The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-08

| army, which, if successful, would nave
cost at least 5000 hves or Withholding the
assault if in his judgment such assault
would fail.
No greater discretion was ever given
to any general commanding an army. and,
| what Is more as Will be observed, he was
authorized TO accept the surrender. which,
in the interest Of his suoordinaces. he
generously declined 70 do and went away
leaving all the honor to his next in rank.
General Shafter."
TORAL SENDS BLANCO'S LETTER
On the morning succeeding the first in
terviaw a letter was received from Gen
eral Toraa. Of which the following IS
literal translation:
Santiago de Cuba. July "A. 1893
General in Chief of the American Forces
''Honored Sir-His excellency he gen.
eral in chief OF the army Of the island Of
Cuba telegraphs from Havana yesterday
at p. m the following:
Believing that business OF such TN
portance as the capitulation Of that place
should be known and decided upon by the
government Of his majesty. give you no.
tice that l have sent the conditions of
your telegram asking an immediate an
swer and enabling you also to show this
to the general OF the American army TO
see If he will agree TO await the answer OF
the government, which cannot be as soon
as the time which he has decided as COM
munication by way Of Bermuda is more
slow than by Key West In the mean
while your honor and the general Of the
American army may agree upon capitula-
ton on the basis of repatriation, return
ing to Spain
II have the honor 20 transmit TO you
| that in case you may consider the fore
! going satisfactory that ne may designate
! persons in representation of himself who.
with those in my name, may agree 10
| clauses of capitulation upon the basis of
returning to Spain accepted already IN
the beginning by the general-in-chief of
this army. Awaiting a reply, am, very
respectfully, your servant, Jose Toral.
etc.
TORAL SURPRISES THE YANKEES.
AT the melting on the following day
| General Toral stated that he was pre-
pared to surrender with the approval of
the captain general of Cuba but it would
require little time TO have his acts con-
Z
the meantime he was prepared to appoint
| commissioners to arrange the clauses OF
capitulation. Not only this. he offered
to surrender the balance of his command
which had not been under fire during the
campaign. The remarkable offer was on
his motion and was in the nature OF a
surprise to the American generals pres
ent. However, at the conference OF .4e
day previous. General Miles had remind
ed him that ne had been rendered the
most liberal terms ever offered 90 an
enemy, that his fleet was destroyed and
that they were 5000 miles from home.
ToraPs offer could be accounted for in
one of two ways-either that the troops
were wanted at home TO meet threat
ened revolution or that they wanted to
get home and regarded this as the only
means of doing so, at the expense of the
United States. Whether Blanco and the
rest Of the Spanish forces in Cuba would
q have surrendered on the same basis is
not known and perhaps may never be
known.
WHY MILES DISOBEYED ORDERS.
''The place of landing the Porto Ricar
expedition had been so thoroughly adver-
French cable and in the newspapers OF
our country, and telegraphed to Madrid
and from there to San Juan, that, not
having received the necessary appliance:
with which to disembark. General Mile:
decided after leaving the Windward Pass
age. to change his course and land or
the south side of Porto Rico, where the
Spaniards were the least prepared ant
the least expecting to receive him, and
where he knew that the Decentralization
Of the troops and supplies could mos
easily be effected. From the time Of tina
/ Decentralization, during the following
nineteen days Of the campaign, he KEEP
, the Spaniards guessing what the mex
move would be. When they withdrew
, along the line Of the great military roat
between Ponce and San Juan, they de
stroyed the bridges. obstructed the roads
and fortified strong positions in tn,
/ mountain passage and then were surprised
that one column of MS army was sweep
ing around the west end OF the island
capturing the principal cities and towns
while another had passed over the mount
aims. over the trail which the Spaniard
had supposed impossible, and therefore
had not fortified or guarded #, and tn,
; first they knew OF the march Of TIL
American arm was the appearance Of
strong brigade within twenty miles OF IN,
northern coast at the terminus OF tn
railroad connecting San Juan with Are
cibo.
CALLS IT A CONQUEST.
THE island Of Porto Rico was fairll
won by the right OF conquest and bai
become part OF the United States tn,