Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-13

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war that the insurgents are waeinp
against the Spanish authorities, but she
was not in Spanish waters, nor within
the Jurisdiction of Cuban authority,
and she was entitled by the general
law of. the world to a trial and iudg-
ment before tribunal competent to
determine on the rules of international
law, and it is obvious that court
martial is not such tribunal.
The telegraph informs us that the
Virginius when captured was flying the
American flag, and bore United States
Register. This makes it question of
more importance to this nation than the
murder of the four men who were shot
by order of the Cuban court-martial. and
leaves npon President Grant the duty of
indicating the honor of the insulted ma
ton. 1t has already been the subject of
a Cabinet discussion, and we hope that
the demand for satisfaction will be as
prompt and decisive as was the action of
the Cuban eourt-marital, and that unless
ample apology and satisfaction. Is at
once given, and full indemnity against a
recurrence Of the offence, that there APP
pear in Spanish waters sufficient force,
flying our flag, TO sweep from this side
of the Atlantic all trace of Spanish gov
eminent and rule. The New York
Herald suggests that we abate Spanish
domination on this hemisphere as NUS
ance, and we trust the government will
take this view of the question, unless
some milder remedy can secure to our
vessels absolute protection upon the high
seas from piratical attacks by the armed
cruisers of Spain
This conduct on the part of the Span
ish authority was wholly unnecessary, be
cause our government would take ample
measures to enforce our neutrality laws.
We spent too much time and money IN
procuring the adoption of the rule APP
piled by the Geneva Arbitrators, to vio-
late it ourselves. If the Virginius was
a law breaker engaged in fillibustering
expedition to Cuba, a representation of
the facts by the Cuban authorities would
have brought about ample punishment to
her and all engaged in the expedition,
and we should have thanked the Span
ish officers for capturing and OBTAINING
her and her crew until they could be
properly condemened but they pre-
ferred not to take such q course, and
what they have done is simply to com
NIT an arrogant and inexcusable outrage
upon an American ship, and bullying
insult to our sovereignty, for which we
must seek remedy. The lives of the
four men who were shot cannot be re-
stored, but that act will so aggravate the
offense that simple apology will not
repair the injury, and this nation can
ask the removal and punishment of.
every officer who was engaged in the
outrage, or an alternative of an entire
withdrawal of Spanish authorities in the
West midas.
This last proposition may look little
like arrogance on our part, but it is time
we made use of strong measures, and
the Government of Cuba have shown
this disposition to disregard our rights,
which we cannot afford to have repeat
ed. The act is just cause for war by
all rules of international law, and by a
war there is no doubt but we could puri-
fly Cuba, and all other dependencies of
Spain on this continent of allegiance to
the naughty Spaniard, and we may well
put as an alternative to our reasonable
demand for reparation for the insult and
injury, what we could certainly take by
a resort to the adjustment allowed us by
the law. We do not want Cuba as a
State or territory of this Union. We
have all the territory we desire, but we
do want peace, and knowledge that
our flag will be respected on the high
seas, and that our citizens can be as
safe on the deck of our vessels as in
any other part of our jurisdiction, from
assaults by foreign powers. This occa-
sion deserves energetic and decisive ac-
ton.