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C U H -IX ["RECENT HISTORY. this result at an earlier date, and the principal rebel the Minister expressed emphatic doubts as to the good leaders declined to accept the terms offered. faith of the United States Government in dealing with General Blanco arrived in Cuba in November 1897, the Cuban question, and made some insulting remarks in and immediately annulled the concentration order; but reference to President M‘Kinley. The result of the the permission for the people to return to their publication of this letter was that Senor Dupuy de Lome General, homes was of little avail to them owing to their was forced to resign his post. The second event was a policy*S weak condition and the ruin of their homes. request from Madrid for the recall of General Fitzhugh To the insurgents in the field the abrogation Lee from his position as Consul-General of the United of the concentration decree was, however, an immense States in Havana, on the ground of his being a persona boon. They were now able through their friends in the non grata to the Spanish authorities. cities to obtain the medicines, clothing, and other necesThe advice of Captain Sigsbee to his Government and saries of which they stood sorely in want. General the people of the United States was Contained in a teleBlanco’s next act was to proclaim an amnesty for all gram sent to Washington a little before midrebels who presented themselves to the authorities. A night on the evening of the disaster,—“ Suspend T,h/Ul!ne,, few surrendered, but no leaders of importance. No judgment pending result of official investigation.” inquiry further executions of captured rebels took place, and A court of inquiry was named, composed of Cap- and its arrests for political purposes were rarely effected. The tain (afterwards Admiral) W. T. Sampson, Captain consePress, also, was allowed a far greater degree of liberty, F. C. Chadwick, Lieutenant-Commander W. P. qences‘ although all news concerning the revolt continued to be Potter, and Lieutenant-Commander A. Marix. The court strictly censured. On January 1, 1898, the new Consti- assembled on board the United States steamer Mangrove tution was proclaimed in force and a Colonial Government in Havana harbour a few days after the disaster occurred, appointed, of which Senor Galvin was the nominal leader. and sat continuously until March 21. The hull of the The new Administration had, however, very little power, Maine was examined by divers, and a searching investithe question in Cuba being a military one as long as the gation of all facts bearing on the case was made. It was insurrection continued. Finding that the insurgents did not until early in April that the report of the court was not intend to lay down their arms, General Blanco ordered handed to Congress. The finding was :— military operations to be energetically carried out; but, “ That the loss of the Maine was not in any respect due to fault as in former years, no decided advantage over the rebels or negligence on the part of any of the officers or members of her was gained. crew; that the ship was destroyed by the explosion of a subA riot, in which many military officers and Spanish marine mine, which caused the partial explosion of two or more of forward magazines ; and that no evidence has been obtainable volunteers were concerned, occurred in Havana in January, her fixing the responsibility for the destruction of the Maine upon any and with a view to the protection of citizens of the United person or persons. ” States in the event of any further outbreak the American The position of the vessel after the explosion was warship Maine, commanded by Captain Sigsbee, evidence of the correctness of this finding, the keel being was ot ere( ‘‘Maine ” ’^ i t° Havana. Under the direction of the port authorities she was moored in the section bent upwards from the centre and remaining above the of the harbour specially reserved for men-of-war. No dis- level of the main deck. The Spanish authorities held an courtesy was shown to the officers and crew of the vessel, inquiry, and after a few days drew up a report to the and several receptions were held on board by the captain and effect that the explosion was due to internal causes. They officers in order to return in some measure the hospitality also stated officially that no submarine mines existed in extended to them by the residents of Havana. On the harbour of Havana, and that the Government possessed February 15 a large number of guests visited the cruiser. no materials for their construction. This statement was At 9.30 on the evening of that day the inhabitants of afterwards conclusively proved to be incorrect. On April 8, 1898, General Lee received orders to leave Havana were startled by a terrific explosion, and the Maine was seen to be in flames and in a sinking condition. Cuba and hand over the charge of United States interests Subsequent explosions of ammunition occurred, and the to the British Consul-General. The following day General wreck settled down. The boats of the Spanish cruiser the Lee, with the remainder of the United States citizens still Alfonso XII. were promptly lowered, and helped to save in Havana, embarked on board a United States gunboat the survivors. The complement of the Maine in officers and proceeded to Florida, and on Monday, April and crew was 347 all told. Two officers were absent on 11, President M‘Kinley sent to Congress his Presidents leave ashore when the explosion occurred. Of those on Message on the situation. On April 13 the^e^”^ board, two officers and 257 men lost their lives. The great Foreign Affairs Committees of both Houses loss of life among the crew was due to the fact that the men reported joint resolutions, and on April 18 a conference had turned in, and the explosion took place under their between the two Committees resulted in the adoption of quarters in the forward part of the vessel. Everything that the following joint resolution by 42 votes to 35 in the was possible was done by the Spanish authorities to aid the Senate, and by 311 votes to 6 in the House of Representwounded survivors, seven of whom afterwards died. A atives :— “ Whereas the abhorrent conditions which have existed for more public funeral was accorded to the victims, and was attended by the principal Spanish officials. In spite of this show of than three years in the island of Cuba, so near our own borders, have shocked the moral sense of the people of the United States, sympathy, it was recognized in Havana that the critical have been a disgrace to Christian civilization, culminating as they moment had arrived, and that unless the explosion could have in the destruction of a United States battleship with 266 of be satisfactorily accounted for, war between Spain and the its officers and crew, while on a friendly visit in the harbour of Havana, and cannot longer be endured, as has been set forth by United States was inevitable. President of the United States in his Message to Congress of Shortly before the disaster two events had occurred the April 11, 1898, upon which the action of Congress was invited ; rendering the relations between the two countries extremely therefore, “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the strained. The first was a letter written by Senor Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish Minister in Washington, to his United States of America in Congress assembled— “First. That the people of the island of Cuba are, and of right friend Senor Canalejas, then on a visit to Cuba. It was ought to be, free and independent. not intended for publication, but was stolen in Havana ‘ ‘ Second. That it is the duty of the United States to demand, and and disposed of to a New York newspaper. In this letter the Government of the United States does hereby demand, that
