The herald., 1898-10-21
Associated Press Special wire.

AsbOclateo fTess 5pectai WHe'
LONDON, Oct. 2l.-The Paris cores
pondent of the Times says:
have had visit today (Thursday) from
a great Spanish parsonage who seems tC
have been commanded to ascertain the
trend of public opinion on the negotiations
here. He appeared much depressed. He
has found general sympathy with Spain, but
was unable to discover any possibility OF
obtaining moral support against the Ameri
can delegates, who are inhexible in their
demands, and with much politeness of form
have hitherto categorically refused to make
the slightest concessions on any of the in
structions received by them, never having
even asked their government for the slight
ogt notifications.
have already explained the mode of ne.
eotiations. Memoirs are handed in which
are translated and replied to in the same
fashion. The Spaniards from time to time
endeavor to enter into conversation and
turn the discussion into verbal explanation
Of the views, in order to obtain some devia.
tion from the line marked out by the Ameri.
can government for its representatives
Ecnor Arbarazxuza, who is master of the
English language, is the Spanish commits
sioner who makes the efforts to lead to a
conversation, and he is described as very
prepossessing and eloquent and he always
makes a profound impression.
The Americans, however, listen .atten.
lively, but rigidly maintain the procedure of
written replies. The intended sitting yes
terday could not be held, because the Span
iards, in view of the written replies made to
sation, and asked As hours grace to consult
their government and prepare written re-
joinder.
MUCH DISCOURAGED
The friend who called said he had found
bis countrymen much discouraged, being
convinced that the United States is bent
on rigorous exercise of the rights of victor.
II have heard you say" he remarked,
that Prince Bismarck once said to you:
when you have your knee on the throat
of vanquished nation, you can take from
it all you like, but you must always beware
of abusing your victory and exaggcrating
your conquests. Otherwise you load your.
self for many generations with a crushing
burden, which ends by having the most mis-
chievous results for the victor-almost more
than for the vanquished.'
My caller remarked: "The Americans
are not adopting this wise and humane
view. They seem bent on pushing results
OF the war to their extreme consequences.
They refuse to entertain any concession on
the Philippine question, and while declining
to take any sovereignty in Cuba, they main
tain that the Cuban debt is a Spanish debt,
and that Spain abused her sovereignty by
Niuuli18 tHc WltH ete btsSsS's Va "
debit hy which she alone protited.
"Vaiply have we urged that they them.
selves accepted financial obligations toward
England after the war of independence. that
they accepted Tho burdens of Texas after the
conquest, that there is no more general law
than the law of the obligations Of a country
changing its rulers, and that it would be an
arbitrary cotrse and Il vexatlolis precedent
to throw the Cuban debt upon us. 1t is
useless, and they stand peremptorily on
their demands.
WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE
'What our delegates should say to them
il they persist, as it issto be feared they
will, is this We are in your hands. You
IRE the victors. We for once committed
the folly of going to war with you because
you left us no time to avoid it, because you
treated us in such a way that even at the
risk of suicide we were bound to plunge into
war, although the result of it was evident to
lis. eBut we will not commit the fresh folly
Of Recommending war in any form. We are
therefore at your mercy. We shall submit
to your dictates, and shall leave the world
to judge of those dictates; but no human
force will compel us to subscribe to them,
and we shall not subscribe
"This is what our delegates ought to say
on this Cuban question. As for the other
points, they will wait to hear what they
are0