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Why did President Grover Cleveland oppose intervention in Cuba?

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Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders — Spanish-American War Theodore Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, 1898; print created by Kurz & Allison.

President Grover Cleveland opposed intervention in Cuba primarily because he was committed to preserving peace with Spain. Despite significant popular pressure and a concurrent resolution from Congress in 1896 advocating for the recognition of belligerent rights for the Cuban insurgents, Cleveland consistently ignored these calls for action.12

While he maintained this stance throughout his term, he did signal in his final message to Congress that the continued prolongation of the conflict might eventually necessitate a change in policy. His successor, William McKinley, initially shared this desire to avoid war but ultimately found the ongoing humanitarian crisis and instability on the island impossible to ignore, leading to the eventual Spanish-American War.1