The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-19
BLACK PESSIMISM NOW
 REIGNS AT PORTSMOUTH

(Continued from First Page) tentiaries are concerned there never
 was chance of their yielding both
 indemnity and Sakhalin. The cession of Sakhalin without indemnity was, accord Ing to the best inside information, the extreme limit to which M Witte would ever consent to 60 ,and the emperor l mas not yet given the word to even
 concede that. And tonight suddenly a new factor has been introduced, which, in the opinion of those most
 competent, lessens materially the chances that he might do so, namely the issuance of his manifesto granting
 popular representative body to his
 subjects. The bearings of this ''his-
 toric document" as M. Witte described
 II a feW days ago., upon the issue are
 easily comprehensible. It is bound to
 ameliorte the internal situation in Rms
 sla. It is the entering wedge for the
 realization of the century-old dream of
 the Russian people. ... .:
 It will create enthusiasm at home " said one of the most prominent mem
 oers ot the Russian mission, because
 all thinking men realize that it means eventually a great change iii the com position of the Russian state. It win be followed by true parliament, a re- sponsible ministry, a premier. and Rus
 s1a Will become a constitutional mon- archy."
 It Is pointed out that the manifesto IS timed like what the French call q coup de foudre, and that it's sipnifi- canoe is too plain to be questioned, If
 was to have been issued last Saturday. when the Russian reply was presented, put 1t was held over until the conclu- slon of the oral consideration of the Japanese terms. Meantime the terms mad been published everywhere throughout Russia. The press, even the liberal press, had replied that Rus sla could not pay money for the priyi- lege of getting out of Manchuria. The emperor had publicly proclaimed to his subjects, July 2S, in reply to teIegram of the Oremburg clergy: "The Russian people can rely upon me. will never conclude a peace hun1iliating or unwor- thy of Great Britain. D
 The manifesto is Emperor Nicholas answer to the Japanese demand for the payment of a war tribute. The grant of this broad reform is regarded as vir- tually an appeal to the Russian people for support to resist it.
 At Tokio it is impossible to tell what view will be taken. Peace can proba- bly, be even now secured by the sacri- flee of the indemnity. Vague intima tfons tonight come from the Japanese side that the demand for ''the cost of the war" might be moderated but M. Witte's reply is that he will pay nber- ally for the maintenance of the Rus sian prisoners in Japan, but mot a CO., peck for tribute'
 The gravity of the situation from the Japanese point of view is contained in the following authoritative state ment given to the Associated Press:
 "I cannot say positively because all things are possible, but fear that the 1 on Tuesday will be the fare well session of the Washington confer ence. Japan has done her utmost for peace. Russia now knows Japan's un- reducibIe minimum"
 M. Witte himself tonight gave not | the slightest encouragement. For pub | lication, he said: we meet Tuesday 1 only to sign the protocol" with the &C., | cent upon the word only Another bad | sign was the change in the personal at- | titude of the plenipotentiaries toward | each other. During the week they have | been growing more and more friendly | at the luncheon which they take to- gether at the navy yard. This conver- sation was lively and even gay at times. To-day they sat together and | ate in silence. All seemed strangely as if realizing that they could only agree to disagree and that the war must go on. Tonight the sit- uation can be summed up in a single and heroic action by outside influence along can save the conference.