The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-10-05

| uuo the ease anu fHcllly Win Whlch TN
negotiations were finally concluded, The,
decided before the FIRST meeting 10 sdoI
to tho main issue. which waH the immedl
ato evacuation of the island. Jand 10 b,
generous 70 the point OF Hagpamity IN
non.ossentlal matters. Tho BDdDlBh com.
mlpnionefs. especially ucnoral Ortega,
were at nrst dlaincllned ~ discuss tho
main question. 1hey raised myriad oi
minor matters, few OF which had anything
~ do with tho business on hama. on all
mo questions the American ooIDmlaHlOnora
Nalyod ASIDE, pending tne scttiem,nt Oi
the main question tho eva. uatiOn. Bul
for several daya they allowed bentral Or
toga 10 tax on. ana his colleagues we're
p0mpoiita 10 revert 10 the main issue.
1ho language OF the protocol was plain,
donnlto ana npoclnc. II provided for tho
immedi0io evacuation VI the ls,anG. On
llH text our commissioners stood ana 10
tholr RraunchtiOn they found ,he spanish
commissioners not Only apqulrsccnl, Dul
seemingly anxious 10 retire from ths
! island nt tho earliest p0ssiDie moment
! ihe spanish authorities realized tnat thc
| tnufo popuinu0n had become suddenly
! hosuic 20 them. that they had been dc.
/ possonscd ~ tho nigh court VI war ana
that they we're no longer ny rlght. Dut BY
! HuHurancc. 1hoy were 49, strangers among
1 pu0p.o vi their own race. bIOyu ana Ian.
| guago Those who had fawnod upon the
captain general In the ola Gays no longer
came 10 tho palace. ilo had no more "a.
yOfH 10 bsBtOw ana thVy remained away,
| lest nssO, lalionB with the old regime
might prejudice them In the eyes OF the
new. The position Ut the spanish author
tiles was II painful one. and though return
to spain meant heavy reduction In Balaiics
and tho complete loss OF rich pcrquisiics.
the sooner II came 10 an end the better
they would like Il. This was the tone they
assumed.
II was qhen that thoy were confronted
with new embarrassment. They hnd no
transports TO convoy their troops back to
Spain and we're poworlerH to obtain them
They were compelled TO announce this
20 tho American commissioners. Until
tho Madrid government should send trans.
portation they could do nothing. Our
commissioners. rcalixlng the force Of this
argument. made no attempt 10 force
them. although II occurred 90 them as
II DID 10 other Americans In Ban Juan,
that tfpnnpOrts Of other countries could
have been chartered for the purpose Had
there been too much delay this view OF
tho situation would have been presented
only. Hut Ia this our commissioners pre-.
fcrrcd TO accept spanish statements In
good faith and In due time their course
was yindicatcd.
while awaiting the arrival OF the trans.
ports tho whole scheme for the retire.
ment Of the Spanish troops TO San Juan
was arranged. Both the Spanish and
American authorities were being Hooded
win appeals for protection The former
were bcscechcd by the Spanish residents
living between the lines and within the
American lines TO guard their lives and
property from the rapacity VI the native
inhabitants who were threatening them
with all sorts Of pcrsecu,ions. and tho
latter were the subjects Of the importunl-
ticn OF the rich Porto Rican's within tho
Spanish lines who feared that the Span
ish soldiers. as last act OF cruelty, would
dcspoIl them OF their property and per-
haps murder them. Some OF the appeals
were both frantic and hystrrical. But
steps were Immediately taken TO prevent
disorders ~ far as possible. II was but
natural that In the transition from the
control of tho Spanish government 10 a
condition OF liberty those who had suf-
fored for generations at the hands Of the
governing class should seek vengeance
or that private individuals should seize
the opportunity 10 redress private wrongs.
That there were outragcs II beyond ques.
ton. The natives burned Coaia and many
tno Spanish haclndas In various parts
OF the island. The Spanish troops mas.
sacred about 20 oeople In cialas. and later.
In supprcsslng an lnclpient hot at Are /
cibo. Shot four natives. A reign Of terror /.
existed for a time near Aocoas In the
center OF the island.
About 30 brigands. many Of them said
to be convicts released by the American
authorities at Ponce and others. u Is said. /
rom Haytl with their headquarters In the 1
heart Of tho mountalns pllagcd and raw
aged the country during the in,erregnum
There were also disturbances at Fajardo,
when the Spanish troops left
All things considered. Il is remarkable
that moro disorders did not occur and
moro lives were not sacrificed. undouht-
cdly every prcoautlon was taken, as soon
as the commissioners had arrived at the
main conclusion to reduce the danger OF
disorder to a minimum. The neutral zone
between the lines was wiped out and our
soldiers and the Spanish were permitted
while In pursuit OF depredators, to enter
each others llncs This was the tirst step.
II was then arranged that wherever the
Spaniards In their concentrating move
mont evacuated town or position. the
lines should overlap. that is that our
troops should enter the town shortly be-
fore the Spanish retired. There was no
hiatus and no opportunity given to the
awless element. Whenever our troops
entered a Spanish town or position, by the
arrangement of tho commissioners, the
commanding officer OF the Spanish deliv-
cred an inventory OF all the spanish milf
tary and government property to the COM
madlng American officer and took the
latter's receipt.
Ever since the American commissioners
arrived NJ San Juan the native Porto
ldcans have deluged them with stories
ot alleged Spanish cruelty to carry of
plumber which properly belongs TO the
Island. Some OF the natives for con-
siderable time devoted themselves TO fer
reung out Conspiracies. Some OF their
reports were Investigated and found to
be baseless; and the commissioners con-
tinued to assume that the Spanish were
proceeding In perfectly good faith, al
though they had their own means of as
'ertaining exactly what was going on.
one OF the alleged reports the Porto
Ricans were especially exercised over was
that the Spanish proposed To take with
them to Spain some 100000 from the
vaults OF the Banco Espanol, and various
trust funds which, II was claimed prop
erly belonged to the people of the island.
The commissioners thought It was time
enough TO consider these matters when
the alleged trust funds were taken The
Porto Ncans also affirmed that fine paint
ngs and other treasure were being moved
from the palace and various other public
buildings, and. as these works OF art had
been paid for bv taxes collected In the
Slaud rho commission vhOuI1 90, ,hot