The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-08
QUEEN REGENT APPROVES THE REPLY
The Note Has Not Yet Been Fully Will Reach
the White House by Tuesday-Hostiles to Be
ately Suspended If the Reply Is Satisfactory.

Spain's request for explanation reached
Madrid Friday evening. The text has
not been given out, but IL is known
that it brought little consolation.
President Mckinley turned deaf ear
to the suggestion that Porto Rico might
be left to Spain, and compensation got
ten elsewhere. Regarding the Philip
pines, the reply was not altogether sat
isfactory, but IL was of such a nature
that there was no longer any neces-
sity for postponing a decision on the
main question.
Meantime Senior Sagasta's extensive
consultations seemed to leave no doubt
that the nation wants peace. / 10 not
mean to say that all declared TINS in
plain language. on the contrary there
was a deal of reticence. Some persons
had more or less clearly expressed the
idea that the best men in the coun-
try would practically forget for the
moment all personal and party consid-
erations and cordially and disinterest-
edly endeavor to assist the govern
ment in its difficulties. This idea, how
ever. If II was ever seriously enter
tanned, was not realized. Perhaps one
or two acted in this spirit. but in most
cases the cloven foot of the politician
peeps out occasionally under the flow
ing garb of the patriot.
Some have concealed their suspicious
that Senior Sagasta, in processing TO
consult them in the matter seriously
in a great crisis of the national history,
was playing the part of an old parlia-
mentarian, astutely laying traps for his
political rivals. If these suspicious had
any real foundation, Sagasta must be
consummate actor. for in all the in
terviews he spoke with apparent frank
ness and sincerity and personal dis
interestedness that might well have
disarmed all but the most hardened
politicians. Even when il was suG-
gested that he ought to leave to more
capable hands the task of concluding
peace. he displayed no impatience or
resentment. He even showed the most
perfect courtesy to Senior Romero
Robledo, listening with rapt attention
to his absurd proposals. As to the
context of Spain's reply. the oracles
differ. Some say IL contains no conten-
tious matter, accepting simply in prin-
cipal the four demands of President
McKinley's first communication. and
suggesting an immediate suspension of
hostilities. on the other hand, others
affirm that it is prefaced by an ac-
count of the origin of the war, tend
ing to prove that. as Spain was i'm no
sense the aggressor, she ought not TO
be expected to pay a war indemnity,
either in money or territory.
Though the king. according to the
constitution, has the right to declare
war and make peace, any cession Of
national territory requires the sane
tion of the cortes and any minister
consenting to such cession without this
sanction is liable. according to the
penal code, to imprisonment for life.
1t would be necessary. therefore. to
convolIe the cortes some time before the
treaty of peace is ratified. but the gov
ernment has not yet recided at what
stage of the proceedings this necessary
formality will be observed. In some
well informed quarters doubts are ex-
pressed as to whether the Spanish note
will be dispatched to Washington quite
so soon as is generally expected.