William McKinley: Message to Congress about Cuban Intervention

Audience

McKinley had not given Congress a war message. He left open the chance for further talks with Madrid. The way in which the president framed the issue of Cuban belligerency and its future independence ensured that Congress would talk about these matters for several days. McKinley's request was for large discretionary power to employ the military forces short of going to war. He was asserting his supremacy in the conduct of foreign policy and his role as commander in chief.

The message of April 11, 1898, was composed first to impart to members of Congress what the president wanted them to do about Cuba. Beyond that audience, the document sought to convey the White House's reasoning about the next steps in Cuba. Unlike modern messages of great importance from presidents that are usually delivered orally, McKinley's words would be read by clerks and printed in newspapers. The tradition was that presidents did not address Congress in person. While McKinley was a clear and direct writer, his message does not strive for literary effect and does not resonate with the lawmakers or the public in that respect. Because of the belief that the United States had no reason for war with Spain in 1898, many commentators have accused McKinley of poor reasoning and overlooking the concessions that Spain had supposedly made.

McKinley was not writing for the ages but rather to win the support of a restive and even rebellious Congress. The president still hoped that Spain might yield at the last minute, so the message could not be too warlike or it might leave Madrid with no option but war.