The times., 1898-08-08
MONDAY, AUGUST s, 1898.
Tint Expected Spanish Reply.

According to press and d 'plomatic
news and opinion the Sagasta govern
ment, the Queen Regent assenting, has
reached a decision which, it is ex-
pected, will be notified to President Nc
Kinley today. What in terms that
Spanish reply may be. is not known
outside OF, perhaps, the French en-
bassy and, possibly, the White House.
1t is widely believed that an unofficial
intimation as TO the text has been
already conveyed TO the Government.
The complacency with which the Ad-
ministration appears to view the situa-
ton while waiting for formal notice
iUstifies the inference that when it
comes it will be measurably, if not
entirely, acceptable.
There can be no doubt that the party
now in power at Madrid earnestly de-
s;res peace on any terms which would
at once stop the drain on the Kingdoms S
shattered resources and save the dy-
nasty. Whether those ends can be ac-
compIished consistently with submis-
sion to the demands of the United
possible that the general outburst of
American Indignation at the idea Of
surrendering the Philippines, CT any
part of them, has had a SOLDERING effect
upon the Spanish government, as we
trust il has exerted a salutary Cne
upon Mr. Mckinley.
The best friends Of the President
now privately admit that the conces-
sion to Day and Edmunds of the open
door, in the Philippine question, was a
serious mistake. Serious, because it
viii now require twice as much back
bone and indifference to the attacks of
great influences and syndicated inter-
ests as before would have been neces-
sary, to preserve our position intact
Still. it is true that, if the President
viii take his stand now upon the rcck
of f.merican public opinion, and insist
that the Philippine Islands, the direct,
legitimate fruits Of the war and Ad-
miral Deweys victory, shall be Ameri-
can territory, all adverse interests and
all creation to the contrary notwith-
standing. he has not gone too far in the
other direction, perhaps. to achieve
that which his fellow-countrymen have
all along demanded and still demand
IL is significant that one Of SIR. Nc
Kinley's closest friends and advisers,
Senator Elkins, announces himself un-
alterably as the advocate of Philippine
occupation and annexation. Mr. Ell
fore the war, and his active connection
with an international effort to avert
hostilities, have placed him in a posi-
tion where his views, as at present
declared, become of peculiar import
ance, and suggest his appreciation of
facts in the political situation in this
country, the Importance of VIII ch,
therefore. will have been impressed up
on the President. Under existing cir
cumstances, the Philippines could not
be surrendered by this Administration
without involving popular conse-
Quencss that would b. regrettable from
any point of view, and which would
certainly bring trouble if not disaster
TO the party in control of national af-
fairs.
Since Senator Elkins is particularly
qualified TO recognize such possibilities;
since he is more closely in the con-
fidence of the Executive than almost
anyone else. and. since he has defin teIy
thrown himself on the side Of those
who would rather engage in war with
all Europe than TO surrender one inch
of conquered territory, the reasonable
deduction is a belief that the in
fiuences which would rob us of the
Philippines will be exerted in vain.
We are not sanguine about the note
from Madrid. We cannot believe that
anything Spanish could be straightfor-
ward and free from evasion and du-
plicity at any time, much less under
/ existing conditions All things are pos
sibie, however. to anybody but Span
lard, and, comparatively, even to him.
in any case the course Of the President
is clear. He has said that he would
not tolerate any nonsense. He has only
to stick to that decision His people
have given evidence that they VIII not