The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1898-12-16
Work Of ilG Peace Com.
mission al an End.
ACT CLOSES THE WAR AND
ASSURES PEACE.
The Document Signed, Sealed and
Deliyed--closlng Scenes Were
Highly Impressive and OF
Momeniuous Nature.

heANt was hlkHtu NJ osAo oatuNAhf /
evening, and the signing would have
afforded a subject for a great histori-
cal painting.
The group, gathered about the table
in the chamber Of the foreign Office,
was impr essive in itself, while the fact
that the sense Of the momentousness
Of the issue which the act decided was
deeply felt by 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 behind them, we're numerous
attaches of the American commits
sion.
To the Americans it was a happy
ending of the epilogue OF war; for the
Spaniards it was plainly bitter trag-
edy, none the less panful because
long foreseen. They sat silently as
though almost crushed, and none
could withhold sympathy from Senior
Montero Rios, the president Of the
/ Spanish commission, who, coming
from his bed, was bundled in a great
overcoat, though logs were burning in
the fireplace nearby.
Parchment Work Was Slow.
Although the commissions met at
3 $3.50 o'clock, expecting to finish their
work in half an hour, the engrossing
of the treaty on parchment was found
to be so troublesome that it delayed
the signing Of the document until $40.
Clerk Martin, Of the American COM
mission, worked all day without even
stopping to eat. When he came into
the chamber at 1880 with the docu-
ment he found the commissioners
waiting. The Spanish copy had ar
rived half hour earlier. Mr.. Arthur
Ferguson then proceeded 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 rink, as follows:
William r. Day, Senator Cushman
X. Davis, Senator William P. Frye,
WhitelGw Reid and Senator George
Gray; Senior Montero Rios, Senior
Garnica, Senior Villarutia and General
Cerero y Saons, each commission
signing its opponents treaty.
Both were tied with the Spanish and
American colors.
Where the seals were prepared to be
affixed attendants were sent scurying
for ribbons of the French tri.color
with which the documents were sealed
as a compliment to the French hosts
of the commissions.
Many officials interestedly watched
every detail of the proceedings.
The last seal being impressed, the
commissioners retired without formal.
ity. Each member shook the hands
of all his antagonists and exchanged
assurance Of sincere personal esteem.
The signing was finished at 8:45
o clock At that time the door of the
chamber opened and Senior Villaruiic
appeared and exclaimed to a group o.
Z correspondents who were waiting in the
corridor:
"Cest fni."
The other members of the Spanish
commission followed Senior Villarutif
and passed silently through the vesti
, bule to their waiting carriages. Thu
American commission strolled ou'
chatting complacently and as the,
assembled the steps the lights in The
chamber were darkened
There was a great contest among
the families and friends of the Ameri
can commissioners for possession 0
: the pens with which the signatures t.
the treaty were written.
3 The treaty as signed consists Of sew
> enteen articles, it having been foun'
a advisable to sub-divide two or three o
the articles in the draft agreed upon a
? the last meeting.
The commissioners of the two ma
t tions wrote their signatures on tw
' copies of the treaty, one copy bein
, for the archives. The document wa
prepared by Secretary Moore in be
: half Of the United States commission
, and by Senior Villarutia for spain o.
Q account of the continued illness c
Secretary Ojeda, Of the Spanish com
mission.
: Each copy contained the Englisl
J and Spanish texts Of the treaty in PAL
Q allel columns. The wording had bee
q approved previously by the commits
sions without joint meeting, so Their
i, was no controversy on this subject.