Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-04-12
SPIRIT OF THE McksINe PRESS

IntskIieenesr's position in justification of the
right of Spain to fire shots at our vessels on IL
high sea by way Of forcing them to come to-,
and submit their papers to examination. Tn.
articles In question sweep away the ground on
which the Intsft'gsneer has been standing 40
Tar as this poirrit 10 concerned. In doing thi,
.ne o"'0r. quotes the communication from the
AloS-ny EVsn'ng Journal, from which we
quote as follows:
when man.of war wants to bring YES
SCI TO, she generally fires one or two Hank
cartridges: then, if they do not take any notice
OF that, she generally fires ball ahead, which,
IN most cases, has the desired effect. Suppo-
sing the ball that passed over the wheel-house
Of the FL Dorado had gone through tier of
state-rooms and killed the passengers asleep
IN their berths: according to the iatel,eencsr.
1t would have been perfectly justifable, for the
principle is the same. The fntsii:genesr saw,
the man-ot-war was guarding a threatened
Pcit, ana e1pecnsg an invasion, (of wind.
mills, suppose y and seeing a large st.amer
apProscnlng,nt TIE light, &c, &c Now, thew
were not % any port, but of Cape st. Antonio
some 100 miles from Havana and rloEt an ~
sraek OF our California steamers. whether
pound to Havana or New Y erk, (via Kew West !
ana coming along there weekly. That the
commander OF the Spanish man-of- war knew
As wen as any one else, Tor ought to know
ouL ne thought it a good time to show his
vigilance and bravery, no doubt, by frino
lnio steamer full Of passengers, and crawlinS
on with the excuse that they were looking out
Tor fllibusters"
Of the IntsltigeneerS rejoinder to this com
munication the Union says:
AT moment when every indication show,
that there is an increasing detcfnipat; ~,
The part OF at least two Of tae Enronson
PoEeTs to extend their protection over tha
american conlneEt, Language like this can
DC called nothing else but an Invitation 10
sucn influences to go on in their intermeddIipg
car. We are not left in doubt 90 to the
PuIpos's OF this monarchical combination
against the rights and the PRINCIPLES of IA.
donal liberty on this hemisphere. TIE last
year has furnished repeated proofs of the
earnest perseverance, which marks their set
lied designs '0'
" II Is at such time that the Nat,on,y
IHtsItStHesT steps forward to find excuses for
ne course OF Spain. 1t is at such a period
tnat IL upnolds right never yielded by this
country, and desrer than ever 10 ms now he.
cause If conceded to the united forces of En-
rope II may sweep our commerce from the seas
@hG Piace us al the mercy Of those ambitions
anu uomi neenng princes who regard this con-
nnent with equal apprehension and hostility.
Du' low uncandi and how unworthy it is for
lne IHtstngsHr,T to change its ground and
10" " utci9re that 1t has only tried to show
thd' Spanish ship was sjustifiable in ,Dsak
ing every ship or vessel approasbina the
Ei41d Or the contrary 1t deliberately as
sei'sd, and IN labOred articles tried TO show
thal the hiring into and stopping of the III
Dorado (an1 Its arguments will apply lust az
appropriately to the other Outrages since that
event. oy the Spanish ship-of war was in the
n a w al
Now 1t limits this right to speaking 70 Ger
tam vessels suspected to be hostile This
rIghl Vi speaking, as Spain understands il.
is the light OF firing into American vessels.
ana SO the IHtsfilgsHcsr understood il a few
days ago, and deliberately justified it, Prob
ABLY II was because we Sd clearly proved in cur
last comments upon this question, that the
right asserted by Spain and defended by the
lhteifIgs"eeT was denied by the highest Amer
tcan authorities, and by none more clearly
than sy Mr.. Webster and Mr. Justice story.
tnat the Intsfligeneey has deemed it proper TO
change front.
Tine IatsItigsncsr is most unfortunate :,
IT'S aliuslon to the affair of the President and
tne Little Belt 1t fails q state that ri.
British brig was the first to FIRE, These were
Doth vessels Of.war, Commodore Rodoa,s
CHASED and hailed the Little Belt. to ascer9s;n
nef character, and no answe- vas return.d
pa a ten'alIzing echo of the question. The
4 CDOnar
IN mis- Naval History, she stra1osy Sr(J :,
gun fhs shot from tDhich cut a,cIv n byeost
ICc%-Sfgy and entered tie MAIN mast And
ms Is me case II introduces to Justify its de-
ienoe OF spanish vessels-of war overhaulin1
our American mail steamers on irueacefnI
passage from New York to California
lie IHteLtgeneer quotes the Prensa. OF
havana, to show that Estrampes was no Am.
mean citizen. That Journal says he came 10
the United States first in 1853, and p,,.d
10 Cuba in 1854, when, getting into dif;cp,,y
through plotting against the Goyernme,. h.
came on again to this Country, from whence
nc sailed on a hllibustering expedition not
ING sinceI and was surprised at Baracos
wiz vessel loaded with arms and ammuni.
tohs' The IHteLftgeacer also praises the
0H'fieston Mercury for its views on the E..
uampes case, portion of which are a. fol.
lows:
Bat, coming down to the Justice Of thu
II Is nnseniable that Estrampes had
committed treason against Spain in attemn,.
ing TO advance the cause of r,vo,ut;or e.
Eupd oy violent means. To the last he ploried
10 me attempt de6ed and repelIed all efforts ~
tempt hin 10 engagements to abstain from
future enterprises Of a like kind, and, as we
EdSeu shouts for Cuban independ-
enco Oh bis way to execution. He Seams 70
nave been one of those desperate indomitabie
cnaIaeters who, In default Of being able to be
ne heroes Of revolution, are willing TO be
the martyr Of the attempt"
u
ms matter Is well enough understood bv
tne nIlousters. If they succeed, they gain n
pace ID history; If they fail, they must be gar.
Lottd. We may lament to see brave mem
oiGugnt 20 such Improbable uses, but if thew
viii persist IN putting their heads into the
non jaws, it is surely not wonderful that now
ana then one Of them gets crushed"
VI me bringing to Of the brig p. X. Hicb
man oy firing shot around her, which the
O"'0" announced yesterday, the Intslligsu..,
says
We'll, here is another outrageous case Of
hiring "tRto" an American vessel. and bon
Is h made out? The man-of-war had to srs
'nree guns before the brig would come to.
the last shot hAipo 80