Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-08-03
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 20, 1895
President Mckinley and the mem
bers of the cabinet have agreed upon
the course to take in dealing with
the request Of Spain, through the
French ambassador, as to negotiat-
ing peace. If Spain Is ready to sur
render and to accept our terms Of
peace, there will be no difficulty in
bringing about a speedy cessation Of
hostilities, but if the inquiry was
prompted by desire to entrap this
government into declaring its inten-
tions towards the Philippines in the
hope that they might be of such a
nature that some of tn powers
would attempt to object, she vii
find this government is not to be
easily entrapped. President Nc
Kinley has already intimated to the
representatives Of several powers
who sought to obtain a hint of his
intentions towards the Philippines
that 1T was none Of their business.
Spain IS in no condition to quib bic
over terms OF peace. It is only a
question OF carrying out plans now
we'll under way when we shall be in
possession OF every foot of territory
she owns outside her own bound
aries. The sooner she announces q
complete surrender and q willingness
to leave the terms OF peace to the
magnanlmlty of this government,
the more liberal terms she will get.
La,
apparent to Spain, just as it did
that no talk of peace through any
other power or powers would bepaid
any attention by this government.
1t was only when the request to
know whether this country would
entertain propositions looking to
peace came directly from the govern
ment of Spain that President Nc
Kinley replied to it, and it will only
be when Spain announces her willing
ness to accept cur terms that peace
will be had.
Those who have from the first
contended that when Admiral Samp-
sons official report of the naval
battle resulting in the destruction Of
Cervera's fleet was received it would
show that full justice would be done
to all who participated in the great
naval victory are fully justified by
the report, which was this week
made public. Admiral Sampson
does not in the slightest degree at
tempt to take credit for himself or
his flagship that should belong to
Commodore Schley and the captains
of the ships which assisted in de
stroying the Spanish feet. Admiral
Sampson says of his flagship, the
New York: "She was not at any
time within range of the heavy Span
ish ships, and her only part in the
firing was to receive the undivided
fire from the forts in passing the har-
Dor entrance and to fire few shots
at one Of the destroyers, thought at
the moment to be attempting to
escape from the Gloucester" The
reports of Commodore Schley, Cap
tains Evans, Of the Iowa, Philip, Of
the Texas, Taylor, of the Indiana,
and Clark, of the Oregon, to Admiral
Sampson, were at the same time
made public. That Commodore
Schley had no hard feelings was
shown by the following words in his
report: ~ congratulate you most
sincerely upon this great victory to
the squadron under your command,
and [ am glad that | had an oppor-
tunity to contribute in the least to
victory that seems big enough for
all of u.s."
Full details received by the War
department show that General Shat
ter was in no way to blame for the
action of General Garcia in with
drawing his troops from near San
tiago and declaring that he would no
longer act under General Skaters
orders. Garcia refused to be salts
fed with anything less than such
official recognition by General Shat
ter as would have been a practical
recognition by the United States of
the Cuban republic, and that, OF
course, General Shafter could not
give without violating the very posi-
tive orders he received before he went
to Cuba. President Mckinley wishes
to treat the insurgents with every
possible courtesy and ccnsidera zion,
but his reasons for declining to rec
ognize the lnsurgent government, or
rather alleged government, are much
stronger now than they were previous
to the war. In the eyes of the world
this government is responsible for
the government of Cuba after it
passes out of the control of Spain,
and it is going to be military gov
eminent until such time that the
president shall decide otherwise. In
deciding upon the permanent govern
ment for Cuba, the insurgents will
not be Disseminated against, nor
will other orderly residents of Cuba
be Disseminated against.
HOMESEEK ExCVRSTONS