Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-13
HORROR ON HORROR HEaPED

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more bloody news from the fatefuuI Vir-
ginius. A Havana dispatch states that
the captain and thirty-six of his crew
were executed at Santiago &c Cuba on
the 9TH inst, and that on the Sth inst.
twelve more, Cuban volunteers, shared
the same fate. Among the last batch
OF victims was Franchi Albaro, whom
the Spanish authorities report as an as
pirant for the Presidency of the Cuban
Republic, and who is said to have
offered in vain million dollars for his
life.
We are told from Washington that
Hon" Daniel Sickles is godfather to
the Madrid republic, that his influence
with Castelar's Cabinet is immense,
that be secured the recent changes in
the Captaincy-G General of Cuba, etc.
The initial massacre at Santiago oc-
CURED on the 4th, and the reason given
by Minister Sickles for not preventing
it, was that he heard of the capture of
the Vrginius only on the 9th. We
were further told that he had an imme-
date consultation with CASTELAR, and Sc
cured the issuance of an order to stay
all proceedings in the case of the Vir-
ginius, which order was to reach Santi-
ago de Cuba on the evening of the 9th
or the morning Of the 9TH. But here
are wholesale massacres occurring after
Minister Sickles' omnipotent order.
Either his influence, or the Mad
rid republic, is Pigment. Americans
who venture their bodies or souls on
Spanish soil do 50 at their peril. Our
Sickly Fishy protection is no protection
at all Only on Tuesday last, the 10th
inst, the telegraph informs US that sew
eral passengers from New York, women
as well as men, were arrested on land
ing at Havana on mere suspicion that
they were aiders of the rebellion.
An ugly feature OF this terrible af-
fair, IS the criminal absence from his
post Of the United States Consul to
Santiago. His presence might have
averted this whole series of tragedies.
At the least. he could have given our
Government early information. This
might not have helped Fish or Sickles
in their barren diplomacy, but it would
certainly have enabled the Navy De-
partment to have a vessel or two on the
ground before the 9TH or Sth. The Con-
sui to Santiago, however, was far away
from his post, in innocent imitation of
President Grant and other lights. In
. an interview with the Washington cor
respondent of the Cincinnati CONNER
ciaI on the night Of the 10th, Secretary
Fish said:
"The summary executions at Santiago
might have been delayed had our Consul
at that point, A. n. Young, of Kentucky,
been at his post. Young, however, was
either at the Ebbitt House, in Washington
City, or somewhere between here and New
York at the time. Had our Con-
sul at Santiago been in his place, timely
dispatch to Madrid might have stayed the
execution, but the murders were rushed
through in accordance with the devilish
spirit Of the authorities"
Secretary Fish does not seem to sym
pathize with the Cuban patriots to any
great extent. He intimates that their
movements in New York ard elsewhere
are giving Spain grounds for a claim
Of damages against us as valid as that
we have just recovered by the Geneva
arbitration. He evidently regards the
Virginius as another Alabama, and
has entertained but little concern for
her fate. President Grant Is said to
favor the Cuban cause. We believe
Vice President Wilson is a member of
several Patriot clubs in New York. and
there Is some little hutter Of talk about
war III naval circles In this connec-
ton, as boding no present help for the
Cuban republicans, the Washington
correspondent of the Cincinnati Com
mercial gives the following under date
Of Nov. 10.
"ApTopOS OF Spain, tO-day'S report of
Capt. James Foney, Of the Marine Corps,
whom Secretary Robson sent over to Eu-
rope to inspect the relative strength and IF
iiciency Of the shipboard soldiery of the
leading nations, shows that Spain has ten
thousand marines, and that the marine
corps is thu highest branch Of her service,
the officers being uniformly selected from
the nobility, and the corps trained in col
leges at Cadiz and Madrid. This large ma
rine force is less efficient at present than
before the revolution, the officers having
become trading politicians. 1t is the sec
ond marine force, however, in the world,
Great Britain having fourteen thousand,
and the United States only three thousand.
The Spanish marines are divided between
the infantry and artillery services. Thus
Spain is twice rs strong in ships as we,
and has more than three to one of ship
military