nor Galvin as its nominal leader; but it possessed very little
power, since so long as Spain persisted in retaining its hold on Cuba,
and the revolution continued, the question of governing the island was
necessarily a military one. Then, to add still further to the
difficulties of Spain, and to bring the tension between her and the
United States to practically breaking-point, came the "Dupuy de Lome"
and the "Lee" incidents. The first of these arose out of a letter
written by Senor Dupuy de Lome, the Spanish Minister at Washington, to
his friend Senor Canalejas, who was then in Cuba on a visit. In this
letter Senor Dupuy de Lome was imprudent enough to express, in very
emphatic language, his doubts as to the good faith of the United States
in the attitude which it had taken up on the Cuban question; and, not
satisfied with this signal act of imprudence, the writer must needs
indulge in certain very insulting remarks respecting President McKinley.
This letter was stolen from Senor Canalejas in Havana, and sold to a
New York newspaper, which promptly published it, with the natural result
that de Lome was compelled to resign his post. The second, or "Lee",
incident was a sequel to the first, and was doubtless prompted by a
desire for revenge. It was nothing less than a request by Spain that
General Lee should be recalled from his position as Consul-General for
the United States at Havana, upon the ground that he was a _persona non
grata_ to the Spanish authorities there. Needless to say, the request
was not complied with. And then, finally, came the _Maine_ incident.

This last had its origin in certain serious military riots which
occurred in Havana on the 12th and 13th of January, 1898, due to the
opposition of the Spaniards, military and civil, to General Blanco in
his character as pacificator; the pacification of the island otherwise
than by military operations being very unpopular with the resident
Spaniards, and especially with the army. In consequence of these riots,
and in view of the danger to American citizens arising out of the
disorderly state generally of the city, the battleship _Maine_ was sent
to Havana by the United States Government.

She arrived in Havana harbour at eleven o'clock in the forenoon of
January 25, 1898, and was duly saluted by the forts and the Spanish
ships of war, whose salutes she as duly returned; after which, under the
direction of the port authorities, she was moored in the m