The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-10
POLITICAL.
As to Spain and Peace.

Inc news from MADRID IL InhJ lue ue-
tails of the terms for peace are being
discussed, but that the general condi-
tons are to be accepted. That means,
for instance, that while Cuba and Porto
Rico are to be given up, the Spaniards
would like to escape having to shout
der the debts of those islands; that
while our demands in the Ladrones,
the Carolines and the Philippines may
be acknowledged. Spain will try to
make them as few or valueless as pos
sible, in the expectation that the United
States will try TO make them as many
and as serviceable as possible.
When contention gets down to de-
tails, agreement should not be far off.
Yet considerable contention may occur,
if the United States is not firm. The
princoxes and braggarts in Madrid
have not tasted this war in the way
Toral's men and Montojo's or Cervera's
crews did. They have been thousands
of miles away from it. They have put
their own skins in no danger and their
own stomachs to no privation. They
have had plenty to eat and drink, no
BODY to kill, wound or scare them, and
full chance to live and to lie ut ease,
all the cost being paid for by such of
the peoples money as they reserve.
They can ''stand" very well any suf-
ferings--of others. Half bigots, halt
gamesters and whole liars, they can
use even their own overtures for peace
alike for parley or for plumber.
President Mckinley is certain that
the terms will soon be accepted in good
faith. Acceptance is probable. Good
faith from Spaniards can always be
depended on-on compulsion. The
president is confident and sanguine.
That is his nature-just as kindness is.
Beside, the expression of confidence
with an understanding that it shall be
held TO mean hope-is part of the pol
itic duty of the president. His express
sion may promote the acceptance of the
terms. Possibly it was so intended.
Nevertheless, we trust our govern
ment is placing just as much reliance
on Spanish talk about peace as it has
learned to place on reports of Spanish
Victories military and naval. The
Castillian leopard will not change his
spots without the employment of a
Yankee paint brush in Yankee hands.
We shall believe the terms will be &C.
cepted about month after they have
been accepted.
Moreover, we should enforce our
view of what acceptance must imply
the withdrawal or surrender of Span
ish forces everywhere they confront
our own, and explicit assumption by
Spain of all the debts piled up in her
effort to crush those colonies which she
has immemorially robbed. And we
should leave to ourselves free hand
to do what we please with or to those
colonies. We are under pledges to
some of them and to our own people as
to some of them. We are under no
pledges at al to Spain.
There is talk about this man or that
as a member of the commission to
make peace. Little matter who the
men are, if they are handled by the
president. Woodford? He can be
trusted to stand in the center of piece
of white paper and not TO get outside
of its four corners. He did that in
Spain well. He has done it since his
return. His second thought is good.
His intelligence is quick. His fdel'
ity is complete. His manner is well
fitted for negotiatory functions. o.
ney? Yes, indeed. He is firm, clear,
profound and hard as nails. He is the
best human product in New England
today. George F. Edmundsp No, I'M
less he has grown away from his in
3orsement of the detestable pro Span
ish pamphlet of Edward j. Phelps, at
the outset of the war. No, unless he
has come TO realize that he is a man
with a country worth having. No, if
the suggestion of him is based on the
exploded assumption that he is a
necessary man" to the Government.
Not word for the cause, for the ma
ton, for the soldiers, for the sailors, or
for the war has come from him. He
has been as silent as if he had been
retained by Spain or Satan.
We trust the Administration will
put the settlements of peace in the
hands of men who believed in the is-
sue of the war. Men who did not APP
prove of their country in their hearts
at least half approved of the enemy.
We want none of them in any peace
making for US.
Meanwhile, the war goes on while
Spain is relieving her conscience of
new mendacities of feeding her soul
with more husks OF pride and empti-
ness.-Brooklyn Eagle.