embled on the 5th of November, 1900, and is now in session.

In calling the convention to order, the Military Governor of Cuba made
the following statement:

As Military Governor of the island, representing the President of the
United States, I call this convention to order.

It will be your duty, first, to frame and adopt a constitution for Cuba,
and when that has been done to formulate what in your opinion ought to
be the relations between Cuba and the United States.

The constitution must be adequate to secure a stable, orderly, and free
government.

When you have formulated the relations which in your opinion ought to
exist between Cuba and the United States the Government of the United
States will doubtless take such action on its part as shall lead to a
final and authoritative agreement between the people of the two
countries to the promotion of their common interests.

All friends of Cuba will follow your deliberations with the deepest
interest, earnestly desiring that you shall reach just conclusions, and
that by the dignity, individual self-restraint, and wise conservatism
which shall characterize your proceedings the capacity of the Cuban
people for representative government may be signally illustrated.

The fundamental distinction between true representative government and
dictatorship is that in the former every representative of the people,
in whatever office, confines himself strictly within the limits of his
defined powers. Without such restraint there can be no free
constitutional government.

Under the order pursuant to which you have been elected and convened you
have no duty and no authority to take part in the present government of
the island. Your powers are strictly limited by the terms of that order.

When the convention concludes its labors I will transmit to the Congress
the constitution as framed by the convention for its consideration and
for such action as it may deem advisable.

I renew the recommendation made in my special message of February 10,
1899, as to the necessity for cable communication between the United
States and Hawaii, with extension to Manila. Since then circumstances
have strikingly emphasized this need. Surveys have shown the entire
feasibility of a chain of cables which at each stopping place shall
touch on American territory, so that the system shall be under our own
complete control. Manila once within telegra