The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-03-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent

lrhVAn Ou' AseBuiea SOtAscbo"S
WASHINGTON, D. G., March IL, 1898.
"Old Glory" was never more in evi.
dence than right now. Behind the $780,
100000, by unanimous vote Of both
branch Of Congress- vote Of confidence
in President unparalleled in the his.
tory of this or any other country-placed
at the disposal OF President Mckinley,
to be used as he may deem best in put.
ting the country in position to defend
itself, is unlimited money and an army
of ten millions of the best fighting men
who ever shouldered gun, which the
President can have whenever in his
judgment he needs them.
The United States is seeking no war
with Spain, or any other country, and
as Representative Cannon, of ILL.,, 80
truly said, "would not, il it could, trench
upon the rights Of any other nation,"
but it will uphold it's own National hon.
or regardless of who attacks it, and re.
gardless of what blood and money it
may cost. Even if the $5O,OOO,OOO just
appropriated by Congress were to be
dumped into the middle of the Atlantic,
the manner in which that appropriation
was made would be worth every dollar
of the money as an object lesson to the
rest of the world on the danger of trying
to presume too far upon the peace.lo
| ing disposition of the American people.
Its effect will be seen for years to come
in increased respect shown to the Amer.
ican flag by the nations Of the world.
1t is too early to speak with certainty
of the effect of this prompt and unani.
nous action of Congress on our relations
with Spain, but it will largely depend
upon Spain. This government is now
ready for either peace or war. The re.
port of the Maine Court of Inquiry is yet
to be received by the President and
acted upon, and the question of whether
we shall intervene, peaceably, if posi-.
ible, or by force, to bring about peace in
Cuba, is yet to be determined, and as
either may bring about war the admin.
istration is going ahead preparing for
war, just as though war was certainty.
The presence of the U. s. Cruiser Mont.
gomery in the hsrbor of Havana is an
indication that no backward steps are
to be taken by President Mckinley.
Spain has this week made several clean
backdowns, notably in Withdrawing ita
request for the recall Of Consul General
Lee, after President Mckinley had re-
fused it, and officially announcing that
it had been made under q misapprehen
sion. This indicates that it may follow
the same line Of tactics in meeting any
future demands of the President anG
consequently that war may be avoided
although it may mean that Spain il
"playing 'possum," because it ism
ready to fight yet.
Thanks to the Dingley tariff and t.
Secretary Cages able management o
the country's finances, the Treasury il
not only in condition to pay out th'
money appropriated by Oongressat once
; but to pay every dollar of it in gold, ant
what is better, to pay out as much more
without in the slightest degree hamper
ing it's own or the business of the coun
try-a thing that would have been i'm
possible at any time during the last ad
ministration. Inasmuch as a considera
BILE portion of this money may be spen
in Europe for ships and munitions O
war, the ability to pay gold is goo
thing for us. The U. s. Treasury nov
has $l6s, SOC, 900 in gold in its vaults.
None of the short speeches which pre-
ceded the unanimous appropriation q
$50, 900, 900 by the House to be expende
at the discretion of the President, wer
received with quite as much enthusiasm
as that made by Gen. Grosvenor, {
Ohio, and no portion of his speec
aroused quite asmuch enthusiasm as th
following reference to the President an
tLs united country behind him: "Thr
y far he has made no mistake. Thus fl
he has exhibited to the whole worl
what an American President is whe
IL he represents the best sentiment of IL
D, American people. Calmly and delit
erately has he weighed every measur
Calmly and deliberately has he conside
70 ed every threatening circumstance, ar
calmly and deliberately behind him ha,
stood seventy.five millions of peopl
confidentin him, confident in the patric
ism of the people, true and faithful
10 the loyalty that has come to US from
thousand battle6elds that saved Il
n. Union. How magnificent it is! 50
some days ago that had longed to Ii
until knew that this people was VI
ted people. have ALWAYS felt that Il
I'd actions of 1861 and 1855 were Door