in the
conquest and forcible annexation of Cuba. While pretending to sympathize
with Cuba and to resent the alleged American impairment of her
sovereignty, they were really scheming for the utter destruction of
Cuban independence.

Agitation, discussion, proposals and counter proposals, upon none of
which could the Convention agree, continued week after week. At the end
of March the question arose of sending a Commission to Washington to see
the President. This was opposed violently, chiefly at the incitement of
American emissaries, who busied themselves in Cuba in urging the
rejection of everything that promised a settlement of the controversy.
On April 1 some unscrupulous intriguer caused a message to be
telegraphed from Washington to the effect that if a Commission came it
would not be received; and this was received in Havana just as the
Convention was about to vote to send such a Commission. Naturally, the
Commission was not sent. On April 9, having learned that the message was
unofficial and mischievous, the Convention reconsidered the matter and
by an overwhelming majority voted to send a commission. Again
mysterious dispatches came from Washington, saying that the President
was resolute in refusing to recognize any Cuban envoys, and in
consequence the sending of the Commission was delayed.

Then the proposal was made that the Convention should reject the Platt
Amendment outright, and afterward send a Commission to Washington; and
this was actually carried, though by mistake, some members voting
exactly contrary to the way they intended. Then it was voted to send a
Commission, with special instructions to try to secure the inclusion of
a commercial treaty in the Platt Amendment. With this in view the
Convention on April 15 designated five members of such a Commission.
They were Mendez Capote, the President of the Convention; Diego Tamayo,
Leopoldo Berriel, Pedro Gonzales Llorente, and Rafael Portuondo; but as
Dr. Berriel could not go, General Pedro Betancourt was named in his
place. The Commission sailed for Washington on April 20. General Wood
also sailed on the same day, though on another steamer. The Cubans
reached Washington four days later, and the next day, in contradiction
to the false dispatches which had been sent, they were courteously
received by President McKinley. After a brief interview he introduced
them to the Secretary of War, to whose department Cuban affairs, under a
Military governor, belong