New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-09

& cCBAK CRISIS THE VIRGIEIUE Gap
TEPE

tie firgini.s ga. specimen Of TIE fient
Is :sA Vengeance ct the Spanish sa.aor;:ie
: IN Gaia. Tie proerastinat;cc Of freedom
:. rrsres her rertdv. With tie example .
tbs crit;-adea murder. 1. ~: prove ra
;"s-r,sAt- I: or government shall hav
70 postponed fss an instant sny Possible IL
e sesseUsiSa os humanity. I: Va. 10. wts,
:se lives az msa v.te .: stake tina.
? fssssas5 asG psassaoolas protest sics.:(
s@S9 been eaas6@so ESPECIALLY ssSea osis
Solocs ot Cuba ee6e eoEg erno2 Sotb9n,
8 IS known officially as to tie marine posi-
ton Of the Nirginius when captured, bu
It was no time to measure miles when the
carblnes We're loading for the murder 0;
protection Of the American flag. We do
not doubt but that the State Department
viii give satisfactory explanation Of its
action IN the premises. 1t IS our duty to
remind Secretary Fish that the courteous
1orbearance and the rather patien. credcE-
= With which positive emancipation i'll
Cuba has been awaited by our govern
rnent has subjected the friends Of uni
versal freedom to some comments not
altogether creditable to their progressive
philanthropy. The colored citizens are
especially solicitous that the government
should, as soon as legally possible, root
up pestllent plant whose seeds NAV be
blown N any direction, and quarantine
freedom against any possible infection Of
bondage. The forbearance Of our gov
eminent has not, we fear, been appre-
GATED, except to be abused by Spain. But
| the immediate question will be whether
| the Jurisdiction Of the United States has
been violated by invading the deck of a
| vessel bearing her flag? We assume that
the Nlrginius was an American vessel. en-
gagged in carrying cargo, protected by pa
pers in due form. We will assume also that
she was captured within the jurisdiction
of neutral power. The example of the
United States in cutting out the Florida |
from neutral port Of Brazil shows what |
should have been the duty Of Spain in a |
similar case. A federal historian char |
acterizes that act as an unlawful cap |
tare, for which 'the Brazilian government |
demanded and received reparation,' The |
American Secretary Of State, Mr.. Sew
ard, promptly responded to the just
complaint of The Brazilian government.
he said, - that the President would dis
avow and regret the proceedings at Ba-
hia." Iae captain Of the United States
vessel was suspended and sent before
court martial. The American consul at
Bahia was dismissed. In like manner
when the British steamer Trent had been
boarded on the high seas by an American
naval officer and two alleged enemies of
the United States forcibly taken from her
deck, the American government ordered
those captured enemies to be replaced
@lthln British Jurisdiction. It was ii Ike |
manner that the prisoners captured ia the
Florida were said by Mr.. Seward to have
been unlawfullv brought within the
custody OF this government They were
|
conduct of the United States ia case ,
similar to that Of tile Virginius that !
the prisoners liberated We're even :
'tigmatized by Mr. Seward as pirates, ,
not entitled 10 the protection of q
aW. In tie American example +.
here was no bloodshed, no private prop ! q
'rty destroyed There was no unholy and h
lbominable haste to STAY the helpless :,
prisoners before humanity could inter 8
enc. The government Of the United n
tates took a deliberate view of all the | .,
circumstances and made acknowledgment b
nd PREPARATION, even to power far weaker m
1 maritime force than themselves The | hi
eet OF Spain were swift to shed blood in
hey do not seem to have awaited any d.
Of the facts attending the On
ipture. They first shot the unhappy u
rlSoners, and are now open to deplora- DC
lie inquiry, whether they deserved death? 81,
hen trigonometry and the log shall have all
ensured the maritime league which marks We
G margin Of sanctuary within which ALI
disabled vessel finds shelter it may be so,
ind that the capture Of the Virginius ga
IS within neutral waters. Suppose such tbs
be the fact! Perfdious Spain will adj bis
t the geographical error Of her officers ore
e may go down on her metaphorical an,
ees to our bland Secretary of State, but VIII
Il this restore the dead to life? Will it by
'lace property which may have been 7
zen from lawful harbor: Will it APP ant
.se the violated honor of the American can
:? These are mere non-combatant fin
rtyrs of Spanish treachery and intol- hin
nee. There is signal strain hin,
IN American forbearance. How long Il "
ore it ceases to be virtue? May not n :
governm ent be criticised by the terv
nos of universal freedom in having al ,ops
ing lhls lorpeafahce to cover civil ions
against the emancipation Of both low
tie and black? OF one thing we are tbe
ued, this disregard Of civilized hui tba
atty demands the reproof Of civiliza ,o,r
ente
here can be no further doubt that sista
he inhabitants Of that portion Of welc
"a which has successfully maintained sem.
reedom shall capture any portion of have
Spanish loyalists they will retaliate shou
pain, liberated from the pressure of help
lestic war, shall turn her whole mill
and marine force to the subjugation
zee Cuba. that the determination of IU