The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-06
CUBA, &c.

eral. being satisfied with the affidavit of Purser
Smith, made in this country several months
ago, and originally published in the New York
Express, had relaxed the rule which he had
laid down. and permitted that 'individuap' to
90 on shore, &c. This affidavit taught the
Cuban official no more than he knew before,
for Lieut. Porter, in the very beginning of the
difficulty, pledged his word Of honor that Mr..
Smith had not been guilty ofthe charge upon
which his exclusion vas founded. The trou-
BILE that was anticipated, therefore, has blown
over-the threatened war has ended in smoke
annexation is indefinitely postponed-Cap-
tain General Canedo has recovered from the
terror into which his dreams of new fllibuster
ing attempts had thrown him-George Law
must seek another marker for his nuskets-
and John Bull may dispense with his phara-
saical sermons upon the sin Of conquering I'M
offending nations. We are glad that things
have turned odt as they have, for we desire to
see no war, il it can be avoided consistently
with the national honor, 1t was because we
thought that honor assaulted, that we raised
our voice in favor of exacting an immediate
apology, or Of commencing hoslilities at once.
We had occasion, not long since, to notice
the entire change Of ground made by those
who justified the attitude assumed by the
Captain General of Cuba, in the progress of the
controversy which arose out of his act. The
Captain General himself gave, a. reason for
excluding MFR. Smith, the publication of GER
tain article in New York paper, in which his
4
charge that MIR. Smith was an incendiary-he
did NOT say that he had been engaged in at
tempts to create disturbance in the island of
Cuba-he did not allege thathe was an agent in
carrying on an unlawful correspondence be
tween disafiectei persons in the island, and
conspirators on the continent. To the best of
our recollection, in the beginning of the con-
troversy, this was not even limited. The press
es which most warmly defended the Captain
General. relied entirely upon the right of the
Spanish Government to make such port regu-
iatons as ii might think proper, and of course
toexclude any person or persons for any cause,
or for no cause. as nigh suit their convenience
or caprice. The absurdity of this reasoning
was too palpable to escape observation for
II government in spite Of treaty, could
make any port regulation. it might think pro-
per, it retained the power OF multiplying such
treaty at all times, without offence to the other
contracting party, and in future no treaty was
TO be considered worth the paper it was written
on. Moreover, if the Governor of Spanish
island could exclude, at his pleasure, one man
nom the ports ofsuch island, be might exclude
one thousand or one million, in utter deroga-
lion OF all the obligations contracted by the
treaty of 1895. So sensible was the Captain
General Of the dilemma in which this assump-
ton placed him, that he made his organ con-
tend that Cuba was not bound by the treaties
entered into by Spain
Driven from every other position, the per-
sons who justified the Captain General, at
last, took the ground that Smith was an incen-
d'ary-a dangerous character-a go-between-
carrier of letters between conspirators in Gu.
ba and illibusters in New York and New Or
leans. Ii he was so, the Captain General ne
yer charged him with it. All that he alleged
against him was the publication Of letter Of
fensive to his pride. He not only did not charge
him with dangerous practices, but his own
conduct affords ample proof that he acquitted
him OF oil participation in such. He offered 10
lethim come On shore as usual, fhe would
say that he was not the author of the article
in question! Had he been a conspirator, an
agent. go-between, a fllibuster, or had the
Captain General suspected him of being such,
ls 1t possible TO conceive that he would have
been willing 10 allow him, upon such terms,
to come on shore to communicate with his as
sociates-t0 restore the web of his discomfort
ed plot? Would he have taken his word for
1t, when he had the slightest reason to suspect
HIM Undoubtedly he would not
The captain General knew, long ago, lust
as much as he has since learned from the aft.
daVit OF Mr. Smith. He knew that he was not
The author oil the offensive article in question.
ar. smith has not said TO him, or to any body
deputed by him, as he made it a sine qua non,
that he did not write it. The Captain General
mas been very glad TO get out of the scrspe,
and 1t seems pretty evident that in his hurry
to do SO, he has fairly backed out.
THE LATE JUNIUS BRUTUS BOOTH
The statement published by us, on Satur-
day. with regard to the place in which this
gentleman first made his appearance on an
American stage, was erroneous. That appear
ance was on the Richmond, not ON the Pc
tefsburg stage, and the time was July, 1891
Dir. Booth had taken passage ESQ we Learnt on
board the ship Tobacco Plant, for New York
but the vessel having been driven into Norfolk
by stress OF weather, he was employed, Will,
there, by Mr.. Gilfert, at that time ,oansssr .
the Richmond Theatre, at the suggestion =,
mr. hiison' the celebrated comic actor, who
IN all probability, had seen him at D,n,,
Lane or Covent Garden. We examined ,be
Enquirer of that date. but could find no ,bs.
tHcal advertisement, and only short editorial
notice oil The new star. In the notice sund.I
10. cuhlished In The Ia..s= 1oeu