Wilmington journal., 1873-08-08
THE VIRGINIUS.
The American Protection Of the Gu
ban Blockade Runner-SharpC Cor
respOndencc between Com III ander
Reed and u Spanish Officer.

|
respOndencc between Command,
Reed and u Spanish Officer.
-he official dispatches from Lieutel
ant Commander A. V. Reed, of Ii
United States steamer Kansas. to I'll
Navy Department, regarding the C1
ban blockade-rnnner Virginius, Sc
forth that the Kansas arrived at A.
pinwal on the 21st of June, and foun
anchored there the Virginius; that O
the evening Of the day following tn
Spanish gl1nboat Bazan arrived tina
on the day after her arrival lette
was received by Lieutenant Comman
der Reed from Lieutenant Autran com
manding the Bazan, asking to be in
formed ''if the steamer Virginius is al
American vessel, and if, as such, sh
has all her papers according to law
| because if she has there will be NJ
doubt that III the United States til,
law of nations Is interpreted, at leas
i'll the present case, in very differen
| way from what it is in Spain an(
| therefore [ will ask the Spanish Con
| sul in Panama to transinit my remarks
to the Spanish Minister in Washing
ton, in order that this high officer may
the proper observations and claims, sc
that the Virginius may cease to fly the
flag of a nation ut peace with Spain
and that i'll case of covering that yes,
sci with her flag, will compel Spain to
take extreme measures, or to ask the
arbitration of some European Power
in the tillibnstering question l am de-
batting: because the beautiful example
,>f > La,
between the Union and England urges
us to follow it"
Upon receipt of this letter Lien
tentant Commanding Reed addressed
a note to Consul ThorringtOn, ut As
p;nwall. enclosing the above letter re-
qnesting information rs to whether the
Nirginius was IL United States vessel,
and authorized to sail under the Amer
an flag. Consul ThorrinGton replied
that her papers were correct, and that
she was authorized tD sail under our
cOlOrs. A letter WAS then written by
Commander Reed to Lieutenant
Autran, info rming him OF that fact
PROTECTION ASKED FOR THE vIRGINIUs.
Subsequently Lieutenant Com
mander Reed received an additional
letter from Consul .ThorringtoD, stat
ing that the Captain of the Virginirls
had applied for protection from the
war steamer BaZan, and requesting
him to see that 1.-The Virgin.uA is not
subjected to any unlawful exercise Of
force on the part of the Bazan," and
closing rs follows : Il also respect
fully rccomm' nj that, when the Y r
ginins has completed her repairs,
which will be in few days, to see her
clear of possible Interruptions from
the BaZan. Her papers are i'll COIN
plete order. I feel compelled 10 give
my views as above, and to place the
affair where it properly belongs, i'll the
hands of that service whose para
mount duty is the protection of Ameri-
can commerce."
The commanding officer of the
Bacon WAS informed of the action of
Consul Thnrrington, and in addition
was notified that the Nirginius should
have all the necessary protection.
A MILD THREAT FROM TIRE SPANISH
COMMANDER.
In reply the Spanish Commander ad-
dressed Il communication to Lieuten-
ant Commander Reed, to the effect
that Spanish war vessels cannot per
NIT the Nirginius free passage when
ever she may wish to sail, or even to
leave a neutral port where she has
found protection and support. 1t is
not the fault of the Spanish Govern
ment that the United States las not
withdrawn altogether its protection to
the Nirginius F.; for it is now many
months that this vessel has been en-
gagged in business SO foreign to that of
ANY other merchant vessel as to require
her to be constantly watched by the
Spanish cruisers. If that protection is
invoked for to-day, only because her
papers appear in order, it is an arbi-
trary act. But in the meantime he was
convinced of his right to resolutely
prevent her departure, and that he
should do so in order to discharge his
duty until he received instructions t.
the contrary from :hc authorities to
whom he was responsible"
CURT RESPONSE OF COMMANDER REED.
To the threatening letter Comman-
der Reed replied that the 6 running of
blockade and the landing OF contra
band Of war does not insure the for
feiture of n vessel unless caught in the
her than the end Of the return voy-
age"
THE SPANISH COMMANDERS DENOUNCES
THE vIRGINIUS AS \ PIRATE.
Finding that threats would not in
timidate Commander Reed, the Span
ish commander wrote the commanding
officer of the Kansas III substance as
60 Tn, I,n & ri,
Government, [ denolnce the steamer
Vlrginills, as pirate and l ask of yOu,
taking into consideration the good re-
lations existing between the two co,ln-
tries, that you will direct the said YES
sci to be sent to the United States, to
bethere judged before your own courts,
to which Spain will send the proofs she
has in her possession, with the under
standing that if these proofs be not
sufficient to condemn the Virginius,
then. as a representative of the Span
ish Government, I pledge that nation
TO pay all damages gOwing out of her
detention"
To this letter no reply was made
It is said the Navy Department I'M
qualifedly approves the action of
Commander Reed. The present status
of the Virginins will be investigated
by the Treasury Department.
After thus escaping from the clutches
of the Spanish man-of-war, by the in
reference of the United States author
tiles, the Virginius proceeded to Cnba
and safely landed its cargo of arms,
ammunition aid munitions of war
generally.
The latest dispatch from Washing
ton City says that $50 far as the State
Department is advised, and both the
naval and Consular correspondence is
before it, onr Government has nothing
to regret i'll what has transpired re-
garding the departure of the Virginius
from the port of Colon"
The distracted condition of Spain
will probably prevent any redress from
being sought, unless it be by arbitra-
ton. President Grant does not seem
to think that weak nations have any
4 I