The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-16
FULL INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN.
PEACE COMMISSIONERS READY
TO DEPART FOR PARIS.

Not a Word of the Nature of the In
structions Given out by Either the
Cabinet Members or the Commits
sfOners-A Certain Amount of FIeN-
ibiIity in the Instructions, But the
Vital Features of the NegOtiations
VIII Be CabIed TO the President.
CommissIOners VIII Meet Gen.
Merritt with Special Report
From Admiral Dewey.
Washington Sept. 15-The cabinet met
in special session at 8 o'clock this after
noon and adjourned at L. All the mem
bers were present, except Secretary Aiger,
who is not in the city. All united in the
statement made after the meeting that
they had agreed to say nothing more of
the result of the deliberations than that
the peace commissioners had been fully in
structed.
OF the nature of these instructions they
conveyed not a word. Each one pointed
out that to do so would be extremely i'm
polite and would amount to arming the
Spanish commissioners in advance. The
peace commission ioners. who were approach
ed on the subject, made a similar response,
thus closing all official avenues of in
formation.
1t is not to be understood that the COM
missioners go under iron-clad and un-
changeable instruction at all points, for
there is certain amount of f1exibilty in
the instructions, else, as one of the cabi-
net members put it, the President might
just have well have reduced his wishes to
paper in the form of an ultimatum and
sent that to Paris by a messenger.
The peace commissioners are in no sense
| mere mouthpieces, but having chosen with
the greatest care five men, in whom he
! puts the most implicit confidence, the
! President feels that they are to be in
! trusted with the interests of the United
! States. 1t is not expected that they viii
! have a free rein in the larger questions
| of policy, but with ample opportunities
! for consultations by cable and otherwise,
| there is no reason why the commissioners
! should not be able to carry out the de-
sires of the administration, and at the
same time have the opportunity 10 some
| what shape those desires by conveying in
| formation they may acquire.
| For instance it is expected that at Paris
the commissioners will meet Gen. Merritt,
| fresh from Manila and in addition they
| will there have the benefit of a special re-
| port from Admiral Dewey These viii
be of the greatest value for the commits
sioners are not acquainted with the Philip
/ pine question in detail, and even the in
! formation that is to be acquired from the
| Spanish peace commissioners is not to be
! despised when it takes such an official
form that IL can be relied upon as to ac-
! curacy.
All the arrangements have been COM
pleted for the departure of the commission
and its staff Most Of the party will
leave Washington at 4 O'clock tomorrow
afternoon for New York. but circum-
stances may detain some of the ministers
until the midnight train. The Campania
sails at p. m. Saturday and explicit in
structions have been given all the mem
bers of the party as to being on hand at
that time. Special baggage tags have
been printed for the belongings Of the
members and a small paper paster,
showing red and blue bars crossed on a
white background gives a handy way OF
making a "red, white and blue" identi-
/ fication Of the personal and general lug
gage of the party.
number of stout cedar chests have
been made to carry the books. pamphlets,
! typewriter papers, etc, forming a form
! Of American case. The chests are like a
| shallow steamer trunk so that they may
be showed under the berths and thus he
/ available on the passage over instead Of
! going with the baggage in the hold of the
! steamer This will permit considerable
work on the trip and II is expected that
The commissioners win hold meetings on
shipboard. The party will go direct from
| Liverpool to London, and there stop for
a DAYS rest. then proceed to Paris by
the way of Dover and Calais