Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-11-20
CUBAN DEFIANCE TO SPAIN.


orders relative to the fitting out or
movements of war vessels, but this
has not been sufficient to prevent
executive officer Ransom of the
Brooklyn yard from telling report
er fthe Brooklyn Eagle a very en-
tertaining story. He was not at
liberty to tell anything about orders
or vessels, but he didn't mind say
ing that in his opinion there would
be war with Spain, and the Uni
ted States would undoubtedly con-
quer and retain Cuba. This is un-
doubtedly about what a good many
hasty and sympathetic American
citizens hope to see Immediately
done. The fact that nearly every
available vessel in our naval SER
vice is being put in commission and
ordered to the Cuban waters is suf-
ficient to show that the government
is fully alive to the exigencies of the
case, but we confess our inability to
see upon what basis our government
is to forcibly interfere. 1t is clearly
apparant that the Virginius was en-
gagged in an act of war against the
ruling authorities Of Cuba. A let
ter written at Kingston, Jamaica,
to the New York Herald, just after
the VIrginius had sailed and before
her capture was known, says:
"The irginius was to meet a
schooner out on the high sea at a
given point, to take from her all the
arms aud ammunition she should car
~ to the liberating army of Cuba,
which consisted of 500 Remington
rifles, 60 Spencer rifles and over 20
Winchester rifles, 400 revolvers, 600
sabers, and a large amount of ANU
milton, besides clothing, medicines
and provisions, being the largest
convoy of war materials ever taken
to Cuba"
The passenger list was made up
mainly of devoted adherants of the
Cuban patriot cause, and they were
Registered on-the vessels books as
laborers designed to work on a rail-
road near Aspinwall. Beyond all
question they intended to use the
Anne: ican flag, in case of capture, as
a cover to an overt act of war uo-
on country with which this gov
ernment is at peace. General Ryon
three weeks ago met Congressman
Purman, of Florida, at the National
Hotel in Washington, and told Mr..
Purman that he was going to Cuba,
and eutreated that if he Ryan fell
into the hands of the Spaniards,
Purman should go at once to the
President and urge the adminlstra-
ton to interfere in his behalf. This,
together with the act of using the
American flag to cover a filibuster
ing expedition, would seem to con-
stitute clear case against the un-
fertunates so far as concerns the
legal rights and obligations of our
government toward them and Spain.
The fact is however, that the Span
ISL rule in Cuba is abhorrent to nine
out of every ten American citizens
and the sympathies of very large
majority of our people are irrevoca-
bly, on the side of the patriots. The.
bloodthirsty Spaniards at Santiago
and Havana have not only outraged
the feelings of all Chrisendom, but
they have offered a direct and un-
pardonable insult to the govern
ment of Spain. The Cabinet of Presi
dent CASTELAR, had expressly decreed
that the colonial authorities should
take no measures involving the
life of any prisoner without express
and deliberate authority from Mad
rid. The hasty butchery of the crew
and passengers ofthe Virginius was
therefore fat defiance to the Span
ish government, which is now held
responsible by the rest of the world
for not having the power to pre-
serve peace at home, or to COM
mand the respect and obedience of
its provincial subordinates. The
dilema in which this sanguinary
outrage places the Republican gov
ernment of Spain is therefore
most serious one. Either 1t must
go on and punish the Cuban author
tiles for their bloodthirsty defiance
of it's own authority, or it must ad-
NIT what has for years been the fact
but what no previus Spanish admin
istration has had the courage to ad-
NIT that Cuba is practically indie
pendent of Spain and defies the au-
thority of the mother country. If
CASTELAR, proclaims this fact it will
cost him his overthrow, for the peo-
pie of Spain will tolerate no king or
president who will let Cuba, with
its rich revenues, slip from his grasp.
As to the course of our government,
it is safe to predict that nothing has
ty or unauthorized W II be done.
The first thing to be done is to es-
tablish precisely beyond
all dispute, the exact status of the
Virginius at the time Of her cap
ture, whether or not she was in Ja-
maican waters when taken, whether
or not she was entitled to carry the
American flag, and whether pretend
ed destination for Aspinwall was
genuine or assumed. Until these
points are ascertained all war cries
and appeals to the administration
to open fire on Havana are i'll timed
and, SO far as they have any influ-
ence, mischievous.-Cleveland Lead
er.
Getting Ont of Red.