The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27
FEELING aT MADRID.
The POpulace Excited and Urging
Ministry to Declare War.

Ministry to Declare war
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26. = The Giobe-Demo-
crat prints the following exclusive cable
gram from Madrid, under date of yester-
day: AS hour by hour the impression be-
comes stronger that the United States gov
eminent is determined to make capital
the saying is here, out of the disaster to
the Maine, which people here insist was
caused solely by accident, the popular pres
sure upon the crown to precipitate events
by declaring war at once against the Amer
lean Republic, without giving the latter the
advantage of choosing itself its most pro-
pitious time for opening the conflict, be-
comes irresistible.
The manner in which the stocks of every
kind fell as soon as ever the Course opened
to-day, Cuban bonds tumbling to lowest
depths, while the rate of exchange rose to
a phenomenal height gave q clear indica-
ton of the fact that the money market, the
most important and surest barometer of
impending political events, considers hos
tilities both as inevitable and as imminent.
The attitude of the United States govern
ment is considered so menacing and as con-
sttuting so unmistakable an act of provo
cation that scarcely a newspaper to-day
ventures to recommend the crown TO delay
any longer in the hope of achieving q
peaceful settlement of the difficulties be-
tween the two nations.
Opinions are divided, however, with re-
gard to the manner in which Spain should
proceed in declaring war to obtain the
inevitable advantage and prestige of the
first blow. Some are of the opinion that an
utimatum should be presented to the
United States demanding that President
Mckinley should, within twentyfour hours
give some public and definite manifestation
of the absolute disapproval on the part of
the United States government of the insig-
nificant cause in Cuba, without which it is
urged the rebellion cannot be ended.
Others, again, are in favor of an ulti-
matum demanding big financial compensa-
ton and damages in connection with the
injury done to Spanish state and private in
terests by the various American filibuster-
ing expeditions. 1t may be remembered that
the minister of foreign affairs here has al
ready in his hands, as u bequest from the
Canovas administration, Il huge bill of
charges against the United States govern
ment in this connection, and compared to
which the Alabama claims were a mere
fieabite. Minister Gullon has been holding
this bill of charges for presentation at a
favorable moment, or, better still, for sub
tration.
Others urge that President Mckinley
should be called upon to apologize abjectly
at once for the alleged insults heaped upon
Spain in connection with the De LONE af-
fair and for the charges of treachery that
have been made by the official world at
Washington concerning the Maine disaster
The majority, however believe that the
presentation of an ultilnatum would con-
stltute a mere farce as well as waste os
tlme; that Spain has not one, but hun
dreds, or JuStihable causes to start the war
at once, an opinion in which they are
strengthened by the utterances of the for
eign continental press.
All are agreed that the present sifIla tion
is untenable, and, while Premier Sagasta
and his colleague, Senior Moret continue to
make half-hearted professions OF peaceful
intentions, the nation, and especially the
army which is all powerful, absolutely in
sist upon immediate war.
The dispatches that reach here from Ha-
vana, as well as from New York, all tend
to the conviction that the finding of the
American board of inquiry into the Maine
disaster will be dead against the accident
theory, and in favor OF Spanish official re-
spons4bility. 1t is hardly necessary to add
that the people here will not admit for q
moment that the board of inquiry has the
slightest ground for such an accusation
against Spain, and declare that every piece
of evidence taken by the committee has
been purpCsely twisted and distorted bv lis
members with the preconceiVed object of
making an overwhelming case of treacherv
against the Spanish government
Moreover people here complain bitterly
of the injustice of combining the task of de-
termining the question of the honor and
good faith, not merely of the Spanish Of
hcers, but of the Spanish government. and
indeed of the entire nation, in this Maine af-
fair to committee composed exclusively
of American officials, comrades and friends
and the killed men. and such prejudiced
against the nation in whose port the catas-
trophe took place, and who are likewise
prompted by not unnatural desire TO full
till the manifest wishes of their superiors
and of their countrymen in making q
strong, even If unjustifiable, case against
Spain
1t may be taken for granted that. no mat
ter how strong the evidence produced by
the American committee now in Havana in
favor OF Spanish responsibility whether Of
fetal or unofficial, in the Maine disaster,
the finding of the court Will never be ac-
cepted here, and will only be regarded as
another one of those numerous so-called
coarse and brutal Yankee insults to
which Spanish patience and forbearance
have so long been subjected"
Nor need the readers Of the Globe-Demo-
crat believe for a moment sthat the Span
iards would be hindered from war with the
United States by financial embarrassments.
Now that the government has. 10 all i'm
tents and purposes, decided, as cabled yes
terday that the April coupons of the ma
tional debt viii not be paid IN full. II indeed