The record-union., 1898-09-18
Only Followers of SagaSta Would Consent
to Serve Upon II.
The Premier's Efforts to Make 1t
of National Character Proved q
Failure Outbreaks and An
archy Likely to Follow the Con-
clusion of the Peace Agreement
-Weyler Aiming at a Dictator
ship.

| NEW YORK, Sept. IA dispatch
to the Tribune from Madrid via
| Paris says:
| 1t is a bitter disappointment to Pre-
| mier Sagasta that he has failed to get
! for Spanish Peace Commissioners rep
| resentative men of all parties to give
| it q national character over and above
| sectional politics. In spite of all his
| promises and persuasion, the Premier
| has been unable to obtain the consent
/ of any statesmen outside of his own
| immediate followers who are willing to
! act on the commission, where to use
| an expression of Senior Silvela, Spain
can employ nothing but empty words
| and parallels to oppose any demands
| the American Commissioners may see
| fit to make"
The sitting of the Cortes, and espe-
cially Count Almenas' violent onslaught
upon the Generals, which is said to be
| indorsed by numbers of younger olii-
GERS of the army, are regarded as tore
| shadowing events of a far graver inn
portance that cannot be avoided after
the signing of the peace treaty Tie
sole point upon which all parties here
seem to agree is that Senior Sagasta
clusion of peace, and thereby drink
the dregs of the cup which his enemies
maintain he has himself brewed.
The alleged intention of the United
States to demand the island of Luzon
is regarded by the Madrid Foreign Of
flee as infringing upon the peace pro-
tocol. If Spain is compelled to cede
that island to the United States great
efforts will be made to retain the right
to determine the disposal of all the
other Philippine Islands, with the view
of eventually abandoning them alto
gether.
On this point it is even asserted that
an arrangement is under discussion
with Germany by which Germany
would get. ',y way of a broker COM
mission" Palawan and Sulu.
In reference to the Philippines 1t is
significant that the drift of opinion
among the members of the Cortes is
that if Spain must cede to the United
States anything more than n mere
coaling station, it would then be oref
cradle to withdraw Spanish sovereign
ty entirely. Among civilians outright
abandonment is considered the wisest
policy, and especially now that mill
tary men like Senior Polavieja say that,
under the new system, a permanent
garrison of at least 10000 would be re-
quired to hold the islands, and that to
maintain such a force would be too ae-
we're a tax on the national resources.
In diplomatic circles here great conf
dence is felt that the Spanish Peace
Commissioners will succeed in saddling
upon Cuba that portion of the Cuban
debt incurred previous to the last in
surrection, and which is said to he
guaranteed by the Cuban customs .e-
| ceipts.
The internal political question is more
dismal than the military leaders think.
Although they presented a solid front
during the recent session of the Cortes,
they are in reality divided among
! themselves.
The Queen Regent has already dis
counted Senor Sagasta's eventual re-
| tirement, and pins her faith in Senor
| Polavieja, whose lack of political eX-
perience will be supplied by Senor Sill
| vela or Senor Canalejas. They are
ready to join hands with Senior Lory
Castillo who, druing his present stay
| in Madrid, has been almost hourly con-
suited by the Queen Regent.
1t is impossible longer to conceal the
fact that the Ministerial leaders are
now preparing to act as soon as peace
is signed. General Weyler never misses
an opportunity to discredit the dynasty
and is bitterly opposed to Senior Pola-
vieja. Weyler is believed to be aiming
at an outright dictatorship in his own
personal interest, and is known to have
promised the highest and most ;ucra-
tive places to his military followers
The Queen, however, is firmly con-
vinced that Polavieja will, when the
time comes, prove more than a match
for Weyler
The great danger in the situation IS
that the military element is considered
as offering the only solution OF the
present difficulties, which party passion
has so embittered that cool-headed
men fear an era of pronunciamentos,
| dictatorship and civil war