Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-11-29
THE CAST OF A DIE.
This the Last Day Allowed the Madrid
Government to Reply to the United
States.

States.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-The trans
fer of the Spanish negotiation from
Madrid TO Washington. which was
rendered necessary by the incapacity
of Minister Sickles to deal with SO
grave a matter, has imposed extraor-
binary labor upon the Spanish legation
here. Last night the prospects of an
agreement between the two govern
ments were considered very bright in
deed. The had agreed already upon
every point but one, namely, the sur
render of the Virginius to the United
States, Spain claiming that the question
of her right to the protection of the |
American flag should be first estab-
lished Its believed that suggestion
has been made to refer this question
of the legality of the capture to arbi-
tratiOn, with an arrangement for the |
United States to hold the vessel mean
time subject to the decision of the ar |
bitrators; but the State Department |
refuses positively to accept this solu-
ton of the question. Mr.. Fish was
confident that. the remaining point |
would be yielded by the Spanish Gov
eminent The surrender of the Vir-
ginius is really of less consequence
than other points already yielded, at
Madrid, and it is probable that the
Spaniards are only making show of
fight on this issue in order to make it
appear that they did not yield too read
lily to the American demands. Atany
rate, the concession will be insisted on
by Mr.. Fish as indispensable to any
settlement, even at the cost of war.
MINISTER DE BERNABE's DISPATCH.
The task of writing and transmit
ting after nine clock last night an I'm
usually long dispatch into cipher ne
cessarily occupied some time, and it
was not until very late that Admiral
Polo de Bernabe completed the trans
mission over the wires. This dispatch
is now before the Spanish Cabinet for
their acceptance or rejection of the
settlement which it contains. However
unpalateable the surrender may be, it
/ is believed that the Castelar, Ministry
have really made up their minds to
! yield to the American demand rather
than lose Cuba, and that this decision
will be speedily communicated to this
Government. The limit fixed by the
American Government will expire to-
morrow night; but whether it is in the
highest degree probable that a pacific
solution will have been reached of
question which has brought the two
nations to the verge of war Even if
the difficulty be settled, it is still
| probable the Secretary Roheson will
proceed with the work of putting the
Gulf squadron in an efficient condition,
so as to make more easy the work of
the Spanish authorities in carrying out
the concessions to America, and also
exhibit to the volunteers the perils of
resistance.
CONSEQUENCES TO THE SPANISH RE-
PUBLIC.
| There has been much speculation
recently upon the consequences of con-
cessions by the CASTELAR, government;
and il has been positively stated that
they would be oyerthrown, and that
any concessions or convention made
by them would be repudiated by their
successors in Office, thus making war
finally inevitable These prophesies
are believed to be erroneous as respects
the power of the CASTELAR, Ministry to
maintain itself; and even if they are
overthrow, it is deemed probable that
. their successors, rather than lose Cuba,
would say that they were not response
BILE for what their predecessors had
yielded, but that they would not dis
turb accomplished facts, but would
maintain Spanish honor in the future.
WAITING FOR THE REPLY.
Up to quite late hour tonight the
Government had no definite intelli-
gence from Madrid; and il is doubted
whether the final answer will come be-
fore tomorrow. Mr.. Fish's house this
evening has been besieged in vain by
enterprising newspaper correspond
, ents. This delay in getting news from
Madrid Is by no means an unfavora BILE
indication, and there is nothing known
to diminish the strong confidence felt
in official circles last evening of sue
cessful result to the negotiation.
MINISTER sICKLES PACKS UP.
PARIS, Nov. 26.-The following dis
patch has just arrived in CIPHER from
the New York Herald correspondent
in Madrid: a.s.
MADRID, Nov. 26.-The situation is
grave. On the 18th inst, Gen. Sick
les, by order of President Grant, de-
livered formal ultimatum to Presi-
dent CASTELAR,, demanding prompt and
vigorous reparation for the insult to
the flag, the restoration of the Virgin,
Jus, the release of the surviving pris-
Oners, and indemnity to the families
of the murdered, and the punishment
of the murderers, and also guarantee
against future outrages in Cuba The
: demand was cOuched in kind, sym
pathetic tone, but no alternative was
given. Gen Sickles was also instruct
ed to say that if CASTELAR, did not COM
ply with the demand in a week, he
should ask his passports and leave
Madrid with the legation The time
expires to-day, and no answer has yet
been received. Everything at the le-
cation is packed up ready for immedi-
ate departure Sickles has no hope
that the ultimatum will be complied
with, and telegraphed to Paris yester-
day to have all his official correspond
dence that might be there kept for a
few days. Gen. Sickles, in converse
ton, says that he does not see how war
can be avoided, as CASTELAR, can give no
assurance that the order will be obey
ed in Cuba. Public feeling is also OPP
posed to concessions. Unless CASTELAR,
responds this evening, Gen. Sickles
leaves Immediately. All the American
ships in the Mediterranean have been
ordered to Key West. In the. event
of Gen. Sickles leaving the British
Minister will probably protect the
archives and the American residents.
President Cartelar is personally anx-
ious TO accept the British Minister s
good Offices to effect compromise, but
: there is no hope tonight.
We copy the following compliment
tary notice of our countryman, Col. j.
B. Killebrew, from the Columbia
Herald, of the Dist inst: