Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-08-02
Our Terms 10 Spain.

future il Spain is sincere in her pres
| French ambassador at Washington
the Spanish government virtually
asked on what terms we would make
peace. Our answer has been trans
| mitted to Madrid Spain now knows
our terms She must accept them iii
the end, and if she does 80 at once, so
much the better for all concerned.
Our terms are just and merciful, per-
| fectly consistent with our war policy
| from the first. "A united country
gives our government its unqualified
| support in this matter as it has in the
we ask only what is right and neces-
sary, and Spain can get neither SYM
pathy nor support. The vigor with
which we have pushed the war is
matched by the promptness with
which we answer Spain's prayer for
peace. We have been fighting for the
sake of peace, not for the sake Of war
or revenge or conquest. If Spain seeks
delay or is using diplomatic tricks to
embarrass us she fails completely, for
the war will be carried on with ener-
| gy until Spain shows that her peace
| talk is more than talk.
Spain must decide at once whether
to accept these terms or so on with
best. She has no navy left worth
| speaking of, her army is rapidly be-
coming demoralized by defeats. her
credit is gone, there is increasing dan
ger of revolution at home, and alto
gether the outlook is about as dark
as it could be. We are moving
onward from victory to victory. To
| Spain the conditions may seem severe,
| but they are far easier than they will
be if she prolongs the war If Spain
is wise she will accept them with the
| best grace possible.
| iiI tNd iitS h1'Vii " iliNh biAio iitilipil
will now consent to make peace have
not been kept a secret. They have
| been known in general way for scv-
eral days and the only problem which
has aroused any difference of opinion
has been our proper course in regard
to the Philippine Islands. This gov
ernment has decided to demand from
| Spain as conditions of peace these con-
cessions: Recognition of the indepcn-
! dence of Cuba: absolute surrender to
the United States of Porto Rico: ces-
| sion to the United States of coaing
! Islands: the agreement that Manila
| bay. with the city and surrounding
territory, should be retained in the
| possession of the United States at
| least for such a length of time as is
necessary to devise and put in opera
tion some plan for the future govern
| ment Of the entire group. These are
our terms, and the only terms upon
which this country can or will now
make peace.
President Mckinley and all the
members of his cabinet have given the
most careful consideration to the prob-
lem of the Philippines. 1t is said
that all of them are opposed to our
| prnIliSitib1 af thnS.a icIo
| tual possession of the territory. They
are of the opinion that such possess
| sion would be almost certain to in
volVe this nation in foreign complca-
tions that would entail responsible
ties and perhaps dangers far beyond
| the real value of the islands to our
country. Their possession would COM
pei the United States to keep strong
naval and military force there all the
| time TO maintain a government over
a mixed race of people. among whom
discomfort and revolution are never at
rest.
AT the time of Dewey's magnificent
victory at Manila the national senti-
mcnt was strongly in advocacy of
holding full sway over the Philippines,
yet recent events have led to the con-
| viction that the present policy OF the
| administrations wise and safe. Rather
| than involve this nation in complica-
tions and possible quarrcls with the
| powers of Europe over those far-2Way
islands, it would be the part OF wis
| dom, not to surrender what we have
| gained. but to demand no more in the
| Philippines than we can put to a
| good and profitable use as a port and
naval station. Spain must, as one of
| the conditions of peace. be compelled
to guarantee to the Philippines lib
eral and autonomous government-not
the kind she promised to Cuba, but
one that shall be genuine in it's char
acter. approved by the natives of the
Philippines and endorsed by the civil
lied sentiment of the world.
There Will be no war indemnity