Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-02-09

The Paris peace pact, ending the war
with Spain, was ratified by the United
States Senate Monday. The administra
ton forces had three votes more than
the necessary two-thirds majority. The
vote was 63 for ratification and q
against. Senators Jones, McLaurin and
McEnery, counted upon by the opposi-
ton, voted for ratification.
Although known in advance that the
vote on the treaty would be in executive
session and that visitors could not even
loiter in the corridors, great crowds went
to the Senate and awaited the result,
standing outside in the rotundas and spec
ulating on the outcome. In the crowd
were diplomats and high officers of the
government and men Of every station.
The interest was not confined to the capt.
toll alone. At the White House interest
and anxiety were shown and the Presi-
dent called in conference some of his most
trusted friends. 1t was apparent to any
visitor at the capitol that the day marked
an epoch of history making unprecedent-
ed in the Senate.
Lights burned all night in the War De-
partment and twinkled from the windows
Of the Navy Department, where on the
May morning the first word came from
Dewey of the destruction of the Spanish
fleet There was little or no sleep at the
White House apparently, for the clerks
and telegraph operators were at their
posts all night. Messages were carried
to and from the President and the chief
executive once more felt the anxiety and
strain of war times.
Mr.. Mckinley did not retire until word
came from Gen. Otis in response to urgent
cabegrams, telling that quiet had b~an
restored and the American troops control
led the situation at Manila.
Before the Senate convened the leaders
on both sides of the peace treaty mani
tested great anxiety and all seemed to be
very much in doubt as to the final result,
the ratification or rejection seeming to de-
pend upon several doubtful votes. 1t was
found, however, that Aguinaldo's attack
| on the United States troops at Manila had
strengthened the sentiment in favor OF a
prompt ratification of the treaty, and the
peace compact with Spain was rushed
through the Senate by decisive major
ity. Friends of the administration urged
that immediate ratification was necessary
III order TO enuDlc TIE government W uedh
with the insurgents with firm hand, as
| we'll as for the moral effect it would have
on other countries, and this view was
generally accepted.
Senators who heretofore opposed ratif-
| cation and who still insist that this gov
eminent ought not to assume permanent
sovereignty over the archipelago voted
| for the treaty, they say, in order to give
| this government such status III the Phil
| ippines as will make it possible for our
soldiers to suppress insurrection in the
archipelago without involving the United
| States in international complications.
The advocates of the treaty have ar
| gued from the start that our relations to-
ward the islands could not be clearly and
legally defined until the Paris convention
was approved by two-thirds of the Senate
| They further insisted that pending the
ratification of the treaty the administra
ton was powerless to make any over
lures looking to the pacification of Agui
naldo and his followers. They predicted
| that the attitude Of the opposition would
encourage the insurgents to attack the
| city OF Manila and this prediction has
| been fulfilled.