CONGRESS. (CUBA.) 



159 





lion and intervention. Owing, perhaps, to the 

 large expanse of water separating the island from 

 the peninsula, . . . the contending parties appear 

 to have within themselves no depository of common 

 confidence, to suggest wisdom when passion and 

 excitement have their sway, and to assume the part 

 of peacemaker. 



" In this view in the earlier days of the contest 

 the good offices of the United States as a mediator 

 were tendered in good faith, without any selfish 

 purpose, in the interest of humanity and in sincere 

 friendship for both parties, but were at the time 

 declined by Spain, with the declaration, neverthe- 

 less, that at a future time they would be indispen- 

 sable. No intimation has been received that in the 

 opinion of Spain that time has been reached. And 

 yet the strife continues with all its dread horrors 

 and all its injuries to the interests of the United 

 Slates 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 interests dependent on the 

 existence of peace in the island ; but they seem 

 incapable of reaching any adjustment, and both 

 have thus far failed of achieving any success 

 /hereby one party shall possess and control the 

 island to the exclusion of the other. Under these 

 L-ircumstances the agency of others, either by medi- 

 ition or by intervention, seems to be the only 

 ilternative which must sooner or later be invoked 

 for the termination of the strife." 



In the last annual message of my immediate pre- 

 decessor, during the pending struggle, it was 

 lid : 



" When the inability of Spain to deal successfully 

 with the insurrection has become manifest, and it 

 is demonstrated that her sovereignty is extinct in 

 -1 uba for all purposes of its rightful existence, and 

 vhen a hopeless struggle for its re-establishment 

 las degenerated into a strife which means nothing 

 more than the useless sacrifice of human life and 

 the utter destruction of the very subject-matter of 

 the conflict, a situation will be presented in which 

 >ur obligations to the sovereignty of Spain will be 

 superseded by higher obligation's which we can 

 "lardly hesitate to recognize and discharge." 



In my annual message to Congress, December 

 ;ist, speaking to this question, I said : 



" The near future will demonstrate whether the 

 idispensable condition of a righteous peace, just 

 ilike to the Cubans and to Spain, as well as equi- 

 ible to all our interests so intimately involved in 

 the welfare of Cuba, is likely to be attained. If 

 lot, the exigency of further and other action by the 

 United States will remain to be taken. When that 

 time comes that action will be determined in the 

 line of indisputable right and duty. It will be 

 faced, without misgiving or hesitancy, in the light 

 :>f the 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 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 riot be at- 



tained. The fire of insurrection may flame or may 

 smolder with varying seasons, but it has not been 

 and it is plain that it can not be extinguished by 

 present methods. The only hope of relief and re- 

 pose from a condition which can no longer be en- 

 dured is the enforced pacification of Cuba. In the 

 name of humanity, 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 of these considera- 

 tions, I ask the Congress to authorize and empower 

 the President to take measures to secure a full and 

 final termination of hostilities between the Govern- 

 ment of Spain arid the people of Cuba, and to se- 

 cure in the island the establishment of a stable 

 government, capable of maintaining order and ob- 

 serving its international obligations, insuring peace 

 and tranquillity 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 distribution of food 

 and supplies be continued, and that an appropria- 

 tion be made out of the public Treasury to supple- 

 ment the charity of our citizens. 



The issue is now with the Congress. It is c, sol- 

 emn responsibility. 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. 



Yesterday, and since the preparation of the fore- 

 going message, official information was received by 

 me that the latest decree of the Queen Regent of 

 Spain directs Gen. Blanco, in order to prepare and 

 facilitate peace, to proclaim a suspension of hostili- 

 ties, the duration and details of which have not yet 

 been communicated to me. 



This fact with every other pertinent considera- 

 tion will, I am sure, have your just and careful at- 

 tention in the solemn deliberations upon which you 

 are about to enter. If this measure attains a suc- 

 cessful result, then our aspirations as a Christian, 

 peace-loving people will be realized. If it fails, it 

 will be only another justification for our contem- 

 plated action. WILLIAM McKiNLEY. 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, April 11, 1S98. 



The response to the President's message was 

 prompt; and April 13 Mr. Adams, of Pennsylvania, 

 reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations 

 in the House of Representatives the following reso- 

 lution : 



" Whereas, The Government of Spain for three 

 years past has been waging war on the island of 

 Cuba against a revolution by the inhabitants 

 thereof, without making any substantial progress 

 toward the suppression of said revolution, and has 

 conducted the warfare in a manner contrary to the 

 laws of nations, by methods inhuman and uncivi- 

 lized, causing the death by starvation of more than 

 200,000 innocent noncombatants, the victims being 

 for the most part helpless women and children, in- 

 flicting intolerable injury to the commercial inter- 

 ests of the United States,' involving the destruction 

 of the lives and property of many of our citizens, 

 entailing the expenditure of millions of money in 

 patrolling our coasts and policing the high seas in 

 order to maintain our neutrality: and 



" Whereas. This long series of losses, injuries, and 

 burdens for which Spain is responsible has cul- 

 minated in the destruction of the United States 

 battle ship 'Maine' in the harbor of Havana and 

 in the death of 2GO of our seamen : 



