The Politics of Intervention

The Second Intervention 101

But neither party is willing to take the responsibility of saying so
out loud. Accordingly they are going to take the cowardly fashion of
breaking a quorum and running away and leaving old Palma, (who
after all is a good deal of a hero, really the only hero I know of in
the Cuban revolution), hanging by his gills between Heaven and
Earth.™

The Moderates were even prepared to scatter the congress
by force if it attempted to choose a Liberal as provisional
president.^60 During the day, Taft cleared the wording of an
intervention proclamation with Roosevelt (who was observ­
ing naval gunnery practice at Buzzard's Bay) and reviewed
the course of the negotiations. He reassured the President
that the insurgents would not fight the Americans and that
last minute Moderate delaying tactics should not deter the
United States from intervening. Roosevelt finally gave Taft
the go-ahead to land Marines and to take control when the
Cuban government no longer existed.^61
At nine o'clock that evening a fraction of the Cuban
congress met for the second time that day in an atmosphere
charged with emotion. There were the predictable impas­
sioned speeches by the island's most accomplished orators,
and then, rather than accept the President's resignation, a
delegation of senators went to see him. Estrada Palma lis­
tened to their pleas to remain in office, and admitted that
his personal desire was to do so. As William Inglis reported
the President's last moments in office:

[Estrada Palma said] "But here, we have a question of the dignity

of the government. We are deprived of authority by an armed element

which has risen against us. I must go."

Not another word was spoken. The President of the Senate seized

the right hand of Don Tomas and drew his left arm around the aged

man in a close embrace. Tears were in the eyes of both. As Dolz turned

away, he was sobbing. Duque Estrada, Mario Garcia Kohly, Fortun,

all the rest, embraced the President and turned away weeping. But the

old man neither wept or spoke. He seemed dazed. The Cuban Republic,

savagely torn by her own greedy sons, was dying before him. And a

little while later he heard passing his palace the measured tramp of

American marines on their way to guard the millions in the state Treas­

ury—the real cause of the revolution.^62