New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-16
Az IMPORTANT BUSINESS

The State Department has at last matter
to deal with in Cuba requiring treatment at
once delicate and decided. 1t must be treated
! delicately, for it is a case that may lmperll
our Spanish relations and it must be treated
| decidedly, for it is a case affecting not only
| the rights of an American citizen, but the
official rights of a representative OF the Amerl-
can Government. 1t appears by the Havana
dispatches of yesterday that our Consul at
Santiago de Cuba has been compelled to Tee
from his post and take refuge in French
steamer bound for Jamaica, because, as it
would seem, of the action of the spanish
CLUB" which undertook to hold him per
sonally responsible for statements in his dis
patches to our Government. The kilograms
on the subject had to pass the Havana Censor
ship, and are consequently not very clear,
though evidently carefully prepared. But we
are told that a Committee of the Club waited
on our Consul, and questioned him regarding
one of his recent official dispatches; that he
denied he was the author of the dispatch in
question that, as he feared injury, he imme
diately took passage for jamaica; and that the
Government Secretary and British Consul ac
"companied him to the wharf but no demon
"stratiOn was made" 1t is easy to see through
this cautiously prepared statement what were
the real circumstances of the departure of Con-
sui Phillips from his post. He will doubtless
explain his denial Of the authorship Of the dis
patch for which he was held responsible by the
Spanish Club. We trust it was not because
his life was menaced while there was no
American vessel at Santiago for the protection
of his person or rights.
Iba ofql Of nj viii oh
noxous to the Santiago Spanards was the one
recently referred to in THE TRIBUNE, giving
an account of the execution at Santiago, in
which it was said one or two American citizens
were among the victims. The dispatch was trans
mitted through our Consul at Havana, and was
received in Washington on the 4th inst. 1t
merely mentioned the incidents of the affair,
Of which we had had previous accounts from
other sources. In reference to the action of
the State Department at Washington about the
matter, we were informed by dispatch pub
lshed on the 9Th inst. that Secretary Fish had
telegraphed to our Havana Consul to insist
upon thorough investigation of the reported
execution at Santiago that he had called in
person upon the Spanish Minister at Washing
ton for the facts of the case that he had
brought the matter before the Cabinet, and
that his action was approved by the President.
All this was prompt and energetic, but it was
also proper and legitimate, and we do not see
that the Santiago Spaniards had any right to
take exception to it, any more than they had
right to take exception to Consul Phillps's
dispatch, which called out this action.
We cannot possibly permit the Spanish clubs
OF Cuba to dictate the dispatches of our Con
suls, or to menace their persons or their rights
for anything they may do in tho performance
Of their official duties. We are fully aware of
the difficulties that surround Captain General
de Rodas in the prosecution Of war like that
which is raging in Cuba. We understand per-
fectly well that tho Spanish volunteers have
frequently acted in a manner which has met
with his disapproval; and we do not suppose
he will justify their conduct in compelling
Consul Phillips to leave his post. But he must
not, under any circumstances whatever,
permit his subordinates to assal or menace
the representatives Of the American Govern
ment in Cuba No Government could possibly
tolerate such things aud maintain its self.re-
spect or the respect of the world. We have
frequently urged our Government to send q
sufficient naval force into Cuban waters TO pro-
teCt tho rights Of our citizens in case Of dan