The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-27
How our Commerce can be Destroyed
in Time of Peace.

| In lime OIL
| On the 9th of October last, the steamship
! Hornet, otherwise called the Cuba, was
seized in Wilmington, y. c., by the orders Of
Secretary FISH, on complaint Of tho Spanish
Minister, for alleged violation of the nculral-
ty laws. Tho Federal Court of the district
| was not in session at the time of her seizure,
| aud the case was postponed ior months. Tho
charges on when sho was seized not being
proven, she was finally delivered to her own.
or on the 18th of June last. on tic stipu.
lston that no claim for detention or dam
ages lo made against the officers of the
Government. She consequently had been de-
tanned for over nine months by the United
States Government, solely because Mr.. To-
rEz RoDERTs said she had violated tho ncu.
traltty laws
The Cuba and her cargo cost her owner
before she left this port one hundred and
sixty-fvc thousand dollars. To regain pos
session of her and bring her back, including
law costs, expenses, fees, bonuses, and the
Ike, cost him thirty-five thousand more so
that he DISTURBED OH the vessel, her outfit,
and her recovery, the large sum of two hun
dred thousand dollars Sails, anchors, naval
stores, aud powder, which had cost him over
forty thousand dollars, were sold by order of
the Government, as perishnble materials,
and brought at auction only thirty seven
hundred dollars
When the Cuba was brought back to this
port in the latter part of June last, her hull
and machinery, and the portion of the cargo
which had not been stolen or nefariously
sold willie she was in the hands of the
United States Government, would not have
brought eighty thousand dollars.
The Spanish Minister, thcrcfore-an utter
ly irresponsible party-caused loss to an
American shipowner Of one hun dred and
twenty thousand dollars, simply because he
chose 10 make q statement which he could
not sui stantiatc. international law gives
no redress to the owner of the Cuba.
Tie case was disgraceiul one in every
particular Disgraccful in the tracking of
the Administration TO the representative If
POWER which cordially dctcsts us, and
which showed her LEGISLATION in our late
war and now shows her contempt of us
by the nonchalance with which she treats
our protests against the barbarous excuses
Size is committing in Cuba; dis-raccful in
the lareiaccd dishonesty of Government OIL.
ciGls in Wilmington and elsewhere which il
sc'oscd d.sgraceful in the entire immuni.
ty with which any Spanish official may ruin
an American slipowncr.
The Florida s now in the hands of tie
United States Government in this port,
seized on the same charge, on an affidavit
made by some party whose name even the
authorities refuse to disclose. and without any
possibility Gifts owner being able TO collect
damages if, as in the case of the Cuba, tic
charge Should not be sui stantiatel. If this is
law, it certainly is not justice ;Gnd any such
law should at once lie amended.
President GRANT declared, in that inGa.
nous message in which he sought to throttle
The l.Lort.Is Of Cuba, that Z" n war with Spain
would destroy our already shattered com.
ncrce.' II spain is cutitled to destroy it as
she is doing by these absurd complaints,
peace may suit her letter than war Bat
the people Of the United States would, we
think, prefer the chances Of war.