Señor Polo de Bernabé to Mr. Sherman.
Washington, April 3, 1898.
The envoy extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Spain has the honor to communicate to the honorable Secretary of State of the United States the following telegram which he has just received from his excellency the Governor-General of the island of Cuba:
The insular government has resolved upon the publication in an extraordinary gazeta of a manifesto to the country setting forth the excellencies of autonomy, declaring that the colonial constitution is capable of reform in a full sense, and making a patriotic appeal to the insurrectionists to conclude a peace, after previous understanding and agreement. One of the paragraphs reads thus: “The provisional government ardently desires, and the facts bear testimony thereof, that all Cubans, without any exception whatever, shall join in the realization of the noble and fruitful work of rearing peace and concord upon bases of unshakable firmness. The provisional government, following its own inspiration and being also the faithful interpreter of the earnest desires of the Government of the mother country, addresses itself to those Cubans who, in the arena of force, are striving to attain that which in its full reality and worth and without the perils or hazards of independence has already been attained—the triumph of right and justice with far-stretching horizons for the future and broad paths for the orderly and growing development of all the living forces of this community.
“Let the clash of arms cease; let us stretch forth our hands to each other; let us fraternally embrace within the beloved Cuban fatherland, regenerated by sacrifice and liberty; let us restore our hearthstones and gather around them with love; let us work in unity to the end that from the ruins of the past may arise great, strong, and prosperous the Cuban people; let us, the sons of Cuba, enter upon a frank and loyal understanding in order to deliberate with calmness and decide with skillful provision concerning the means which shall conduce by common accord to attain peace without shame for any and with honor for all; let hostilities be suspended, in order that the voice of patriotism may be heard among us, brothers, equally interested in the lot of Cuba. The provisional government hastens to take the initiative toward the attainment of the high ends which it thus sets forth, offering most solemnly all manner of guaranties, and relying ever upon the approbation of the Government of the mother country.”
In transmitting to the Hon. John Sherman the foregoing telegram, which demonstrates the noble sentiments of concord and peace that animate alike the Government of His Majesty and the autonomic government of the island of Cuba, Don Luis Polo de Bernabé avails himself of this opportunity to repeat to him the assurances of his highest consideration.