The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-09-19
IN PORTO RICO
Before the Arrival of Our Com
missioners English Was
TabOOed.
Afterward Natiyes Proudly Dis
played Their Little Stock of
knowledge.
Spaniards Credited With Having
Manfnlly Held in Check Their
Resentment.
American Officers Set a Good
Example in Waving Some
Courtesies.

SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, Sept. 6.-The |
Quieting influence of the American |
conquest Of Porto Rico was felt las. |
here at the capital where the uncon.
| quered, but morally defeated Spanish
army, with every outpost driven in. IS
| now being concentrated, preparatory to
the final evacuation and relinqaish.
ment OF the island.
The natives, who secretly sympa.
thized with the invaders and who
would have hailed with delight this
dellveralce from oppression and mis-
rule, were overawed by the presence Of
the Spanish authority, to which they
have bowed 80 long. During the three
| weeks since they have known that the
terms OF peace gave Porto Rico to the
United States. they have not dared 10
exhibit their satisfaction. Secretly
many Of them began the study OF the
language OF their deliverers, but Eag.
lish was q tabooed language.
Ap English gentleman who entered
the city two days after tie peace pro-
tocol was signed, and VINO knew moth.
ing of Spanish, could find no inter.
prefer, in fact could find no one VINO
protessed i II owledge OF English, save
her majestys consul.
Commissions Arrival Changed 1t All.
Bat with the arrival of the Amer.
ican evacuation commissioners, Gen.
eral Brooke, Rear Admiral Schley and
General Gordon, the whoe a':nos-
pnere changed. Every native Porto
| Kican who understood a word Of Eng.
! llsh, sought out the Americans, who
! came in the train of the ommiss,on.
! ers, and lavished an English word or q
I broken sentence upon them. with an
! air Of pride such as one would assume
\ if he were displaying some priceless
! heritage.
4 Their fear and dread of the Spanish
! soldiers in the streets and Spanish Of.
\ ticers in the hotels and cafes disap-
\ peared at the sight of the American
j uniform. They felt that there had al
: ready been thrown about them the pro.
tscting ae2is Of the United States al.
though tho Spanish flag still flew from
!, Moro castle, and the evidences 0,
Spanish authority still confronted
: them on every hand.
Have Held Ihsir Temper Well.
II 1t must be said to the credit of tn,
|. Spaniards that. as far as known, there
/. has not been single instance wher
r they have undertaken to arrest or pun
i. ish those displays Of pro-America,
, feeling, which but few weeks ag
q would have instantly sent the often
n ders to PRISON or perhaps to a wors
r. fate. This is the more remarkable III
). asmuch as the city is full of Spanis
i soldiers who on their faces show tn
deep resentment they feel, and some o
# the natives seem to delight in maxim
y their exhibition as provsKing as possl
to bls. But thus far they have held thei
temper. The officers and the highe
officials feel their humillating rositio
keenly. although they try to deceiv
themselves with the boast that Port
~ Rico was surrendered. not conquered
and that their honor is unsullied. 1t
~ not strange that they should yield cor
= troll of the island with reluctance, &c
'u ~ to the officers Of minor rank servic
~ here means double salary. house rem
subsistence at the expense of tn
" province; and to the high officials, mi
~ itary and civil, enormous salaries, pos
50 ton aud opportunity, which, in Il
=. majority Of instances is the equivalel
-, Of wealth.
~ Sslutsd Interiors In Rank.
But, despite their chagrin. the Spal
ish officers have been scrupulouly. il
deed punctiliously, polite in their at
tude toward the American officer
When the New Orleans first entert
the harbor, week ago, salutss al
u formal visits were exchanged imm
- diately.
.o When our officers came ashore tn
~ '1' made it point when they met Spa
'n' ish officers on the street to salute the
Of first, even though i'll many cases tn
~ knew they outranked those to who
IN they showed III $ courtesy. naval .
"a ouette the world over requiring 9
'po subordinate officer to first salute III
who cutraaks him. 1t was bit
we courtesy which took something fro
" "a.0 the sting Of defeat, and relieved t
.uo tension. That 1t was appreciated
sn0 the vanquished was evident ny I
~ spontaneous heartiness with which
salutes were returned.