Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-03-10

HnulEg Will De based On negative r0tll-
er than positive evidence. BY this
mean that all Of the testimony heard
so far has, bit by bit, upset the theories
OF those who think the explosion was
of Internal origin. This negative evil
dcnce Ia so strong and so general that
| see no possibility of the court decid-
Ing that explosion was internal. The
only alternative then left for the court
Is to fall back on evidence which
POINTS to the intentional blowing up of
the Maine. This, think, will be done,
unless the court formulates n theory
Of It's own or declares that it does not
know how the disaster occurred, both
of which conjectures think improba.
ble."
AS bearing on the value Of the opin-
ION of the officer in question, it must
be borne in mind that he was before
the court for about fifteen minutes
only, and that he has ut all times eX-
pressed himself as confident. that the
explosion was not due to accident.
Members of the court, when the sub
stance of the interview was brought to
their attention, declined to have any
thing to say. All the high naval and
military officials here, when asked
u ueitA NueStlouS, pOSltlfcly pIOLcSS ~
nOrance.
Washington, March 3.-The main in
terest Of the day in connection with
the Maine inquiry centered in state
ment by Secretary Long, following the
cabinet meeting, that in his personal
opinion any official participation by the
Spanish government in the blowing up
of the Maine was now practically
eliminated from the situation. This
statement was not of formal or Of
fetal character, and was made by Mr..
Long as he walked away from the
White House. AS usual the various
cabinet officers We're besieged with in
quirieS as to the questions before the
meeting. and in response to these i'm
portunities the secretary rather casual
ly summed up the situation in Il few
words, stating that most Of the time
had been given to the outrages on col
ored postmasters in the South. Nat
urally the Cuban situation had been
gone over, he said, but there We're no
actual developments, and he felt that
public excitement over the subject had
materially abated. Then he added the
statement. in the same passing way.
that any participation by the Spanish
government in the blowing up of the
Maine was practically eliminated, in
his judgment. This last remark was
speedily given wide circulation apart
from the quieting references which
had accompanied it. Persons occupy
ing the closest relations with the sec
rotary said that the opinion expressed
was such as any one might give with
the facts now at hand. 1t was not in
any sense, it was explained, con-
clusion drawn from new evidence. not
made public, either from the court of
inquiry or any officer now concerned in
the inquiry. Neither 1lcts OF intima-
tions have come from such sources, it
is said mt the department, which would
serve as the basis Of an opinion The
Official Declaration
Of Senior du Bose, the Spanish charge
d'affaires, that no mines or submarine
defenses exist in the harbor Of Ha-
rotary Long, and this statement from
the authorized representative of the
Spanish government was felt to have
been given it's due weight in the opin-
ion expressed by the secretary. 1t
was pointed out by persons bearing
close relations to the secretary that the
language used was official participa-
ton" on the part of the Spanish gov
eminent. This, it was said, had no
bearing on the question of SPANS re-
sponsibi]ity The 'oficial participa-
ton" of Spain was one thing; while
the responsibility of Spain in case the
| disaster proved to be of external
origin. was quite another thing. The
secretary's statement was restricted,
it was explained. to exculpating Spain
from direct, official knowledge and
participation in the affair. In case it
was shown that the act was due to
some fanatic or person not connected
with the government, then the ques-
ton Of Spain's responsibility would be
still open.
No dispatches of any character from
Key West, where the court of inquiry
| is sitting, were given out during the
day. and as the rule of publicity is still
IN force. presumably nothing came
from that quarter The vessel move
ments announced during the day We're
devoid of significance.
| Orders went out from the navy de-
| partnent to put the ironclads Man
| tonomah and Katahdin into commits
sion by the 10th inst. They are now
at the League Island navy yard, where
they have been laid up for year or
two past. 1t is said at the department
that the purpose of putting them into
commission is to make berths for the
survivors Of the Maine now at Kew
West awaiting on the court of inquiry
which, without doubt, will have fin
ished with them by the 10th inst.
Havana, March 4.-Without adding
unnecessarily to the surmises. conjec-
lures and prophecy concerning the
finding of the court of inquiry. it is fair
to say that, as matter of fact, most of
the naval officers here and at Key
West incline to the opinion that the
court will find that the disaster to the
Maine was caused by the explosion of
n floating submarine mine under the
port side of the ship, forward. Opin-
ions agree. not only as to the existence
of mines in the harbor, but that this
one was laid purposely near the buoy
where foreign war vessels were direct
ed to moor, and was fired from an
electric battery OF shore. 1t is believed