The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-06-24
Tho Argnellcs Case.

Oar readers will remember that some
tim. last fall "a Cuban named ARGUELLEs
was accused in his own country of com
pirifv 10 the slave trade, and escaped 10
thu United States. Notwithstanding there
was 10 treaty between the United
States and Cuba for the rendition of
CT aiaais AEGCEILES was seized, hur-
REL on board steamer without any ju-
dicial Investigation, and taken back to
CYba, where he was punished with the
utmos: rigor and cruelty by his enemy,
the Captain General DULCE. The affair
caused considerable excitement at the
tine, because it was considered viola.
ton of the right of asylum which we
have always afforded to refugees from
other countries, and because it was very
generally believed that DULCE himself
was the real culprit, and that ARGUEL-
LES was on his way TO Spain to acquaint
the home government with the Captain
Generals crimes. The State Department
at Washington was very severely cen.
snred for permitting the kidnapping of a
man who had taken refuge beneath our
nAg, and the many European refugees
now living among US were very justly
alarmed lest an application Of the same
course of procedure would remand them
10 the tyranny from which they had fed
The escape of JOHN G.. BRECKENRIDGE
and his friends to Cuba, and his recep-
ton by this same General DULCE, has
recalled the AReUELLEs affair to mind
and serves to mark contrast between
our government and that of the Spanish
province of Cuba which is humiliating
in the highest degree. According to a
correspondent of New York paper,
BRECKINRIDeE was presented to General
DULcE on the 18th nit. He was warmly
welcomed and earnestly assured that
:hs laars of hospitality should not be riolated
u Cuba" Now let it be remembered that
We have no extradition treaty with Gu.
ba and that if BRECKENRIDGE were a
thief OF murderer he would not be sur
rendered to this country, but that AR
ouELIEs was kidnapped by the consent
of the Department of State at Washing
ton and sent back to Cuba with secrecy
and haste. and then we can appreciate
the full force of the slap in the face which
DULCE has administered to our authori-
ties at Washington City. The national
pride was Inundated and national feel
ing outraged by the ARGUELLEs case and
now we are tainted for our violation oil
the rights of hospitality by the very
man to please whom Mr. SEWARD trailed
our honor in the dust
But there is another feature i'll this
case which has not heretofore been
known. The SAINT correspondent tc
whom we have alluded above states that
General DULoE says that he never asked
of the United States Government the de.
livery of ARGUELLEs in Cuba, nor has he
by private or any other means, author.
ICED or sought the capture and bringing
to Cuba of that person" If this be true,
it would appear that the kidnapping was
the work of some unauthorized individu-
ais who expected to be rewarded for their
crime and we're aided in their villainy by
the officers of our Government. Mr..
SEWARD was probably made to believe
that the surrender of ARGUELLEs would
be kind OF peace offering to the Span
ish power, and the parties who made the
arrest hoped to put money in their purse.
Altogether the affair was one of the most
disgraceful that ever stained the annals
of civilized nation that made any pre-
tense to dignity or good faith or promised
protection in accordance with treaty and
law to whomsoeyer sought an asylum
upon her shores.
- Q