The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-21
LOTS OF SYMPATHY
But No Help Can Be Found by Span
ish Commission.


London, Oct. 21.-The Paris CORES
pendent Of the Times says:
81 had a visit today. Thursday, from
a great Spanish parsonage who seems
the trend of public opinion on the nsgo-
tiatiOns here. He appeared much de-
pressed. He has has found great and
general sympathy with Spain, but has
been unable to discover any possibility
of obtaining moral support against the
American delegates, who are inhexible
in their demands and with much po-
likeness of form have hitherto categorl-
cally refused to make the slightest con-
cessiOnS on any Of the instructions re-
ceived by them, never having asked
their government for the slightest
II have already explained the mode
OF negotiations. Memoirs are HANDED
In which are translated and replied to in
the same fashion. The Spaniards from
time to time endeavor to enter into con-
Versation and turn the discussion into
a verbal exchange of views in order to
OBTAIN some deviation from the 1nhexI-
Die line marked out by the American
government for its representatives.
Senor AbarZuza who is a master of
the English language, is the Spanish
commissioner who makes the attempts
to lead to a conversation, and as he is
very prepoSSeSSing and eloquent he al
ways makes profound impression. The
Americans, however, listen attentively,
but rigidly maintain the procedure of
written replies.
1.-The intended sitting yesterday could
not be held because the SpaniardS, IN
view of the written replies made to
them, renowned their attempts at con-
verSatiOn and asked IS hours grace to
consult their government and prepare
written rejOinder. The friend who call
ed told me he had found his country
men much discOurag ed, being convinced
that the United States are bent on
rigorous exercise of the rights of the
victor. I have heard you say he re-
Marked That Prince Bismarck once
said to you: When you have your knee
on the throat of a vanquished nation
you can take from 1t all you like, but
you must always beware of abusing
your victory and eXaggerating your
conquests- Otherwise you load your
self for many generations with a crush
ing burden, which ends by having the
most mischievous results for the victor
almost more than for the Vanquish-
ed
MY caller remarked: THE Anaeri-
cans are not adopting this wise and hui
name view. They seem bent on pushing
the results Of the war to their extreme
consequences. They refuse to entertain
any concession on the financial queS-
ton, and while declining to undertake
sovereignty in Cuba, they maintain
that the Cuban debt is a Spanish debt
and that Spain abused her sovereignty
by saddling the island with the interest
of a debt by which she alone profited.
&" 'Vainly I urged that they them
selves accepted financial obligations
pendence, that they accepted the bur
dens of taxes after the conquest, that
there is more general law than the law
of the obligations of country changing
with it's rulers, and that it would be an
arbitrary course of a Vexatious pre-
cedent to throw the Cuban debt upon
us. 1t is useless; and they stand per-
emptOrily upon their demands.
What our delegates should say to
them if they persist, as it is to be fear
ed they will, is this: We are in your
hands. You are the victors. We for
once committed the folly of going to
war with you because you left no time
to avoid it; because you treated us in
such a way that even at the risk of
suicide we were bound to plunge into
war, although the result of it was evil
dent to US. But Va will not commit the
fresh folly of recommending any war in
any form. We are therefore at your
mercy. We shall submit to your die
tates and shall leave the world to judge
Of those dictates; but no human force
will compel US to subscribe to them and
we shall not subscribe
% This is what our delegates ought to
say on this Cuban question. AS for
the other points, they will wait to hear
what they are"