The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-26
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Recommending a Declaration of War
Against Spain.

Against Spain.
Washington, April 25.-The president
today sent congress the following mes
sage, recommending a declaration CT
war against Spain:
To the Senate and House OF Represen-
tatives of the United States of Amer
lea:
transmit to the congress for its
consideration and appropriate action,
copies OF correspondence recently had
with the representatives of Spain in
the United States, with the United
States minister at Madrid, and through
the latter, with the government of
Spain, showing the action taken under
the joint resolution approved April 20,
1898, for the recognition of the indepen-
dence of the people of Cuba, demand
ing that the government of Spain re-
( linquish 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.
Upon communication to the Spanish
minister in Washington the demand
hich it became the duty Of the exec
utive to address to the government OF
Spain in obedience to said resolution,
the minister asked for his passports,
and withdrew The United States min
lister at Madrid was in turn notified by
the Spanish minister for foreign affairs
that the withdrawal Of the Spanish
representative to the United States had
terminated diplomatic relations be-
tween the two countries and that all
official communications between their
respective representatives ceased there
with
1 recommend to your especial atten-
ton the note directed to the United
States minister at Madrid by the Span
ish minister for foreign affairs on the
2lst inst, whereby the foregoing noti-
ficaticn was communicated. 1t will be
perceived that the Spanish government,
having cogniZance of the resolutions,
and in view of things which the presi-
dent is thereby required and authorized
to do, responds by treating the repre-
sentative demands of this government
as measures of hostility, following with
the instant and complete severance OF
relations by its action, whereby UsaSeS
of nations accompanies an existent
state of war between sovereign pow
ers.
The position of Spain being thus
made known and the demands of the
United States being denied with a COM
plete rupture in the intercourse with
Spain, l have been constrained in the
exercise of power and authority con-
ferred upon me by the joint resolution
aforesaid to proclaim, under date of
April %, 1898, a blockade of certain
ports Of the north coast of Cuba, lying
between Cardenas and Bahia Honda,
and of the ports of Cienfuegos on the
south coast of Cuba; and further, in
exercise of my constitutional powers
and using the authority conferred upon
me by the act of congress approved
April y, 1898. to issue my proclamation
dated April 49, 1898, calling for volun-
teers in order to carry into effect the
said resolution of April 20, 1898. Copies
of these proclamatiOns are hereunto
appended.
In view of the measures so taken,
and with a view to the adoption of
such other measures as may be neces-
sary to enable me to carry out the ex-
pressed viii of the congress of the Unit
ed States in the premises, now recon-
mend to your honorable body the adop-
tion of joint resolution declaring that
a state of war exists between the Unit
ed States of America and the kingdom
Of Spain, and urge speedy action
thereon, to the end that the definition
of the international status of the Unit
ed States as a belligerent power may
be made known, and the assertion of
all its rights and the maintenance of