*35 CHAPTER X. " MAY GOD DEFEND THE RIGHT!"

TWO davs before the President's Message was sent to Congress General Fitzhugh Leehadleft Havana. On Saturday,April 9th,havingplaced Americaninterests in Havana in charge of the British consulate, he embarked onboardtheUnited States despatch-boat Fern. Some of thereportscurrent at the timesaid that the Spaniards shoutedinsulting words at him as he left the quay. But this does not appear to have been the case. The New YorkJournal was throughout most bitterly hostile to everything Spanish,but its correspondent at Havana telegraphed that when General Lee and the consular staff went on board the Fern, " the Machina Wharf, where they embarked, was crowded with curious persons, but no discourtesy was shown the officials." The moment he was afloat Lee seems to have thrown off all reserve and become an ardent advocate of war. "Look at those flags," he said to one of his comrades, pointing to the red-and-yellow ensign of Spain flying from the public buildings. ,;You will not see them flying there when you come again."

House. And it was soon known that although the Consul-General from Havana declined to be interviewed, he had in private conversations expressed his strongbelief that the Maine had been destroyedby a Spanish mine, and that the sooner armed intervention began in Cuba the better.

In Congress committeesof both Houses were engaged in drafting resolutions in reply to the President's Message. In the Senate the more eager partisans of Cuba tried to rush through a resolution calling for immediate recognition of the Republic and the despatch of an army to assist Gomez. In the House of Representatives a personal attack on the President led to a wild scene of disorder. But all this was ininterlude. Till the committees reported,nothing could be done. And unless bothHouses agreed,Congress could not take any action that would force the President'shand. Meanwhile there came news from Madrid that pointed to a speedy rupture. As soon as the President's Message was read in Washington, the chief passages were cabled to Spain, and the Cabinet met and considered them. The result was that a note was communicated to the Press stating that if Congress took any definite stepin the direction of intervention as set forth in the President's Message, Spain wouldbreak off diplomatic relations with the United State-.

He landed at Tampa, in Florida, whence a special trainconveyedhim to Washington. His journey through the southern states was a prolongedtriumph. The men of the South, on the eve of a war where North and South were to stand shoulder to shoulder, gathered to acclaim the son of their old leader. Flags waved, bands played, crowds cheered at every station. At Richmond, the old capital of the Confederacy, and the chief town of Virginia, Lee's own State, there was a public reception.

The local militia were under arms, camion thundered out a salute,and the chief men of the State presentedan addressof welcome. Wreaths 'flaurel andbouquets of flowers werehanded to him; and, in a brief speech, he thanked the Virginians for their hearty welcome. He was still in official harness, he said,so he had littlehe could tell them. But, all the same, he expressed his mind in one brief sentence:"I was reared a soldier,"he said,"andIbelieve it is the time for action,and not for words." He reached Washington on the 12th, and found an enormous crowd packed in all the street round the station. He went at once to the White On the 13th,after a stormy debate, the House of Representativesadoptedhv a majority of 322 votes to 19 a resolution which wentbeyond the request conveyed in the President's Message. After reciting the reasons for intervention, it "empowered and directed" the President to intervene inorder to put a stop to the war in Cuba and establish there a free Government, and to use for this purpose the army and navy. The debate that preceded the vote was probably the most stormy that had ever taken place in the House. Excited men yelled at each other, gave the lie, almost went as far as personal violence, and order was once emorced by the Sergeant-at-Arms pushing of the representatives back into their TheUpper House— the Senate— proceededmore decorously. Its committee had reported a resolution directing the President to recognise the