The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-20

confirmed the statement that any
changes made in the composition Of the
cabinet would be wholly in the direc-
ton Of a more active war policy.
2:30 p. m.-The queen-regent has
charged Senior Sagasta to form a new
cabinet. The premier will this even
ing confer with the presidents Of the
chambers and with Senior Gamazo.
p. ma communication has been
sent to the chambers, announcing the
cabinet crisis and asking the cham
bers to suspend their session pending
a solution.
Senior Sagasta believes the new min
istry Will be formed by Wednesday
next.
An order has been issued by Senior
Sagasta, cOuntermanding the reception
which was to have been held tomorrow
upon the occasion of the kings birth
day and he has instructed the captains
genelar in all districts not to hold
their usual receptions.
$3.50 p. m.-Admiral Camara. the COM
mander Of the Spanish reserve squad
ron at Cadiz, has been recalled here
70 confer with the ministers respecting
his intended operations.
The newspapers express fear that q
secret AnglO-American alliance al
ready exists.
a p. m.-On receiving the %nnounce
ment that the abine had resigned,
both houses adjourned.
The Queen-regent has written Mrs.
Gladstone, making inquiries and ten
dertnS assurances of profound SYM
pathy. Today a long telegram was
TDrpiVn1 from nCinnncC Of yTn1ac -
which occur the words: Il am praying
for you"
A dispatch from Cadiz to F. Heraldo
de Madrid says port authorities at
Cadiz that the reserve fleet
composed Of the first-class battleship
Pelayo, the armOred cruiser Empera-
dor, Carlos V and Alfonso XIII, the
newly equipped cruiser RapidO and Pa
tria, with the torpedo destroyer Audaz
and Procerpina, will be ready for sea
this week.
London, May ia dispatch to The
Morning leader from Madrid says:
The new ministers will be Senior RO-
nero GirOn, minister for foreign af-
fairs; Senior AunOn, minister of marine
and the duke of AlmodOvar, minister
of public works. The remainder will
form a make-Shift, until the budget has
been carried.
CRISIS IN SPANISH CABINET.
LONDON, May li.-lne Mario CORE
spOndent of The Times Il am
now in a position to explain the mys-
teriOuS cabinet crisis which has been
hanging fire for several weeks and has
given rise to so many ingenious sur
misses. Senior Sagasta and the Sagas-
to cabinet came into OffiIe with the
policy Of avoiding a conflict with the
United States by pacifying Cuba
through autonomy. In pursuing this
policy the cabinet not only ran unite
to the general current opinion in the
conservative party, but did violence to
the feeling of a large section of it's own
adherentS. It's attitude was too con-
CiliatOrY to suit the belliCOse temper of
the nation and consequently it became
very unpopular. When the policy fail
ed and war was seen to be inevitable,
in spite of all the concessions. it ought
to have resigned, to make way for a
lighting cabinet Ministers DESTROYS of
peace at any price short of sacrificing
the national honor were not the men
for conducting affairs in a struggle
against an enemy infinitely superior in
resources.
mo doubt a conservative cabinet
was practically impossible, be-
cause it would have required a
conservative majority in the cham
Der, which was not obtainable without
subjeCting the country to the danger
Gus ordeal of a general election. But
such an extreme measure was not ne
cessary. There were many IOerals who
had condemned the cabinet for being
too cOnciliatOry and who continued to-
urge it to accept the arbitrament of
war. They were the men, it was ma
turally supposed, who must be willing
to accept the responsibility of Office
when a war was imminent.
$50 ii seemed at least to several
members of the Sagasta ministry, and
- .1,xy I>,-. ~ s Tho ON r ~ thn
cortes his colleagues urged upon Sc
nor Sagasta the ACCESSIBILITY of the
abine r~esigning Immediately. Senior
Sagasta objected. He wished to tenn
porize. Even after some useless delay
all he could be induced to do was to
advise the Queen-regent to consult with
important political leaders on the
question of a change of abine
Though some of these had shown
themselves very bellicose when war
was at a comfortable distance, none
was inclined to assume the responsible
tiles of office when was was about to
begin. All, therefore,, with the excep-
ton Of one or two who were known to
be deSiriOus of fishing in the troubled
waters, advised strongly that the ex-
listing cabinet continue. The Queen-re-
gent. who is always strictly conStitu-
tional in her acts, had no other choice
than to have Sagasta remain There
were i~rreconcilable difficulties of opin-
ion among them On at least one vital
question of policy, and several of them
felt that they themselves as well as
some of their colleagues, were not
capabi Of coping with the department
tai duties of their office at a time OF
great national danger.
Finally, on Sunday, May Sth. Sagas-
to, yielding to the representations of
those who wished to retire. rendered
the uueen-regent the resignation of the
cabint. Again the same important po-
litical ~personages were consulted and
again thew declined the responsibilities
of office. Things seemejd at a dead
lock, but there was still a way out OF
it. The fundamental question OF poll
cy which divided ministers was Wheth-