Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1898 — TERMS WILL STAND. [ARTICLE]

TERMS WILL STAND.

Spain Seeks to Secure Modification of Conditions. HER REPLY REACHES WASHINGTON. Conference Between President and M. Ctmbon Results in _\'o th InnCabinet Decides No Point Will Be Yielded. Washington, Aug. 4.—The cabinet, in its outing on the river Wednesday night, discussed the request of the Spanish cabinet for an •‘amplification” of several things in the president’s note and formulated an answer which Secretary Day delivered to the French ambassador about midnight. The cabinet has declined to modify the president’s note or give £*iy explanations as to what this government intends to do with Manila or the Philippines. Spain must accept the conditions of peace and leave that question to be determined by this government when it is ready to make its position known. The answer was cabled to Madrid. Spain’s Answer Received. Washington, Aug. 4. —After a conference on the peace question lasting for just an hour Wednesday afternoon be-, tween the president and M. Cambon, the French ambassador, the latter acting as the representative of Spain, Secretary Day emerged from the white house and announced that the conference was inconclusive, wherefore, the parties to it had agreed to say nothing publicly as to what had occurred. The secretary did not appearjto be discouraged as he made this statement, though tie admitted that no time had been set for another conference. From this it is gathered that the long expected answer of the Spanish government to the president’s note, upon being received had turned out to be just as it was expected, either a counter proposition or a request for a fuller statement in detail upon some of the heads of the president's note. Answer !■ Evulve. It is understood that the Spanish answer is made up principally of questions as to the meaning of certain expressions. For instance, the Madrid cabinet wants to know what meaning must be placed upon the expression “immediate evacuation” as applied to Cuba aiid Puerto Rico. It was hardly necessary to make this Inquiry, for the president was careful to make it plain that Spain should at once signify her willingness to evacuate and then begin the transfer of troops as soon as the transports could be sent. It was not meant that Spain should get all her troops out of Cuba In a week or two weeks, but that she was to surrender absolutely her sovereignty over the island and get her troops away as rapidly as possible. This question as to the meaning of “imnlediate evacuation,” however, was only the excuse for pointed questions, or, rather, arguments and appeals. Would Keep Arms.

The Spanish cabinet wants this government to allow the Spanish troops to quit Cuba and Puerto Rico with the honors of war and carry backio Spain all their arms and war materials. It makes the same plea that Gen. Toral made when he surrendered Santiago, and it goes into a lengthy argument as to why this should be allowed. The Spanish cabinet also seeks to secure some expression as to the Cuban deot, but whatever shall be done regarding the request to take back to Spain their arms and war materials there will be no explanation that will give the Spaniards any hope of saddling this Cuban debt upon this government or upon Cuba. Asks About Philippines. Then the Spanish cabinet, in its request that the president “amplify” his propositions, turns to the Philippines and asks a number of questions, which are followed by arguments and appeals for the retention of Spanish sovereignty over those islands. The Spaniards are masters of diplomacy, and they have sought to argue their ease as to the Philippines before they accept the terms of peace. They desire, of course, to retain their hold in the Philippines, and they hope to secure some concessions there before the question goes to a peace commission. Will Not Yield. As was said In the beginning, the president has declined to make known what reply he will give to Spain’s questions and appeals. But members of his cabinet do not believe he will vary a hair's breadth from the conditions laid down in the note sent to Spain last Saturday. He does not intend to commit this government to any concesnow nnd he Intends to hold Spain to a prompt answer. He may consider the requests aa to the evacuation of Cuba nnd grant the privilege of the Spanish troops taking their arms with them back to Spain. Whether he hn« given his answer to the inquiries nnd is wait ing for Spain’s answer before making the matter public Is known only to himself. Secretary Day and the French ambassador. •