The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-28
neither Spain nor the Spanish are men.
toned throughout.
THE PRESIDENTS SUNDAY.
Conferences With Cabinet Officials tho
Order of the Day.

dent saw a number of the members Of
the cabinet at the White House yes
terday. They dropped in one by one
until those present included Secretaries
Bliss. Alger, Gage and Attorney Gem
eral Griggs. With them also was As
sistant Secretary Day, of the state de-
partment, who presumably had some
dispatches to show the president. The
gathering was not special cabinet
meeting in the sense In which that
term Is generally used, but was simply
a talk between the president and his
advisers. such as occurred the previous
Sunday, concerning matters on which
he desired to consult them. The Cuban
question and the report Of the Maine
court Of inquiry were topics discussed,
but so far as could be ascertained moth
ing conclusive was determined, one Of
the members of the cabinet saying
subsequently that there was nothing
new or startling in the situation. The
presence of Judge Day would infer
that there were advices from Minister
Woodford, but further than an ac-
acknowledgement that communication is
in progress between the state depart
ment and the minister nothing could
be ascertained.
At the state, war and navy depart
ments during the earlier portions of
the day there was little semblance of
the Sabbath. Chiefs of bureaus. clerks,
messengers and telegraph operators
were all at work. Probably never since
the days OF the late war have so many
officials gathered at the war and navy
departments on a Sunday.
Secretary Long. however, did not ap-
pear at the navy department during
the day. as most of the matters re-
quiring attention were those that could
as well be attended to by bureau Of
ficers and their assistants. Mrs. Long
has been i'll for some time and the
secretary In part shook off official cares
and spent the major portion of the day
with her. In the afternoon, in COM
pany with Miss Long the secretary
drove down to the Washington navy
yard and inspected the dynamite
cruiser Vesuvius which is having her
guns adjusted and repaired.
Assistant Secretary Day spent por-
tion of the Sabbath at the state de-
partment, and there received call
from the Spanish minister, rather
ant matters for consideration. The
conference lasted some time, but Its
nature could not be learned.
Last night Commodore Winfield s.
Schey. Just appointed commander of
the dying squadron" left here for
Norfolk. 1t is expected that today he
will hoist his flag on the Brooklyn,
which is to be the flagship of the fleet.
The only other vessel of the squadron
now at Hampton Roads is the Massa-
chusetts. OF the remaining three the
Texas is in New York receiving her
ammunition hoists. and the Columbia
and the Minneapolis are at League
Island, where the final work prepara-
tory to their sea service Is being hur-
riedly done. The two latter will be at
Norfolk about the middle of the week.
The developments in the Cuban sit
uation indicate steady progress in the
negotiations between the government
of this country and that of Spain
looking to the maintenance of peace,
for the present at least. There Is good
authority for saying that Spain's pres
ent wish Is to secure cession of hos
tilties in Cuba rather than to engage
in war with the United States. and
that 1t is more than probable that the
negotiations between the government
of the United States and the Sagasta
ministry will take that turn in the i'm
mediate future. The present Spanish
ministry has Drofessed pacific dis
position from the beginning, and the
indications are strong now that 1t will
avail itself Of the good offices Of the
United States to the fullest extent
that public opinion in Spain will allow
In bringing to an end the hostilties in
Cuba.
To what extent the United States
may go in assisting Spain In her pres
ent design Of securing an armistice Is
not yet determined, but the conserva-
tive element in the administration con-
slider the manifestation Of this desire
on the part Of Spain for even a tenn
porary peace a direct result Of Presi-
dent McKinley's diplomacy, and they
are naturally disposed to contend that
the president should be left free, for the |
present at least, to pursue a policy
which promises much in the way OF |
preventing war between this country
and Spain and also of bringing to a
close the hostilities in Cuba. Hence |
the peacefully inclined in congress to 1
continue to hold that body in check /
and to prevent intlammatory utter
ances there until this promising dip
lomatic lead may be exploited.
On the part of the administration
it is stated that the development Of
the situation will not require a great
length of time, and hence that there
will 1,n InI laIn
has been fully determined upon by the
president. 1t is to bring the Cuban
war to a close. This will be accom-
plished by pointed Intervention if nee
essary but it is considered far prefer
able that the end should come as the
result of peaceful negotiation than that
1t should be accompanied by hostile
demonstrations on the part of the uni
ted States. Hence the DISPOSITION of
the president to give Spain a fair op-
portunity to secure an armstice with
the Cubans and to allow her a reason
able time in which to come to an un-
derstanding with the hosties.
1t can be stated upon high author
ity that there has been no abatement
of the presidents intention to see that
the war is terminated when it is closed
upon terms that will render the Cubans
practically free people. 1t is not be-
lieved that they would accept any
thing less nor that the Americans
would be satisfied II we should encour-
age q settlement that would not be ac-
ceptable to the Cubans. If there should
now be an armistice 1t would be with
the concession made by Spain at the
instance of this country that negotia-
tions should be opened Immediately
with the insurgents looking to the es-
tablishemnt of a permanent peace upon
these terms. 1t has long been the hope
OF the administration to bring Spain to
the point OF making propositions of
this character as the basis of a settle
ment most satisfactory to all parties,
and 1t IS hoped from ;5pain's attitude
that this time has arrived.
The friends Of the administration feel
that the situation Is delicate one, and
that iiuun VIII depend upon the course
may pursue. In the mean
time the president will on Wednesday
send in his messag Sc asking that an ap-
preparation be made fer the aid OF the