rectionists to conclude a peace after a previous understanding and agreement." (Mr. Sherman, Sec. of State, to Señor Polo de Bernabé, Span. min., April 5, 1898, For. Rel. 1898, 737.) "I have received this afternoon General Blanco's order, that I herewith inclose, suppressing reconcentration. I see that this measure comprises the whole island, and the mistake was in the wording of the telegram. The preamble spoke of the four western provinces as nearly pacified, but article first clearly says that concentration is at an end in all the island. "By General Woodford you know undoubtedly the good disposition of H. M.'s Government to do all that is compatible with its honor and dignity in these most difficult and trying circumstances." (Señor Polo de Bernabé, Span. min., to Mr. Day, Assist. Sec. of State, April 5, 1898, For Rel. 1898, 737.) "We have received to-day from the Spanish minister a copy of the manifesto of the autonomy government. It is not armistice. It proves to be an appeal by the autonomy government of Cuba urging the insurgents to lay down their arms and to join with the autonomy party in building up the new scheme of home rule. It is simply an invitation to the insurgents to submit, in which event the autonomy government, likewise suspending hostilities, is prepared to consider what expansion if any of the decreed home-rule scheme is needed or practicable. It need scarcely be pointed out that this is a very different thing from an offered armistice. The President's message will go in Wednesday afternoon." Mr. Day, Assist. Sec. of State, to Mr. Woodford, min. to Spain, tel., April 4, 1898 Monday, 11 p. m., For. Rel. 1898, 733. Question of armis "Should the Queen proclaim the following before 12 o'clock noon of Wednesday, April 6, will you sustain the Queen, tice; action of and can you prevent hostile action by Congress? the powers. "At the request of the Holy Father, in this Passion Week and in the name of Christ, I proclaim immediate and unconditional suspension of hostilities in the island of Cuba. "This suspension is to become immediately effective so soon as accepted by the insurgents in that island, and is to continue for the space of six months, to the 5th day of October, eighteen ninety-eight. "I do this to give time for passions to cease, and in the sincere hope and belief that during this suspension permanent and honorable peace may be obtained between the insular government of Cuba and those of my subjects in that island who are now in rebellion against the authority of Spain. "I pray the blessing of Heaven upon this truce of God, which I now declare in His name and with the sanction of the Holy Father of all Christendom. "April 5, 1898.' "Please read this in the light of all my previous telegrams and letters. I believe that this means peace, which the sober judgment of our people will approve long before next November, and which must be approved at the bar of final history. "I permit the papal nuncio to read this telegram, upon my own responsibility and without committing you in any manner. I dare not reject this last chance for peace. I will show your reply to the Queen in person, and I believe that you will approve this last conscientious effort for peace." Mr. Woodford, min. to Spain, to President McKinley, tel., April 5, 1898- In a formal dispatch of April 6, 1898, For. Rel. 1898, 741, 742, Mr. Wood- "The President highly appreciates the Queen's desire for peace. He can not assume to influence the action of the American Congress beyond a discharge of his constitutional duty in transmitting the whole matter to them with such recommendation as he deems necessary and expedient. "The repose and welfare of the American people require restoration of peace and stable government in Cuba. If armistice is offered by the government of Spain the President will communicate that fact to Congress. "The President's message will go to Congress to-morrow. It will recount the conditions in Cuba; the injurious effect upon our people; the character and condition of the conflict, and the apparent hopelessness of the strife. He will not advise the recognition of the independence of the insurgents, but will recommend measures looking to the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of peace and stability of government in the island in the interests of humanity, and for the safety and tranquillity of our own country." Mr. Day, Assist. Sec. of State, to Mr. Woodford, min. to Spain, tel., April 5, 1898 Tuesday, midnight-For. Rel. 1898, 735. In a formal dispatch of April 6, 1898, addressed to Mr. Day, Mr. Woodford said: "This morning (April 6) I permit the Austrian ambassador to take a copy of your foregoing dispatch to Her Majesty the Queen Regent. I did not go to her in person, as a ministerial crisis is imminent today, growing out of the proposed issuance by the Queen, at the request of the Pope, of a proclamation of armistice. Just as I did not interfere in the ministerial crisis of last October, when the Conservatives went out of power, so I do not interfere to-day, when the present Liberal ministry may resign and possibly be followed by a ministry who will take office on the programme of immediate armistice, to be followed by early negotiations in Cuba looking to immediate, effective, and permanent peace. "I also send to-day to the Papal nuncio copies of my dispatch of yesterday to the President, as given above, and copy of my translation of your reply thereto. I have added to these copies the statement that they are furnished to his excellency the Papal nuncio at Madrid for his personal and confidential information and are not to be made public. "I will continue to keep the Department fully advised of what may be done here." (For. Rel. 1898, 741, 742.) “We have accepted the offer of the British ambassador that United States legation at Madrid be intrusted in case of necessity to British embassy there. Express thanks for courtesies. We hope British consuls may be authorized to extend like courtesy should any American consuls in Spanish territory request them to take charge of consular archives. The situation is grave. Spain has not in fact offered armistice or admitted any offices of the United States toward ending the war except to intimate that the President may influence insurgents to lay down arms and negotiate for peace under home rule. Spanish propositions obviously dilatory and intrinsically unacceptable. The President can no longer defer laying matter before Congress Wednesday, to-morrow, afternoon." Mr. Sherman, Sec. of State, to Mr. Hay, amb. to England, tel., April 5, 1898, For. Rel. 1898, 967. On the same day a request was conveyed to the British ambassador in Washington "that, in case of trouble between Spain and the United States, the British consul-general at Habana may take charge of the American property and papers belonging to the American consulate there, which will be turned over by General Lee to him." (Mr. Day, Act. Sec. of State, to Sir Julian Pauncefote, British amb., April 5, 1898, For. Rel. 1898, 966.) The British consul-general at Havana was authorized "to take charge of the United States consulate when asked to do so, after obtaining consent from the Spanish authorities," and was instructed to convey a similar authorization to the British consul at Santiago de Cuba and other British consular officers in Cuba. (Sir Julian Pauncefote, British amb., to Mr. Sherman, Sec. of State, April 7, 1898, For. Rel. 1898, 966.) The request that a similar courtesy be extended by the British consuls in Spain was also acceded to. (Mr. Hay, amb. to England, to Mr. Sherman, Sec. of State, April 6, 1898, For. Rel. 1898, 967.) Joint note of the powers. "WASHINGTON, April 6, 1898. "The undersigned representatives of Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia, duly authorized in that behalf, address, in the name of their respective governments, a pressing appeal to the feelings of humanity and moderation of the President and of the American people in their existing differences with Spain. They earnestly hope that further negotiations will lead to an agreement which, while securing the maintenance of peace, will afford all necessary guaranties for the reestablishment of order in Cuba. "The powers do not doubt that the humanitarian and purely disinterested character of this representation will be fully recognized and appreciated by the American nation. "JULIAN PAUNCEFOTE, "For Great Britain. "HOLLEBEN, "For Germany. "JULES CAMBON, "For France. "VON HENGELMÜLLER, "For Austria-Hungary. "DE WOLLANT, "For Russia. "G. C. VINCI, "For Italy." The President's reply. "The government of the United States recognizes the good will which has prompted the friendly communication of the representatives of Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia, as set forth in the address of your excellencies, and shares the hope therein expressed that the outcome of the situation in Cuba may be the maintenance of peace between the United States and Spain by affording the necessary guaranties for the reestablishment of order in the island, so terminating the chronic condition of disturbance there, which so deeply injures the interests and menaces the tranquillity of the American nation by the character and consequences of the struggle thus kept up at our doors, besides shocking its sentiment of humanity. "The government of the United States appreciates the humanitarian and disinterested character of the communication now made on behalf of the powers named, and for its part is confident that equal appreciation will be shown for its own earnest and unselfish endeavors to fulfill a duty to humanity by ending a situation the indefinite prolongation of which has become insufferable." For. Rel. 1898, 740-741. The appeal of the powers was presented by the signers to the President at the White House, and his reply was then and there made. April 6, 1898, Mr. Woodford wrote to the minister of state, saying that he had hoped to be officially informed before noon of that day that the Spanish government had proclaimed a definite suspension of hostilities in Cuba, and that the President had "this afternoon" transmitted his message to Congress. Later in the day Mr. Woodford received from Mr. Day, Assistant Secretary of State, the following telegram: "The President's message will not be sent to Congress until next Monday, to give consulgeneral at Havana the time he urgently asks to insure safe departure of Americans." Next day Mr. Woodford withdrew his note of the 6th of April to the minister of state, and informed him that the President's message would not be sent to Congress till Monday, April 11. For. Rel. 1898, 743-744. "Spanish minister for foreign affairs has just sent for me. The representatives of the European powers called upon him this morning and advised acquiescence in Pope's request for an armistice. Armistice has been granted. Spanish minister in Washington instructed to notify our Department of State and yourself. Authority has been cabled to General Blanco to proclaim armistice. I send verbatim memorandum just handed me by Spanish minister for foreign affairs, as follows: In view of the earnest and repeated request of His Holiness, supported resolutely by declarations and friendly counsels of the representatives of the six great European powers, who formulated them this morning in a collective visit to the minister of state, as corollary of the efforts of their governments in Washington, the Spanish government has resolved to inform the Holy Father that on this date it directs the general-in-chief of the army in Cuba to grant immediately a suspension of hostilities for such length of time as he may think prudent to prepare and facilitate the peace earnestly desired by all.' "I hope that this dispatch may reach you before the President's message goes to Congress." Mr. Woodford, min. to Spain, to Mr. Day, Assist. Sec. of State, tel., "My personal No. 66. In view of action of Spanish government, as cabled Saturday, April 9, I hope that you can obtain full authority from Congress to do whatever you shall deem necessary to secure immediate and permanent peace in Cuba by negotiations, including the full power to employ the Army and Navy, according to your own judgment, to aid and enforce your action. If this be secured I believe you will get final settlement before August 1 on one of the following bases: Either such autonomy as the insurgents may agree to accept, or recognition by Spain of the independence of the island, or cession of the island to the United States. "I hope that nothing will now be done to humiliate Spain, as I am satisfied that the present government is going, and is loyally |