New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-11-01
A CLOun IN TILE SOUTH.

A CLOUD IN THE SOUTH
| It was yesterday reported from the Havana
that the XaragOza had sailed for Port-au-
Prince, and to-day the telegraph announces
that the Pizarro has started in the same dlrrc-
ton, and that other vessels OF the Spanish
| fleet are to follow. The impression ia gaming
ground in the Havana that the Captaln-Gcn-
| erals Government is really contemplating the
crazy project of making an attack upon the
Hornet in the harbOr of POIt-au-Prince where
she il guarded by the double shield OF liaytian
neutrality and of American nationality. This
would appear utterly incredible but for the
nrcnostcrous attitude Of the Spanish au-
tborjtes ever since the Hornet arrived
in Hoytien waters Their demand for the sur
render of the vessel was founded rather on
their idea of the weakness of llaytl than upon
any legal claim, and the spirited refusal OF
President Saget to submit to such lawlcSs bull
living seemed to excite to the utmost that spirit
of Espah0lismO which prevents true Spanlard
from ever listening to common sense where his
national pride is touched. 1t is true that there
is no color of law or justice in this claim upon
the Hornet. Neither by virtue of any treaty
nor of any provision Of international law has
she rendered herself liable to seizure in
neutral waters. But it is not there
fore safe to conclude that the brutal
dcspotiSm which Expresses Cuba will be de-
tered by these considerations from attempt
ing some such desperate enterprise. The war
with Chill and Peru is one of the recent in
stances which prove how capable the Spanish
mind is of accepting disastrous sacrifices
rather than abate one iot of the most fantas-
H.
came one of the glores of Spain through that
absurd campaign, and Admiral ParGja was
canonized as \ martyr for blowing out his
brains when he lost IA gun-hOat.
The sooner we recognize the fact that in all
matters at issue between lis and the yicc-rOyal
Government of Cuba, we are dealing with
savage tribe, as shamclcssly independent OF
the rules of international comfy and ordinary
morality as was the late Emperor of Abyssinla,
the better it will he for orr interests. Once
or twice, by dint of positive threats from our
State Department and the most determined
action of our legation at Madrid, we have
caused that fcIOClOus and ignorant dcSpOtlsm
to loose it's grasp upon our citizens and their
property. But in a number of cases, which 1t
is a humiliation to recall we have suffered
Outrages to remain unatOned, and protested
only by diplomatic demands, which are
likely to remain unsatislied until the
end of time. The process is always
the same. The outrage is committed
by the Volunteers OF the Captain General.
We reclaim at Madrid. The Government
promises to investigate and does nothing. We
repeat our summons. They deny the facts;
we prove them and after endless delays per-
| haps we obtain an order for redress, issued by
| the Government at Madrid to the Captain
| General at Havana This worthy lights his
cigar with it,, and the work begins again from
the beginning. The Government dares not
cOerce the satTap the satrap fears his colo
NAL constituents more than his nominal supe-
rors in Madrid IF he disObeys the latter, they
do not dare to remove him. If he displeases
the former, they will mob him and cut
his throat. There is no remedy in the Cuban
courts; they are the creatures of the popular
passion and ignorance. The degradation of
the supreme authority has gone on constantly
from bad to worse. Dulce was comparatively
decent and moderate. Caballero was a
butcher, but not without certain coarse in
stincts of soldierly fairness and honor. But
the Volunteers have an instrument after their
own heart in the Count of Valmaseda. His
dcpraved Surroundings, but of his own deficient
mental and moral perceptions.
1t is well to be prepared for any act Of folly
and lawlessness from such quarter. There is
nothing impossible from men so violent and
so ignorant of their true relations to the
world. 1t will not be prudent, either to rely
upon the good intentions of the Government
of King Amadeus. That amiable young gen.
tleman has very little authority in Cuba. Be-
sides, if an act of violence be committed
it is only too probable that the re-
dictionary politicians in the Chamber will make
it a pretext for rallying the blind patriotism
of the country to the support of Ither selfish
cause. In an Assembly where an intrigue of
Serrano and Sagasta has succeeded in driving
Ruiz Gorilla from power, there could be little
hearing for the voice of truth and law when
the clamors of Spanish pride and prejudice
were once fully reused by an outrage on our
flag in West Indian waters.