The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-28
Suing for Peace.

The Spanish government through NJ
Jules Cambon, the French ambassa-
dor, has taken the initiative in suing
for peace. The proposal is uncondi-
tional. We are to formulate our de-
mands and Spain will take them into
consideration. This is matter of sin
cere congratulation for this country as
well as for Spain. If we have carried
on the war with determination and
without compromise, we have no wish
to prolong it unduly. The liberation of
Cuba was the object for which the war
was waged. The president in his mes
sage to congress distinctly repudiated
the imputation that we had any other
object in view than the establishment
of an independent and stable govern
ment in that island. War once begun,
it is beyond the power of any govern
ment to control it's course or circum-
vent it's ultimate issue. The difficulties
in the way of an immediate peace with
Spain reasonable and rational are
really not many. The evacuation of
Cuba and the cession of Porto Rico
may be taken as the basis on which all
other proposals will be entertained.
The disposition of the Philippines is
unquestionably a great difficulty, but
it may not prove an insuperable one.
These islands can never again be any
thing but a source of weakness, ex-
pense and disquietude to Spain if she
regains possession of them again. They
a
Spain as they would be after our with
drawal as an independent republic I'M
der Aguinaldo. 1t Is true up to the
time of the declaration of war our in
terests in the Philippines were rather
commercial than humanitarian. Manila
bark we all heard of in one connection
or another as an imported article from
the Philippines, but that was nearly
the extent of our geographical and po-
litical knowledge of the archipelago
until Admiral Dewey's brilliant victory
brought the name of Manila into as
sudden vogue as Dawson City was a
few months previously. German in
reference has complicated a situation
in the East which was sufficiently
complicated before. The "consecrated
person" had probably his eye on the
Philippines as the llneal successor OF
Spain whenever the rebels worsted her
in the sanguinary struggle she was
simultaneously carrying on in Cuba
and the Philippines. At all events an
independent republic such as Agunal-
do is coquetting after is out of the
question. The Philippine islands would
not be able to maintain their indie
pendence three months, and probably
not much longer under a suzerainty
that was not an effective and effectual
protectorate such as England exercises
in Egypt.
The terms which Spain is prepared
TO accept do not in reality depend upon
the Spanish government. The internal
condition of the peninsula is borderine
upon anarchy. Revolution is in the
air, not one revolution threatening
from one quarter. but a series without
an object in common, or a common
purpose In view. 1t Is probable thai
the Queen Regent has received assur.
ances from one or more OF the powers
that in suing for peace the dynasty Of
her son will be protected by armed in.
tervention II necessary. The fnancia
interests of France are enormous in the
peninsula. A successful Carlist revo
luton would throw back the materia
progress of the country. slowly movint
forward, a century. This would not b,
the first time that France has inter,
fered in the internal government Of
Spain by armed Intervention. Indeed
Spain has been the cockpit of NOR,
dynastic revolutionary wars than any