The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-12-05
CUBAN RESOLUTIONS.
Which Lead Up to the War Are
Quoted

Quoted
'rFirst-That the people of the island
Of Cuba, are, and by right ought to be
@secondEThat it is the duty of the
United States and the government Of
the United States hereby demand that
the government of Spain at once re-
unQuish its authority in the Island or
Cuba and withdraw its land and ma
val forces from Cuba and Cuban Wa
ters.
"Third-That the president Of the
United States be and he is hereby di-
rected and empowered to use the en-
tire land and naval forces Of the Uni
ted States, and to call into the actual
service Of the United States the mill
tia, of the several states to such extent
as may be necessary to carry this reSo-
lutions into effect.
''Fourth-That the United States
hereby dfsclaims any disposition or in
teTtion to exercise sovereignty, juris-
dictiOn or control over said island, ex-
cept for the pacification thereof. and
asserts its determination when that IS
accomplished to leave the government
and control of the island to its people"
This resolution was approved by the
executive on the next day, April 20. \
copy was at once communicated to the
Spanish minister at this capital, who,
forthwith gave notice that his cOntin-
uance in Washington had become i'm
possible and asked for his passports,
which was given him. He thereupOn
Withdrew from Washington, leaving the
protection of Spanish interests in the
United States to the French ambaSSa-
dor and the AustrO-H Hungarian minis
ter simultaneously with its COM
municatiOn to the Spanish minister,
General WOOdfOrd, the American min
lister at Madrid, was telegraphed con-
f1rmatiOn of the text of the Joint reSO-
luton and directed to communicate it
TO the government of Spain with the
formal demand that it at once relin-
quish its authority and government in
the island of Cuba and withdraw its
forces therefrOm, coupling this demand
with announcements of the intentions
of this government as to the future OF
the island, in conformity with the
fourth clause of the resolution and Civ
ing Spain until noon of April g to re-
ply
shown, officially made known to the
Spanish envoy here, was not delivered
a t Madrid. After the instruction reach
ed General WOOdfOrd, on the morning
of April 81 but before he could present
1t, the Spanish minister of state nOtl-
fed him that upon the presidents APP
prOval of the joint resolution the Ma
drid government, regarding the act as
equivalent to an evident declaration
of war" had ordered its minister in
Washington to withdrew, thereby break
ing off diplomatic relations betweSn
the two countries and ceasing all off1-
cial communication between their re-
spective representatives. Gen. Wood
ford thereupOn demanded his passports
Spain. having thus denied the de-
mand of the United States and initiated
that complete form of rupture Of rela-
tiOns which attends a, state of war, the
executive powers authorized by the res
OIutiOn We're at once used by me to
meet the enlarged contingency of actual
war between Spain and the United
States. On April p, I proclaimed
blockade of the northern coast of Cuba,
including ports on said coast between
Cardenas and Bahia Honda and the
port of Cienfuegos on the south coast
of Cuba; and on the 23rd I called for
volunteers to execute the purpose of
the resolution. By my message of April
%. the congress was informed of the
situation and I recommended formal
declaration of the existence of a state
of war between the United States and
Spain. The congress accordingly voted
on the same day the act approved
such war. from and including the 21st
day Of April. and re-enacted the pro-
vision of the resolution of April 20, di-
recting the president to use all the
armed forces of the nation to
carry that act into effect. Due
notification of the existence of war, as
graph to al I the governments with
which the United States maintained
relations in order that their neutrality
be assured during the war. The var
ious governments responded with proc
lamatiOnS of neutrality, each after its
own methods. It is not among the
least gratifying incidents of the strug-
gle that the obligations of neutrality
were impartially discharged by all, Of
ten under delicate and difficult circum-
stances.
In further fulhllment of internation-
al duty I issued April IS. a proclama-
ton announcing the treatment prOpOS-
ed to be accorded to vessels and their
cargoas as to blockade. contraband.
the exercise of the right of subjects and
the immunity of neutral flags and neu-
trail goods under enemy's flag. A SINH
lar proclamation was made by the
hostilities the rules of the declaration
of Paris. including abstention from re-
sort to priVateering, have accordingly /
been observed by both belligerents, al
though neither was party to that de-
claratiOn.
our country thus. after an interval |
of half a century of peace with all ma /
tons, found itself engaged in deadly /
conflict with a foreign enemy. Every /
nerve was strained to meet the emer- /
gency. The response to the initial call !
for 125. 900 volunteers was instant and +
as was also the result of the +
second call of May % for $4,000 addi- I
tional volunteers. The ranks of the /
regular army were increased to the I
limits provided by the act of April %. !
The enlisted force of the navy. on the !
18th of August when it reached it's /
maximum numbered 24123 men and ap-
parentices. One hundred and three /
vessels were added to the navy by pur- (
chase, one was presented to the gov /
eminent, one leased and the four yes /
sells of the International Navigation 1
the St. Paul, st. Louis, New 4
York and Paris. were chartered. In 4
addition to these the revenue cutters /
and the light. house tenders were turn /
ed over to the navy department and /
became temporarily a part of the aux
.Hary navy.