The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-18

This conception of international law is alb
solutely new. 1t is no longer a case of
might against right; but Of might without
right. AS for US. we had only to protect
ourselves against the abasement which it
was desired to inflict upon US. and to prove
in spite Of our blunders and mistakes, that
| we had not compromised the proverbial 10y
atty to the Castilian fatherland.
Misfortune also has grandeur The
Americans have acted as 'vainquers par
venus (upstart conquerors) They do not
yet know the misfortune of defeat, but there
are things which the most fortunate nation
cannot escape later on-when they, too, will
have had reverses. When they will have
become homogeneous and are no longer
obliged to satisfy the exigencies of political
parties, they, too. will FORM like all other
nations with past, code of international
rights and duties and be less infexible
towards those who have suffered defeat.
They will better understand that a strict
observance of conditions agreed to. even in
the thick Of a fight, is guarantee and
protection for all concerned, for the con-
queror as we'll as the vanqushed.
I'VE signed on Aug. u a protocol sus-
pending hostllities, and 1t was on the 14th
that the American general demanded the
surrender of Manila. The archipelago had
not been won and has not yet been con-
quered. The fate of the Philippines re-
manned undetermined and Spanish sovereign
ty was still in force, since we were still
waging war with considerable forces to sup
press the insurrection. But, after journey
across a portion of the United States, Pres
ident Mckinley changed his policy and de-
cided on claiming the Philippines by right
of conquest. Yet, l repeat, the Philippines.
even now, are still unconquered The two
chief islands, the two richest-Mindanao and
Luzon-are not won. Mindanao and the
Island of the Great Lake contain a popula-
ton of half breeds half Malay and half
Spanish, constituting military olgarchy
which rules the rest OF the islands and oc-
cupies the richest portion of the territory
on the shores of the lake They are proud,
strong and warlike, and not only are they
unconquered, but their conquest will not be
accomplished quickly Yet the United States
claimed them, as we'll as the other islands,
as though their conquest was complete
"But what most pains me is that in this
great whirlwind in which we have lost all,
lost our last armada there has been an at
tempt to deprive us of our honor as we'll.
On Dec. / 1 proposed to the Americans to
appoint a technical commission to examine
the question of the Maine. We said America
will appoint an American, an Englishman
and a Frenchman and we will appoint
Spaniard, an Englishman and Frenchman,
all specialists, and that the commission, or
the two governments, appoint a German,
and that these seven men bring in verdict.
If they declare Spain innocent, the Presi-
dent of the United States will address a
message to the Senate declaring Spanish
honor intact and that Spain was falsely ac-
cused of having betrayed the laws of hos
pitality by blowing up a vessel at anchor in
one OF her ports. If Spain is declared guilty
a Spanish ship will go to America, salute
the United States flag and Spain will pay
the costs.
This is the proposal we made on Dec.
l. On Dec. 5, in his message to Congress,
the President made allusion to our pro-
posal, but described the blowing up of the
Maine a suspicious event. On Dec. the
American commissioners declared they re-
fused to discuss this question. This is what
especially irritates us. We have great de-
fects, but our national honor is dear to us.
Yet at that honor the Americans wished to
deal the rudest blow
''Well, we are now going home to help
Spain stanch the wound. We have, happily,
at our head woman whose virtues courage
who is beloved and esteemed by all par
ties, who henceforth has the heart of a
Spaniard. The latest news from the frontier
is that all is pretty quiet. There are, how
ever, really no Carlists but the priests, who
recall the gloomiest period in our history.
Don Carlos himself is no Carlist. He has
lived too long in the most advanced coun-
tries to be a retrograde, and the Carlists
and fanaticism have disappeared. Nor are
there any longer men who want a republic.
CASTELAR, Piu v Margal and Salmeron are
loyal opponents.
Spain has ceased to be great Spain, but
we shall abide by our traditions of honor
and sobriety. Perhaps by the time our
young King who has been brought up in
the school of adversely under the eye of
noble woman, attains his majority we will
see days of peace and prosperity return"
N tn hA to