The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-07-27
THE DAWN OF PEACE.

peace The initial communication has
been made by the ambassador to the
President, who will have a consultation
with his Cabinet, and probably within
the week the formal authority will
have been given to our representa-
tive in France to receive from the
proper Spanish authority the PROPOSE
tions made by Spain, with a view to
opening a conference in which the
terms of peace may be automatically
discussed
There is, it is understood, no demand
for an armistice pending the negotia-
tions; at least, the preliminary negotia-
lions. This is we'll. Our Government
certainly will not rest upon its arms for
weeks or months while Spain is MAX
ing UP it's mind what it will concede
as the price of peace. The invasion of
Porto Rico will go on, where our flag
has already been raised, and the right
to take the land has been asserted un-
der its folds as legitimate spoil of war.
Honorab BILE peace is always desirable.
when the ends of justice can be at
tanned by peaceful methods. However,
the United States has accomplished
sufficient to warrant it in listening to
negotiations for a cessation of HOSTILE
ties, but these should not be heard for
a moment without the stipulation that
pending the debate of negotiation the
horrible condition Of famine among the
non-combatants of Cuba shall be
brought to an end by food distribu-
ton, either by the Spanish Government
or through it's permission by the United
States
The appeal sent up by the old and
helpless people Of Cienfuegos, for in
stance, is pitiful enough to melt a
heart of stone. These suffering people
beg for bread. The Weyler system of
concentration Of the people there con-
tinues, and we are utterly unable to
mitigate it's horrors We should COM
pei Spain as a condition precedent to
feed these people, and at once.
The United States has planted its
banners on Cuban soil, and by sur
render occupied a considerable portion
of one province, while the insurgent
Cubans are active in war and occupy
large sections Of other States Of the
island. We have asserted capture and
raised the flag over the Philippines, the
Ladrones and Porto Rico, and are
therefore in an excellent position to
receive peace overtures. These, 1t is
proposed, shall now come from Spain,
which is as it should be. That mon
archy has at last awakened to the
truth, apparent long ago to all the
world, that no other Power could find
pretext for interfering and endeavor-
ing to force us to listen to terms Of
peace. Spanish statesmen have at last
confessed that however humiliating it
may be to Spanish pride, which is more
vanity and false assumption than any
thing else, Spain must appeal for peace
directly to this country as she has done
now through the French Minister, who
simply becomes the friendly medium
for initial exchange Of notes looking to
the close of the war.
That these negotiations will be en-
tered into fully we are convinced. Spain
realizes the hopelessness Of her further
resistance, the impossibility of contend
ing against a Power so vastly greater
in strength and so much her superior
in the arts Of war. The United States
is thus suddenly confronted with
problem equally serious and momen-
tous with that Of declaring and MAX
ing war. It took US but two months
to mobilize an army and make it one
of invasion and hot aggression. It will
possibly take a longer time to adjust
terms Of peace.
The probabilities are that the only
terms to which the United States will
agree will be the complete withdrawal
Of Spanish forces and governmental
agencies from every-part of the island
of Cuba That she shall have no voice
whatever in the adjustment Of new
government to those territories. That
she shall surrender Porto Rico and all
Government property there TO US alb
solutely. With these items will go that
of the cash indemnity, and which We
are disposed to believe will be heavier
than Spain expects. She will probably
wish to put in Porto Rico as an offset
for the whole amount. but she is late
in the day for that, since before her
agent had approached our Government
relative to settlement of peace Porto
Rico was practically ours.
The right of the United States to