even publishing
the grossest of falsehoods for the sake of inflaming popular sentiment.
Too large a proportion of the nation was swayed by these latter sordid
and sinister influences. But at least the government kept its head, and
acted with admirable discretion; though for so doing the President
incurred the virulent animosity of the chief clamorer for war, an
animosity which was persistently maintained until it culminated in the
incitement of a criminal Anarchist to assassinate the President.

When the explosion occurred, and Blanco learned what it was, it is said
that he shed tears and exclaimed, "This is the beginning of the end!"
Despite his message to his government, he probably feared that there had
been foul play, and he realized what effect, in any case, the incident
would have upon Spanish-American relations. As for the Cuban
revolutionists, both in Cuba and in the United States, they were almost
stunned by two emotions. The hideous atrocity of the thing was
overwhelming, and they grieved at the loss of the American sailors as
though they themselves had been Americans. At the same time they could
not be blind nor insensible to the almost certain sequel. They felt
that, as Blanco said, it was the beginning of the end, and that now
American intervention was practically assured.

The Spanish government proposed a joint investigation into the disaster,
but the United States government declined and conducted a thorough
investigation of its own, through a board of eminent official experts.
The report was that the loss of the ship was not due to any accident or
to any negligence on the part of the officers and crew. The first
explosion was external to the hull, as if caused by a torpedo or mine,
and it caused the second explosion, which was that of the ship's
magazines. The Spanish government then conducted an investigation of its
own, resulting in a report that both explosions were within the ship and
were presumably purely accidental. It may be added that a final
examination in after years, when a cofferdam was built about the hulk
and it was floated and then taken out to sea and sunk in deep water,
fully confirmed the report of the American investigating board.

It is to be recalled that Ramon O. Williams, who had only a little while
before retired from the office of American Consul-General at Havana, and
was particularly well informed and judicious, earnestly warned the
United States government against sending