LAD#18- McKinley's War Message

The Spanish government sincerely wished to avoid war with the United States but faced tremendous internal problems coupled with a military situation in Cuba that had gotten out of control. In order to appease the Americans without provoking backlash in Spain, it agreed to two of the main conditions that the United States had laid down as necessary to gain peace in Cuba and although McKinley knew of these concessions when he went before Congress on April 11, the president had already decided to give in to both popular opinion and the pressure from his fellow Republicans and opt for war. In the address to the congress he first acknowledged the fact that the growing conflict with Spain and Cuba was getting out of hand and that although the united states had always kept the policy of neutrality during the conflict it had become to interfere with the lives of those in America. He began to realize that the actions taken by the two opposing sides had left them in a stalemate and the fighting would continue until some action was taken by an outside party. Although the United States under McKinley did what they could to be that influence peacefully, the president finally accepted the fact that war was needed to resolve the conflict.