At Madrid, before our Minister could comply with his instructions, he was notified by the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs that diplomatic relations were at an end.  He at once asked for his passports, and the same day left for Paris.

President McKinley rightly regarded the conduct of Spain in breaking off diplomatic intercourse and refusing even to receive his demand, as an equivalent to an absolute refusal.  There remained no reason to await action till Saturday noon, as no possible reply could be expected to a demand the very presentation of which had been positively rejected.  In short, Spain instantly showed that it regarded the act of Congress and President as practically a declaration of war, and there remained no resort except to arms.

On Monday, April 25, the President sent to Congress a message asking for a joint resolution declaring that a state of war existed between Spain and the United States, and a bill was at once introduced into the House declaring that war did exist, and had existed, since and including April 21, which passed in less than two minutes.  The Senate promptly concurred and the bill became a law.

While the United States was not a party to the Declaration of Paris, the government made known its intention to maintain its four cardinal principles:  (1) Privateering abolished. (2) Neutral flags to exempt an enemy’s goods from capture, except contraband of war. (3) Neutral goods under an enemy’s flag not to be seized (4) Blockade to be binding must be effective.  Spain, on her part, issued a decree recognizing the fact that a state of war existed, breaking off all treaties with the United States, and promising to observe the rules just given, except that she maintained her right to grant letters of marque to privateers.  But this exception was modified by Spain’s declaring her intention to send out only auxiliary cruisers taken from the mercantile marine and kept under naval control.  One consideration which may have influenced this decision was the self-evident fact that the European Powers would certainly interfere, in the event that Spain attempted to carry on privateering under the old methods.

The war feeling in Spain.

In Spain the war feeling was high.  The Queen Regent, in her speech to the Cortes, declared “the unalterable resolution of my government to defend our rights, whatsoever sacrifices may be imposed upon us in accomplishing this task.”  She said further: 

“Thus identifying myself with the nation, I not only fulfil the oath I swore in accepting the regency, but I follow the dictates of a mother’s heart, trusting to the Spanish people to gather behind my son’s throne and to defend it until he is old enough to defend it himself, as well as trusting to the Spanish people to defend the honor and territory of the nation.”

The policy of the administration.