164 



CONGRESS. (THE MEASURE FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE.) 



the government and control of the island to its 



^The House concurred in the Senate amendments, 

 amending them, however, so as to strikeout, first, 

 the words "are, and" in the first clause of the 

 resolution: second, nil after the word "independ- 

 ent " in the same clause; and third, to strike out 

 the words "and republic" in the title. After two 

 conferences an agreement WHS reached by which 

 tlu- Il<> ii-e receded from the first amendment, and 

 ilu- Senate concurred in the second and third. 

 The rcMilt <.f tin- amendments was to avoid the 

 recognition of the existing revolutionary govern- 

 mi-iit. 



The President approved the joint resolution, 

 April 20, is; .. 



on April 2. r ). the President sent to Congress the 

 following message, recommending a joint resolution 

 i ring war against Spain : 



To the Senaff and House of Representatives of the 

 United States of America : 



I transmit to the Congress, for its consideration 

 and appropriate action, copies of correspondence 

 recently had with the representative of Spain in 

 the United States, with the United States minister 

 at Madrid, and through the latter with the Govern- 

 ment of Spain, showing the action taken under the 

 joint resolution approved April 20, 1898, "for the 

 recognition of the independence of the people of 

 Cuba, demanding that the Government of Spain 

 relimjuish its authority and government in the 

 island of Cuba, and to withdraw its land and naval 

 forces from Cuba and Cuban waters, and directing 

 the President of the United States to use the land 

 and naval forces of the United States to carry these 

 resolutions into effect." 



I'pon communicating to the Spanish minister in 

 Washington the demand which it became the duty 

 of the Kxccutive to address to the Government of 

 Spain in obedience to said resolution, the minister 

 a -lied for his passports and withdrew. The United 

 States minister at Madrid was in turn notified by 

 the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs that the 

 withdrawal of the Spanish representative from the 

 I'nited States had terminated diplomatic relations 

 between the two countries, and that all official com- 

 munications between their respective representa- 

 tives ceased therewith. 



I commend to your special attention the note ad- 

 dressed to the I'nited States minister at Madrid by 

 tin- Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs on the 

 ','M instant, whereby the foregoing notification 

 was conveyed. It will be perceived therefrom that 

 the (iovernment of Spain, having cognizance of the 

 Joint resolution of the United States Congress, and 

 in view of the things which the President is there- 

 by required and authorized to do, responds by treat- 

 ing the reasonable demands of this Government as 

 measures of hostility, following with that instant 

 and complete severance of relations by its action, 

 which by the usage of nations accompanies an exist- 

 ent >tatc of war between sovereign powers. 



The position of Spain being thus made known 

 and the demands of the United States being denied 

 with a complete rupture of intercourse by the act 

 of Spain, I have been constrained, in exercise of the 

 power and authority conferred upon me by the joint 

 resolution aforesaid, to proclaim under date of 

 April 22, 1N9H. a blockade of certain ports of the 

 north coast of Cuba, lying between Cardenas and 

 BkhU Honda and of the port of Cieof uegoa on the 

 south < oust of Cuba; and further, in exercise of my 

 constitutional jMjwers and using the authority con- 

 ferred upon me by the act of Congress approved 

 April _",'. IMJIH, to issue my proclamation dated April 

 23, 18'JS, calling forth volunteers in order to carry 



into effect the said resolution of April 20, 1898. 

 Copies of these proclamations are hereto appended. 



In view of the measures so taken, and with a view- 

 to the adoption of such other measures as may be 

 necessary to enable me to carry out the expressed 

 will of the Congress of the United States in the 

 premises, I now recommend to your honorable body 

 the adoption of a joint resolution declaring that a 

 state of war exists between the United States of 

 America and the kingdom of Spain, and I urge 

 speedy action thereon to the end that the definition 

 of the international status of the United States as a 

 belligerent power may be made known, and the as- 

 sertion of all its rights and the maintenance of all 

 its duties in the conduct of a public war may bo 

 assured. WILLIAM McKixLEV. 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, April 2i>, 1898. 



On the same day the Senate and the House of 

 Representatives passed and the President signed 

 the declaration of war against Spain. The bill was 

 as follows : 

 "A bill declaring that war exists between the 



United States of America and the kingdom 



of Spain. 



" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- 

 resentatives of the United States of America in 

 Congress assembled. First. That war be, and the 

 same is hereby, declared to exist, and that war has 

 existed since the 21st day of April, A. D. 1898, in- 

 cluding said day, between the United States o' 

 America and the kingdom of Spain. 



" Second. That the President of the United States 

 be, and he hereby is, directed and empowered to 

 use the entire land and naval forces of the United 

 States, and to call into the actual service of the 

 United States the militia of the several States, to 

 such extent as may be necessary to carry this act 

 into effect." 



The Measure for National Defense. Though 

 the declaration of war was not made until April 25, 

 it may be said that the first war measure passed as 

 early as March 9, in the shape of a deficiency bill. 

 The measure was peculiar in itself, beginning with 

 small items for printing and closing with an appro- 

 priation of $50,000.000, to be expended, as the Presi- 

 dent might see fit, for the national defense ; it was 

 more peculiar for the rapidity and unanimity with 

 which it passed, and it was most peculiar as a mani- 

 festation of the financial strength of the nation, 

 which could set aside such an amount, on the in- 

 stant, for a special use. This historic appropriation 

 bill was entitled, " A bill making appropriations to 

 supply urgent deficiencies in the appropriations for 

 the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, and for prior 

 years, and for other purposes " ; and the text was as 

 follows : 



" Be it enacted, etc.. That the following sums be, 

 and the same are hereby, appropriated, out of any 

 money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

 to supply deficiencies in the appropriations for tho 

 fiscal year 1898, and for other objects hereinafter 

 stated, namely : 



" PRINTING AND BINDING. 



"For printing and binding for the Navy Depart- 

 ment. $10.000. 



"For printing and binding for the Department of 

 Justice, $4.000. 



"For printing and binding for the Department of 

 State, $12.000. 



"For printing and binding for the Interior De- 

 partment, $40,000. 



"NAVAL ESTABLISHMENT. 

 " BUREAU OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY. 

 "For surgeons' necessaries for vessels in commis- 

 sion, navy yards, naval stations, Marine Corps, and 



