The Boys of '98 Part 45

"2. Officers shall retain their side-arms, horses, and private property.

All public horses and public property of all kinds shall be turned over to staff officers designated by the United States.

"3. Complete returns in duplicate of men by organisation, and full lists of public property and stores shall be rendered to the United States within ten days from this date.

"4. All questions relating to the repatriation of the officers and men of the Spanish forces and of their families, and of the expense which said repatriation may occasion, shall be referred to the government of the United States at Was.h.i.+ngton. Spanish families may leave Manila at any time convenient to them. The return of the arms surrendered by the Spanish forces shall take place when they evacuate the city, or when the Americans evacuate.

"5. Officers and men included in the capitulation shall be supplied by the United States according to rank, with rations and necessary aid, as though they were prisoners of war, until the conclusion of a treaty of peace between the United States and Spain. All the funds in the Spanish treasury and all other public funds shall be turned over to the authorities of the United States.

"6. This city, its inhabitants, its churches and religious wors.h.i.+p, its educational establishments, and its private property of all description, are placed under the special safeguard of the faith and honour of the American army.

"F. V. GREENE, "_Brigadier-General of Volunteers, U. S. A._ "B. P. LAMBERTON, "_Captain U. S. Navy_.

"CHARLES A. WHITTIER, "_Lieutenant-Colonel and Inspector-General_.

"E. H. CROWDER, "_Lieutenant-Colonel and Judge-Advocate_.

"NICHOLAS DE LA PENA, "_Auditor-General's excts._ "CARLOS REYEO, "_Colonel de Ingenieros_.

"JOSE MARIA OLQUEN, "_Felia de Estado Majors_.

(Signed) "MERRITT."

"HONGKONG, August 20th.

"_Adjutant-General, Was.h.i.+ngton_:-Cablegram of the twelfth directing operations to be suspended received afternoon of sixteenth. Spanish commander notified. Acknowledged receipt of cablegram same date, containing proclamation of President.

"MERRITT."

[Ill.u.s.tration: MAJOR-GENERAL WESLEY MERRITT.]

CHAPTER XVII.

PEACE.

On the twenty-sixth day of July, shortly after three o'clock in the afternoon, the French amba.s.sador, M. Cambon, accompanied by his first secretary, called at the White House, the interview having been previously arranged and an intimation of its purpose having been given. With the President at the time was Secretary of State Day.

M. Cambon stated to the President that, representing the diplomatic interests of the kingdom of Spain, "with whom at the present time the United States is unhappily engaged in hostilities," he had been directed by the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs to ask on what terms the United States would agree to a suspension of hostilities.

The French amba.s.sador, continuing, said that Spain, realising the hopelessness of a conflict, knowing that she was unable to cope with the great power of her adversary, and appreciating fully that a prolongation of the struggle would only entail a further sacrifice of life and result in great misery to her people, on the ground of humanity appealed to the President to consider a proposition for peace.

Spain, said the amba.s.sador, had been compelled to fight to vindicate her honour, and having vindicated it, having fought bravely and been conquered by a more powerful nation, trusted to the magnanimity of the victor to bring the war to an end.

The President's reply showed that he was responsive to the appeal. He was evidently moved by the almost pathetic position which the once proud nation of Spain had been forced to take, but he had his feelings well under control and behaved with great dignity.

The President frankly admitted that he was desirous of peace, that he would welcome a cessation of hostilities, but he delicately intimated that if Spain were really desirous of peace she must be prepared to offer such terms as could be accepted by the United States. The President asked the French amba.s.sador if he had been instructed to formally propose terms, or make any offer.

M. Cambon replied that he had not been so instructed, that his instructions were to ask on what terms it would be possible to make peace.

Mr. McKinley said the matter would be considered by the Cabinet, and a formal answer returned at the earliest possible moment. The French amba.s.sador thanked the President for his courtesy, and, with expressions of good-will on both sides, the historical interview was brought to a close.

On the thirtieth day of July the ultimatum of the United States was delivered to the amba.s.sador of France, and, in plain words, it was substantially as follows:

The President does not now put forward any claim for pecuniary indemnity, but requires the relinquishment of all claim of sovereignty over or t.i.tle to the island of Cuba, as well as 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 Indies, and the like cession of an island in the Ladrones.

The United States will occupy and hold the city, bay, and harbour of Manila, pending the conclusion of a treaty of peace, which shall determine the control, disposition, and government of the Philippines.

If these terms are accepted by Spain in their entirety, it is stated that the commissioners will be named by the United States to meet commissioners on the part of Spain for the purpose of concluding a treaty of peace on the basis above indicated.

August 12, 1898, peace negotiations were formally begun between the United States and Spain.

A few minutes before four o'clock, in the midst of a drenching rain, M.

Cambon, the French amba.s.sador, attended by his secretary, entered the White House. They were immediately ushered to the library, where the President, Secretary of State Day, and a.s.sistant Secretaries of State Moore, Adee, and Cridler were awaiting them.

The President cordially greeted the amba.s.sador, who returned the salutation with equal warmth, and then shook hands with Secretary Day and the a.s.sistant Secretaries. While the President, Judge Day, and the French amba.s.sador were discussing the weather,-and Was.h.i.+ngton has seldom known such a rain-storm as that which engulfed the city while peace was being signed,-M. Thiebaut and a.s.sistant Secretary Moore were comparing the two copies of the protocol to see that they corresponded, and were identical in form.

The protocol is on parchment, in parallel columns in French and English.

In the copy retained by the American government the English text is in the first column; in the other copy, which was transmitted to Madrid, the French text leads the paper.

The two Secretaries having p.r.o.nounced the protocol correct, Judge Day and the French amba.s.sador moved over to the table to affix their signatures.

Mr. Cridler lit a candle to melt the sealing wax to make the impression on the protocols.

The striking of the match caused the French amba.s.sador to stop, feel in his pocket, and then remember that he had come away from his emba.s.sy without his seal. Here was a contretemps. It would never do to seal such an important doc.u.ment with anything else but the amba.s.sador's personal seal.

A note was hastily written, and one of the White House messengers dashed out into the rain, and went to the French emba.s.sy. Until his return the distinguished party in the White House library continued to discuss the weather, and wonder when the typical Cuban rain would cease falling. In a few minutes the messenger returned. The amba.s.sador drew from a small box his seal, and the two plenipotentiaries turned to the table. The American copy of the protocol was placed before Judge Day, who signed it, and then handed the pen to the amba.s.sador, who quickly affixed his signature and seal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DON CARLOS.]

The second copy was then laid before the amba.s.sador, who signed, and in turn handed back the pen to Judge Day.

Thus Judge Day signed the two doc.u.ments, first and last, and with the last stroke of his pen hostilities ceased.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.