Middletown transcript., 1898-03-19

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ma the country just
%IM now. He b as
yEXIXd IcS not abandoned
f/!AtHIM hope that peace
5AkEUTI may be preserv-
S ed with honor,
but he is working night and day 10
place this country in q position TO wage
a successful war against Spain just as
though he were certain that war is to
como. His head has not been turned
even little bit by the extraordinary
confidence reposed In him by Congress,
in putting by unanimous vote $50, ,000,-
900 in his hands to be used for national
defence. He is cool and deliberate,
just as he has been from the first. He
calmly ignores the sensational reports
Of this or that European nation being
about to form an alliance with Spain,
and is as fully determined as ever to
maintain National honor at all hazards.
Notwithstanding various contrary
assertions, it is a fact that neither the
President DOR the Secretary OF the Navy
has received from any member of the
Maine Court of Inquiry, single word
intimating what the report Of the court
Will be. They have, Of course, like all
other intelligent men. formed an opin-
ion from the evidence that has appear
ed in the columns of respectable news
papers, of what the probable nature Of
the report as far as it concerns the ex-
plOsion, will be, but they have no in
side knowledge of what the court has
done or will do, and expect none, any
more than they would expect advance
intimation of what decision Of the U. 4
s. Supreme Court would be in any
given case it might have under con-
sideratioD. There will be no delay in
acting as soon as the report, which the
President will accept as final, is made,
and Spain will not be allowed to delay
responding to the demands of this
government, fit be shown that the
Maine was blown up from the outside
and OF that there is now very lit
tie doubt. While the President is
keeping his own counsel as to the de-
mand that will be made upon Spain;
it can be set down as certain that it
will be one that will be endorsed by
the entire American people, just as the
Presidents policy has been up to the
present time. and it is generally believ-
ed that 1t will include a proposition for
a definite settlement Of the trouble in
Cuba. There are already strong indi-
cations that Spain has adopted policy
of delay, which it will seek to carry
out, but it will seek in vain. It will
either have to meet our demands
promptly or ight.
No Quaker could profess greater
brOtherly love for the United States
than does the new Spanish Minister,
who was presented to Presilent
Mckinley on Saturday. He talked as
though peace were assured and that
his greatest anxiety is to complete
reciprocity treaty with US. This talk
isn't throwing any sand in anybCdy's
eyes.
The confidence felt by Congress in
the President is duplicated by that re-
posed by the President in his Secre
taries of War and Navy, and by that
placed in their Bureau Chiefs by those
Secretaries. An instance OF this con-
fidnece is the case of Gen. Flagelr,
Chief Of Ordnance, who has been au-
thorjzed by Secretary Alger to place
orders for as much war material as he
may deem necessary under existing cir
cumstances. Gen. Flagler has directed
all makers of both guns and ammuni-
tion to run their establishments to
their full capacity until further orders.
But no waste or extravagence Is to be
cnuntenanced in either the War or
Navy Depart ment; every dollar spent
will be upon es' imateS, approved not
only by the Secretary, but by the
President, and In writing ct that.
Congress is very decidedly opposed to
anything that might be construed bv the
world as an alliance between the q. 8.
and Great Britain. The feeling against
s'entangling foreign CONT locations" is
quite as strong now as it was in the
DAYS of George Washington. We do |
not need any help from England to
fight our battles and We do not intend
to help England 10 fight her fattles. |
This feeling has been str0nly ex.
pressed since the idea became prev
alent that England was trying to |
make use Of the probability Of war
with Spain to inveigle the U. 5. into
an alliance offensive and defensive
with her. 1t is all very pretty to talk
about,an alliance between the English |
speaking people being strong enough o |
dominate the world, but the u. 3. |
isn't in the dominating business, and
has no idea of going into it. Besides
it has many and.growing commercial
Interests that are necessarily directly
opposed to those OF England. and other
European nations. Having success.
fully played lone hand for more than
century, and managed 10 make more
progress than any other nation on
earth, it isn't likely that the o. IS.
would care to hamper itself With q
partner now.
The building of three new battleships,
to be as good as the best now atOat,
and one Of them TO be named Malne, Is
authorized be the Naval Appropriation
Bill.