The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-03-30
The Outlook for War.

I - - - - eS~ ~ - . y . go
The Washington admicis:ra:ion is
steady developing its policy of discount
ing in advance the report OF Che board
of iDqoiry. Il is the fear Of President
MeKioley, We learn from ''ausi-jiaea"
papers, that if congress shal! receive
the report of toe board nithou. due pre-
paIatioo it will explode in a dynamic
ousbnrs. Of wrath and forthsith declare
var against Spain. Eveo Speaker
Reed is spfrehensive that his recon
ceDtrados" Of the house will revolt and
break through his trooha. So by birts
AID suggestions and inferest;al aamis-
sioDs congress IS being seasoned against
surprise.
It's hardly worth while to speculate
al this late day aa to the 6ndiags Of tee
beard That proof Of the ex-
teraal origin of the explosion will be
presented in the report is si.eady coo-
ceded by the press Of tie country. the
Charleston News and Courier excepted.
The cnly question is whether the board
have been able to trace the crime to
Spanisb officials This pscof we haze
NOT exDecsed. But it is not essential.
The fact that the Maine was blown up
by Spanish agencies is sufficient TO
compel The demands which will bring
the Issue to such . point that either
the United States or Spain will have to
funk. And i. won't be she United
States.
The New York Mail ard Express
vouches eai:orislly for staff CORES
pondeas Who wires from Key West that
when he told Judge Advocate Mark
that he vas going back to Habsra that
member Of the court replied "Don't
DO it. Habana will be hot place
when the findings of the cour. are
known. I. is as much as your life ia
worth to go there The decision to
abandon the Maine, announced to-day.
and the recall of the officers of the
wrecked ship as also the Fero, from
Habana seem to cop6.u this and to
suggest that the boards report will DO
more than ind that the explosion was
external.
The New York Herald's Madrid cor
respondent is apparently SpaDiard
aud uDmis,akably ciose to the gov
ernmens, whose views he has been re-
asc,iog. We therefore astach import
auce to this announcement from bin !:
4 am 10 a position to state. apd it
may be useful jass now in correction
With poli,icai calculations Of the i'm
mediate future, that the Spanish gov
ernnen. will refuse to accept any finding
Of the Maize commission which may
suggest Spanish responsibility. What
is moro. this Intention is known to the
United States government. The Span.
Ish mioisterial view is that the imputa-
sioo which such q finding would have.
if admisted. wonld forever bs bleuish
upon Spaia'stepusatioo as civilized
country
If The report of the commission
throws blame upon Spain, which wculd
carry With it call for indemnity, the
Madrid government will forthwith
make az appeal to the CON bined Euro
pean powers, cn the plea OF equity and
common fairness, to intervene in faycr
Of Spaio against what every Spaniard
| wou!d esteem as mopstrous and ini
quisous 6oding.
Such intervention BY European pow
ers tbs United States you'd of course
refuse to admit. Even ii President
Mckinley we're willing to arbitratc the
matter, congress would not consent, and
if goaded BY executive action would cr'
the matter short by declaring var.
Bat the prospect is that if this ETH
tude shall be assumed by Spain Presi-
dsut McKioley will play his second
card end recommend to congress the
recognition of Cuban independence
and that he will also take such action
for the recoucepsrados as will provoke
Spaia to strike the FIRST blow.
A most sigifcaos feature of to days
news is the determination of til.
government to dispatch ten Of i:t
sWif.est revenue cutters to serve
With the war ships in Florida me,es as
auxi!iaries. This ID essentially war
measure. Nothing but shs expectation
Of esrly bosti!i,iss would promp. tbs
govcrcment to strip its coasts o! these
ranging scouts of the treasury Their
sishdra0al for navy duty, by the say,
~iil make fiibusterirg expeditions tc
Cuba very easy.
We do not see how war Gan be avoid