The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-14
var aud naval secretaries, in full court


war aud naval secretaries, in full court
dress, called at the State Depart
ment, twhere they were received by Secre-
tary Sherman, who afterward escorted
the party to the White House.
The reception took place in the blue
parlor. The introductions to the Presi-
dent were made by Secretary Sherman.
The exchange of greetings were MOST
cordial and occupied about 20 minutes.
/ In addition to the President and Span
ish minister and his party, the only par-
sons present were former Vice President
Morton, and Col. Bingham, the military
attache to the President. The ceremony
was such as is usual on such occasions
and passed off without incident
! The Spanish minister. on being present.
ed, said:
''Mr. President, L have the honor to
present to Your Excellency the credential
letters which accredit me in the capacity
of envoy extraordinary and minister
plenipoten larry of His Majesty the King
of Spain, in the United States of Ameri-
ca. The principal of my honorable mis-
sion is to endeaVor, so far as possible. to
maintain and draw closer between our
twocountries the most friendly relations.
In order to attain this end, SO much in
harmony with my own personal feelings,
am ready to omit no effort whatsoever
on my part, and doubt not ] shall sue
coed if, as ] hope, shall be fortunate in
gaining the benevolence of Your Excel
lency and your effective corporation.
In obedience to the special charge of Her
Majesty, the Queen Regent of the king
dom, have Ito express. TO Your Excel
lency the wishes of my august sovereign
for your personal happiness and for the
prosperity OF the people Of the United
States of America. ,,
| The Presidents reply was as follows:
| ''Mr. Minister, I am happy to receive
from your hands the royal letters where
by Her Majesty, the Queen Regent, for
the King of Spain, accredits you in the
capacity of His. Majesty's envoylextraordi-
nary and minister plenipotentiary in
the United States of America 1t is very
gratifying to me to receive the assur-
ances you have just made of your pur-
pose to endeavor to maintain and draw
closer in all possible ways, the most
friendly relations between the two coun-
tries and in response assure you that my
own efforts and those of this govern
ment will no less earnestly be directed
toward the same high end. You come
hither, Mr.. Minister, with the prestige
of distinguished name, borne Eby your
honored father, whose services in promot-
ing good will between Spain and the
United States have already pressed into
the domain of history. To this you add
the qualifications of personal ccquain-
tance with this country and its people
derived from your previous official So
iourn at this capital. so that you havesa
double title to our confidence and sym
pathy, / offer you my personal good
wishes, and I wish you to convey to Her
Majesty, the Queen Regent, my sincere
appreciation of Her Majesty's friendly
greeting and my own desire that happi-
ness may be her portion and that Spain
and the Spanish people may enjoy the
blessings of peace and prosperity"
THE MADRID PRESS.
Madrid, March lathe semi-official
Correspondence today, referring to
statements THAT the United States, al
though acquitting the Spanish authorities
of guilt in connection with the loss Of
the Maine, intends to declare Spain re-.
sponsible by imposing upon her two
punishments, indemnity and Cubanfin-
dependence, says: "All this for an event
with which Spain had nothing to do.
What. would happen to us if by negligence
we had really incurred this responsible
ty.''
The Liberal gives the following as the
present strength of the Spanish navy:
Protected ships, II: unprotected, 30; gum
boats, so; torpedo boat destroyers. IA;
torpedo boats, IA; transports, 20.
The Imparcial today says: There is
still time to prepare a few men of war,
and IL is perhaps impossible to buy few
vessels abroad, but in any case, we have
some merchant ships which could do
lot of harm to American commerce and
wes have still time to arrange to carry on
q privateering war from which as much
renown may accrue as from the guerilla
warfare which vanquished Napoleon.
Continuing, the impartial exhorts the
government to allow the present crisis
to pass over and to turn the time gained
to good use, concluding: eff our
flag goes into mourning, let US at least
be able to put some pieces of crepe on
the Americans obnoxious flag"
The impartial, Liberal, devotes an ar
ticIe to reproducing once more the griev-
ances Spain has against the United States
for alleged interference in Cuban affairs.
After recapitutating all the incidents on
which it relies, it says: 'Is the singu-
lar phenomenon that every time Spain
makes renewed effort to maintain her
sovereignty in Cuba a fresh and threat
ening reprisal against our nation is made
in Congress "a mere fancy of ours? Is
it merely an illusion of ours that during
the last two years three shifts of work
men by toiling night and day have turr ed
out for service the battleships Iowa, Ma s.
sachusetts, Indiana and Oregon and
Texas and the cruiser Brooklyn and sew
eral Others being the best ships the Re-
public possesses. In all that we have
is there reason for confidence
Or suspicion? Is there in it cause enough
to ask the Spanish govrnment to be fore
warned and prepared or to go quietly
to sleep2 For our part we believe we