Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-08-05
WASHINGTON LETTER

l
on which we would negotiate peace.
which is now in the hands of the
Spanish ministry is not only
liberal, it is, under the circum-
stances magnanimous. 1t provides
for the evacuation of Cuba and
Porto Rico, the former to have an
independent government, under the
protection of the U. S., and that the
Inter shall become our property
Spanish troops upon both to be sent
home at the expense of Spain, and
leave the question of what shall be
done with the Philippine islands, to
to be settled afterwards. If Spain
is wise, she will lose no time in ac-
cepting these terms, as it is very
certain that if the war is continued
the terms will grow harder and
harder, but for Spain to display wis
dom will be new thing under the
sun. The French Ambassador, who
is now also the Spanish Minister, ac-
cepted the terms, but, of course, ms
accepting goes for nothing until con-
firmed by Spain.
Our preparations for pushing the
campaigns in Porto Rico and in the
Philippines have not been stopped
to await Spain's answer, and will
not be stopped, and if Spain refuses
the terms or attempts to gain time
by quibbling, the plans for sending
Commodore Watson's fleet to Spain,
which were deferred in order to give
Spain a chance to ask for peace, will
at once be carried out. 1t is doubt
full whether any other country than
U. S. would have been so generous
to defeated foe as not to insist up
on the payment of large meney in
demnity it is also doubtful whether
the Spanish character is capable of
appreeiating that generosity.
Tho results of the first week of the
campaign of Gen. Miles in Porto
Rico, have been more than please
ing to President Mckinley and
every member of his Cabient, not
withstanding the attempt on the
part of some of the yellow Journals, /,
to create the impression that the re-
lations of Secretary Alger and Gen
Miles had become unfriendly be-
cause the latter had not conducted
the campaign in accordance with
Alger's orders. The same sort of
stories were circulated about Secre-
tary Alger, and Gen. Shafter has
since stated that he was allowed to
onduct his campaign his on own judg-
ment, and was never at any time
hampered in the slightest degree by
orders from the War Department.
1t is we'll known in Washington
that General Miles has supreme con-
troll of the Porto Rico campaign,
which was planned by himself, and
that neither President Mckinley
nor Secretary AlgeI has interfered
with him or expect to have any
cause to do so. The administration
has the utmost confidence in Gen.
Miles. That confidence has beon
fully justifiedby what he has accom-
plished in a single week. The entire
southern endOf the island, including
its second city and a number of SMALL
or ones, is under our flag and not a
single American life has been lost,
Hurrah for Miles
Brigadier General Chas. P. Egan,
Commissary General of the army
made public scathing denunciation
of Mr.. Robert B. Roosevelt, for hav-
ing written letter to the Secretary
of the sons of the American Revolu.
tion, charging shameful incapacity
or Infamous dishonesty in the COM
missary department. The tenor Of
Gen. Egan's remarks, which make
a column of nonpariel may be judged
from the following quotation: "No-
} toriety is what Mr.. Roosevelt wants
and he is bound tohave it. He deser
YES 1.-THE stayed at home. He die
right to stay at home. Notoriety ii
} what he is after; we see it in every
line of his writing. He carefully
avoids giving name or a date. D
course, we knew why. He coulC
not do it and tell the truth. But hi
2 could manufacture a letter in sucl
shape and form as to bring misery
| to every father, mother, wife an'
sister of the men at the front, who
did not know that the 1isingenuou
J representation of a lawyer for tn
/. purpose of notoriety were what the,
0 we're reading. not a statement O
: facts, not a true or fair represents
[ tion of the action of officers, nor tn
truth regarding the situation in tbs
field. but low, libellous, scands
3 lous villification of honorable men,
u Sickness continues to increase i
Gen. Skaters army at a rate tha