The times., 1898-02-28

Lut OF an aIarN-IlE = rhaTaCJer II Was
feared ,nat. It being sunday there
mEh, De an outbreak of some sort
among The rabbie q Havana. The
Court # Inquiry reached Key West and
went on beard the Ncw York at once
where "a long conference was held with
Admiral olcafd Beyond tnis The de-
partment received no information.
Tha situation Is not better however,
than ID has been for several days, and
the outlook is quite gloomy. The pres
ent peaceful condition that appears on
the surface of things may he the luli
that TrtcedeS The outbreak Of the
storm. Conscious u The momentous
consequences thay may follow an out
break. The Administration is making
cve.. preparation 10 give = good ae-
count af itself to The American people
il that rupture which All fear should
come Processing there Is no danger Of
wan the Government is straining every
nerve ana putting the country on
war footing so fai as the Navy i con-
celuad. and taking those preparatory
sJeI essential for the mobilization az
an army on land if such a force should
be necessary to the prosecution of a
combat With Spain.
Tho Pr, sileui i HoJ yet convinced
that war is The ouh alternative be-
fore him. He hopes that diplomacy
may bring an amigable solution and
thal Ih,. cooling of the gentle dove Of
peace may give way 80 The Vicious flap
ping gf the wings III the American
eagle II is hardly likely. however. and
while the President is hoping against
hope. The eagle continues 10 sharpen
its talo.s ana scream wars Wild alarm
up ana down the Atlantic coast. meet
ing cae eeho that comes back from
every inland city. town and hamlet.
The unusual activity in the navy
points - bgl the sinaIe conclusion that
the President and his advisers have al
most reached the conclusion that 4
fight is The only WAY in which this mat
ter can 81 satisfactorily settled. Work
has b-n pushed in the various navy
yards and EUn factories with speed
thar haS not been witnessed since The
stirring days Wheu this country was
divided against itself and the North
and South were striving for the mas
tery,
To-day there is ne dividing line and
every section Is urging the President on
10 take that step which shall urcak 4
vengeance foT ihe crime committed in
the harbor at Havana. and give TO the
Cuban patriots that freedom II life and
liberty for which they have So VaiiantIy
fought and 10 which they are entitled.
The temper of Congress i unmistak-
able and il the President says that war
is the only way this thing can toe de-
termned he VIII find behind him a
Congress that knows no section and
recognizes no politics.
The more the IDEA Of settling the
Maine incident By the payment OF an
indemnity is discussed. the more un-
popular does it become The Ameri-
can people have had enough cf the hor-
ToTs Of Spanish harbarity and its set
tlement on q dollars and cents basis.
The people hayc not YET forgotten the
slaughter Of the men Of the Nirginius.
That crime should have been rcvcnged
in the blood of the SPaniard. and there
is not a feeling today thai th, nation
which can So outrage The laws Of civ
ilized countries should be permitted TO
escape like q petty thief by the ass =ss-
men, Of . small fine.
Congressman have said from the be-
ginning THAI II ii b. shown that the
destruction u the batueship was due
10 an attack from without. whether
Spain was directly responsible or not,
war must follow. for no PREPARATION
could atone the crime and heal the
wounds inflicted upon the nation
The dispatches from Havana last
night show conclGsivcIy that the dis
aster Was due tu an attack from either
a torpedo OF a submerged mine. The
investigation 4 the plates of the bot
tom 81 the ship prove conclusiVcly THAI
they were blown inward and upward
and 81 the terrific shock tu which the
ship VAS subjected came from within
Hu such evidences would have been
forthcoming.
Congressman who are cunseIl afiVc
becaust they wanted io wait for the
facts afe beginning, in the light Of
facts 10 lose that conservatism and
take On q bellieereut attitude tha;
boacS no good To the tranquility Of tn,
nation nor tho settlement Of this affair
through The ordinary channels of dip
lomacy Secretary sherman. who
knows little Dr this whole lamentable
business. Was sent 10 the Senate on
Saturday 10 sound public men on the
Fubje-i uf The acceptance 81 an indem-
nitE and ieft the legislative halls I'm
deTetsuG!nG ihat men 0f influence in
The party WUUlG never agree L. 50 mild
hammered 4 disposition az 50 heinous
a c.imt. ft is even doubtful II Spain
would agree tu accept that RESPONSE
biliIE iu the eyes of the world that
would Dr. assumed il she Were L. pay
an iu4 -uHity. And IL willing 10 as
sumo ID lhe question of paying AN IN
delun.tv sGen as would be demanded
would d. ONE about which there would
be considerable doubt. II nol paid
promptly this Government would De
compelled to follow The example ~ ia t.
pan With respect 10 jhc Chinese .udem-
nifty. and seize and hold her cuban ter
JitoFy anul II MAS paid and then WaI
would fellow anyhow.
Ne might az well have il out first
as laeI aHG give her a good. sound
fhIasaiua' is the reasoning AZ the men
who fan H. appreciate the wisdom ol
the course suggested by Mr- sherman
during niS lisit 20 The capitol on SatuI-
DAY
FUNDS ron THEIR RELIEF.