Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-07
THE MAN AT THE HELM.
Great Responsibility DevOIving On
President Mckinley.

boston Transcript.
At no previous time since he took the oath
of office has the president had as delicate
a problem to deal with and as large a re-
sponsibility to meet as at the present.
Upon him deveolves the duty of establishing
a peace that shall accomplish all for which
war was declared, be generous to our enemy
and leave the shipe Of state riding securely
in the safe harbor of its long-trled repub-
licanism. Congress is not in session,
but even If it were it would have no business
to NEEDLE with the preliminary negotiations,
The president has an opportunity such as has
been presented to few of his predecessors,
to make a great name 'for himself, and we
believe that he possesses enough wise dis
cernment to look below the yeasty sentiment
that always rises to the surface Of affairs
during a successful war and see what the
sober judgment of the nation desires and
expects. The question Is one for the broadcast
craftsmanship to deal with.
When the history of this present conflict
comes to be impartially written, the part
which the president has taken in 1t up to
the present time will receive the cordial
approval of the candid historian. As far as
it was possible for him he exhausted the
resources Of diplomacy before he consented
to a declaration of war at all. He refused
to be hurried into 1t by the pressure OF
iingoism and sensationalism, and when at
last he yielded to the inevitable he did SO
in a conservative manner that kept within
safe limits the reckless impetuosity which
would have hurried us into all sorts OF
dangerous excuses.
Since hostilities began he has conducted
the war with energy and skill. and con-
sidering how unprepared we were he has
| appnrnnltsha1 than thnua uuhA Ala not
entirely ignore the conditions expected. But
he has conducted it in his own way and II
has been a much wiser way than though he
had paid any attention to the exhortations Of
those newspapers that have been diligently
manufacturing a brummagem public opinion
1t has been a vigorous war, but II has never
theless been a humanitarian war in Its
methods as well as It's purpose. Yet In
three months he has accomplished so much
that Spain anxiously inquiries upon what
terms 1t can secure peace.
That inquiry brings the president to the
most difficult portion of his task. That hi
will have a conviction Of what is Just ant
right in the premises we do not doubt
That he should have the courage of that
conviction is equally necessary. Hi
authority In the first negotiations is so large
that he can act with a comparatively fret
hand and that which he and the represent.
atives Of Spain may agree upon will be sub
stantially the terms Of peace. The senate
does not keep in as close touch with the
feelings OF the people as the house, but Il
learns something during the vacation sea
sons, and to throw down an arrangement
establishing peace, to which the parties
most interested and the nations OF the eartt
had adjusted their ideas, would be
hazardous proceeding. The president hal
been wiser than congress during this whole
controversy and 1t is gratifying and reas'
surfing, now that events are approaching
crucial point, that SO much power at th'
outset rests in his hands. II he will &C
as his own judgment dictates in this mattel
We can afford without apprehension to avail
the result. -