Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-10-15

tur connection Win the OUban iNeufFc'-
;ian il becoming highly critical. The scene
of the greatest interest has been transferred
from Spain to this country. The withdraw
al Of sen Sickles' note leaves the situation
in Spain the same as b fore the minister
took his action But the questions which are
arising ut home are Of a very delicate nature,
and their management will require the
greatest wisdom and firmness. TIE affair Of
the Spanish gunboats il of tie most c5mpli-
Gated and peculiar character. These vessels
have been constructed within our limits FOR
the Spanish Government. and are now. wc
believe. ready 70 sail 1t has been generally
supposed that they were designed for Use in
the Cuban war. In that case our Govern
men: wolli have no legal power 20 restrain
them. 80 lli.Ea- the CIbsus are not rccuc-
nized a. bclii-e7cu,s It i to be- presumed
that Spain has right to regulate
her own domestic affairs without the
Interference Of any power. Yet the a3tiIla
is detained d, the L. ;. authorities, and q;
; tie re.aest # tie Pc-,r.r Minister. lie
afiirlns that the gunboats are intended to be
employed against his country, and calls up
. Oh our government, as neutral. u prevent
their departure Ii the suspicious Of this
Official are well founded the duty Of our gov
eminent j. clear. We cannot allow hostile
expedition to be fitted out in our rort-. t.
make war upon nm independent nation with
which we are At peace. This j. exactly the
offence with which we charge England in the
Alabama case. We are bound 20 inye-ti-
-at. the character and intended service of
the-e vessels for ourselves vet we doubt itthe
administration viii permit them TO sail
against the protest Of the Peruvian Ambassa-
dor. IA an enemy Of Spain, Peru would Of
course be interested in af5rdins ,he Cuhan-
all possible assistance. It may be that her
efforts to detain the cunboat. are q
measure Of that character. Sul the COM
plants of her minister mus; De heeiei. IL
is possible that by the time the character of
the eunblats is a,certaiuei, the United
States viii be prepared to recognize the be!li-
rereu,y Of the Cutaus, ia which case they
must # course be prevented from sailing
Oa- dispatches yesterday morning gave US
some important intelligence in regard to the
H5ra9 The history Of thi- vessel may not
be familiar to al Of our readers She sailed
from Philadelphia a short time ag5 ior Hall
fax. Size was there seized by the British
authorities and thoroughly examined, bat no
results were obtained TO warrant her detcn-
ti1n and she vas released She then rui 70
SEA. s'a after getting beyond the jari--
diet; of the Iialifaz authorities size was
met ~ a vessel hearing some agents OF the
Cuhaas and she was iherelTon sd to them
and surrendered to iheir control. Another
vessel furnished her with an armament and
more men, and thus equipped on the high
seas, she was ready for action. Bl; unl1r-
-unate'Y stress Of weather compelled her TO-
put into tie haIbor Of Wilmington, y c.,
whe.e she was at once seized by the DnIt5l
states gricer- The question then arose,
wha, should D. done with heT2
By the mazinis of international law the
H5r7a Was pirate. An armed vessel of
such character, sailing rs private property.
or under the fag Of an unrecognized power,
may be- seized by any government and con
demned as freebooter But this il simply
permitted it Is no, an Obligation, except
such as III raj law imposes. Consequently our
government could exercise It's privilege and
condemn the H5rna. or wink at her charac-
ter and allow her to depart. The first dis
patches after her seizure announced that the
after alternative would be taken This
course would no doubt have been satisfactory
10 large share Of the American people. Z
But the latest kilograms contradict this story.
The Haraet is to be detained as pirate and
ler officers regularly tried for piracy on the
nigh seas
This action Of the Government attests It's
70 do all that the strictest rules
If int irrational law require The detention
f the sunboats Is an advantage to Cuba 1
he c0nfseation Of the Hornet, an act Of
ustice to Spain But in neither case did the ,
ni'ei States allow her sympathies TO inau-
nee her course. The people viii surely ap- !
'ro.a TIE enlightened policy Of the Govern c
nent. We cannot afford TO compromise in
he least our unspotted record as a nation.