January 25, 1898.
Well great... I have made it to the year 1898 but i seem to have broke the flux-capacitor. This means that i am going to have to get used to wool shirts and uncomfortable shoes, no McDonald's for me for about a year. Well before i get into griping about this major hurtle of not having sloppy hamburgers, let me tell you what i had to do to get where I'm at now. You see I'm collage student at UNLV in Las Vegas...correction, I was attending UNLV until i signed up for this ride back in time. Dr. Tanenhaus, my history professor and head of the "Space and Time Continuum Project" at UNLV made us pick a year and fly to it in one of our time machines and then come back. Well that's were my problem is, i lost hydraulic pressure and could not get my landing gear down, thus i had to "belly in" behind a group of trees near the capitol. The only thing that is working is the long range Internet connection on my computer. I told them that we should have a back up hydraulic system on this damn thing! When i get back from this i am going to have a serious talk with the mechanic and Dr. T. Oh well lets make the best of it.
Well i have been here for the past few days and i have took notice that the nation has turned its eyes to Cuba and Spain. You see, for some time, Cuba has been wanting to gain its independence from its mother country of Spain. Well who can Blame them huh? I mean as someone who came from the future, or better yet, the citizens of the United States here back in 1898, we defiantly can understand that! As a matter of fact, i have been given a copy of a newspaper of the time rightly named The Advocate of Peace, from a young man who has befriended me as i was looking for cloths to change into so as i don't make a huge scene walking around town in a flight suit and jump boots. Well anyway back to the story, enclosed in this newspaper discusses President's McKinley's letter that he sent to congress in which he started out by saying, " Peace and goodwill with all the nations of the earth continue unbroken." (Advocate of Peace, Jan. 1898). Now this article did not just discuss the "Cuban question, " as everyone here calls it, but the more than one third of the who message! And to be honest i have found out that Cuba has been on the plate of the US government for quite some time now. You see, i have crashed into a time where the US was expanding its empire, that whole "manifest destiny thing" except the idea has spread internationally. I am in an age where the United States is trying to get a foot hold as o of the strongest powers in the world.
The president informs congress in his letter that his neutrality lies with Spain and states in regards to the forcible annexation of Cuba; " That cannot be thought of. That by our code of morality would be criminal aggression." (Advocate of Peace, Jan. 1898). Well it is going to be an interesting few days to be sure but for the time being i will have to log off. i have to go to the butcher to get steaks for dinner. What a joy, i cant wait until Mr. Sinclair writes The Jungle... I know i will sure appreciate the break from running to the bathroom! Until next time, this is Micah B saying I'll catch you on the flip side.
February 16, 1898.
Whoa Boys and Girls, Do i have a story for you Today!! Well things are getting pretty rocky today in congress You see for all of you back in 2009, if you open your text books to February 8, 1898 you will find that The Spanish Foreign Minister Dupoy severely criticized President McKinley. As todays copy of the Christian observer states, " Criticisms of Mr. McKinley were such that it made it necessary for our government to take actions in the matter. The state department promptly instructed Mr. Woodford, our Minister in Madrid to inform the Spanish Government that Mr. de Lome was no longer acceptable to our Government." (Christian Observer, February 16, 1898). Because i have this handy laptop with the cool Internet that stretches across time and space, i decided to look up this letter, thanks to technology, and i found some pretty interesting stuff but here is what made our government so angry. The online website can be located at https://www.spanamwar.com/delome.htm for those who wish to see the rest of the letter. Any way without further a due here is what made America angry: "Besides the Natural an inevitable coarseness with which he repeats all that the press and public opinion of Spain has said of Weyler, it shows once more what McKinley is: weak and catering to the rabble, and, besides, a low politician, who desires to leave the door open to me and to stand well with the jingoes of his party." I later found out that the minister resigned his position in a wire back to Madrid, so god bye and good riddance to him!
Now i bet all of you in 2009 want to know just how the government came across such an interesting letter...well have no fear Micah your old friend is here with the scoop from the soup! OK sorry, i thought i would give you a rhyme...never mind. Well while i was readying the New York Times a few days ago, the 14th to be exact, I found the answer. You see, as i read the paper i came across an article tittled, Theft of Delome's Letter. I continued my read and found some pretty interesting things. I found out that Delome wrote this letter in his own private home and not in his office in Washington but the paper that he wrote the letter on had the official heading of Legation de Espana. The article states," Senior de Lome did not mail the letter from his house, in fact he had not completed it upon the morning it was written, and carried it to legation, where it was first seen and noticed by a person who, is in the employ of the embassy,
acting in a sub-official capacity." (The New York Times, February 14, 1898). Oh might i add that from what the article stated, this letter was in an open envelope on the minister's desk! It seems to me that if he did not want someone to open it, maybe he should have placed it in his Desk? I think there is something fishy going on in regards to this letter thing. Until Next time, this is Micah B and Ill Catch you on the Flip Side...
