely to be attained. If not, the exigency of further and other ac tion by the United States will re main to be taken. When the timo comes that action will be determined in the line of indisputable right and duty. It will be faced without mis giving or hesitancy in the light of tho obligation this government owes to itself, to the people who have confided to it the protection of their interests and honor, and to humanity. "Sure of the right, keeping free from all offense ourselves, actuated only by upright and patriotic considerations, moved neither by passion nor selfish ness, the government will continue Its watchful care over the rights and property of American citizens and will nhnte mm, of efforts to bring about by peaceful agencies a peace which shall be honorable and enduring. If It shall hereafter appear to be a duty Imposed by our obligations to our selves, to civilization and humanity to intervene with force, It shall be with out fault on our pajt and only because the necessity for such action will be so clear as to command the support and approval of the civilized world." Yesterday and since the preparation of the foregoing message, official In formation was received by me that the latest decree of the queen regent of Hpatn directs General ltlanco, In order to prepare and facilitate peace, to proclaim a suspension of hostilities, the duration and details of which have not yet been communicated to DM. This fact, with every other perti nent consideration, will, I am sure, have your Just and careful attention in the solemn deliberations upon which you are about to enter. If this measure attains a successful result, then our aspirations as a ('hrllian. pence loving people will be realised. It It falls It will be only another Jus tification for our contemplated action. WI1.I,I AM M KINI.KY. lJieeutlve Mansion, April It, "lion't you see," said the Atlanta t Vinetltultoa's colored veteran, the other day. "whet <|ey doin' wtd de sig ners In ills h*ah war lime, en ain't It ilea I tot' you*" "Wy whut day doin'?" "Well, eoh. ef dey ain't gone en sout a whole regiment er rulliol sojers t*r de liry Tortures' Mia' you, now tuh 'urn a!| fum a las' whar dey has I* el option en soat 'uni ter >1* liry Tortures' I tells you. de culltul reie eta ■ sm no show tall on da tog tide er de swIT* When lien John H Gordon Was tee luring In llwaeatt, Mich , the other evening, a triegtam (torn the «*u!| was headed lo him, which he read; tme hundred and Afiy thousand of your connects* si end leads lo follow ; omu head In the protection of our na tional honor" After reeding |l, he retd I Ihtnh I hear rebel yelta and A askew hurrahs mingled na « W tone mwn couuiry unite* in the ptwte iioa of nut tag Why Isn't n girls tgur* her fur lun* last rad of her fnc*t