The New York herald., 1873-11-28
spain Begging tho Question.

We warmly commend the firm stand taken
by President Grant on the grave difficulty
with Spain. Conscious Of the right which the
nation possesses to protect its honor and dig
nifty. the position Of the administration
should be as unyielding as well chosen
While we deeply regret as an unfortunate
circumstance that the horrible Vir-
ginius outrage brings two republics into
disaccord, we must strenuously insist that no
sentimentalism shall permit deliberate in
suit to our flag and the murder of American
citizens to pass unatoned. We must further
insist that this atonement be full and COM
plete The character Of the government
which takes the responsibility of the acts can
make no difference in respect to the satisfac-
ton to be given, for our honor cannot be
made to have different value, in our eyes, &C
cording to the monarchism or otherwise
of those who assail it. The monarchist
butchers of Santiago have brought about for
Senor CASTELAR, q state Of affairs doubtless as
regretted by that enlightened statesman as it
is resented by us. If acknowledging his in
ability to make atonement he had referred
the matter to us for settlement be might not
only have jeopardizsd bis power, but probably
have committed what as q Spaniard, he
would consider lapse Of duty. BY assuming
the responsibility 81. the viggfnius outrage his
government have taken an attitude of self
preservation, and while this assumption, if it
contemplated full reparation Which it could not
compel would almost inevitably bring the
question back to US for settlement, it makes the
duty o'press our claims oil the more impera-
tive, Between Santiago, Havana, Washington
and Madrid the matter might, if the deter
mination to exact reparation was relaxed, lose
itself in quagmire of diplomacy. Republic
or no republic in Spain, this cannot be per-
mitted.
The demands of President Grant have
placed the Spaniards in position where we
can judge their intentions. They evidently
desire to shirk any, decisive reply by begging
the question Of the nationality Of the vir-
ginius. They 60, in fact, behind her status
as an American ship to prove q case Of their
own, and citing an insolent threat, made last
June by Spanish officer, are understood now
to appeal to the governments of Europe to
sustain them because the threat has become
sanguinary fact. This is line of defence
as insulting TO common sense as the
act it counteHances : is revolving to
humanity. The threat in question was made
by Lieutenant Jose M. Autran, commanding
the Spanish gunboat Bazan, OF Aspinwall, on
the 23d of June last, when the steamer
virginius lay there protected by the guns of
the United States corvette Kansas. This
Spanish officer, finding his desire to sink or
capture the Virginius frustrated by the pres
ence of the American man-of-war, addressed o
note, to her commander which will be found
elsewhere, and which was published in
the HERALD last July, together with
the replies of Commander Reed and
other correspondence upon the same
matter After inquiring whether the virginius
was covered by the American flag and
had her papers in order. Lieutenant Autran
proceeded very deliberately to say that the
United States sin 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 flibuster ques-
ton I am debating because the beautiful ex-
ample Of arbitration we have contemplated
between the Union and England urges us to
follow i" In the capture Of the
regularly documented Virginius upon
the high seas, in taking her as 0
prize to q Spanish port and butchering
her passengers and crew, we see what Lieu
tenant Autran and the Spanish government
meant by s'extreme measures" After adopt
ing these it is curious to see Spain begging
European Powers to save her from the conse-
quences. To murder man first and then ap-
peal to arbitration about disputed point
which was involved in the mode of life Of the
murdered, may suit Spanish logic in its pres
ent straits, or may be Spanish law, for
that matter; but to US it is cowardly
begging of the question which we must
regard with mingled indignation and
contempt Commander Reeds replies to the
Spaniard's missives, supported by prompt
action, put the law of the case on the right
side and were only imperfect in his reference
to the responsibilities of blockade runners in
his letter OF the 18th OF June to Lieutenant
Autran. Therein he stated that the RESPONSE
bility ended after the return voyage. As no
state Of war is admitted by Spain to exist in
Cuba there can be no blockade, and the case
of the virginius cannot, in any way, rest upon
it. But when Commander Reed, on
learning that her papers were in the hands
of the Consul, and in perfect order,
he told the Spanard that he considered her
an American vessel and should act accord
ingly, he was right. The Spaniard thought
fit to soy, in further letter, 81 am convinced
of my right to prevent her departure, and am
resolved to do So He did nothing OF the
kind, however. Now what sort Of SUBJ
terfuge is it which would rest defence
of the outrage upon this "tall talk