The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-27
REGULAR CABINET
MEETING FRIDAY

II is Generally Understood, However, that a
Special Meeting will be Held in Order to make
Prompt Reply to the Proposition. What Terms
Of Peace Spain will Propose or Wha, The Uni
ted States will Accept, is not Yet Known.
The Evacuation of Cuba and Porto Rico,
However, viii Of Course be Insisted on by
This Government, Though there is not The
Same Certainty About the Philippines and
Other Islands.
government has sued for peace. not IN
directly through the great powers Of Eu-
rope. but by direct appeal to President
Mckinley. The proposition was formal
ly submitted To the President at three
o'clock this afternoon by the French
Ambassador. NJ Jules Cambon. who
eign Office to deliver to the United States
government the tender of peace fermu-
lated by the Spanish ministry. At the
conclusion Of the conference between
the President and the French Ambassa-
dor. the following official statement was
issued from the White House:
A Lac 1aI aI
of the Government Of Spain, and by di-
rection of the Spanish Minister of For
eign Affairs. presented to the President
this afternoon at the White House a
message from the Spanish Government
looking to the termination of the war,
and the settlement Of terms Of peace"
This was the only official statement
made public. but it sufficed to put at
rest all conjecture, and to make clear
and definite that ut last Spain has taken
the initiative toward peace Although
peace rumors have been current almost
daily heretofore since the war began,
not one of them had the shadow of foun-
dation, and until the French Ambassa-
dor received instructions from Paris
late last night no Overtures Of any kind
had been received Shortly before mid
.,
Embassy made it known to the Embassy
that the Ambassador would be charged
with the important mission of opening
peace negotiations in behalf of Spain.
The complete instructions, including an
official letter from Duke Almodovor de
Rio, Spanish Minister of Foreign AT
fairs, were received this morning. There
upon NJ Thiebeau. First Secretary of
fh. Ia1 ..f hn
partment and asked that an hour be APP
pointed for a call by Ambassador Cam
bon on the President. The purpose Of
the call was not stated. 1t was ar
ranged at the White House that the cali
should be made at three o'clock. NJ.
Cambon first went to the State De-
partment, where he was joined by Sec
retary Day, and the two then proceeded
together to the White House The call
lasted about half an hour, and after the
first formalitics had been executed by
NJ. Cambon. the talk became general
and quite informal the President the
Ambassador and the Secretary of State
discussing the outlook for Il conclusion
Of hostilities.
PAUSE In HOSTILITIES MAY BE.
The proposition submitted by the Am
bassador, acting for the Spanish Gov
ernment, was quite general in terms.
and was confined to the one essential
point Of an earnest plea that negotia-
tions be opened for the purpose OF ter
minating the war and arriving at terms
of peace. The communication Of the
Spanish Government did not suggest any
specific terms Of peace, nor was any ref
erence made to Cuba, the Philippines.
Porto Rico or other Spanish possessions.
The evident purpose of the Madrid au-
thorities was to first learn whether The
United States would treat on the subject
OF peace. and after that to take up such
terms as the two parties might suggest.
Neither was there any suggestion from
the Spanish Government that an aFmis-
tice be established pending the peace
negotiations 1t seemed natural. how
ever. from the proposition that formal
pence negotiations he entered upon. that
pending their conclusion u cessation of
hoIiites would occur.
Owing to the Importance Of the com