The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-04

that ii Congress does not hear from you by
five minutes after u O'clock noon on Tues
day the liveliest proceedings which this
country has seen in many day will be
commenced"
A few hours later the President said to
caller that he was as anxious as Congress
or the country to bring this matter to
conclusion saying:
There are twenty-four hours in day.
I am devoting nineteen of these to the Gu
ban question. ] am making all haste possi-
BILE in it's consideration. Congress should
understand this and not be impatient In
fact, L do not propose that Congress shall
hold a watch on me. / expect, however, to
have my message ready on Tuesday,
1t will thus be seen that both Congress
and the President have Tuesday fixed in
their minds as the eliminating day.
ASSISTED BY MIR. GRIGGs.
The President had a better rest last night
than he has had in ten days, and he is look
ing better to-day as a result His ease of
mind is probably due to the fact that he
has turned over the composition of the
larger part of his message to Attorney Gen
all day and will probably not complete it
until tomorrow. The President will write
a portion of the message himself, and he
and the attorney general are expected to
make mosaic of the document tomorrow
night Attorney General Griggs is well
equipped for the important duty assigned
him. He has thorough understanding of the
situation and is in entire harmony with
the President thereon. To assist him he has
an historical report on the official events
bearing on this question from the begin
ming down to date and an exhaustive brief
on the legal and diplomatic phases pre-
pared at the Presidents request by Senator
Davis chairman of the committee on
foreign relations. Attorney General Griggs
is a very able man, with gift for clear,
precise and comprehensive statement He
| is withal true American, and his first ef-
fort at state paper will be of the right
sort his friends say.
The President. who has up to within a
very short time resolutely maintained that
the Maine explosion was not a casus belli,
| is said to have changed his position some
what on that proposition and to have been
influenced thereto by Spain's failure to at
| tempt to locate the responsibility for the
disaster and by sagasta's fiippant and in
solent reference to the tragedy in his reply
| to the Presidents overtures. His attention
has been called strongly of late to this view
Of the explosion:
FIrst-That the explosion must have been
caused by order of the Spanish authorities.
Second--Or by Spanish officials who base
ly and treacherously made use of their
knowledge obtained officially as t the loca-
| ton of submarine mines or the whereabouts
| of explosives under control Of the govern
ment-
Third-Or by parties acting for and in be-
half of the Cuban insurgents, who took that
way Of involving Spain and the United
States in war; in the expectation that it
would result to the advantage of the Gu
| ban cause.
ATTACK ON OUR HONOR.
Dismissing the first and third OF these
theories as being improbable, the second
remains as the most likely to be the true
explanation. Such being the case, it would
not be a difficult matter for the Spanish
authorities to locate and punish the men
who were responsible for the black crime.
Utter failure to take such steps must be
accepted as proof that the Spanish govern
ment was in sympathy with the assassina-
ton, and the affair. therefore, takes the
color of base attack upon our national
honor. This view,eit is understood, has
and the Maine affair may, after all, be the
important feature Of the forthcoming mes
sage, as it promises to be in impending con-
gressional action.
The White House has been beseiged with
callers to-day. Members of the war party
in Congress were conspicuous by their abb
sence. So far as they are concerned the
issue is made up. They, therefore, left the
field free for the representatives of the
peace party, who made the most Of their
opportunity. Vice President Hobart, Sena-
tors Hanna, Elkins, Aldrich and Spooner
and Representatives Payne, Cannon and
Dalzell were among the callers who re-
manned long time with the President
The White House mail was very large, and
a great number Of kilograms were received
The great mass of the Presidents corre-
spondence these days, both mail and tele-
graphic, relates to the war emergency and
urges upon him persistent efforts for peace
as long as there shall exist a chance for the
avoidance of war. These efforts, which it
was expected would be concentrated large
ly upon Congress, are mainly directed
toward the President, apparently with the
view of convincing him that the great con-
servative elements of the country are inn
movably for peace and that they will sup
port him along these lines to the end.