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About The Abbeville chronicle. (Abbeville, Ga.) 1896-1953 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 1898)
Abbeville Chronicle. VOL. II. Answer to Peace Terms Approved After a Week’s Discussion. and leeis Her Concurrence. TIIE FOUR BASES OF OUR PROPOSITION LAID DOWN WERE NOT TOUCHED UPON. The President Did Not Modify the Original Peace Terms In the Least, and the Acceptance By Spain Was Necessarily On That Basis—Official Notification Awaited. A Madrid special of Sunday says: The cabinet council terminated after having completely approved the reply to the United States, which, it is said, accepts the American conditions. The reply will be telegraphed to Senor Leon y Castillo, the Spanish ambassador to France, so that M. Carubon, the French ambassador at Washington will receive it immedi ately. The government is fully convinced that the note will be satisfactory to the Washington government, and that a suspension of hostilities will be its immediate consequences. The queen regent has approved the reply accepting the conditions laid down by the United States. From a well-informed source it is learned that while the answer to the United States’ terms does not dis cuss the four bases which the United States makes an essential preliminary to peace, and which Spain accepts without reservation, it points out that in order to avoid the definitive negotiations being in any way compli cated by incidents of the war, it is ex pedient to agree beforehand to a sus pension of hostilities. It is reported that Duke Almodovar de Rio, the minister of foreign affairs, and Monsignor Merry del Yal, Span ish ambassador to the vactican, will be selected to represent Spain in the negotiations. The newspapers make no comments on the situation owing to the strictness of the censorship. Senor Sagasta has submitted the an swer to the queen regent and her ma jesty approves the general lines, which the premier fully explained to her. The government believes that the United States will accept Spain’s an swer, and as a consequence hostilities will immediately afterwards be sus pended. the American terms As the reply to was only submitted to the queen regent Saturday, all the reports of her pre vious approval of the American de mands were necessarily without found ation. Contents of the Note. According to the most reliable sources of information the Spanish note is couched in dignified language. It asserts that Spain bows to the force of circumstances, having done nothing to provoke the war, into which she lias been unwillingly led in the de fense of her rights and territory. It expresses a willingness to appoint delegates to meet the American com missioners to discuss a regime for the Philippines. understood both Senor It is that Sagasta and Duke Almodovar de Rio, the foreign minister, the queen regent that they felt deeply the painful duty circumstances imposed upon them. News From "Washington. A Washington special of Sunday says: Although ns yet without official confirmation of the roport from Paris that the Spanish government has de cided to accept the terms laid down by the United States as essential to the negotiations of a treaty of peace, CUBANS FILE CLAIMS. They Want United State, to Pay Damage. 1 nlllctoil By Spaniard.. The announcement that the United States government will assume liability for the claims of the insurgents against the Spanish government on account of injuries and damages sustained in tho Cuban insurrection has caused the filing of a large nnmber of claims with the state department. not based Very many of these are upon events occurring during the last rebellion, but date back for many years and relate to excessive custom collections, damages sustained through municipal maladministration, alleged illegal confinement and such things, ABBEVILLE, GA.. THURSDAY. AUGUST 11. 18118. the officials at the capital are proceed ing under the conviction that the end has come and are giving attention to the steps to be taken next. In view of the delay in coming to this conclu sion the idea was beginning to prevail that the Spanish government was about to enter a plea in abatement, and that the answer would again be inconclusive. The president did not modify the original peace terms in the least, and the acceptance by Spain must bo on the following basis, the synopsis stated by of the terms being officially President McKinley: “The president does not now put forward any claim for pecuniary in demnity, but requires the relinquish ment of all claims of sovereignty over or title to the island of Cuba, as well the immediate evacuation by Spain of the island; the cession to the United States and immediate evacuation of Porto Rico and other islands under Spanish sovereignty in the West In dies; and the like cession of an island i II f I - s* 4. W ifcv 51. JULIES CAMEOS. (Tho Fronoh Minister who is acting foi Spain in the peace negotiations.) in the Ladrones. The United States will occupy and hold tho city, bay and harbor of Manila, pending the conclu sion of a treaty of peace which shall determine the control, disposition and government of the Phillipines. ” Some reference has been made in the dispatches of British newspapers to a desire on the part of the Spanish government to include in the prelim inary agreement a clauso exempting it from liability from tho Cuban debt. The formal statement of the points of the United States note given out from the, white house made no refer once to this subject and it cannot be known as yet whether or not the full text shows anything more. But pre suming that no reference whatever is made to the Cuban debt it is possible the subject may be regarded as one that should be treated by tho peace commissioners who are to meet later to frame, the treaty, which, of course, will embody many details that are left untouched in the main proposition, though cabinet officers have authorized the statement that no part of the Cuban or Porto Rican debts would be assumed by the Uuited States. THEY ARE IMMUNE. Canudian-Aincrican Legion A.kg Permlfl Hion to Go to Cuba. Yellow fever has no terrors to the Canadian-Americau legion, of Chicago, and its officers and men are eager to fill the places of those driven from tho front by the plague. Many of tho men are fever immunes, having served in the British army in Egypt, India, South America and the West Indies. At a meeting of the officers Saturday the following telegram was sent to Governor Tanner: “The Canadian American legion vol unteers to relieve troops at Santiago. Large proportion of our officers and men immunes.” OUR INVASION OF PORTO RICO A VERITABLE WALK OVER. TROOPS MARCHING ON SAN JUAfl. Eastern End of tho Island Hus Boon Taken Possession of Without Any, Serious Resistance. Advices received Friday from Ponce, Porto Rico, stato that Genoral Miles is proceeding without regard to peace negotiations. Krag-Jorgensens are being issued. The Second and Third Wisconsin wero moving np to the Six teenth Pennsylvania. Colonol Hidings has captured 500 pounds of rice. Thus far the enemy has not molested him. General Brooke’s landing at Arroyo was successful. The troops from the Roumanian, four batteries from the Twenty-eight Indiana, tho First Mis souri, the First Pennsylvania and the Third Illinois disembarked nt that point. The Morgan troops of tho Fifth cavalry and the Mississippi com missaries also arrived. General Roy Stone is repairing the road to Arecibo, but a movement on that place is improbable. The Americans have taken peaceful possession of the eastern portion of the island. Small parties of marines have been landed, who have ligh.ed lamps in the lighthouse at Cape San Juan and other lighthouses aloug the coast. They met with no resistance. Indeed, at Cape San Juan deputations of citi zens went out to meet them. The warships now in tho vicinity are tho Montgomery, the Annapolis, the Puritan and the Ampliitrite. The two former are looking for the trans ports with troops, which left the United States and have scattered all about the island. The Annapolis rounded up the Whitney, the Florida and the Raleigh Thursday, and they are now at Cape San Juan. There seems to have been a serious mistake ns to the rendezvous, for no two ships go to the same place, and it will take them several days to locate them and get them to Ponce, where General Miles is waiting. Off San Juan the cruiser New Or leans alone maintains the blockade. The city is grim and silent, but back of her yellow walls there will be found plenty of determination and fight when the Americans open fire. Captain Gen eral Macias has issued a proclamation, in the course of which he says: “Spain has not sued for peace, and I can drive off the American boats now as I did on Sampson's attempt be fore. ” The daughter of the captain general is helping to drill the gunners in the forts. Altogether' there are 9,500 Spanish regulars in the city. The troops of the enemy, who are retreat ing from Ponce and the other towns on the south coast occupied by the Americans, have not yet arrived. The German steamer Polynesia, with a cargo of rum, canned meats and tobacco, tried to run the blockade Friday morning, but was stopped by tho New Orleans, At Desoalnbrode river, six miles be yond Juana Diaz, on the road to San Juan, the Sixteenth Pennsylvania, of Ernst’s brigade, seized and now holds the bridge. The seizure of the bridge insures control of the road to Coamo. Pickets are being pushed out and they may collide with the Spanish outposts. TWELVE SEAMEN LOST. Dredge. Two Scows and a Tug Wrecked by Storm. A dispatch from Apalachicola, Fla., says: The Nimrod, towing the dredge Thomas H. Herndon and two scows, were totally wrecked off Cape St. Bias in Tuesday night’s storm. The Nim rod, with her entire crew, consisting of twelve men, went down forty miles at sea and nothing has since been heard of them. The dredge, with her two scows, is ashore on Cape St. Bias, the dredge being a total loss. The Nimrod, dredge and soows be long to Bittenhouee Moore, of Mobile, and are valued as follows: Nimrod $40,000, dredge $75,000, scows $32,000. George Randolph, purser of tho Nimrod, and two shipmates arrived at Apalaclieola Friday afternoon, report ing the loss. TWO CAPTAINS RESIGN. Their Regiment Waft On Eve of Departure For Santiago. Two captains of Colonel Ray’s im mune regiment resigned Friday and their resignations caused a great sen sation in Macon. The resignations coming on the eve of departure for Santiago at a time when there is said co be much anxiety on the part of offi cers and privates, from the fact that the regiment is ordered to the Cuban city which is in the midst of a yellow fever plague, has increased the sensa tion and excitement caused by the de termination on the part of the officers to return home. !t TO BRING THE ARMY AT SANTI AGO HOME. ACTION WAS TAKEN. The Regult of Protest of Officers Under General Shafter—Points Selected For Convalescents. A Washington special of Friday says: The war department has order ed tho largo fleet of transports at Ponce to proceed to Santiago, there to join with the transports already at Santiago in bringing General Shafter’s army back to this country. There are ten large transports in the fleet at Pouce, some of them, like the Mobile, having a capacity of 1,000 men. In all they have a capacity 0,540 men. This with the capacity of ships al ready at Santiago will give a carrying strength of over 12,100 men in a trip. In addition to tho transports an nounced by the war department as being now at Santiago, it now appears that the Orizaba, enpaoity 050 men, is also available. The Yale will also be brought into service in the course of a week or ten days. At present she is to be utilized in taking General Fred Grant’s brigade to Porto Rico, after which she will return by way of Santiago and take on a load of Shaf ter’s men. The press dispatches from Santiago saying that the troops wero greatly elated over the prospects of beginning the homeward move are accepted with satisfaction by the war officials. They say that tho embarkation has already begun, and that the Louisiana, which left last Wednesday with cavalry on board, is now well on her way home. With the arrival of Shafter’s army in this country, every facility will be given to the troops to recuimrnte. This will apply not only to tho sick, but to the well, ns it is appreciated that the hardships through which the men have gone must have taxed the vitality even of the strongest. Thero will be no yellow fever cases brought to this country, as'such cases can be best handled without removal. The less serious eases of sickness not involving contagion ^vill be brought here if the patients are convalescing to a point where removal will be ad vantageous. Surgeon General Stern berg has in view several points for pa tients and convalescents. The actual hospital will probably be located at Montauk Point, where a field hospital for 500 patients is being propared, in addition to the hospital equipments which General Shafter’s forces will bring along with them. But in addition to this, General Stern berg has in view two fine locations, where the bracing mountains and lake air will help convalescents to recov ery. Ethan Allen, These points are Fort Vermont, and Tadmy post, at Platts burg, N. Y. Genoral Sternberg has no purpose of making these points hospital camps in the ordinary sense of the word, where severe cases will be handled, but only to mnke them available for the convalescents already well on tho way to recovery, who need good air and surroundings to bring them completely back to health. Each post will accommodate some 500 to 800 men. The order designating them for this purpose has not yet been made, but General Sternberg doubtless will make the recommendation for their use. The impression that there is a dif ference of opinion between tho medical officers at Santiago and those nt Wash ington on the question of removing the troops of Shafter’s army is said to ho without fonndation, as it is point ed out that Surgeon General Sternberg has maintained from the first that the army should be removed as fast as the military situation would permit. It is said, however, that the milita ry situation iu the common customs of field operations dominates the medical situation, and the latter must shape itself to the military requirements. General Sttrnborg felt that it would be disastrous for tho troops to remain at Santiago through the late summer and early fall months, ns thoso are most likely to breod serious eases of yellow fever. MANZANILLO EASY MARK. Small Force of American. Could Cause City’s Capitulation. A delayed dispatch from Santiago, under date of Aug. 4, says: Commander Todd, of the Wilming ton, reports that the conditions at Manzanillo, as learned from General Rios, are as follows: There are about 2,000 regulars, 1,000 volunteers and 500 bombarderos there. They appear to be well supplied with cattle and provisions, but are said to be short of ammunition. Recent events in that vicinity have disheartened thorn and it is believed the appearance of an American force, oven of only 1,000 men, would result in capitulation. STRONG PETITION FROM ARMY OFFICERS IN CUBA. "MUST BE MOVED OR PERISH.” Fever Threateaa tho Annihilation of Shaf ter'g Army—Tho Situation a Frightful One. An Associated dispatch says: Hum moned by Major General Shatter, a meeting was held at Santiago Thurs day morning at headquarters and in tho presence of every commanding and medical officer of the Fifth army corps, General Shatter read a cable message from Secretary Alger, order ing him nt tho recommendation of Surgeon Genorul Sternberg, to move the army into the interior, to San Luis, whore it is healthier. As a result of the conference, Gen eral Shatter will insist upon the im mediate withdrawal of tho army uorth within two weeks. As an explanation of tho situation, the following letter from Col. Theo dore Roosevelt, commanding the First volunteer cavalry, to General Shafter, was handed by tho latter to the correspondent of the Associated Press for publication: “Major General Shafter—Sir: In a njeeting of the general and medical officers called by you at tho palace this morning, wo were all, ns you know, unanimous in view of what should be done ■viitli the army. To keep ns bore, in tho opinion of every officer com manding n division or brigade, will simply involve the destruction of thou sands. “There is no possible reason for not shipping practically the entire com mand north at once. Yellow fever cases are few in the cavalry division where I command one of the two brigades, and not one true case of yel low fever has occurred in this division, except among the men sent to the hos pital at Sibouey, where they have, I believe, contracted it. But in this di vision there have boen 1,500 eases of malarial fever. Not a man has died from it, but tho whole command is so weakened nnd shattered as to ho ripe for dying like rotten sheep when a real yellow fever epidemic, instead of a fako epidemic, like the present,strikes us, ns it is bound to do if we stay here at the height of the sickness season, August and tho beginning of Septem ber. “Quarantine against malarial fever is much like quarantining against the toothache. All of us are certain, as soon as tho authorities at Washington fully appreciate tho conditions of the army, to be sent home. If we are kept here it will in all human proba bility mean an appalling disaster, for the surgeons here estimate that over half the army, if kept hero during the sickly season, will die. This is not only terrible from the standpoint of tho individual lives, but it means rnin from tho standpoint of the military efficiency of the flower of tho Ameri can army, for the great bulk of the regulars are hero with you. “The sick, large though it is, ex ceeding 4,000, affords but a faint idea of tho debilitation of tho army. Not ten per cent, are fit for rctive work. Six weeks on tho north Maine const, for instance, or elsewhere, where the yellow fever germ cannot possibly propagate, would mako us all as fit as fighting cocks, able as we are eager, to take a leading part in the gr eat campaign against Havana in the fall, even if we are not allowed to try Porto Rico. “We can be moved north, if moved at once, with absolute safety to the country, although, of course, it would have been infinitely bettor if we had been moved north or to Porto Rico two weeks ago. If there were any object in keeping us here, we could face yellow fever with ns much indif ference as we faced bullets, but there is no object in it. The four immune regiments ordered here are sufficient fo garrison the city and surrounding towns, and there is absolutely nothing for us to do here and there has not bean since the eiiy surrendered. It is impossible to move into the interior. Every shifting of camp doubles the sick rate in our present weakened con dition, and anyhow tho interior is rather worse than the coast, ns I have found by actual roconuoissauce. Our present camps are as healthy as any camps at this end of the island can be. “I write because I cannot see our men who havo fou,fht so bravely and who have endured extreme hardships and danger so uncomplainingly, go to destruction without striving, so far ns lies in me, to avert a doom as fearful as it is unnecessary and undeserved. Theodore Roosevelt, Colonel Commanding First Brigade. After Colonel Roosevelt had taken the initiative, all tho American general officers united in a round robin ad dressed to General Shafter. NO. 21). PEACE NOT TO BE ATTAINED 80 EARLY AS EXPECTED. DOUBTFUL POINTS CAUSE DELAY. Head of Spanish Government Anxious to Have Things Accomplished In Orderly Manner. A cohlo dispatch of Thursday from Madrid says: Though peace is regard ed as assured, it may not be attained so quickly as is generally expected. Senor Sagasta objects to being hustled and insists upon everything being done in a quiet, orderly and dignified manner. lie considers it necessary to have full and satisfactory explanations as to all doubtful points in order to enable him lxrstto protect the national interests against the aggressive ten dencies of the Washington cabinet. Ho has nlso to examine very minutoly the exigencies of the internal situation and home politics, so ns to avoid popular dissatisfaction and political unrest. Tho Spanish people, though sin cerely desirous of poaeo, are disposed to admire this hesitancy and tenacious holding out until the last, although aware that it implies greater sacrifices. As an illustration of this feeling, while General Tornl is blamed for capitulating at Santiago, Captain Gen eral August), continuing a hopeless resistance at Manila, bids fair to be a popular hero. It would ho premature to suppose that the political consulta tions now proceeding foreshadow the resignation of the liberal cabinet when peace is concluded. Tho conserva tives have so constantly nnd loyally supported Sagasta throughout tho war that no factions opposition may be feared from them. Tho consultation between tho pre mier, tho presidents of the chambers and other prominent persons are de scribed ns being really of a national character, with a view of ascertaining the opinions of nil parties. The gov ernment hns not yet entered upon any engagement regarding terms for con cluding the war with tho United States. The cabinet will follow the advice of the party leaders and will leave to the crown the liberty of choosing new advisors. All the leaders consulted thus far have observed the strictest reserve with the exception of Senor Romero y Robledo, tho loader of the Weylorito party, who declares himself in favor of continuing war. Tho queen regent hns summoned several generals for consultation. The censorship of the papers is now conducted with tho utmost severity. The military censor has excised all the leading papers, including the mil itary journals. Everything having the remotest reference to peace nogotia sions is suppressed nnd the censorship is especially severe upon criticisms of the American government's preten tions. Those excised articles are re placed by pooms, tales and literury matter. OFFICERS RESIGNED. (lave U|» TliPir Commissions In the Fare of the Enemy. A special cablegram to tho Boston Journal from Ponce, Porto Rico, says: A tremendous sensation has oc curred iu tho Sixth Massachusetts regiment, which is u part of General Garretson’s brigade. The friction be tween the line officers of the regiment and the officers of tho brigade, which lias boen growing ever since tho brigade left Cuba, reached its climax last Monday when Colonel Woodward, Lieutenant Colonel Chaffin, Major Tay lor, Chaplain Donsseault and Captain Godell, of company K, resigned their commissions. Tho exact reason which prompted them to take this notion is not at pres ent known. The cause must have been serious indeed. Tho resignations leave Mujor Chas. K. Darling in command of the regi ment. The matter lias been fully re ported to General Miles and a rigid in vestigation has been ordered. By military law, to resign in face of the enemy, menus a courtmartial. MANY SPANISH PRISONERS SICK. Hundreds of Tornl’. Men Down nnd Deaths Avernc« Twelve Dally. General Toral, the commander of the Spanish troops, has sent a letter to General Shafter advising the latter that the camp of the surrendered Span ish troops is in an unhealthy condi tion. The Spanish officer also report ed that there were several hundred sick in tho hospitals, and that there was nn average of twelve deaths daily. The transports expected at Santiago to carry the Spanish troops back to Spain have not yet been heard from. General Shafter will take action at once in order to improve the sanitary condition of the Spanish soldiers.
