UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



743 



lean interests or to the merits of the controversy. 

 In the case of Texas and in that of the revolted 

 European dependencies, the United States went be- 

 yond the tests imposed by public law as to the rec- 

 ognition of independence, requiring not only that 

 the new state should constitute a body politic having 

 a government in substance as well as in name, pos- 

 sessing the elements of stability and capable of 

 discharging international duties, but also that the 

 danger of its being again subjugated by the parent 

 .state should have passed away. His conclusions 

 on this question were as follow : 



" From the standpoint of expediency I do not 

 think it wise or prudent for this Government to 

 recognize at the present time the independence of 

 the so-called Cuban republic. Such recognition is 

 not necessary in order to enable the United States 

 to intervene to pacify the island. To commit this 

 country now to the recognition of any particular 

 Government in Cuba might subject us to embarrass- 

 ing conditions of international obligation toward 

 the organization so recognized. In case of inter- 

 vention, our conduct would be subject to the ap- 

 proval or disapproval of such Government. We 

 should be required to submit to its direction and as- 

 sume to it the mere relation of a friendly ally. When 

 it shall appear hereafter that there is within the island 

 a Government capable of performing the duties and 

 discharging the functions of a separate nation, and 

 having, as a matter of fact, the proper forms and 

 attributes of nationality, such Government can be 

 promptly and readily recognized, and the relations 

 and interests of the United States with such a nation 

 adjusted. 



" There remains the alternative form of interven- 

 tion to end the war, either as an impartial neutral 

 by imposing a rational compromise between the 

 contestants, or as the active ally of one party or the 

 other. As to the first, it is not to be forgotten that 

 during the last few months the relation of the 

 United States has virtually been one of friendly in- 

 tervention in many ways, each not of itself conclu- 

 sive, but all tending to the exertion of potential 

 influence toward an ultimate pacific result, just and 

 honorable to all the interests concerned. The spirit 

 of all our acts hitherto has been an earnest, unself- 

 ish desire for peace and prosperity in Cuba, untar- 

 nished by differences between the United States 

 .and Spain, 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 large dictates of humanity and following many 

 historical precedents, where neighboring states have 

 interfered to check hopeless sacrifices of life by in- 

 ternecine conflicts beyond their borders, is justifi- 

 able on rational grounds. It involves, however, 

 hostile constraint upon both parties to the contest, 

 as well to enforce a truce as to guide the eventual 

 settlement. The grounds for such intervention 

 may be briefly summarized as follows : First, in the 

 cause of humanity to put an end to the barbarities, 

 bloodshed, starvation, and horrible miseries now 

 existing there, and which the parties to the conflict 

 .are either unable 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 especially our duty, for it is 

 right at our door. Secondly, we owe it to our citi- 

 zens in Cuba to afford them that protection and 

 indemnity for life and property which no Govern- 

 ment there can or will afford, and, to that end, to 

 terminate conditions which deprive them of legal 

 protection. Thirdly, the right to intervene may be 

 justified by the very serious injury to the comim-ivc. 

 trade, and business of the people, by the wanton 

 destruction of property and the devastation of the 

 island. Fourthly, the present condition of affairs 



in Cuba is a constant menace to our peace, and 

 entails upon this Government enormous expense. 

 With such a conflict waged for years in an island 

 so near, with which our people have such trade and 

 business relations, where the lives and liberty of 

 our citizens are in constant danger, their property 

 destroyed, themselves ruined, where our trading 

 vessels are liable to seizure, and are seized at our 

 very door by the war ships of a foreign nation, the 

 expeditions of filibustering that we are powerless 

 altogether to prevent, and the irritating questions 

 and entanglements thus arising all these and 

 others that I need not mention, with the resulting 

 strained relations, are 'a constant menace to our 

 peace, and compel us to keep on a semiwar footing 

 with a nation witli which we are at peace." 



The message next refers to the destruction of 

 the " Maine " as an impressive proof of a state of 

 things in Cuba that was intolerable, showing a 

 condition such that the Spanish Government could 

 not assure safety to a vessel of the American navy 

 in the harbor of Havana on a mission of peace, and 

 rightfully there. The President laid the whole 

 question before Congress for its decision as to the 

 course of action to be pursued, concluding with 

 these declarations and recommendations : 



" Sure of the right, keeping free from all offense 

 ourselves, actuated only by upright and patriotic 

 consideration, moved neither by passion nor selfish- 

 ness, the Government will continue its watchful care 

 over the rights and propertv of American citizens, 

 and will abate none of its 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 ourselves, to 

 civilization and humanity, to intervene with force, it 

 shall be without fault on our part, and only because 

 the necessity for such action will be so clear as to 

 command the support and approval of the civilized 

 world. The long trial has proved that the object 

 for which Spain has waged the war can not be at- 

 tained. The fire of insurrection may flame or may 

 smother with varying season, but it has not been, 

 and it is plain that it can not be, extinguished by 

 present methods. 



" The only hope of relief and repose from a con- 

 dition which can no longer be endured is the en- 

 forced pacification of Cuba. In the name of hu- 

 manity, in the name of civilization, in behalf of 

 endangered American interests which give us the 

 right and the duty to speak and to act, the war in 

 Cuba must stop. In view of these facts and these 

 considerations I ask the Congress to authorize and 

 empower the President to take measures to secure a 

 full and final termination of hostilities between the 

 Government of Spain and the people of Cuba, and 

 to secure in the island the establishment of a stable 

 Government capable of maintaining order and ob- 

 serving its international obligation, insuring peace 

 and tranquillity and the security of its citizens as 

 well as our owii, 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 distribu- 

 tion of food and supplies be continued, and an 

 appropriation out of the public treasury to supple- 

 ment the charity of our citizens. The issue is now 

 with the Congress. I have exhausted every effort 

 to relieve the intolerable condition of affairs which 

 is at our doors. Prepared to execute every obliga- 

 tion imposed upon me by the Constitution and 

 the law, I await your action." 



An appended "paragraph conveyed the informa- 

 tion that Gen. Blanco, in order to prepare and 

 facilitate peace, had been directed to proclaim a 

 suspension of hostilities. " If this measure," tin- 





