The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-15

gard to Cuba and Porto Rico. If the
members of the local commission for
evacuation have not yet been appoint
ed, it is because the government wishes
TO appoint officers and officials of the
same rank as those appointed by the
United States government, and, at last
nights cabinet council, it was decided
TO save time by appointing persons on
the SPOT
Already some people are beginning
to console themselves with the idea
that the loss of those two Islands.
though most painful TO Spanish ma
ticnal feeling. as consummating the de-
struction of the great Spanish empire
in the western hemisphere, is really
not so serious as is generally sup
posed.
EI impartial, for example, says: "Af-
ter all. those who exploited the mar
kets of the Antilles were only some
manufacturers and merchants. In Ger
tain regions of the peninsula the exer-
else of sovereignty was utilized by pol
iticians to send their proteges as Off
Gals to these islands. The great mass
OF the nation derived indirectly very
little advantage and had to bear the
sacrifices necessary to maintain our
domination"
The ideas of this kind which are
by no means confined to Ell Impartial
or TO the press generally, show that as
I have repeatedly pointed out, the Span
ish national character contains much
that is mediaeva4 and romantic, with a
strong element of sound practical COM
mon sense.
The Philippine question will be found
much more difficult of solution, and al
ready on one point all competent au-
thOrities here seem agreed, namely
that whatever solution may be adopted
there must be no joint sovereignty or
joint protectorate or anything of that
kind. An attempt to combine Spanish
and American methods of adnlinistra-
ton would inevitably lead to disastrous
complications.
LOSS IN PHILIPPINES.
4p. m.-The city was patrolled by po-
lice last night, but perfect tranquility
prevailed The publication of the pro-
tocol produced keen disappointment, so
far as it refers to the Philippines.
where it had been hoped Spain would
preserve her sovereignty intact. Clause
8 of the protocol dispels this illusion.
Echoing public feeling, the independ-
ent and opposition papers bitterly crit
icise the clause as affording pretext for
curtailng Spanish sovereignty in an
archipelago where control or interfer-
ence Of a foreign power would make
the native ungovernable.
FL Beraldo wants TO know how
America proposes to make the Cubans
and Philippine Insurgents submit TO
suspension of hostilities and keep them
in leash until evacuation of the island
by the Spaniards is completed.
Ell Nacional says: I'VE would rather
lose the Philippines altogether than
submit to American tutelage.
The other papers discuss the proba-
bility Of the abolition of the colonial
Office, declaring that total loss of the
Philippines would be preferable to
American partnership or control"
Ell impartial, Ell Heraldo and FL Lib
eral find fault with clause 4, because it
limits the action of the military COM
missioners to the West Indies in refer
ence to the details of the evacuation,
whereas, most Spaniards expect that
most of them will be decided upon be-
fore the sailing of the commissions.
WANT CORTES CONVENED.
All the adversaries of the present
cabinet find fault with the protocol be-
cause the fifth clause allows until Oc-
tober for the meeting of the peace COM
missioners and stipulates that when a
definite treaty IS, concluded, it shall be
ratified according to the extant rules
of each country, thus furnishing Sa-
gasta with a plausible preteXt for adj
journing the convocation of the cortes
until he has treaty of peace to put
before them.
E. Correo (ministeriaD suggests that
America herself, from motives of inter-
nal politics or international consider
atoms, has not yet formed a definite
conclusion on the Philippine question.
Public opinion attaches great impor-
tance to the Spanish commission in
Paris making a resolute stand in de-
tense of SPANS territorial right in the
Philippines. The government, there
fore, wants to send a strong, compe-
tent body of delegates.
a decree has been issued granting
the repatriated troops three months
furlough. The minister of war. Lieu
tenant General Correa, has issued a
circular fixing rules for the disband-
ment of the forces returning from the
West Indies. The soldiers and non
commissioned officers will return to
their homes at the expense of the state
and the officers are TO be placed in the
reserves until the reorganization of the
home army permits their being placed !
on the active list About 120, 600 men
and 5000 officers are expected from the
West Indies alone.
The French conduct of the negotia- |
tons for peace is regarded as a clear |
stroke of French diplomacy. 1t is I'M |
derstood that high decorations will be !
conferred upon those concerned.