The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-11-20
OUR RELATIONS WITH SPAIN
Views Of u Cabinet officer. The
Orders 10 Prepare IrOnclaClH
For NCn Not COunteFmAnded- =
the object Mainly TO be Ready
For an Emergency.

the object Mainly to be Ready
For AN Emergency.
WASHINGTON, Nov. lS,-ltis positively
affirmed to-day that the orders through
the Navy Department for vessels to bt
made ready for sea have not been cOun
termanded, and that the active work o
preparation goes steadily forward. Bu
for this fact all rnmors Of trouble will
Spain would bG set at rest. A member o.
the Cabinet was interrogatcd about the
meaning Of these preparations in the Ma
w, aud he admitted It was true that the
Navy was being put IN scFviceable COndi
ton as possible, but no immediate necess
ity for It's employment was apprchended
The relations Of this Government to for.
eign Governments were not changed, and
there was no more prospect now
Of war with Spain than there
had been for two years past. The
movements Of the last few days sim
ply indicated that the President thought
Il best to keep the Navy in condition to
use at any time. In Case Of the recOgni-
ton Of Cnban Independence, which was
discussed generally, he said the only en-
ployment Of the Navy which might be
now considered as likely to bc nccessa ry
was the protection Of the merchant INA.
rine against Spanish cruisers. lie said
there had been no important change in
the relations between this Government
and Spain, but he did not deny that grave
questions had been under discussion. The
| President had been urged to make decid
cd expressions in his message on the sub
iect Of Cuban independence. The conver'
sation was general, and conveyed little
more information than is stated above
In general, the statement harmonize'
with the information Of last night,
which indicates the strong hope Of d
peacefnl solution Of all difficulties. II
must be confessed that none Of the ex'
plantations Of the rapid equipment Of the
Navy are very clear, and naturally much
interest il aroused. The vessels Of the
Navy are kept In repair with difficulty
when they are laid up out OF commi missiOn
and to avoid the modification experienced
by this country when the affair Of the Vir
rinius called attention TO the weakness o.
our Navy II would seem to te good policy
TO keep vessels In commission during The
winter, and nj all times In condition foi
immediate service. As secondary, i
not indeed primary, reason for fitting
out vessels, this would seem OF itself TO bt
sufficient; but IL Ia doubted II this is all
Il IL now doubted that the answer oi
Spain received to-day will prove sulli
ciently explicit to end the correspondence
in progress.
At the Washington navy yard the mon
itor Catskill, which has been laid up fol
the past nine months, Ia being fitted fol
sen, and the available force Of the yard i
being used to get her ready. A complete
outfit Ia being prepared, and her crew I
now shipped. She will he ready to sal
| in about weak, aud will proceed Il
Norfolk, where she will 60 into dock Il
have her bottom examined. Commander
Henry Wilson, an officer Of large sea ex
perience, and who stands fifteenth on Tn
list OF his grade, has been ordered Il
command the CatSkill Orders have
been received at the yard TO get out, will
all possible dispatch, anchors ant
chains for the new Sloops Enterprise
Essex, Hanger, Huron and Alert. TIL
Huron and Alert arcnOw at Philalel phit
being fitted for sea. Officers will be or
dered to the Catskill after she has beet
iocked at Norfolk. At the Norfolk yatt
the maChinists, blaCksmiths, and iron
platers are making extra time working OF
the Snow Drop and Alliance. The DIR.
dock was prepared day before yestcrda!
for the iron.clad Montauk. She will b
docked in lew days The railway wa
set in order for the reception Of the Can
andnigua. The Alliance is swarmin
with workmen and they are as busy n
bees, but II will be hard work to get he
ready for sca by the time specified in tn
order received for fitting her out.