The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-03
GU 3 A..
The Havana Press on the Detention Of
the Spanish Gunboats.
Spanish Cruelties Described by
Spaniards.
Prominent Americans on the Recogni-
ton of Cuba's Independence.

The Havana Press on the Demand Tor the
Release Of the Gunbonts-Wiil the Refusal
Of the United States BE Considered u Casus
Belli BY spain.
La VOz dc Cuba IN its afternoon issue OF Wednes-
day, November "A, says:-"The true importance OF
the telegram our we'll Informed correspondent in
New York forwarded us and which we published in
our morning edition hardly be properly estimated
at first slgnt, and 1t becomes necessary to reflect
upon the probable consequences OF favorable or
unfavorabe reply from the washington government
to the demand made by Spanish Minister Resident
al the capital Of the neghboring republic. me
New York journals, generally well informed regard
ing these matters say that Senor Lopez Roberts had
asked the immediate delivery Of the gunboats. and
our correspondent at the metropolis upon ADVISING
us Of the above also communicated the TACT
Of the arrival IN that harb0r OF the Spanish
man-ofwar Pizarro. Have these two items OF news
any real connections We believe they have, and our
readers will SO understand 1t If they recoect what
then wrote regarding the object OF the Plzarro's
voyage to New York-the conveying thence to Cuba
Of the gunboats very inopportunely ordered to
be constructed In the New FORK shpyards BY the
government of General Dulce. But this Is not what
desire to treat OF at the present Let us see what
are the consequences that may nationally result rom
the reply OF the United States to the just
demand OF the Spanish Minister. Will the Washing
ton government accede or not to his petitions In
the first instance which we believe Will be the most
probable resultior II double dealing ana foul play
are repngnant in men, they are doubly so IN gov
ernments called strong and just-then IN that mo-
ment the question ceases. the relations between
two Powers, OF which One-Spaln-has always
shown good VIII towards the other, VIII con-
tnue cordial as heretofore, and no one
VIII have right to complain-for regard
ing the nilDusters We think less of Them
than anybody else can. Peru, which ut this
very moment Is IN negotiation with our own gov
~
tlOn and the United STATES VIII retain that reSpeca-
bility which gives additional force and power 10
nations-more, III 1act than armies and navles In
the second case we cannot prophesy II Spain VIII
consider it a casus betii. The United States may
continue great to territory, but Will be belittled
forever In the opinions OF other nations, and upon
the pages OF her history viii appear one OF those
blots OF disoyalty and bad faltn whose stain ages
will never remove TO pander to The passions Of
p0pulace, led away and iniiamed BY the venai
preaching of two or three journals, wen or badly
pad by Cuban reDes, they will lose the alliance or
nation that in the day OF their aicton never aban-
dOned then--an ALLIANCES that perhaps today Is or
no great material worth to them, but one they at
present possess aud important always for Its here
toiore never-failpg loyalty and for the good faith
with Which 1t has acted IN ITS relations toward other
countries. We repeat we are ignorant whether
Spain VIII regard as q cdSas bett the refusal OF
General Grant to deliver what Ii the exclusive pro-
perry OF SpaniardSpr0perty that Peru has, less tnan
any other nation, right to demand that 1t should
be detained after being recipients OF That noble
navy with the famous monitors. IL we suppose
though but for a moment tie Cabinet at Madrid
should consider as an act OF open hostllitles mega
tive To the demand Of the Spanish Minister contrary
as would be all International law, and that the
Unned states should be resolved TO assume the con-
sequences Of q war; Tor which their recent great
naval preparations. that our readers are already
advised or, would be Of service to them-preparn-
tiOns made with more OF malicious caution tnan OF
loyal Irankness-wbich OF the two Powers would
gain most and lose least IN war necessitatn0 naval
force from beginning TO endP without pretending
10 decide the question beforehand, we believe we
venture nothing IN expressing the opinion that Spain
would not come out OF the light second best. we
Spanards do not believe ourselves lnvincible, nor
do we entertain illusions respecting our resources
compared with those Of the neighborlng republic;
but 1t cannot be denied by the Americans that the
advantages they have over US in their large mer-
chant marine would prove to their detriment In
naval war. In the Peninsula the people would night
"a one man, and In Cuba with desperate valor.
Finally 1t is not much more than half century
since SPAN showed the world how she coud van
quisn q great conqueror, and surely the American
Union Is not more powerful now than was then
Mann