vana,
and cannot longer be endured, as has been set forth by the President
of the United States in his message to Congress of April 11, 1898,
upon which the action of Congress was invited; therefore,

_Resolved_, By the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America, in Congress assembled--

First--That the people of the island of Cuba are, and of right ought
to be, free and independent.

Second--That it is the duty of the United States to demand, and the
government of the United States does hereby demand, that the
government of Spain at once relinquish its authority and government
in the island of Cuba, and withdraw its land and naval forces from
Cuba and Cuban waters.

Third--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 these resolutions into effect.

Fourth--That the United States hereby disclaims any disposition or
intention to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said
island, except for the pacification thereof, and asserts its
determination when that is completed to leave the government and
control of the island to its people.

[Illustration: CITY OF HAVANA AND HARBOR, SHOWING WRECK OF THE
BATTLESHIP MAINE.]

This resolution was signed by the President April 20th, and a copy
served on the Spanish minister, who demanded his passports, and
immediately left Washington. The contents were telegraphed to United
States Minister Woodford at Madrid, with instructions to officially
communicate them to the Spanish government, giving it until April 23d to
answer. The Spanish authorities, however, anticipated this action by
sending the American minister his passports on the morning of April
21st. This act was of itself equivalent to a declaration of war.

The making of history now went forward with impressive swiftness.

[Illustration: THE BATTLESHIP "MAINE" Destroyed in Havana Harbor,
February 15, 1898, by which the lives of two officers and 264 members of
the crew were lost. This disaster was popularly believed to have been
the work of Spaniards, and was a potent factor in hastening the war
between Spain and the United States.]

On April 22d the United States fleet was ordered to