VIDA DEL DOCTOR JOSÉ MANUEL 3IESTRE 3ól 



to its own eitizens and to their large property interests, jeoparded by the 

 continuance of the war — the necessity of maintaining quite within itsbor- 

 ders now seriously disturbed by the continued strife carried on s¡> near its 



border— our frienclship for Spain, one of the earliest and oldest of pur aüies, 

 with whom no interruption of frieadly relation has occurred since our 

 entrance into the family of nations — our sympathy for the Cubans, who aie 

 our ueighbors— all alike impel the goverument to this course. 



The President therefore directe you to offer to the cabinet at Madrid the 

 good offices of the United States for the purpose of bringing to a cióse the 

 civil war now ravaging the Island of Cuba, on the following bases: 



1. The independence of Cuba to be acknowledged by Spain. 



2. Cuba to pay to Spain a sum, within a time and on a manner to be 

 agreed upon by them, as an equivalen t for the entire and defiuite relin- 

 quishment by Spain of all her right in tbat island, includiug the public prop- 

 erty of every description. If Cuba should not be able to pay the whole 

 sinn at once in cash, the future payments, by installments, are to be ade- 

 quately secured by a pledge of the export and import customs duties under 

 an arrangement to be agreed upon for their collection, in trust, for the piu- 

 lase of securing both the principal aud i n terete of those installments until 

 their final discharge. 



3. The abolition of slavery in the Island of Cuba. 



•i. An armistice pending the negotiations for the settlement above 

 referred to. 



In case the good offices of the United States are accepted by Spain, you 

 will request that such steps may be immediately taken as will arrest the 

 progresa ofthe fight and you will conimunicate at once by telegraph with 

 the department, usiug the cipher when necessary. Authority should also be 

 asked in that case for the representa ti ves of the revolútionary pavty, now in 

 the United States, to communicate through the Spanish Une? with those in 

 comnoand of the revolútionary party in Cuba, in order that all further 

 destruction <>f Ufe and property muy be arrested at the earliest possible 

 moment. 



It is proposed that the negotiations for the settlement of the severa! 

 questions to be adj usted betweeo the coutending parties shall be conducted 

 here. You will therefore, in the eventofour good offices being accepted, 

 propose that a conference be held in the city of Washington, at an early day 

 to be agreed upon between yourself and the cabinet of Madrid, between 

 properly authorized representatives ofthe two parties, the represen tat i ve of 

 each party t<> be clothed will full powers to agree to and to enter into a con- 

 vention for a settlement on the bases above indicated, and to arrange, .settle, 

 and siga all necessary details and other agreemente that may be thought 

 proper on both sides. 



The President of the United States will, if de^ired by the representatives 

 ofthe two parties, desígnate some persou to attend, or to attend and preside 

 in such conference, and to use his good offices in the for ni of iuformation 

 and advice in faeilitating the object thereof; 'but such persou will have no 

 other power therein, and shall not assume any obügation on the part of the 

 United States, uuless upon the joint request of the representativas of both 



