Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-08-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular Correspondent

garded IN Washington as over lI"e'
the Spanish government is still dilIy-
dallying about forwarding its official
acceptance of our terms of peace, but
il has canscd President Mckinley to
be informed that it is acting for sell
preservation, and not from any desire
to delay the matter; that it must Sc
cure popular support at home IN or
der to avoid a civil war. That the
administration has accepted tins IN
formation in good faith may be Judged
from the fact that the transports
which carried the army ofGen. Miles
to Porto Rico, and which were to
have been used to carry reinforce
ments to Miles, have been ordered 10
Santiago to assist in bringing the men
| in Skaters army, home. Gen.
Miles is still daily occupying new ter
ritory in Porto Rico, but he is dong
no lighting and it is not expected
that he will do any, unless the diIly-
dallying of Spain shall be prolonged
10 such an extent as to provoke the
President into Withdrawing the terms
of peace that have been offered.
There is also reason for stating that
IGen. Merritt and Admiral Dewey
lhaye orders not to do any fighting at
! Manila. miles, it is forced upon them.
| Although President Mckinley is
naturally anxious that Spain should
accept the terms Ofpeace at once he
would beperfectly willing to stretch
the immediate" evacuation OF Cuba,
provided for in the terms, consldera'
Ibly, as he would prefer not having 10
send an army of occupation 10 Cuba
until well into September, after the
sickly season is over.
To the strictly military mind, the
protest signed by all of the generals
IofGen. Skaters army, against Keep
ling our men at Santiago, to die or
.oooh a stote of debilitated helpless
ness from fever, which the latter for
warded 10 Washington presented a
case of insubordinatiOn that IN any
well-regulated European army would
lbaye resulted in the court-marual OF
every signer of the Ground ROBIN
Rut to the relatives and friends OF the
men who were dying by inches from
1.-The effects of the climatic conditions
around Santiago, whose removal was
unquestionably hurried iy the publ
cation charged to Col. Theodore
Roosevelt, of the "round robin al
though War Department officials PEI
sist in denying it, the protest WAS a
good thing. The people OF TIM
country care more for the welfare OF
the men who compose its army than
they do for strict military rule. War
IDepartment officials know this; that
is why they started to bring ohaitsr
men home so quickly. 1t is, perhaps
fortunate for the men whose names
were attached tn the Santiago ground
robin that the war is about over
The public reprimand given to COL
Roosevelt, by Secretary Alger, for
sentiments expressed ina private let
ter is an indication ofwhat they may
expect while they remain IN the ser
vice.
The President of the Cuban Provi-
,ional government has written Presi-
Ident Mckinley a long letter, express
ling thanks to and confidence in the
liz. S. but the most important para
graph in the letter is that which out
lines the intentions of the insurgents
1t says: "Our first step, with the aP
lnroval ofthe L. S. Government, will
lbe TO call new assembly, which will
Irepresent. as far as possible, every
section of territory and condition OF
,people. This ASSEMBLY, will elect a new
provisional government that will
possess more powers than the pre-
sent one, which is of necessity, a
government of the revolution. But
1.-The result Of the new assembly will be
to form government which VIII sui
Ibe limited in power and whose I'M
lnortant work will be the establish
ment of a permanent and complete
Government, founded on the lines OF
that of the U. s., and one which, wa
hope, and have every reason 10 De-
llieye, will be satisfactory, both to
.LoU c and TO Cuba" The prevail
ing impression in w ashlngton is that
| Cuba will remain under U. 5. Military
| Government for some time before the
Cubans are allowed to make any ex-
pertinent in the governing ine'
That there are good things IN a
paternal system ofgoyernment must
ibe admitted by every man who WIZ
,,yoctinafN The