Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-12-17
THE TREATY IS SIGNED.
The War with Spain Officially
Brought to a Close by the
Peace Commissioners.
THE CLOSE WAS SCENE FOR A PAINTER.

The Document WAS Signed at 8:46 p. M, on
the Night Of tho I0th-It Consists OF
Seventeen Articles. Making 1900 Words
The spanisrds were Sadly Depressed
Over the Final Action.
Paris, Dec. 1l.-There we're two
joint sessions of the peace commits
sions Saturday, one lasting from
$3.50 p. M, to Sis p. m, and
the other opening at 7 p. III. The long
session in the afternoon and the sub
-sequent recess were due only to the
fact that each article of the treaty had
to be carefully read and compared in
Spanish and English, and to the fact
that the engrossing of the last article
in Spanish was incomplete. During
the wait the commissioners were pho
tographed.
The treaty was signed at s:45 p. m.
A SCENE FOR A PAINTING.
The signing of the treaty would have
afforded subject for great historic
painting. The group gathered about
the table in the stately chamber of the
foreign Office was impressive in itself,
while the fact that the sense of the
momentousness of the issues which
the act decided was deeply felt by all
| the participants gave an impressive
and solemn tone to the scene. Around
the great mahogany table sat the ten
arbiters of the destinies of an old and
a young nation. Ranged, standing be.
hind them, were numerous attaches of
the American commission. The jets
from the crystal chandeliers above the
heads of those present magnitied the
brilliant green and scarlet of the up
holstering in their gaudiness. There
was the attraction of contrast be-
tween the black clothed actors and the
scenery.
To the Americans il was a happy
ending of the epilogue of war; for the
Spaniards it was plainly bitter TRACE
dy, none the less painful because long
foreseen. They sat silently, as though
almost crushed, and none could with
hold sympathy for Senior Montero
Rios, the president of the Spanish COM
mission. who, coming from his bed
was bundled in great overcoat
though logs were burning in the fire
place near by. The spirits of the two
bodies were symbolized by the clothes
worn by the members of the commits
sion, for the Americans were attired
in evening dress for the dinner giver
them Immediately after the meeting
by the Due d'Loubat, and the Span
iards wore black frock coats.
Although the commissions met a
$3.50 o'clock, expecting to finish thei
work in half an hour, the engrossins
of the treaty on parchment was fount
to be so troublesome that it delayed
the signing of the document until
$50 o'clock Clerk Martin, of the
American commission. worked all day
without even stopping to eat. When
he came into the chamber at 7:3C
with the document he found the com.
missioners waiting. The Spanish
copy had arrived half hour earlier.
ORDER OF SIGNATURES.
Mr.. Arthur Ferguson then proceed.
ed to read first the English, and after
that the Spanish, version of the
treaty. This finished. two copies
were passed around the table, the
commissioners signing them in the
order of their rank-William r. Day
Senator Cushman X. Davis, Senator
William p. Frye. Whitelaw Reid and
Senator George Gray; Senior Montero
Rios, Senor Abarzuza. Senior Garnica
Senior Nillaurutia and Gen. Cerero Y
Saons, each commission signing its
opponents treaty. Both were tied
with the Spanish and American col.
ors.
When the seals We're affixed, at
tendants were sent scurrying for rib
bons of the French tri-color. with
which the documents were sealed, in
compliment to the French hosts of the
commission.
Many officials interested watched
every detail of the proceeding. The
last seal being impressed, the com.
missioners rose, and, without formali'
ty, each member shook the hands O,
all his antagonists. and each gave as
surances of sincere personal esteem.
The Spaniards afterward comment
ed acridly upon what they termed the
bad taste of the Americans in muster
ing a crowd of attaches to gloat ovel
the consummation of their downfall
and to scramble for relics.
The signing was finished at S:45
At that time the door of the chambe
opened,and Senior Villaurutia appeare,
and exclaimed to group of CORE
spondents who were waiting in tn
corridor: "C'Est Fini." The othe
members of the Spanish commission
followed Senor Villaurutia and passe
silently through the vestihule to thei
waiting carriages. The American con
mission strolled out, chatted compl;
Gently, and as the descended tn
steps the lights in the chamber wer
darkened.