New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-27
SPAIN ASKS FOR PEACE.

directly, which Is doubtless wise, though not
altogether expected. The French Ambassador
appears TO have acted merely. or cbefy, as
messenger conveying to the President COM
mun,catlon from the Spanish Prime minister
Perhaps he added some courteous expressions
of goodwill and Of desire that his errand wouid
proye The beginning of the end OF the war.
For such purposes no better intermediary couid
have been chosen VI. Cambon is not merely
an amiabie and accomplished diplomat. lie Is
the representative of n Power which Is espe-
ciolly interested in the welfare Of Spain, and
which IS also bound 10 the United States by
exceptionally close and cordial ties. There IS
no doubt that he has done his work as well rs
possIble for SPAIN and none that his errand has
been as favorably received as possible by the
Government of the United States.
The request is in general terms II contains
no propositions for settlement. but asks fer ne
cotiatons at which such propositions may be
| made and discussed That Is well. and II Is
we'll also that no request Is made for an armis-
ticc pending the opening Of negotiations. The
! latter would doubtless. If made, have had TO be
refused by the Washington Government, In
/ whose vocabulary the magic word "manaila' IS
/ not as conspicuous as In that Of Spain. No good
purpose could be served by an indefinite srs
pension Of hostlllties save in the actual making
| of terms of peace When the terms are ar
! ranged 10 the satisfaction Of the United States.
md Spain accepts them. the war will cease
I There can be no assurance that 1t will do so
moment sooner. Nor can there be assurance
Of any hating Of our armies until negotiations
are begun with full, evidence that Spain Is In
! earnest In seeking peace on the only terms on
= ho 4
that the United States Government is as ready
| for peace on proper terms, as it was reluctant
10 begin war. and II will therefore not be it's
! fault II cessation Of hostlities Is long postponed
| In whatever negotiations may be entered upon
the United States will undoubtedly display the
macnanimity that n great and victorious naticn
| can afford TO exercise toward weaker and van
ouished one. no matter how criminal the latter
NAV have been, and will act with the humanity
betting Power that has been waging war
! for the sake of humanity. But before and
above the consideration Of magnanimity comes
! that of Justice That must be the keynote of
| he negotiations. And Justice inexorably re-
uuires the immediate and final disappearance OF
| the Spanish flag from this hemisphere. That
has been a fixed principle ever since the mo-
ment when in common with intelligent and I'M
martial observers throughout the world. the peo-
pie of the United States became >onvlnced that
ship of theirs on n friendly errand, was not
! safe IN n Spanish American harbor, and that
the sending Of one TO Havana was followed.
through Spanish treachery. by the unexampled
crime of the destruction Of the Maine.
| Power responsible for that infamy could, In
simple human justice, have no further place In
the hemisphere 1t had so dshonored. From
that moment the withdrawal Of the Spanish
| flag from it's last stand upon American soil be-
came absolutely essential TO the satisfaction OF
! the American people And whatever else may
| or may not be done. that must be effected as
one Of the prime results of this war. On no
other conceivable basis can proposals for peace
be for moment considered.
Nor is that ALL We have duties elsewhere,
imposed upon us by the war which Spain her
self provoked. We have duty In the Philip
pines Justice forblds that those islands should
be given back to Spain We have been fighting
a war to free Cuba from Spanish tyranny and
misrule We cannot deliver back to that same
| tyranny ard misrule any other Islands which in
the.exigencles Of war we have freed therefrom.
We owe moreover, a duty to AguinaldO and
his followers. 1t was our attack upon the Phil
| ippines that encouraged them to renew their in
surrection Aguinaldo himself went back to the
islands on one Of our ships. We are In honor
and in Justice bound not to deliver them back
TO Spain, for torture and death, but to insure
| their safety and the establishment Of a better
government in the islands than that which we
have overrhrown. 1t is scarcely to be conceived
! at this time that such assurance Of safety or or
| good government would be possible under even
nominal Spanish rule II not, the Spanish flag
| must disappear from those islands also, and be
replaced. at least for a time, by our own
The United States, we repeat, will be mag
nanimous But 1t will be magnanimous In the
highest degree IL, at the end Of this war, 1t
merely retains possession or directs the destiny
of what It has conquered from Spain, and re-
Trains from exacting the large cash indemnity
which it might in justice claim to remunerate 1t
| for the cost of a war which II did not want and
did not seek but into which it was forced by
Spain's treachery, inhumanity and perverse IN
willingness TO listen to the dictates OF reason
and of justice. Upon every Spanish colony In
this hemisphere, and every one In the Pacific.
the flag OF the United States has been planted.
and was planted before Spain uttered this tardy
plea for peace. 1t will not come down from one
of them for any pleas or threats Of Spain. This
Nation did not go to war for wars sake, nor for
the sake Of territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT, but 10
serve a high and humane purpose. 1t does not
mean to have that purpose defeated In the terms
of peace. The war must not have been fought
ard treasure spent and lives spilled out In
vain. That Is the guiding principle to which
this Nation Is committed and that II Is which
Spain must realize and accept before she can
have the peace which she wants and which she
sorely needs.