New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-11
PEACE.

Tho mornings news cOnfrms our assumption
~ sundny last We said then that SPANS IN
tention TO accept this Nations terms OF peace
Ind taken the form Of definite action. To-day
! II is 70 be added that Spnln's action has proved
accountable to the United States. The govern
ments nj Washington and Madrid the latter
acting through the acceptable instrumentality
of the French Ambassador 10 this country. nave
agreed upon terms for the negotiation or treaty
NJ peace. A protocol to that effect has been
drawn IN and will probably be signed today
mr. Tomorrow. And that will mean peace
There will still be some important diplomatic
work to be done. but Its result can scarcely De
a motter Of doubt. No reopenng OF hOstities
after the execution Of the terms OF this profo-
col Is 10 be apprehnndpd. even remotely. The
signing of the protocol II not yesterdays agree
ment upon it. will mark the ending Of the war;
The United States is victor. That has been
evident for many weeks in military affairs on
land and sea- 1t is equally true in peacemak-
ing Tho terms of the protocol are those dc
toted by the President in his answer n fort
night ago to Spain's first tentative approaches
Efforts have been made to secure some modifi-
cation of them. The Spanish Government mas
used every means Of persuasion and the French
,sb side OF the case with all possible felicity and
force. All such attempts have. however. been
in vain. J-pon the essential points involved the
President has been. and has rightly been. I'M
movable The terms offered were not hard.
They were on the contrary generous ana mag
unanimous in n high degree For Spain to have
refused them would have been madness, II,
view of the certainty that the next offer would
IL IN
them with only formal demur she has shown
greater wisdom than before in this whole con-
troversy.
The terms offered and now accepted have al
ready been made known and nave been widely
commented upon. They provide for the imme-
diste evacuation Of the Western Hemisphere
by Spain. and for the handing over OF her ror-
mcr possessions here to the United States,
Porto Rico and its dependencies to be ours III
fee simple One Of the Marianne Islands
doubtless Guam, the only important one In
tho groups coded TO the United States
Manila and its envlrons pass into our pos
session pending final disposition Of the Philip
pines-in which disposition the United States
must of necessity have the dominant voice
And all else Is left to peace com
mission representing the two governments
which will negotiate the actual treaty of peace.
These provisions 60 automatically into force the
moment the protocol Is signed. and az they
cover the most important issues Of the war II Is
now possible TO begin to estimate what the two
belHgerents have gained and lost In this brief
but exceptionally decisive struggle Hence
forth the news OF the day will he not war news
but peace news; not Of the prosecution OF mill
tary campaigns. but OF the amcable ADJUST
ment Of international relations: not filed with
lists of killed and wounded. but with accounts
of things done for the promotion OF human lib
crty and the advancement OF civilization.