The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-15
SPAIN ON THE DEFENSIVE
SAGASTA DETERMINED NOT TO pRO.
 YOKE HOSTILITIEs.

Belief That European Powers Will Check | McKinley-News That Note is to h.
 Presented to the Powers is Confirmed,r,v 1 Advices Received in London,
 London, April 15.-The Madrid corre- spondent of the Daily Mail. teIegranh- ing at o'clock Thursday afternoon says: T have just had a conversation with Senor Sagasta, who assured me that the government was absolutely resolved not to provoke hostilities with America. He added: I should be ex- tremely sorry were the country to lose its present self-possession because of the 1ncessant menaces addressed to us py the United States We are striving With all our might to repress the na- tional excitement.''
 | London, April 15.-The Madrid cor respondent of the Standard telegraph- ing Thursday night says: ''The dis patches announcing the resolutions proposed in the United States senate and passed by the house of representa- tives caused more indignation and dis- pleasure in Madrid than even the pres- l ldentlal message. Not a single paper admits the supposition that such pre- tensions could be tolerated by any Spanish government desirous of keep ing harmony with the unanimous feel 1ngs of the people.
 l
 The watchword of the officials is to remain on the defensive All sensible and farsighted statesmen in Spain un- derstand perfectly that the declara- tions of their own government and Of President Mckinley do not by any means make impossible peaceful and conciliatory solution, if circumstances permit. Besides they fancy that the European powers, particularly Austria. France and Russia, may yet have something to say and check President | Mckinley when once he has control of the negotiations. In this strain of consideration I understand the Span- ish court and several members of the cabinet do not despair or share the pessimist impressions prevalent in the press and in political circles. The mil itary newspapers talk very wildly to- day, demanding war and considering | further concessions impossible. The other papers are mostly angry against America but the conservative organs, like the chief, Senor Silvela, are guard ed and reserved, with the evident incli- nation to have peace"
 London, April 15--The Madrid ccrre- | spondent of the Daily Mail says: News l has been received from Barcelona that | the University students there made riotous demonstration as they were l leaving the lectures to-day, (Thurs- day). After giving ss,yivas'' for the, army and navy, Spain and Cuba, they l uttered cries against Yankee pigs" and against Senor Morel the secretary for the colonies. The rector of the uni- versity endeavored to persuade them to disperse quietly, but they refused and marched in body down the Ram | ola, the central boulevard of the city. Eventually they were dispersed by detachment of the civil guard.
 The memorandum which the cabinet has decided to send to the powers gives a resume of the report of the Spanish | board of inquiry into the Maine disas- ter, contrasts it with the American re- port and asserts that Spain's efforts to have the matter referred to an impar- tial committee named by the powers was frustrated by the refusal of the | United States to aoquiesce. With a view of keeping the officers out of the capitol military manouvre has been ordered to take place in the vicinity of Madrid.
 London, April 15.-According to a special dispatch from Madrid the sv- preme council of state has authorized Senor Gullon the foreign minister to order the Spanish minister at Wash ington, Senor Polo Y Bernabe, to re- turn to Spain directly as President Mckinley accepts ''any resolutions of congress which attacks Spain's sover- eighty in Cuba"
 London, April 15-The Madrid corre- spondent of the Morning Post tele- graphing by way of Biarritz, says: 'The queen regent has informed the members of her court that 1t is her in- tention to abdicate immediately if the cabinet takes any steps derogatory to Spain's honor and dignity"
 London, April 15.-A dispatch to the Daily Mail from Biarritz, dated Thurs day, says: "The recent news from Madrid shows that the censorship is dealing severely with telegrams report- ing popular demonstrations As early as o'clock on Monday afternoon two shots were fired near the San Gil bar racks. The alarm was great, as 1t was feared that the cavalry regiment quar- tered there had revolted
 An investigation showed that the shots were fired by two civilians, who were arrested. Up to the present time they have not given a satisfactory ex- plantation of their actions. It is wor- thy of note that the demonstrators who were dispersed in the course of the day in the vicinity of General | Woodford's residence and elsewhere were not the rabble, but people of the middle classes and the well-to-do The best proof of this is that men like Senor Martin, a well known and wealthy att torney, and Senor Dicenta, the cele- brated dramatist, were arrested as ag- itators. During the demonstrations some revolver shots were fired by per- sons in the crowd, and this caused the