The weekly standard., 1869-10-27

A4 tA1 cf414t1 Ouu0Q4l1s
Itis wen known chat the spanish govern
msnt consncted With American builders for
thiry light draught, fsst sailing gunboats.
Sometime 10 August the Peruvian minister
at Washington complained Of them, on the
ground that, Peru and Spain being at war,
they were intended to operate against Peru.
Upon this complaint work upon the vessels
was stopl ed by order, Of the government,
In short time the order was suspended
and work resumed. Several of the gunboats
are now finished, and the remainder now
nearly ready for sea. The government,
hoSevsF, has ordered that they shall not be
allowed to go to sea, and every prccautiou
has been taken to prevent their sailing. OF
course the Spanish government will soon re.
quest that the vessels be allowed to proceed
to sea, it having paid for them.
ShonId the request be refused the Spanish
say that they will demand them, and that a
Noncompliance with such demand will be
followed by. a war. This threat is some
what ludicrous, The New York Tribune,
however treats the matter seriously although
with more reference TO the terms OF interna-
tional law than to the wishes of the Spanish.
1t says: 'a . a's 2 -a
The steps our Government has already
taken indicate its unwillingness to release
gunboats for the Spanish service in Cuba,
while, the news we have from Madud, as
well as from Havana, indicates determination
of the Spanish Government to secure possess
sion OF the vessels for which it has already
paid, and the building of which has been
permitted in our ship-yards. When the
gunboats are finished and ready to sail, the
Spanish Minister at Washington win 'uu-
.doubtedly request the removal of anything
like an embargo upon their departure. II
this be refused, We may anticipate that the
Spanish request win be followed by Spanish
demand If this be declined, are we 20 an
ticipate something IN the Spanish line more
formidable than demand = .,
h Already the gnnboat question has been
brought to the attention of Minister Sickles
by the Regency Government, and we have
before US at this moment letter from Mad
rid Gin the official accuracy of which We
have every reason to believe) which con-
tains the information that an interview on
the 5th ult., between General S;ckles and
Becerra Secretary of Foreign Affairs ad IN
terin) the latter got into such a state of ex-
citement about the embargo Of the gunboa;s
that the interview ended in personal rup-
turc. The language of the Spanish press on
the subject has been extremely bitter. Our
Government is accused OF violating or in
tending to violate, the neutrality laws, and
the action it has already taken is spoken Of
as intolerably presumptuous. But though
we do not pay much attention to Spanish
extravagance of this sort, the fact remains
that there is point of difficulty between
the American Government and that of
Spain which will very soon demand settle.
fnent. Rf Our government will either have to
change its course in regard to the gunboats
and let them 60, or else, if it refuse to per
init their departure, in accordance with the
neutrality laws, il will be compelled to show
reason for resisting the Spanish demands
and holding out against Spanish remon-
| strances t.I ar .u.
We understand that short time ago a
high functionary of the Government pro-
pounded a policy for adoption on this gun
boat business that involved another ques-
ton of no less consequence While conce-
ding spain's right to the possession of the
vessel built on her account in our ports, it
provided for change of attitude on our
part towards the combatants in Cuba, which
would enable us, instead Of assisting further
in crushing the party of independence, to
permit them the enjoyment of whatever
strength they may derive from our neutrali-
! ty- This policy was based on the assump-
ation, that the Spanish Minister would mecca
sarily soon demand the release of the Spare
ish gunboats in accordance with law, na-
tional and international; and it took the
form of Presidential announcement, cover
ing two points First, compliance with the
demand of the Spanish Minister and the ro-
lease of the gunboats; second, declaration
that our Government cannot render this aid
and comfort to the Spanish party in Cuba
without putting both parties there on terms
of equality as regards belligerent rights, and
that Therefore the belligerent rights OF the
independence party in Cuba must be reco5-
nized by the American Government. cou'd
| Spain take exception to this policyF'