The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-16
PEACE COMMISSIONERS
FULLY Instructed as to Their Duties
at Paris.
WILL ACCEPT NO COMPROMISES.
While the Peacemnkers Have Full
Power TO Act, 1t Is Given Out That
Their Demands on Spain VIII Be in
tho Nature of an Ultimatum.

While the PeacemnkerS Have Full
Power TO Act, 1t is Given Out That
Their Demands on Spain VIII Be in
the Nature of an Ultlmatum.
Washington, Sept. 16.-The cabinet
met in special session at o'clock yes
terday afternoon and adjourned at 4.
All OF the members were present ex-
cept Secretary Alger, who Is not In
the city. All united in the statement,
made after the meeting, that they had
agreed to say nothing mere of the re-
suit of the deliberations than that the
peace commissioners had been fully in
structed. OF the nature of these in
structions they conveyed not u word.
Each one pointed out that to do so
would be extremely impolitic. and
would amount to arming the Spanish
commissioners in advance against
themselves. The peace commissioners
who were approached on the subject
made similar response, thus clos
ing all official avenues of information.
1t was said that the commissioners
were fully instructed and, upon
seeking a further explanation of this
phrase, it appeared that the cabinet
had patiently gone over, in the discus
sion with the commissioners, every
subject that in their opinion could be
brought into the proceedings before the
joint commission. On each of these the
American commissioners were made
acquainted with the views and wishes
of the administration. 1t is not to- be
understood from this that the commits
sioners go under ironclad and un-
changeabie instructions at all points,
for there Is a certain amount of flexi-
blity in the instructions, else, as one
of the cabinet members put it, the
president might just as well have re-
duced his wishes to paper in the form
of an ultimatum and have sent that to
Paris by messenger. The peace COM
missioners are in no sense mere mouth
pieces, but having chosen with the
greatest care and consideration five
men in whom he puts the most ex-
nlcit confidence, the president feels
that they are to be trusted with the In
terests of the United States.
1t Is expected that at Paris the COM
missioners will meet General Merritt,
fresh from Manila, and in addition
they will there have the benefit of a
special report from Admiral Dewey.
These will be q the greatest value, for
the commissioners are not acquainted
with the Philippine question in detail,
and even the information that is to be
acquired from the Spanish peace COM
missioners Is not to be despised when
1t takes such an official form that 1t can
be relied upon as to accuracy.
All the arrangements have been made
for the departure of the commission
and its staff. Most of the party will
leave Washington at o'clock this az
ternoon for New York, but circum-
stances may detain some of the COM
missioncrs until the midnight train.
The Campania sails at p. m. tomor-
row, and explicit instructions have
been given all the members of the
party as to being on hand at that
time. |
The state department last night gave
out statement concerning yesterdays |
discussion between the members of the |
cabinet and the peace commission.
The statement says in part:
'"The commission goes TO Paris fully |
prepared to follow course of action
mapped out for it, as the result of the
of the last two days At
the very outset 1t will be made clear
to he-Spanish commissioners that, as
in the case of the preliminary protocol,
there can be no deviation from or
of the demands made by
the United States. The decision arrived
at by the president, after a full con-
sultation with the members of the
subsequently received the
cordial and unanimous approval of
the cabinet"