The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-08-05

in the Philippines.
4 pidity of official procedures here
! Generally, when the Spanish govern
! ment has to take an important decis-
, ion, a long series of cabinet councils
is devoted to what is called, in semi
! official phraseolOgy, Exchanging i'm
/ pressiOn"-a euphonism for talking at
large, bringing recalcitrant members
J into line and postponing a decision un-
! til tomorrow.
1T was expected, therefore, in the
! most important question, war or peace,
/ that these preliminary operations
! would require many days. In reality
/ if not entirely dispensed with, they
| were got through in a single sitting,
| and the whole procedure of examining
! the American demands, deciding on
| course of action and preparing a for
NAL reply was accomplished, if we may
! trust the Madrid press, in less than
! twenty-five hours
| Washington, August 2.-Shortly be-
! fore midnight Secretary Alger as he
left the White house after a confer
ence with the president, said the ad
ministration had received no official
information that the Madrid govern
ment had accepted the terms of peace
proposed by the United States.
Unofficially the president has been
| informed that the Spanish ministry
has acceded to the terms of this coun-
| try for a cessation of the war. Unof-
| ficial adviceS have reached the presi-
! dent in the form, not only of press
| dispatches, but of private dispatches
| from confidential agents of the United
States government.
While this government has strong
reasons for believing that it's terms OF
peace have been agreed to by the Mad
rid government, the president is TAX
ir,cr hiv1rr TOD
ments for pressing the war to a sue
cessful conclusion are going forward
precisely as if no negotiations for
peace were in progress.
ACTIVE WAR PREPARATIONS.
| At a conference participated III by
| the president, Secretary Alger and Ad-
| jutant General Corbin at the execu-
| tive mansion tonight, a final decision
! was reached as to the constitution of
| the provisional corps for Porto Rico
| to be commanded by General Wade.
| The regiments which are to comprise
| the corps were decided on and will be
| designated in a general order to be is
| sued probably tomorrow. Secretary
| Alger said that the corps might be en-
route to Porto Rico within a week.
| Notwithstanding these warlike prep
| arations, the belief in official circles
tonight amounts almost to a cOnvic-
| tiCn that active hostilities practically
| have been concluded.
A prominent official of the admins
tration said tonight: THE end is near.
| in my opinion. The information thus
far received is unofficial and meagre,
but that it is accurate in the main,
we have no reason to doubt. In fact,
we have reason to believe it is cor
rect"
1t is understood that the reason
referred to is contained in the private
advices received by tine president and
from private dispatches received by
representatives of the foreign gov
/ ernments at this capital.
Ambassador CambOn, who is con-
Quoting the negotiations for the Span
ish government, has not cOmmuriCat
! ed so far as could he ascertained, with
the president tonight and it is not
! probable that the official response to
the terms proposed by the United
States has yet reached the French am
bassador. Upon it's receipts, it will be
transmitted to the president without
I delay.
| In the event OF Spain's acc ,ptance
of the terms proposed by this coun-
try, the first step probably will be to-
I wards an agreement to close active
| hostilities, pending the drafting of A
| treaty of peace along the lines of the
| accepted terms. According to prece-
| dents ordinarily regarded, an ar:uist1ce
| would be proclaimed and in the cir
| cumstances this would mean the prac-
| tical close Of the war.
REPORTED MOVEMENTS OF GAR
CIA.
Copyright by Associated Press)
| Playa del Este, Guantanamo Bay,
August 2, p. m.-News has been re-
ceived here today from General Ca
| 1ixto Garcia and the Cuban forces un-
der him at Mayari near the bay of
| Nipe, on the north coast of the prov
| ince of Santiago de Cuba The report
| is that General Garcia has been in a
| heavy fight with Spanish troops who
| were trying to effect a junction with
| the main body of Spanish regulars at
| Holguin. These Spaniards were proba-
| bly, the force that evacuated Nipe bay
during the recent naval bombardment.
A large body of Cuban reinforcements
| had reached General Garcia, and the
impression is that he defeated the
Spaniards in this engagement, or, at
least held mis- own.
General Garcia had moved toward
Holguin, as it was reported that the
Spaniards were trying to open their
way through the Cuban lines to the
province of Puerto Principe.
The inhabitants Of Caimanera and
Guantanamo are now receiving Red
Cross supplies from Santiago. Colonel
Ewers, without troops, is at Guantan-
amo. The immuneS who are to garri-
son this vicinity have not yet arrived.
The conditions, therefore, are much
the same as they were before the sur
render The marines here are likely
to see service in the neighborhood Of
Manzanillo as soon as the army can
get forces into this vicinity.
The tug Manti, recently surrendered,