The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-08-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lFrom onr reralnr colre.pondenl.

he WASHINGTON, d. c., August lst.--Spai
l. is an up-to-datc exemplifcation of tn
M adage about the evils attendant upon
ia bad name. Although President McKinle
a. has acted upon SPANS request for GU
is terms Of peace as though he believed il
D its honor and raigh;forwardness, there
It is no reason to believe that his faith il
lie Spanish honor is any greater than that Of
N the average men-oWing to his experience
y il is probably not so great. Not one man
e out Of ten in Washington, believes that
/ Spain made those oyertrues with any
If serious intention of accepting our terms
r of peace, although in the end it may do so.
e 1t has very nearly reached case of
4 must with Spain, and if it does not ac-
, cept the present terms, which, under the
r circumstances are liberal in the extreme
? so liberal that the French Ambassador
2 who is now also accredited as Spanish
minister, accepted them on the spot-more
!. severe ones will have to be accepted later.
The terms condensed are the evacuation
Of Cuba and Porto Rico, and leaving tn:
Philippine question to he settled after
wards
In the general discussion which has fol-
lowed SPANS plea for peace, some very
interesting points have been raised For
instance, as an evidence Of SPANS incin-
cerity, one man calls attention to a clause
| in the Spanish constitution which pro-
hihits the crown even entering upon nego-
tiations having in view the cession or ex-
change OF any portion Of Spanish territory
until authority therefor has been granted
by a majority vote of both branches of the
National Legislature. This is met by
another man with the claim that the
recent declaration of martial law through
out Spain operates as a suspension of the
constitution, and that the Spanish Gov :
eminent can, if it so desires negotiate {
treaty on the lines LAID down by the terms
OF this government without danger Of bav.
ing its legality questioned
Gen Miles is having an experience in G
Porto Rico that is unique in war. Instead
of finding himself and army in the enemys
country, he finds that they are among the l
Tarmest sort of friends. The Porto Ricans y
;heer our flag and oIn soldiers whenever b
/ town is taken possession of and declare
themselves to be loyal Americans, many of
hem carrying the declaration to the ex-
ent of asking to be allowed to enlist in
ur army and fight for the flag which they =,
lready consider their own. Owing TO the
etreat of the Spanish garrisons of the at
aptured territory, Gen. Miles is now in
ossession of almost the entire southern 60
nd of Porto Rico, including Ponre and
her towns of more or less Importance, on
nd what is better, he has not lost man,
nd the health of his army is good. All of NJ, NJ,
lie Spanish troops on the island are being
'ncentrated at San Juan, towards which er.
EN-. Miles is slowly approaching, and fro
ere may be some severe fighting there,
though but little surprise would be u'
mood l.. A.. She
'"' b"''iSon reg
zen our army gets near enough to assault E
cir notifications. RET
Gen. Shafter has officially confirmed the pie
ess statements of the worthlessness of
rcia and his Cubans in the Santiago our
mpaign.
The fears of the administration that the III
iIippine insurgents were likely to make
uble for us at Manila, have been in '0''
ased by DISPATCHES from Admiral I
wey, and Gen. Merritt, who reached W.,
re last week, Aguinaldo, the insurgent bo
ct Is nursing bad case of the big head. him
has had little enough sense TO try 70 f
e himself airs in his dealings with JOIN
mlral Dewey. One consolation in the ne.
latlon is that Aguinaldo' relations with vi;
Spanish are such that there is no W
slbility of his making combination of m
them against us. After Manila j. KY,
en- and the Snanisb dis,osoJ - 49, days
rift and Admiral Dewey will he in a
tlon tie administer thrashing to the Tho !
irgents, il their actions show them to babe
lankering after it. The taking of
lila is not likely to he much longer
rred' unless peace puts a stop to the II
P"'S"' publ
Though not freer from doubts than land
ybody else about how long we shall ous I
Tor peace, Secretary Long has issued pron,
rs for the Monitors and Yachts com. cova,
lg the auxiliary coast defense fleet colds
rally referred to as the MOSQUITO lion ,
!, to be put out Of commission. This ic;ne.
first step taken to reduce the fire.. know
'o"S war expense OF the government thous
val officer was asked if he tbouebt bropc
teton on Secretary Longs part in eases
ed his belief that peace was near at arc or
'eP'ieu' Not necessarily. think w. X
'''''' co" posing this fleet would bottle
been ordered out of commission If Al
had not said word about ne,ce rafr Z