Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-04-08
MESSAGE POSTPONED.
THE PRESIDENT so DECIDES AT THE
ELEVENTH HOUR.


in Havana Given as the Reason-May BE
IA Change on Spain's Part-Senator Ed
munds Talks.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-Swift as can
mons flash changed the Cuban situation
to-day. The galleries of congress were
crowded and senators and representa-
tives were anxious and agitated, even
the diplomatic corps was in ferment,
awaiting a message from the president
of the United States to the congress of
the American people that might mean
war. when, with the excitement at the
very highest, the word passes that
there would be no message to-day. Its
suddenness stunned the public which
heard the news in distorted forms, and
amazed veteran members of congress.
Ultimately it became known that not
only would there be no message to-day,
but no message this week, and that it
was at least possibility the message
written and approved might never go
congress at all.
The first reason for the delay was that
the administration received advices from
Gen. Lee at Havana indicating that all
Americans could not be gotten of the
island to-day and would be in grave peril
if the message preceded their departure.
The second reason, and perhaps equal
" potent with the other, slowly drifted
into public comprehension late in the
day, chiefly through the medium of pub
lished Associated Press dispatches from
Madrid, for extreme Teticence was main
ho r,,I,; hxr in
Washington who knew the facts, and
even cabinet officers were unadvised on
the subject This important news was
that the Spanish government, after
what plainly had been most exciting
times i'm inner Spanish circles at Madrid,
had decided to reopen the case closed, so
far as this government was concerned,
by the refusal of Spain to make salts
factory response to the representations
made bv the United States last week, and
in order to avert impending war, had
decided to make concessions heretofore
refused What will be the final outcome
it is too early to say, but the aspect of
affairs certainly is considerably more
pacific and sufficient to renew the hope
of the president in a solution of the
Cuban question satisfactory to the
American people and achieved without
blOOdshed
The details remain to be worked out,
but it is expected that between now and
Monday clearer light will be thrown
on the future by action at Madrid, of
which one important feature at least Is
the declaration of an armistice by the
queen regent of Spain. This armistice
it is expected will lead to ultimate indie
pendence of Cuba from Spanish rule, but
by what intermediate steps even the gov
erning powers do not at this time know.
Much, it is supposed, will depend upon
the Cuban insurgents and the peoples of
the two countries of the United States
and Spain.
The powers of Europe, material and
moral, it is known brought to bear all
their influence on the government of
Spain, and still are actively at work seek
ing by the wisest and most polite course
necessary in view of the circumstances
and sentiments of the two great nations
involved to bring peace out of the gather
ing war clouds. All the capitals of Eu-
rope have been in communication to this
end, fact evidenced by the assembage
at the British embassy in this city yester-
day of the representatives of six great
powers of Europe, who then and there
were made mutually acquainted with
what had been done abroad and with the
desire of those who accredited them in
Washington that they should work in
accord here. This concert, however, in
the United States does not 90 beyond a
mild tender of good offices to secure
peace and delay a definite declaration Of
war if hOstiities finally became newt
able. Some of the representatives assem-
bed at Sir Julian Pauncefote's may have
wished to offer mediation, but if so were
warned against it by others in the con
ference who understood more clearly that
such procedure would be resented and
work to hostile and not to peaceful ends.
The improved condition of affairs was
reflected throughout all public quarters
late in the day. 1t was manifested at
the White House among cabinet officers
and at the embassies and legations, in
Guiding the Spanish legation. At the
latter establishment, SenOr Polo said that
while he could not disclose any of the
Information reaching him in an official
character, yet he felt that the strain of a
few hours ago was materially relieved
and that the prospects for peace looked
much brighter. He in no way confirmed
nor would he even discuss views enter
tanned in other high official quarters tha
Spain was slowly but surely yielding anC
confined his utterances to the genera
statement that conditions were improv
ing.
What Ex-senator Edmunds Thinks.
PHILADELPHIA, April 6. - FOrme
United States Senator George F. Ed
munds, who has just returned from
Florida and who has kept a close watcl
on the trend of events in the presen
AmaIican Snanish anta lame Mt is thor