Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-12-09
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
Spain's Overtures for Cessation of
HOstillties.

Spain's OVertures for n Cessation of
HOstilities.
The humiliation of Admiral Cervera's
fleet, followed by the capitulation of San
tiago, having brought to the Spanish gov
ernment a realizing sense of the hopeless
ness of continuing a struggle now becom-
ing wholly unequal, 1t made oVertures of
peace through the French ambassador,
who, with the assent of his government,
had acted as the friendly representative
of Spain's interests during the war. On
the 26th of July, M. Cambon presented a
communication, signed by the Duke of
Almodovar, the Spanish minister of state,
inviting the United States to state the
terms upon which it would be willing to
make peace. July 30, by communication
addressed to the Duke of Almodovar and
handed by M. Cambon, the terms of this
government were announced substantially
in the protocol, afterwards signed On
August 10, the Spanish reply dated August
was handed by M. Cambon to the sec
retary of state. 1t accepted uncondi-
tionally the terms imposed as to Cuba,
Porto Rico, and an island of the Ladrone
group, but appeared to seek to introduce
inadmissible reservations in regard to our
demand as to the Philippines.
Conceiving that discussion on this point
could neither be practicable nor profitable,
l directed that, in order to avoid mis-
understanding, the matter should be
forthwith closed by proposing the en-
bodiment in a formal protocol of the
terms in which the negotiations for peace
were undertaken. The vague and mex
plcit suggestions of the Spanish note
could not be accepted the only reply be-
ing to present as a virtual ultimatum a
draft of the protocol, embodying the pre-
else terms rendered to Spain in our note
of July 30, which added stipulations OF
details as to the appointment of com
missioners to arrange for the evacuation
of the Spanish Antilles. On August II,
M. Cambon announced his receipt of full
powers to sign the protocol as submitted.
Terms of the Protocol.
Accordingly, on the afternoon of August
12, M. Cambon as the plenipotentiary Of
Spain and the secretary of state as the
penipotentiary of the United States,
signed the protocol providing:
Article l. Spain Will relinquish all
claim of sovereignty over and title to
Cuba.
"Article 2. Spain will cede to the United
States the island of Porto Rico and other
islands now under Spanish sovereignty In
the West Indies, and also an island In
the Ladrones to be selected by the United
States.
ARTICLE g. The United States will occu-
py and hold the city, bay and harbor OF
Manila pending the conclusion of a treaty
of peace, which shall determine the con-
troll, disposition and government of the
Philippines"
The fourth article provided for the ap-
pointment of joint commissions on the
part of the United States and Spain to
meet in Havana and San Juan, respective
ly, for the purpose of arranging and car
rying out the details of the stipulated
evacuation of Cuba, Porto Rico and other
Spanish islands in the West Indies.
The fifth article provided for the ap-
pointment of not more than five commits
sioners on each side to meet at Paris not
later than October /, and to proceed to
the negotiation and conclusion of
treaty of peace, subject to ratification ac-
cording to the respective constitutional
forms of the two countries.
The sixth and last article provides that
upon the signing of the protocol, hostili-
ties between the two countries shall be
suspended and that notice to that effect
| should be given as soon as possible by
| each government to the commanders OF
| its naval forces.
Immediately upon the conclusion of the
| protocol, issued the proclamation Of Au-
! gust IL, suspending hostilities on the part
! of the United States. The necessary or
| ders to that end were at once given by tel
| egraph. The blockade of the ports of Gu
! ba and of San Juan de Porto Rico was In
! like manner raised. On August IS, the
muster-out of 100000 volunteers, or as near
that number as was found to be practical
| BILE, was ordered. On December l. 10l, sos Of
| ficers and men had been mustered out and
| discharged from the service; 9002 more will
| be mustered out by the 10th of the month I;
also a corresponding number of generals
and general staff officers have been hon.
orably discharged from the service.
The military commissions to superintend
| the evacuation of Cuba, Porto Rico and
the adjacent islands were forthwith ap-
pointed:
For Cuba-Major-Gen James F.
Wade, Rear-Admiral William T. Sampson.
Major-General Matthew C. Butler
For Porto Rico-Major John C..
Brooke, Rear-Admiral Winfield Scott
Schley, Brigadier-General w. Gordon.
They soon afterwards met the Spanish
commissioners at Havana and San Juan.
respectively. The Porto Rico joint commits
sion speedily accomplished its task, and
py OCTOBER lS the evacuation of the island
was completed. The United States flag
was raised over the island at noon that
| day The administration of its affairs has
peen Professionally intrusted to a military
governor until congress shall otherwise
provide. The Cuban Joint high commits
sion mas not yet terminated its labors. Ow-
ing to the difficulties in the way of remov-
ing the large number of Spanish troops
sun IN cuba, the evacuation cannot be
completed before the 1st of January next.
The Peace Commission,
pursuant to the fifth article of the pro-
tocol, l appointed William r. Day, lately
secretary of state; Cushman K. Davis.
william P. Frye and George Gray, senator's
OF the United States and Whiteiaw Reid,
TO be peace commissioners on the part of
sne United states: Proceeding in due
ist OF October, five commissioners sim
llarly appointed on the part of Spain. rho
negotiatlons have made hopeful progress,
so that l trust soon to be able to Law a
definite treaty of peace before the senate,
with a review of the steps leading to its