Evening journal., 1898-10-21
NO HOPE FOR SPAIN.
American Commissioners Will
Not Yield.
A PROMINENT SPANIARD'S OPINION.
He Says AmesicR Il Pushing Her
Conquest TOO Fnr, but That
spain Il at Our Mercy and
Must submit.


LONDON, oct. 21.-The Paris CORE
spondent OF The Times, telegraphns
last night, says
Il had visit today Thursday from
a great Spanish parsonage, who seems
10 have been commissioned to ascertain
the trend Of public opinion on the ne
gotiatlons here. He appeared much de-
pressed He has found great and gem
eral sympathy with Spain, but has been
unable to discover any possibility Of OBJ
tanning moral support against the
American delegates who are inflexlble
In their demands and, with much pO-
likeness OF FORM have hitherto catego-
rically refused TO make the slightest
concession on any OF the instructions
received by them. never having asked
their government for the slightest modi-
hcations.
II have already explained the mode
Of negotiation. Memoirs are handed in
which are translated and replied TO in
the same fashion. The Spaniards from
time TO time endeavor to enter into
conversation and to turn the discussion
into a verbal exchange OF views in or
der TO obtain some deviation from the
infexlble line marked out by the Amer
ican government for its representatives.
"Senor Abarzuza, who is a master OF
the English language, Is the Spanish
commissioner who makes the attempts
70 lead TO a conversation and, as he is
described as very prepossessing and elo-
quent, he always makes a profound Inn
preston. The Americans, however, lis
ten nttentively, but rigidly maintain
the procedure Of written replies.
"The intended sitting yesterday could
not be held because the Spaniards. In
view OF the written replies made them.
renounoed their attempts at conversa-
ton. and asked as hours grace to con-
suit their government and prepare a
written rejoinder. The friend who call
ed told me that he had found his coun-
trymen much discouraged, being con-
vinced that the United States Is bent
on a rigorous exercise Of the rights Of
the victor I have heard you say he
remarked. that Prince Bismarck once
said TO you:
"'"When you have your knee on the
throat OF vanquished nation, you can
take from Il all you like. but you must
always beware OF abusing your victory
and exaggeratlng your conquests. 9th
erwise you load yourself for many gem
erations with crushing burden, which
ends by having the most mlsohievous re-
suits for the victor-almost more than
for the vanquished"
my caller remarked:
-" The Americans are not adopting
this wise and humane view. They seem
bent on pushing the results of the war
20 their extreme consequences. They
refuse TO entertain any concession on
the financial question and, while declin-
ing to undertake sovereignty in Cuba,
they maintain that the Cuban debt Is q
Spanish debt and that Spain abused her
sovereignty by saddling the island with
the interest OF a debt by which she
alone prohted.
"'Vainly have we urged that they
themselves accepted financial oblga-
tions toward England after the war of
Independence; that they accepted the
q burdens OF Texas after the conquest;
that there is no more general law than
the law Of the obligations OF a country
changing with It's rulers, and that Il
would be an arbitrary course and vex-
atious precedent to throw the Cuban
debt on us. All is useless, and they
stand peremptorily TO their demands,
"'What our delegates should say 10
them II they persist. as it is 60 be feared
they will. is this: 1--WE are in your
hands. You are the victors. We for
once committed the folly OF going to
war with you because you left US no
time TO avoid IT, because you treated us
in such a way that. even at the risk Of
suicide, we were bound 70 plunge into
war, though the result OF IL was evident
60 us. But we will not commit the fresh
folly OF recommending war in any form
We are, therefore, at your mercy. We
shall submit 60 your dictates and shall
leave the world TO judge OF these die
tates, but no human force will compel
as to subscribe to them. and we shall
not subscribe"
This is what our delegates ought &c
say on this Cuban question. As for the
other points. they viii wait to hear
what they are "