Mr. Woodford to Mr. Day.
Madrid, April 6, 1898.
Sir: I have the honor to report that on Tuesday, April 5 instant, I telegraphed to the President in cipher as follows:
Madrid, April 5, 1898.
President McKinley, Washington:
Should the Queen proclaim the following before 12 o’clock noon of Wednesday, April 6, will you sustain the Queen and can you prevent hostile action by Congress?
[Page 742]“April 5, 1898.
“At the request of the Holy Father in this Passion Week and in the name of Christ, I proclaim immediate and unconditional suspension of hostilities in the Island of Cuba. This suspension is to become immediately effective so soon as accepted by the insurgents in that island, and is to continue for the space of six months, to the 5th day of October, 1898. I do this to give time for passions to cease and in the sincere hope and belief that during this suspension permanent and honorable peace may be obtained between the insular government of Cuba and those of my subjects in that island who are now in rebellion against the authority of Spain. I pray the blessing of Heaven upon this truce of God, which I now declare in His name and with the sanction of the Holy Father of all Christendom.”
Please read this in the light of all my previous telegrams and letters. I believe that this means peace, which the sober judgment of our people will approve long before next November, and which must be approved at the bar of final history. I permit the Papal Nuncio to read this telegram upon my own responsibility and without committing you in any manner. I dare not reject this last chance for peace.
I will show your reply to the Queen in person, and I believe that you will approve this last conscientious effort for peace.
Tuesday afternoon, 3.
Woodford.
I permitted the Austrian ambassador to take a copy of the foregoing dispatch to Her Majesty the Queen Regent and to show the same copy to the Papal Nuncio.
This morning I get your cipher dispatch in answer to the foregoing, and which I translate as follows:
Washington, April 5, 1898.
Woodford, Minister, Madrid:
The President highly appreciates the Queen’s desire for peace. He can not assume to influence the action of the American Congress beyond the discharge of his constitutional duty in transmitting the whole matter to them with such recommendation as he deems necessary and expedient.
The repose and welfare of the American people require the restoration of peace and stable government in Cuba. If armistice is offered by the Government of Spain the President will communicate that fact to Congress. The President’s message will go to Congress to-morrow. It will recount the conditions in Cuba, the injurious effect upon our people, the character and condition of the conflict, and the apparent hopelessness of the strife. He will not advise recognition of the independence of the insurgents, but will recommend measures looking to the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of peace, and stability of government in the island, in the interests of humanity and for the safety and tranquillity of our own country.
Tuesday night, 12.
Day.
This morning (April 6) I permit the Austrian ambassador to take a copy of your foregoing dispatch to Her Majesty the Queen Regent. I did not go to her in person, as a ministerial crisis is imminent to-day, growing out of the proposed issuance by the Queen, at the request of the Pope, of a proclamation of armistice. Just as I did not interfere in the ministerial crisis of last October, when the Conservatives went out of power, so I do not interfere to-day, when the present Liberal ministry may resign and possibly be followed by a ministry who will take office on the programme of immediate armistice, to be followed by early negotiations in Cuba looking to immediate, effective, and permanent peace.
I also send to-day to the Papal Nuncio copies of my dispatch of yesterday to the President, as given above, and copy of my translation of your reply thereto. I have added to these copies the statement that they are furnished to his excellency the Papal Nuncio at Madrid for his personal and confidential information and are not to be made public.
I will continue to keep the Department fully advised of what may be done here.
Very respectfully yours,