●   ●   ●    not this a sign of God’s blessing on the country’s unselfish purpose to liberate the Cubans? The tribute paid to Dewey’s humanity by the defeated commander of the Spanish squadron reinforced earnest hopes that the war might indeed be an expression of American generosity rather than of the naked imperialist ambitions voiced by such men as Beveridge and Lodge. 16 The flushed atmosphere of that time is reflected in two paragraphs of the annual message which Mrs.