The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-05-25


Impertent erom Ousa-Ths Ra. stone
wall Presented 60 ehs spsatsh Govern
mont. ft.
The news from Havana ssd Key West. which
We publish this morning, u highly important
and b fully detailed in the letters Of our oor-
respondents at both those places. Tho chief
feature Of tho Intelligence turns on the move
menb Of tho rebel iron-oiad ram Stonewail.
which has been safely moored In the harbor Of
Havana ever sinoe her arrival at that port We
have already had occasion 10 allude 10 the
marked courtesy and respect which the Spanish
oaBcials-ftom Captain General Don Domingo
Duloe to the Harbor Master or Port Admiral, or
whatsoever he pleases 10 oall himself have
lavished upon the piratical orafk No pains
have on any oocasion been spared by them
to cot Captain Page Of bis ease. and 10 demon
strate their warm Affection for the last remains Of
the late oonfederaoy. Their conduct 10 tho Oh.
oers Of tho United States Navy, on tho other
hand, b not even decent Their petty spirit Of
spite and Ill feeling sticks out In all their cots;
and nothing but fear Of tho consequences has
prsvsated thsm eou indalglng In open Insult
But though they dare not themselves uss any:
indignity 10 our naval officers, they take no.
steps TO prevent tho meanest Of their popuis-
tion from acting in . gross, brutal and offensive
manner towards them.
In our Key West correspondence will DO
found an Official communication, between the
United States naval and military representa-
tives In the Gulf and the Captain General Of
Cuba, in reference to the StonewalL Admiral
Stribling and General Newton tersely warn
the Spanish Governor that unless he gives up
the ram to the United States authorities the
Spanish government must account for toleratr
ing piracy. The Captain General gets out Of
the difficulty by saying that he is acting under
"old instructions" from his superiors; and
promises that az soon as the steam machinery
of the Stonewall was repaired he would cause
her to leave the port, "unless some unforeseen
occurrence should give occasion for longer de-
tentiOn."
And, as he well knew at the time, an "ocoa-
sion," not altogether unforeseen, did speedily
arise to cause the longer detention Of the ram
in Spanish waters. This was nothing less than
the transfer of the ship to her Most Catholic
Majesty as present. 1t is the first time that
we have ever heard that captain or COM
mander of vessel had the right to make
government vessel present to anybody.
Upon this principle, inaugurated by Page and
the Captain General of Cuba, Admiral Farragut
would be entitled to give his flagship to the
Sultan of Turkey, Captain Worden his Monitor
to President Juarez, and all our other officers
could follow suit, and 60 around giving away
the vessels of the United States TO whom they
please. This is all nonsense. The Stonewall
is the property Of the United States, and Cap.
tain Page had no right to give, nor the Captain
General of Cuba to accept her as present.
Such an act on the part Of General Dulce Is
iii timed and indiscreet, and will tend greatly
to complicate our relations with Spain. The
result is, however, very plain. The ram must
be at once demanded and surrendered imme-
diately, otherwise the Spaniards will get into
peck Of trouble from which they will not get
out except with the loss OF their sever faithful"
island Of Cuba.