IK. 



CONGRESS. (PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



ami last i ii i; re-ult. jti>t and honorable alike to Spain 

 and to tlu- Cuban people. These instructions 

 recited the character and duration of the contest, 

 the wide-pmid !o>ses it entails, the burdens and 



:. lint -it imjMisesupon us. with constant disturb- 

 ance of national interests, and the injury resulting 

 from an indefinite continuance of this state of 

 things. It was stated that at this juncture our 

 nun. -nt wjis eoiistrained to seriously inquire if 

 the time was not rijie when Spain of her own voli- 

 tion. ino\.-d I iy her own interests and every senti- 

 meitt of luiiiianily. should put a stop to this 

 i.tiv, war and make proposals of settlement 

 honorable to herself ami just to her Cuban colony. 



.is urx'ed I hat as a neighboring nation, with large 

 interests in Cuba, we could be required to wait 

 only a reasonable time for the mother country to 



I'.li-h its authority and restore peace and order 

 within the borders of the island ; that we could not 

 contemplate an indefinite i>eriod for the accomplish- 

 ment of tliis result. 



No solution was proposed to which the slightest 

 idea of humiliation to Spain could attach, and in- 



1 precise proposals were withheld to avoid 

 embarrassment to that Government. All that was 

 i or expected was that some safe way might be 

 spee.lily provided and permanent peace restored. 

 It . chanced that the consideration of this offer, 

 addressed to the same Spanish administration 

 which had declined the tenders of my predecessor 

 and which for more than two years had poured 

 men and treasure into Cuba in the fruitless effort 

 to .-oppress the revolt, fell to others. Between the 

 departure of Gen. Wood ford, the new envoy, and 

 his arrival in Spain, the statesman who had shaped 

 the policy of his country fell by the hand of an 



-in. and although the Cabinet of the late 

 Premier still held office and received from our 

 envoy the proposals he bore, that Cabinet gave 

 place within a few days thereafter to a new admin- 

 istration, under the leadership of Sagasta. 



The reply to our note was received on the 23d 

 day of October. It is in the direction of a better 

 understanding. It appreciates the friendly pur- 

 poses of this Government. It admits that our 

 country is deeply affected by the war in Cuba and 

 that its desires for peace are just. It declares that 

 the present Spanish Government is bound by every 

 consideration to a change of policy that should 

 >ati-fy the I'nited States and pacify Cuba within a 

 reasonable time. To this end Spain has decided to 

 put into effect the political reforms heretofore ad- 

 vocated by the present Premier without halting for 

 any couMderation in the path which in its judg- 

 ment leads to peace. The military operations, it is 

 said, will continue, but will be humane and con- 

 ducted with all regard for private rights, being ac- 

 companied by |>olitical action leading to the auton- 

 omy of Cuba while guarding Spanish sovereignty. 

 This, it is claimed, will result in inverting Cuba with 

 a distinct personality, the island to be governed by 

 nn executive and by a local council or Chamber, re- 

 M-rvin- t,i Spain the control of tin- foreign relations, 

 the army and navy, ami the judicial administra- 

 tion. To accomplish this the present Government 

 proposes to modify existing legislation by decree, 

 leaving the Spanish Cortes, with the aid o"f Cuban 

 Senators and Deputies, to solve the economic prob- 

 lem and properly distribute the existing debt. 



In the absence of a declaration of the measures 

 that this Government proposes to take in carrying 

 out JU proffer of good office-, it sug^eMs that Spain 

 ! left free to conduct military operations and grant 

 political reforms, while the United States for its 

 part shall enforce its neutral obligations and cut off 

 the assistance which it is asserted the insurgents 

 ve from this country. The supposition of an 



indefinite prolongation of the war is denied. It is 

 asserted that the western provinces are already 

 well-nigh reclaimed, that the planting of cane and 

 tobacco therein has been resumed, and that by 

 force of arms and new and ample reforms very 

 early and complete pacification is hoped for. 



The immediate amelioration of existing condi- 

 tions under the new administration of Cuban 

 affairs is predicted, and therewithal the disturbance 

 and all occasion for any change of attitude on the 

 part of the United States. Discussion of the ques- 

 tion of the international duties and responsibilities 

 of the United States as Spain understands them is 

 presented, with an apparent disposition to charge 

 us with failure in this regard. This charge is with- 

 out any basis in fact. It could not have been made 

 if Spain had been cognizant of the constant efforts 

 this Government has made at the cost of millions 

 and by the employment of the administrative ma- 

 chinery of the nation at command to perform its 

 full duty according to the law of nations. That it 

 has successfully prevented the departure of a single 

 military expedition or armed vessel from our shores 

 in violation of our laws would seem to be a suffi- 

 cient answer. But of this aspect of the Spanish 

 note it is not necessary to speak further now. Firm 

 in the conviction of a wholly performed obligation, 

 due response to this charge has been made in diplo- 

 matic course. 



Throughout all these horrors and dangers to 01 r 

 own peace this Government has never in any way 

 abrogated its sovereign prerogative of reserving to 

 itself the determination of its policy and course 

 according to its own high sense of right and in con- 

 sonance with the dearest interests and convictions 

 of our own people should the prolongation of the 

 strife so demand. 



Of the untried measures there remain only : Rec- 

 ognition of the insurgents as belligerents, recogni- 

 tion of the independence of Cuba, neutral inter- 

 vention to end the war by imposing a rational com- 

 promise between the contestants, and intervention 

 in favor of one or the other party. I speak rot of 

 forcible annexation, for that can not be thought of. 

 That by our code of morality would be criminal 

 aggression. 



Recognition of the belligerency of the Cuban in- 

 surgents has often been canvassed as a possible if 

 not inevitable step both in regard to the previous 

 ten years' struggle and during the present war. I 

 am not unmindful that the two houses of Con- 

 gress in the spring of 1896 expressed the opinion by 

 concurrent resolution that a condition of public wjir 

 existed requiring or justifying the recognition of a 

 state of belligerency in Cuba, and during the extra 

 session the Senate voted a joint resolution of like 

 import, which, however, was not brought to a vote 

 in the House of Representatives. In the presence 

 of these significant expressions of the sentiment of 

 the legislative branch it behooves the Executive to 

 soberly consider the conditions under which so 

 important a measure must needs rest for justifica- 

 tion. It is to be seriously considered whether tlie 

 Cuban insurrection possesses beyond dispute tie 

 attributes of statehood, which alone can demand tl.c 

 recognition of belligerency in its favor. Possession. 

 in short, of the essential qualifications of sovereignly 

 by the insurgents and the conduct of the war I y 

 them according to the received code of war are no 

 less important factors toward the determination of 

 the problem of belligerency than are the influences 

 and consequences of the struggle upon the internal 

 polity of the recognizing state. 



The wise utterances of President Grant in li s 

 memorable message of Dec. 7, 1875, are signally 

 relevant to the present situation in Cuba, and it 

 may be wholesome now to recall them. At that 



