belligerency. Public men in the United States were still
convinced that Great Britain had erred in recognizing the
belligerency of the Southern Confederacy, and consistency of
foreign policy demanded that the Government should not accord
recognition to a Government without a navy, a capital, or fixed
territory. This decision made it particularly difficult for the
President to perform his acknowledged duty to Spain, of
preventing aid being sent from the United States to the
insurgents. He issued the proper proclamations, and American
officials were reasonably diligent, it is true, but without any
of the special powers which would have resulted from a recognized
state of war they were unable to prevent a leakage of supplies.
As a result General Weyler had some ground for saying, though
with characteristic Spanish extravagance, that it was American
aid which gave life to the revolt.

President Cleveland energetically pressed all cases involving
American rights; he offered mediation; he remonstrated against
the cruelty of Weyler's methods; he pointed out that the United
States could not forever allow an island so near and so closely
related to be in flames without intervention. Spain, however,
assumed a rather lofty tone, and Cleveland was able to accomplish
nothing. Senator Lodge and other Republicans violently attacked
his policy as procrastinating, and the nation as a whole looked
forward with interest to the approaching change in administration.

William McKinley, who became President on March 4, 1897, was not
actively interested in foreign affairs. This he illustrated in a
striking way by appointing as Secretary of State John Sherman of
Ohio, a man of undoubtedly high ability but one whose whole