The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-09

ftlcO Capital is expected.
MCKINLEY STANDS FIRM.
The United States government is
now waiting to near again from Spain
n this time it is expected the an
swer will be final. Firmly, but, cour-
teously, the president has declined the
earnest appeal of the French ambas-
sador to modify the United States de-
mands, except in slight and compare
lively unimportant respects. There is
no doubt that the peace negotiations
are progressing to the entire satIsfac-
ton Of the president and the members
of the cabinet. A statement to that
effect was made today by a high Off
cial of the administration who express
ed the belief that within a very short
time there would be a complete cessa-
ton of hostilities.
The conference yesterday afternoon
at the White house in which the pres
ident, NJ. CambOn and Secretary Day
participated, was devoted almost en-
tirely to a discussion of details, which
are regarded by the president as un-
important, and hence the requests of
the Frenc ambassador, for the most
part, will be acceded to. One of these
was that the commission to be appoint
ed to settle the terms of peace shall
meet outside of the United States, and
preferably in France. The president
sees no material objection to granting
this request and it is said to be practi-
cally settled that the conferences will
be held in Paris.
The Madrid government, through M.
Cambon, prOpounded a number of
questions as to the time when Spain
would be expected to evacuate Cuba
and the territory to be ceded the
United States, and as to what pro-
visions would be made by the United
States to protect the interests of Span
ish subjects in these islands while the
evacuation was in progress. M. Cam
Dor was Informed Upon all Of those
points, presumably to his satisfaction.
There is one point, however, which
the Spanish authorities, judging from
their communication to their represent
tative here, fail fully to comprehend,
and Secretary Days call pom the am
bassador last night was for the pur-
pose principally Of making perfectly
clear this one point, which was hat
the evacuation Of Cuba, Porto Rico
and one Of the Ladrone islands, to be
selected by the United States, and the
permanent cessiOn to this government
of all of these islands except Cuba, was
made a condition precedent to all
peace negotiations and that not until
these terms had been fully complied
with would this government consent to
entertain any peace propositions what
ever.
The questions upon which the Span
iSh government have so far asked for
conditional information are regarded
by the administration as perfectly le-
ultimate and proper, and up to this
time nothing has occurred to bring in
question the sincerity of their motives.
Under these circumstances, it is the
purpose of the president to deal with
them in a spirit Of perfect fairness and
to make the road to peace as smooth
for them as the rights and dignity of
this government will permit and to this
end unimpOrtant concessions will be
readily granted.
1t was midnight last night before the
concessions Of the president regarding
the meeting place Of the peace com
miSSiOnerS was communicated to the
Madrid authorities, so that owing to
the difference in time it was impossible
for an answer to have been received
this morning. However, it is expected
that the delay will not be long, prob
ably, at most, not more than a day or
two, and that the answer when it
comes will be u to be an uncondi-
tional acceptance of the terms as they
now stand.
SPAIN MUST SAY YES OR NO.
Now, with the Spanish government
assured that no further notifications
can be expected, there is nothing re-
lC14ilh DuS Oil acceptance u (lS
terms outright or a rejection without
further debate, which is not expected.
Something had been said about an
effort on the part Of the Spanish gov
rnmen to secure some guarantee
from the United States that che lives
and property of Spanish citizens in the
conquered territory shall be cared for.
The idea of the administration is that
no such pledge or guarantee is neces-
sary. Assuming sovereignty over con-
quered territory and exercising it,
either through civil administration, as
will be the case with Porto Rico in the
end, or through military government,
as will be the case in Cuba for an in
defnite time, the United States as
sumes a strict obligation to protect
the lives, interests and property OF all
citizens of all neutral nations, and it
must be remembered that when the
treaty of peace is signed the citizens
of Spain, now enemies, will fall into
that category.