Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1873-12-11
4 Policy Toward Spain and Cuba.
A Cabinet Discussion--P President Grant
In Favor OF Mediation.

A Cabinet Observation-Disclosures Grant
In Favor OF Mediation.
At the meeting of the American Cab
met the Secretary of State laid before
the President all hetelegrams received
and sent in regard to the capture of the
yirginius, the execution of Varona,
Jesus del Sol, Cespedes and Ryan, and
the instructions sent to Minister Sick.
les at Madrid, and Consul General Hall
at Havana. He said that he was unable
as this time to formally present the
matter, as the State Department was
without official dispatches, owing to
the interruption of telegraphic facilities
between Havana and Santiago de Cuba,
but that he hoped in a few days to be in
possession of such details as would en-
able the government to act definitely.
This allusion to the matter was followed
by general remarks on the part of all
the members of the Cabinet. The Sec
retary of State said that it was impos-
sible now to fairly judge the question,
but, as would appear from the cable
dispatches received, the Spanish gov
ernment had No intention or desire to
assume the responsibility which the
grievousness of the act presented. As
he was advised, the government at
Madrid were without details. All that
had been sent abroad was from Wash
ington, based on the press dispatches,
and what were undoubtedly official dis
patches from the commanding officer at
Santiago de Cuba to the Captain Gen.
eral at Havana. So far as the Spanish
Legation was concerned he was assured
that Admiral Polo knew no more of the
details than the State Department.
Until the State Department was in pos
session of a detailed statement he was
not prepared to offer the matter for for
NAL consideration.
The summary execution of Ryan,
Varona and others was then talked of,
and the Secretary of State said that the
only explanation he could give for what
might now appear as an unwarranted
execution was that the parties shot had
been adjudged guilty of treason, and
the sentence of the Spanish govern
ment passed upon them some time ago.
1t was an old Spanish law, as much in
force to-day as it was forty years ago,
and those summarily executed, he had
no doubt, were on the list of condemned
traitors or open enemies of the Spanish
government, and, their identity being
proved, the military officer at Santiago
had no discretion in the matter, but
carried out the decree of his govern
ment. 1t was nothing new; merely the
enforcement of decree based upon old
Spanish law. Coming back to the
questions whether the seizure was legal
or illegal, whether the Virginius was in
every way protected by her register and
clearance papers, whether the parties
on board were destined for regular
port, as he had already stated, these
matters could only be known when the
State Department had received such
particulars as the magnitude of the case
demanded.
The President said he had read in the
press dispatches the statement that
eighty Cuban insurgents, captured as
prisoners of war, had been shot on the
field, and, while the report lacked con-
firmation, he was prepared to hear of
its confirmation after what had already
occurred in Cuba, and he was satisfied
that the Spanish government did not
and would not approve of such butchery.
1t was matter, however, which an en-
lightened government could not over
look, if, indeed, this method of warfare
was necessary to the support of the
Spanish Republic, individually he could
not wish such a government prosperity.
If the Spanish people, in their effort to
establish republican form of govern
ment, could not control their authori-
ties in Cuba, then, in the interest of
humanity, he thought it time to inter
fere-not to encourage the struggling
Cubans nor embarrass the Spanish Re-
public in any way, but wholly in the
interest of civilization and humanity.
Such precedent has already been es.
tablished. My attention has recently
been called to this, and refer the mat
ter to the Secretary of State.