decided revival of prosperity, many mills that had
been closed resuming work, and there being other
indications of returning confidence in the business
world. On 17 May the president sent to congress
a special message asking for an appropriation for
the aid of suffering American citizens in Cuba, and
in accordance therewith the sum of |50,000 was
appropriated for that purpose.
The policy of the new administration toward Spain on the Cuban question had been a matter of much speculation, and there were those who ex- pected that it would be aggressive. But it soon became evident that it was to be marked by calm- ness and moderation. The president retained in office Consul-General Fitzhugh Lee, who had been appointed to his post by President Cleveland, al- though he sent commissioners to Cuba to report to him on special cases; and the policy of the govern- ment in relation to the suppression of filibustering remained unchanged. Gen. Stewart L. AVoodford, the new minister to Spain, was instructed to de- liver to the Spanish government a message in which the United States expressed its desire that an end should be put to the disastrous conflict in Cuba, and tendered its good offices toward the accomplishment of such a result. To this message the Spanish government returned a conciliatory reply to the general effect that it had ordered ad- ministrative reforms to be carried out on the island, and expected soon to put an end to the war, at the same time begging the United States to renew its efforts for the suppression of filibustering.
As was generally expected, the opening of the administration was marked by fresh agitation of the question of Hawaiian annexation. A new treaty of annexation was negotiated and sent by the president to the senate, but action upon it was postponed. Meanwhile the Japanese government formally protested against any such action on the part of the United States as should prejudice the rights of its subjects in Hawaii, there being at the time a diplomatic dispute between Japan and Hawaii regarding an alleged violation by the latter power of a treaty between the two countries. Many persons regarded this protest as an indication that Japan would resist the annexation by force of arms, or would annex the islands, but the Japanese minister disclaimed all hostile intent.
Another sensation in foreign affairs, recalling that of the Veiiezuela message during the Cleve- land administration, was a despatch sent by Secre- tary Sherman to Ambassador Hay regarding the Behring sea seal question, in which he intimated that Great Britain, in peremptorily refusing to re- open the discussion of the rules for the regiilation of seal-catching, had been guilty of bad faith. The London press especially took umbrage at the tone of this despatch, which was characterized as rude and disagreeable; but the friends of the administration maintained that this tone was justified by the facts and also by the event, since on 15 July it was announced that Great Britain had finally consented to take part with the United States, Russia, and Japan in a sealing conference in Washington in the autumn of 1897. Later, however. Lord Salisbury declared that he had been mistinderstood, and the conference convened in November without British delegates, although Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Canadian premier, was pres- ent unofficially. Much was done to assuage ill feeling between the United States and England by the course of the administration in sending a special ambassador to Great Britain on the occa- sion of Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. For this post the president selected Whitelaw Reid.
In the summer following the president's in- auguration the reports of great gold discoveries on the Klondike river in British territory near the Alaskan boundary caused great excitement, recalling, especially on the Pacific coast, the days of the early California gold fever. So many expe- ditions set off almost at once for the north that the administi'ation found it necessary to warn per- sons of the danger of visiting the arctic regions except at the proper season and with careful preparation; and to preserve order in Alaskan territory near the scene of the discoveries, the president at once established a military post on the upper Yukon river. On 7 April, in response to a message from the president, asking relief for the sufferers by flood in the Mississippi valley, both houses of congress voted to appropriate the sum of $200,000 for this purpose.
Much favorable comment was caused at the opening of the administration by President McKin- ley's evident desire to make himself accessible to the public, and to accept, if possible, all invitations to speak or preside at public functions. On 27 April, accompanied by his cabinet, he attended the ceremonies connected with the dedication of the Grant monument at Riverside park. New York. Immediately afterward he was present at the dedi- cation of the Washington monument in Philadel- phia: and he soon made it plain that he consid- ered it one of his duties to see and be seen as much as possible. In this and in other respects there was an evident desire on the pai-t both of President McKinley's friends and of his opponents to regard the new administration with favor, and to give it every chance to establish its positions firmly. This was so much the case that its open- ing was referred to in the public press as a new "era of good feeling," like that which had marked the administration of James Monroe.
"The president's first year," says a prominent journal, " has ended with an extraordinary mani- festation of personal confidence in him. Inaugu- rated on 4 March, 1897, he saw the house vote 8 March, 1898, and the senate 9 March, with abso- lute unanimity, giving him a discretionary power which has rarely been granted to any American president. These votes, 811 to in the house, and 76 to 0. without a word of debate, in the senate, grandly exhibited the unity, patriotism, and loyal- ty of the nation. In the thirty-three years since the civil war ended no such manifestation of com- plete restoration of the Union has been possible until now. Even after the civil war began there were five votes against the first act to raise money for the support of the government, and in all the previous history of the nation absolute unanimity in congress was rarely possible. It was worth many times the $50,000,000 voted by congress to have such magnificent demonstration of the na- tion's unity. But while this spirit prompted the act, its discretionary feature was at the same time a rare and striking proof of confidence in the presi- dent. His conduct dui-ing his first year, under circumstances of extraordinary difficulty, has been such as to win for him the entire trust of political opponents in all matters involving the nation's defence, so that some who have been most hostile to him now pronounce him 'a rock of safety.' " See "Speeches and Addresses of William McKinlev," compiled by Joseph P. Smith (New York, 1893), and the campaign " Life of Major McKinley," by Robert P. Porter (Cleveland. Ohio, 1896).
Major McKinley married, 25 Jan., 1871, Miss Ida Saxton, daughter of James A. and Catherine Dewalt Saxton. Her grandparents were among the found-
