The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-27
This paper is Democratic IN principles
and d Independent IN its pieaUs on all local
questions.
shrewd Spanish Diplomacy.

SuT6WA 9PSAAS
The advances made by Ambassador
Cambon of France on behalf Of SPAN ~
the direction of peace create a very ooo
Diplomatic situation. On the one nano'
it IS Impossible to dispute the proprleey %
spain's method of opening the negotiation.
on the other hand. it is Impossible 70
shut ones eyes to the width n dep'h
Of the pit which it opens before the leel
Of our President and Cabinet.
Spain practically says she has hao
enough of the war and asks upon what
terms we will grant her peace. Notnihe
can appear more reasonable. 1t is for nef
70 sue and for us to dictate. This Is the
wav IN which every war is ended Inc
-vanouished power asks for terms Ihe
victor specifies them. and the defeated &C
cepts or rejects them, as it THINKS pest
Sooner or later. this is what must happen.
It is n-onsensical for us to ask SPAN 70
make offers. Such a thing was never
heard of In history.
But. when we announce our terms, we
show our hand. We must tell what DIS
position we propose to make regarding
territory we have conquered, and, I'M
fortunately, regarding territory that We
have not conquered. BY skins for peace
at this critical time. when our victory Is
In a half-baked stage, Spain Undoubtedly
causes us an embarrassment which we
would be far from incurring if our troops
had overrun Porto Rico and the Philip
pines. or even succeeded in capturing
Manila.
Probably no difficulty will arise over
Cuba or Porto Rico in arranging terms
of peace. We may be considered as con-
structively In possession of both. Our
troops nave a firm foothold in both islands,
and no reasonable person doubts our
ability to complete the occupation of both
and to compel the surrender of all the
Spanish forces in them. The ultimate
destiny OF Cuba will unquestionably be
left between the people of the country n
our Government. Porto Rico will no
doubt be regarded as fair prize. and we
will no more be expected to r%elinquish 1t
than any of the ships of Admiral Ger
vera's feet which we may raise.
The trouble will arise over the Philip
pine Islands. Our position therein is still
SO unstable and that 1t would be absurd
in us to claim any rights of conquest over
them, and at the same time our relations
to the natives are such that we can hardly
suffer them to lapse back under the bar
barities of Spanish rule. Buff they do
not go back to Spain. what is to become
of them? The widest enthusiast cannot
pretend that they are fit for complete
liberty and self-government Their civil
ization, though snowy, is not essentially
more competent than that OF one of our
civilized indian communities in New
Mexico. Perhaps a protectorate may be
t6lkt8 Qls do q tCufpicftiiot = - 80
who is to exercise it2 European jealousy
Will hardly permit US TO do so alone, and
our W pride will revolt against allow
ing any or all of the European powers to
profit by our gallantry to the extent of
gaining foothold in the islands, as pro-
tecting powers-for, OF course, every
power exercising protection will expect a
scoaling station at least as a basis of
operations.
This is the puzzle for which President
Mckinley must be ready to offer a solu-
tion when he presents to Spain his con-
diions Of peace. Perhaps as good a way
out of the difficulty as any would be TO
propose a scheme of local sei-f-government
for the islands, jointly guaranteed and
supervised by Spain and the United States.
Spain, in return, might be allowed a GER
tain revenue from the islands, and we
might hold a fortified post as a head
quarters for our Asiatic squadron.