of Spain in obedience to said resolution, the minister asked for his
passports and withdrew. The United States minister at Madrid was in turn
notified by the Spanish minister for foreign affairs that the withdrawal
of the Spanish representative from the United States had terminated
diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that all official
communications between their respective representatives ceased
therewith.

I commend to your especial attention the note addressed to the United
States minister at Madrid by the Spanish minister for foreign affairs
on the 21st instant, whereby the foregoing notification was conveyed.
It will be perceived therefrom that the Government of Spain, having
cognizance of the joint resolution of the United States Congress,
and in view of the things which the President is thereby required and
authorized to do, responds by treating the reasonable demands of this
Government as measures of hostility, following with that instant and
complete severance of relations by its action which by the usage of
nations accompanies an existent state of war between sovereign powers.

The position of Spain being thus made known and the demands of the
United States being denied, with a complete rupture of intercourse,
by the act of Spain, I have been constrained, in exercise of the power
and authority conferred upon me by the joint resolution aforesaid, to
proclaim, under date of April 22, 1898,[8] a blockade of certain ports
of the north coast of Cuba lying between Cardenas and Bahia Honda, and
of the port of Cienfuegos, on the south coast of Cuba, and further in
exercise of my constitutional powers and using the authority conferred
upon me by the act of Congress approved April 22, 1898, to issue my
proclamation dated April 23, 1898,[9] calling forth volunteers in order
to carry into effect the said resolution of April 20, 1898. Copies of