The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-22
NEW YORK
Spanish Blo0dhOunds and the
Cuban Comm issiOns-Amer
the Spanish Position.

Cuban Comm issions-Ameri nat
the spanish Position.
When the first special Commissio m p
HERALD to the Island of Cuba was "
in Havana the HERALD uttered Ger ori
Of warning, telling those highest j Il
authority to take their hands off il
to take the consequences. We spok Fofe0
| we knew, and the result was shown hrsh N'
the liberation of our correspondent, Nae
ond, in a series of actions on tn cl
those authorities about which, for the N
| we choose to be silent Our second r.
sioner, Mr. OKelly, hos not been inn nai
His letter to Captain General Cebe 3
that officers reply have settled that pa Poe
| question satisfactorily to us. While however
niggardly show of official "condesc on
has been made In telling him to 60 forward
sat his own risk condition from which
he has not shrunk-the bloodhounds Il the
Spanish press have been endeavoring 20 I'M
press upon the regulars and volunteea ubat
the phrase Of Ceballos means ACCORD o.
their light This "dog in forehead Oh dseI
in heart" policy is one in which we 40 ief
from confounding all press writer's ,n .ho
Spanish side in Cuba; but its secor ap-
pearance in the columns Of Spanish orgon
in Havana we do not propose to overlook.
When the DiariO de Ia Marina writes fourteen
editorial columns reviewing the report of Mr..
Henderson to the HERALD, it exercises q fair
right of criticism; but the Constancia in its
- fha kox dave 10 nd
q second commission to Cuba, steps out into
| the position where the bloodhound is found in
the hunt. Having called to mind the Captain
Generals phrase that Mr.. O'Kelly would be
| free to travel in Cuba sat his own risk" we
give the words of the organ of the volunteers
in all their naked savagery and to comment
on them afterward. Here are its questions:-
"When in any country, there are parties en-
gagged in war, can not foreigner be shot by
one of the belligerents?
"Do not officers of these parties very fire.
quently shoot unknown persons found near
them who appear at all suspicious?
"Is not suspicion of being spy of the
enemy sufficient cause to be shot and would
not a stranger found with the enemy's pass or
safe-conduct be considered a spy and shot
accordingly
"What is there to prevent the insurgents
or Spaniards from arresting and shooting Mr..
O'Kelly2
"Could not Mr.. O'Kelly, although in the
character of an envoy from the HERALD, be an
agent of the Cuban laborantes?
"Would not the Spanish party, on meeting
him, consider him one of the few foreigners.
survivors from the piratical expeditions? And
could not the insurgents, after an interview
with him, bring him into the vicinity of the
Spanish forts and there give him 'four bull
let's in the head in order that his death might
be attributed to the Spanish soldiers or volun-
teers?
"But what should occur if any of these sup
positions should take place?
"Nothing,' adds the Constancia. Affairs
would take their usual course, and peace be-
tween Spain and the United States still be
preserved
The cowardliness of all this is shown in the
furtive turbulence of its mode of putting the
not say, 'Shoot him, because he will tell the
truth" 1t, therefore, sinks back and says,
with cross-eyed leer, Don't nail his ears to
the pump" To set the C0nStdncia or any
other paper that aspires to be the counsellor
Of assassination right, might prove thank
less task. To tell all whom it may concern
that the impartial writer for an independent
journal like the HERALD is not to be frightened
by the baying of muzzled bloodhounds is
something more to the point For the HERALD
Commissioner to undertake his mission Eat
his own risk" is sufficient for the Captain
General The gasconade of the Constancia is,
therefore, a piece of impotent impertinence
which carries its label on its face. There is
one question asked by this Spanish journal
which it answers for itself Suppose, it says
in effect, that, acting on the Constancia's sug-
gestions, the Spanish troops did shoot
plies. ''Affairs would take their usual
course, and peace between Spain and
the United States still be preserved"
If any commet is needed on this it is
simply what we said in the case of our
first Commissioner, that we should hold the
Spanish government accountable. The Span
ish government in Cuba knows that the very
worst investment it could take in death would
be that of the representative of the HERALD,
whose mission is to throw light upon the dark
struggle waging in the island 1t has other
reasons to know why the life of the HERALD
Commissioner will be as sacred as in its power
to make it. The strongest reason of oil is the
exact reverse of the Constancia' answer to its
own question:. e., affairs would not take
their usual course peace between Spain and
the United States could not be preserved 1t
is in the first instance question of the
iherfv and life of the l1noffc di NO citizen In