The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-20

day his vessels came into the open of the
sea at mad rush.
schley met them. The thunder of the
Brooklyn, the Iowa, the Indiana, the ore
gon, beat them back to the beaches of Cuba.
More than 60 Of the Spanish sailors went to
their death. Every Spanish ship was de-
the Brooklyn, was the only American battle
snip injured. The war with Spain really
ended on the Sd Of July.
What followed was a bOmbardment of
Santiago by the fleet and the surrender of
that city and the province with all of east
ern Cuba to Shafter on July Il. Camara
turned his fleet back to Spain from Port
Said.
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.
The subsequent invasion of Porto Rico by
Miles was but a sidelight Of the war. 1t
was necessary as a picturesque movement
in order to secure possession Of that island.
BY the last of July President Mckinley was
prepared to tell Spain on what terms peace
would be made. 1t needed but the defeat Of
the Spanish land forces at Malate, near Ma
Mia, to convince the Spanish Ministry that
if Spain herself was to be saved from inva-
sion peace must be made Immediately. NJ.
Cambon, the French minister to this coun-
try, acted as the mediator and early in Au-
gust the peace protocol was signed and the
blockade of Cuba raised.
That the peace treaty did not become q
TACT very shortly after this was due purely
TO the dilatory tactics of Spain and the
presence of partisan politics in the United
states Senate. The events of the war had
no educational effect upon Spain's diplo-
macy-the trickery of the tongue of which
she is master remained to the last. She con-
ceded before the peace commissioners met
in Paris that Cuba and Porto Rico We're
hOpelessly lost, but she did not concede the
loss of Guam nor of the Philippines. She APP
pealed to Europe, as she had previously dur
ing the war, to save her from the demands
of the United States. But on the heels of
every appeal of this nature came a warning
note from England that interference with
the policy of the United States meant Of
Tense to Great Britain.
Guam was surrendered with a sigh. That
the Philippines would go the same way was
inevitable. The Spanish commissioners were
given TO understand that the allegiance OF
the FilipinOS to Spain must be severed
with no conditions imposed upon this gov
eminent save the payment to Spain OF $zl,-
100000. With this they were forced to be
content and on Dec. 10 the treaty of peace
partisan opposition in the Senate, this treaty
was ratified by the Senate on Feb. s. The
attempt of the Filipino leader, Aguinaldo,
by revolt to prevent the ratification OF the
treaty, his crushing defeat by Dewey and
Otis, the occupation of Manila and lloilo
are all matters of recent history.
Porto Rico is rapidly becoming an Ameri-
can colony. Cuba is paving the way to her
own independence. The Philippines Will re-
main in the possession of the United states
until such time as the peoples there Volun-
tarily fit themselves for self-government or
seek formal annexation to us.
The war has represented to the United
States considerably more than the expendl-
ture of 81 900, coo 900 and the loss of some
thing less than $500 lives and one battle
ship. SPANS loss of life was much greater.
Her loss in battle ships exceeds the sum OF
$35, 600, coo. From her government lO.OO,OOO
people pass as subjects. She ceases to be a
colonial power and sinks to the place OF a
fourth or fifth-rate nation of Europe.
MedieValiSm met Progress and succumbed.
In Cramps yards at Philadelphia to-mor-
row morning they will lay the keel of the
new battle ship Maine. On the second ami
versary of the destruction of the first
Maine, Feb. 10, 1900, they will launch the
new Maine.
That over the bodies of 266 dead American
sailors in just one years time, civilization,
liberty, the will of the Anglo-SaXon should
have passed to that point where the hand
of the President of the United States guides
the destinies of 5000, 900 and not 100000
(as a tWelYemonth ago. people is as remark
able as it is true. That out of the crucible
of such a short period of time should come
but one portentiously great human char
acter-that of George DeWey-is still more
remarkable.
But above these two salient points rs the
greater and more significant one-the I'M
dying lesson taught through the agency of
the Maine-that from ocean line to ocean
line, from pole to pole, where the sands
are and where the peaks rise, men must
within the scope of the next quarter of a
century know the mastery of one tongue-
the speech of Cromwell, of Washington and
of Lincoln.