The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-07
ssTo No Shot - . spy',-A Piece Of
Spanish Bombast.

from Palma Soriano. in the Eastern Depart-
ment of Cuba, the message of the commander
OF the Spanish forces in that section of the
island, General Morales, to the HERALD Cuban
Commissioner, in reply to the application Of
the latter gentleman for facilities to pass the
| Spanish lines on his mission to investigate the
condition of the Cuban instruction. The
message is brief :-''You can leave Palma and
60 where you like, on the understanding that
if the Spanish troops find you among the
insurgents. or if you afterwards appear
within the Spanish lines. you will be
treated as q. spy and shot Immediately"
Our response to General Morales and to
the government he represents shall be equally
concise and distinct: eff the HERALD Com
missioner receives any injury at your hands
without violating the laws of your country
you will be held to strict accountability, and
will be made to suffer the penalty of the out
rage, not in the island of Cuba alone, but on
every inch of soil that owes allegiance to the
Spanish flag"
The HERALD Commissioner to the island of
Cuba is Mr.. James j. O'Kelly, gentleman
whom the Spanish authorities have already
discovered to be well able to protect himself
and to insure the respect which is his right
He enters the Spanish territory under no alias
and in no disguise. His mission is known to
all men there is nothing secret or surrep-
titious about it. He visits Cuba for the pur-
pose of ascertaining by personal observation
the exact status of the rebellion on the island.
lie is no irresponsible intermeddler, but
represents, through the independent press
Of the United States, the whole people
Havana he made known to the highest power
in the government the object of his journey,
and sought from the Captain General the pro-
lection to which both courtesy and justice
entitled him. When this was refused Mr..
O'Kelly announced his intention to pursue
his legitimate business without it, and his
further movements have been made publicly, in
the broad light of day. The military defni-
ton of a spy is ''person sent into an enemy s
camp to inspect their works, ascertain their
strength or their movements, and secretly
communicate intelligence to the proper Off
cer." Mr.. O'Kelly is not in the Spanish
camp for any such purpose. He is not
accused or suspected of ''secretly communi-
eating intelligence to the Cuban revolu-
tionists. If in reality Cuban spy he would
be liable to execution now while found within
the Spanish lines. If suffered by the Spanish
authorities to depart as an innocent man
and to enter the territory occupied by the
insurgents on publicly avowed and
legitimate mission he could not be adjudged
a spy on his return, for he would then be on
his way home and would hold no further COM
munication with the revolutionists. Neither
could he be adjudged spy if found with the
insurgents; for his intention to visit them is
known, and he carries to them no unlawful
aid or Illicit information. He is o non-bel-
ligerent and foreigner, owing no allegiance
to Spain, and with as much right to be peace
, fully within the insurgent lines as peacefully
within the Spanish lines. The threat of Gen.
eral Morales is as absurd as it will be futile
1t is a piece of Spanish bombast which, like O
blank cartridge, is at once noisy and harm
less.
sioner is the cause Of the American press and
the American people. In despatching Mr..
OKelly on his present mission we have been
actuated by no mere ambition to display en-.
terprise as public jourpal--by no selfish
motives whatever. The United States as o
nation has interests in Cuba for which we
have right to demand protection. Hundreds
of our citizens to-day hold their lives and
liberties at the caprice of the rabble on
the island known as volunteers-rufians
whose defiance of authority is as notorious
as their cowardice and inhumanity. The
Americans in Cuba must not be left to depend
upon the mercy of such men or upon the JUS
tice of a government incapable of controlling
them. For four years We have been without
J any official information Of the condition O!
affairs in the insurrectionary portions of the
island, but from the knowledge we have
gained of the character of the war we are JUS
tiled in the belief that GROSS oufrnres have