New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-08
PRESIDENT M'GINLEY.
AS HE AND HIS CONDUCT or THE WAR
APPEAR TO ENGLISH EYES.
From The London Spectator. July 30


From The London Spectator. July 80.
Mr.. Mckinley Is The only English-speaking
man who is invested with the powers Of SOW
crcign within hrst-class State. That position
OF Itself makes him an object of great interest.
ana the interest is deepened by the crcum-
stances amid which he has been placed. With
out training In military business. or experience
IN diplomacy. or habitude in managing great
affairs. he was suddenly called on TO conduct
serious which he only half approved, TO
create The necessary Forces and to take rcsolu-
lions certain 70 rouse the jealousy Of half the
great Powers Of Europe. He had, NJ one ana
the same time. TO organize a feet. to create an
army and 10 make il clearly understood that
during war time the United States would suffer
no Interference. 1t seemed 1T first that. crushed
by the weight of these Responsibilities. the
President might fail. lie was supposed 10 be
too much ~ 4 politician. word which in Amer
lea implies q man who trims. his first selections
for office excited no CONFERENCE.-The choice OF
Mr.. Sherman. indeed. Is still unexplained-and
he seemed. In his iEcXVerencc and MS humane
aversion to bloodshed, 50 undecided that OBJ
servers expected vacatnF Administrative.
Mr.. Mckinley. il was said would Yield to the
people but he would DO as little as ne could,
and probably therefore. be unsuccessful in mat
lt'c. The total urroadness OF the country for
war, an unreadiness In which European states
men could scarcely believe. deeD"Hed this I'M
preston and for q r!omont Il was generally
held that Mr. Mckinley. though a good man,
would prove unequal to task which might
have oppressed Bismarck
The doubt has now disappeared. II seems
pEObable mat power as occasionally HaNpeIa.
has developed latent forces in It's pcsscssor OF
which the world did not suspect the existence
but at all events 1t Is certain that Mr. Mckinney
has risen 70 the height Of his circumstances
and, though he cannot be Abraham Lincoln ne
cOnvinces those around him that he has many
~ his Grea; predecessors best qualities AZ
disposition 20 wobble has gone ont or him ~
Is aware. as Lincoln once SAID, that ultimate ,iS-
c!sion in executive matters must rest with nm;
that the responsibility before the people and
before history rests on his shoulders and with
that certainty h. has become as clear ana hr.h
as II he were a great man Of business at the
head OF great factory. TWO Resolves nav"
taken possession 81 hlm-or shall We say a con
Victon Of two duties?-to carry this war for
ward To complete success. and 10 execute the
National as distinct from the party. Will and
with those resolves hesitation and overanXlous
care have alike disappeared. and President NC
Kinley has become a dangerous man 20 face.
His own people see ana The world begins 10
recognize. that whenever tn appeal from IN"
armies or he fleets or thu departments reaches
the White House the orders that come back are
always clear ard are ALWAYS in the dire ction or
decided action. CUlars give trouble for"lGn
Powers give trouble. lhe generals give trouble.
critics At home give irnuite trouble. but Mt.
Mckinley goes on steadily. unhasiing out I'M
The enlargement in his conception &C the work
20 be done IS unmistaSahe. The PRECEDENT was
probably at first under he impression. shared
Dy the Who IF his couutryren. that The var
would lie a small affair. but that impression has
disappeared. and America is h,htinE spain as II
Spain were "A Grst-class Power. IN army has
hD,n sent 20 he Philippines. The expedition or
fifteen thcueand mon against Santiago has
grown TO forty thousand against Porto Rico
and one huulre thousnnd against Havana.
Tho Qualifications Of The coast hav" been silently
pushed forward till eyer a hrst-c.oss naval
Power would 1rd 10 seri rs enterpr!s" 90 a.
tack them. The Continent has been requested
Informally 80 stand as.a', ard spain has hrrh
informed however stubborn she may De" That
she must her-el: ask for Icacc. on she viii not
obtain H. Moreover she must not look 20 oh
tain u without tr'ot c'nc"s lions Ii'r' is m
impression I'm Europe. outside ~ ENGLAND. that
President Mckinley. having been originally an
unwilling >om1atant. is raeer for Yeaco ON al
moet any terms. but 30 WaT b" personally who
refused The terms - surrender at Hrst oG rod br
Santiago; i - be who secured m annexation
~ Hawaii. useless acquisition urlrs7 more are
20 follow. Il ls D" who fatois H." annexation ~
Porto Rico: u r. he Who has so in1rfcdly AZ
proved the decided action ~ Admiral D@"'ey.
and IT Is - Who has bail ] -" ind!screct
curiosity OF many Ambassadors 80 know tho
minimum terms which Il would Dee safe FOR N"
Madrid cabinet 20 offer And finally. Il f. n"
who has decided that u nothing less will suffice
ard America o. sti'l 20 Doe impcicd uy usclref
stuhhornncss N. area ~ the war must he ~
tended even INTO Europe. tn" man who steadily
grows HE fhis Is Il considerable man. even -
he did choose SOME inferior advisers. and does
not realize any moro than Theirs ia tho effect
% heavy tariTs upon the production OF national
wealth.
Mr. McKlnicy's now dcmeanor has been an
swcred by new DEVELOPMENT ~ public conf
dencc and he IS now 10y far the most Influential
pcTsonag" in thc United States We do not
mean that the President. as Contincutlls are
fancyinc. could max" peace exactly rs h. chose.
The people II The Hepuhlic never give up their
ulfinat. right of veto. but the Initiative rests
with him. and within vel!-underst1oi limits
would De- effective that # almost any
sovereign. The President is most unlikely -
pass those limits for II h. believes En- anything
more str1rEly that his own responsibility. Il *
that in his juiy - maze the National VIII ex-
ecutiYe "SOt claim porto Rico" he saws.
fpl tit "a.
was to eXpcl Spain from America" Such eN-
pulsion being possible hat resolution - Con-
grcsS Is % him what The Instructions" from
his severe gn are 10 "a Europ"an diplomatlst. He
has no orders az yet about thc Philippines but
IL he sees az the preachers Of the Union are
said 10 be seeing. that To restore the Phiippines
To Spain would hc trcnchcry 10 their people.
Spain will not reign I'm Manila during this. or
the next. PrcsIlentIal torn.