LAD #22: McKinley's War Message

President McKinley addressed Congress in the spring of 1898 to discuss the war between Cuba and its mother county, Spain. The war was affecting American trade with those countries and many people were becoming anxious over in America. McKinley urged Congress to somehow try and stop the war. One suggestion was to use neutral intervention in order to create a compromise between Cuba and Spain. A second and easier option was to pick one side and fully support it. After further analyzing, McKinley decided that neutral intervention would be more beneficial for the U.S. despite the fact that it would be more difficult to execute. He said that the U.S. must recognize its relation to the conflict because its citizens have the right to protection and property. The U.S. was related to the conflict because of political, economical, and social reasons, and after the ordeal with the Maine, there U.S. was highly involved. McKinley did not have the power to end the war; it was left up to Congress.