leave the government and control of the island to its people, under such free and independent government as they may establish. "If by the hour of noon on Saturday next, the twenty-third day of April, instant, there be not communicated to this government by that of Spain a full and satisfactory response to this demand and resolution, whereby the ends of peace in Cuba shall be assured, the President will proceed without further notice to use the power and authority enjoined and conferred upon him by the said joint resolution to such extent as may be necessary to carry the same into effect. "SHERMAN." Spain's Reply, Minister Woodford's Dismissal. The Department of State sent a copy of this dispatch to Minister Polo Wednesday morning. He replied by asking for his passports. The following message, received in Washington, announced the final severance of diplomatic relations with Spain: (( SHERMAN, Washington : "Early this (Thursday) morning, immediately after the receipt of your open telegram and before I had communicated same to Spanish government, Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs notified me that diplomatic relations are broken between the two countries, and that all official communication between their respective representatives has ceased. I accordingly asked for safe passports. Turn Legation over to British Embassy and leave for Paris this afternoon. Have notified Consuls. "WOODFORD." But for the precaution of handing to Minister Polo de Barnabe as the official representative of Spain at Washington, a copy of the ultimatum, there would have been no way of notifying Spain officially of the action of this government as our Minister was dismissed before this could be done at Madrid. As this last act of Spain was virtually a declaration of war, the President issued his proclamation declaring a blockade of the ports of the Northern Coast of Cuba, between Cardenas and Bahia Honda, and the port of Cienfuegos on the South Coast; Congress passed an act empowering the President to call for volunteers to serve for two years, if necessary, which act was followed by a proclamation summoning 125,000 men into military service of the government to be apportioned, as far as practicable, among the several states and territories and the District of Columbia, according to population. In view of the measures already taken, and with a view of the adoption of such other measures as may be necessary to enable him to carry out the expressed will of Congress, on April 25, 1898, the President sent this special message to Congress recom mending the adoption of a joint resolution declaring that a state of war exists between the United States and the Kingdom of Spain. "The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America-I transmit to the Congress for its consideration and approval 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 joint resolution approved April 20, 1898, for the recognition of the independence of the people of Cuba demanding that the government of Spain relinquish 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.' A CUBAN MOTHER. "Upon communicating to the Spanish Minister in Washington the demand which it became the duty of the executive to address to the government of Spain in obedience to said resolution, the Ministe: asked 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 Spanish representative from United States had terminated diplomatic relations between the two countries and that all official communications between their respective representatives ceased therewith. "I recommend to your especial attention the note addressed to the United States Minister at Madrid by the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs on the twenty-first instant, whereby the foregoing notification was conveyed. It will be per ceived therefrom that the government of Spain, having cognizance of the joint resolution of the United States Congress, and in view of the things which the President is thereby required and authorized to do, responds by treating the demands of this government as measures of hostility, following at that instance immediate and complete severance of relations by its nation, which, by the usages of nations, accompa SENOR SAGASTA, Premier of Spain. The po nies an existent state of war between sovereign powers. sition 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 am constrained in exercise of the power and authority conferred upon me by the joint resolution aforesaid to proclaim under date of April 22, 1898, a blockade of certain ports of the north coast of Cuba lying between Cardenas and Bahia Honda and of the port 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 22, 1898, to issue my proclamation dated April 23, 1898, calling for volunteers 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 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 will recommend to your honorable consideration 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 national status of the United States as a belligerent power may be known, and the assertion of all its rights and the maintenance of all its duties in the conduct of a public war may be assured. "EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, April 25, 1898." Upon the receipt of this message, without delay both houses of Congress passed this declaration of war on the Kingdom of Spain: "First-That war be and the same is hereby declared to exist and that war has existed since twenty-first day of April, A. D. 1898, including same day, between the United States of 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." Since the early years of the century America has shown a compassionate regard for the beautiful but blood-stained island of Cuba; and now she has become her champion. Trusting in the God of battles, let us go forth in this holy crusade from every part of this liberty-loving land, regardless of creed or color or party, singing the song of freedom : "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea; |