e entire subjection of the Cubans,
and, had they accepted the proposed autonomy, there is no doubt but that
the future would have been as bad, if not worse, than the past.

Public opinion in the United States was never so deeply aroused as it
was now. Citizens in all ranks of life were calling loudly for
interference, which, in the name of civilization and humanity, should
end the horrible state of affairs in Cuba.

The United States was Cuba's natural defender and protector, and now,
both press and public declared, was the time to act.

The president was fully aware of the gravity of the situation, but with
rare discretion, for which future historians will give him due credit,
he bided his time, preferring, if possible, peace with honor.

In his first message relating to the Cuban situation, President McKinley
said:

"If it shall hereafter appear to be a duty imposed by our obligations to
ourselves, to civilization and humanity, to intervene with force, it
shall be without fault on our part, and only because the necessity of
such action will be so clear as to command the support and approval of
the civilized world."

General Stewart L. Woodford, our minister to Spain, behaved with the
utmost courtesy and did everything in the power of mortal man to avoid
hostilities.

One cause of the American people's irritability, and in all justice
there was much reason for it, was Spain's pretence that the Cuban war
had been prolonged because of America's inability or non desire to
maintain neutrality. Nothing could be falser or more absurd, for the
United States had invariably, whenever possible, stopped all
filibustering expeditions to Cuba. The records will bear out this
statement, without any possibility of refutation. More than two millions
of dollars had been expended by the United States in Spain's interest.
Certainly, gratitude or its equivalent is a word that does not appear in
the Spanish lexicon.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE LAST DAYS OF PEACE.

Then came the De Lome incident which served to inflame further passions
already aroused.

Senor Enrique Depuy De Lome was the Spanish minister to this country.

He wrote a letter, strongly denunciatory of the president's message, and
of the president himself; with the worst taste possible, he alluded to
Mr. McKinley as a low politician, one who catered, for political
purposes, to the rabble.

This letter was intercepted and a copy given to the press. The original