The New York herald., 1873-12-21

loose ltS desperate passions, DOtu NeSstis appear
TO move towards the opposite side OF the naroor'
towards the frowning fortress OF the Capana'
There are dozen vessels anchored about mere.
The space Is contracted and careful steering -
evidently demanded. Once again the sgnihcans
trumpet notes ring out on the languio All. !! -. 10
the parting signal no doubt IL ls notlce " on ane
Morro That a certain momentouS event ID han-
spring, Tor the castle lightly RESPONDS, anu ypu
can almost interpret the shrll reply 10 mean sue
may pass.n 1t Is plain to see the lsaDeia s act
ing as
CONVOY TO THE vIRGINIUs.
They now seem to be closer togetner tnan ,,ie. pe
OF the Isabella 1or protection, with an instructive
sense OF danger. Tney have cleared the anchored
vessels In the channel. and slowly, as before, are
bearing out past the MORO into the great ocean.
The watchman cries the hour oi four O'Clock "All's
weun (ahrta) The city still slumbers. Now we
indeed. They are beneath the lights OF the MORO,
and IN few moments more they are on the WIDE,
wide sea together. The suspense Is over at last.
After the sun has risen We stand ON the high
ground of Fort e Principe, three miles from the
point where before dawn We saw the Vlrglnlus
taken from her moorings, and far OF on the dis
tant rim OF the ocean we can distinctly perceive
THE TWO VESSELS WIDER APART
than when we saw them last bearing away In
westerly direction. Next we learn that in the
small port OF Bahia Honda the Virginius, secure
IRON public observation was left to await the ar
rival OF q United states man-Ol-war; and the Isa-
bella, after performing her simple duty, returned
this morning TO her old moorlngs IN the harbor.
about the same as when she was captured OF the
island OF Jamaica, II anything, improved, Tor the
GENTLY repaired to cause less alarm for her safety
when she put to sea again.
MUzzLING THE TELEGRAPH,
To you, who live in a free and enlightened Repub-
lie, where the press ana the privilege OF open
speech little confined as the air you breathe,
II will seem strange that telegraphic despatch to
the HERALD, simply announcing the departure OF
the Virginius from the harbor under escort OF the
Isabella la CatoIca, and lew additional words
stating concsely possible that II occurred before
sunrise and was attended without any breach OF
order, was refused transmission by the censor.
Where is the profitable use OF q costly cable tele-
graph wire from here to Florida that VIII not take
the news which millions OF people desire to hear.
Appended to this despatch was another, simply CIV
ing an extract from an evening edition OF the
DidriO, containing protest against the paragraph
IN Grants message concerning cuba. Against this
the main prohibition was levelled, as II the
HERALD could be deprived OF it when these short
sighted people might understand that IN the
course OF few days all the Spanish papers OF Ha-
vana would be In the HERALD office, to be used dd
libitttnl or not at all, as the HERALD chose.
PLEASED WITH RATTLE TICKLED WITH A STRAW.
TO extract sunoeams rom cucumbers is given to
iards OF Havana now that their hign 1own indlg-
nation Is o,g being gradually appeased with
have accomplished something like this impos.
sible feat. There Is clause In the
late protocol which requires a salute to be given
the American flag on the 25th OF December. That
little requirement was no less calling than the
surrender Of the virginius; but see how quickly
diplomacy over the American. At the first blush
they called the thing outrageous but on reflection
they began to feel tlckled at the idea and fairly
screamed over the way the Yankees were outwit-
ted. The 25th is great Spanish holiday-ChrisJ-
mas Day-saluted on It's advent by firing OF great
guns from orts and ships-of-war. AS the ships and
1orts keep firing hall the day the salute lor the
Yankee nag can be deity slipped in with the JOY
GUS discharges OF artillery that salute the anniver
sary OF the Oirth OF Christ.
HAVANA AS A CENTRE OF LIES.
Washington Is regarded as prolific soil for
rumors. More unblushng lies pass from hand to
hand there, receive more ready acceptance and
DRIFT away more easily by mail and telegraph over
the country than in any other city OF the Union.
Havana as far as my experience goes, Is ahead of
Washington in this particular characteristic.
Three things contribute to give 1T prominence.
There is quality in the Spanish nina prone to
take ideal forms OF rhetoric for real things. When
the valiant pen of mush-and-milk journalist
writes, "The honor OF Spain is in our keeping, and
we will die rather than disgrace it," the Spanish
sess samour sa %aSe DEVOTION ns
to support him, to follow the editorial Richmond
to the field. Castanon, when he edited the Toz de
cuba, talked like this and talked in bitter tone
OF belligerent feeling against the CubanS. At Key
West he was killed by one Of the latter His body
was brought TO Havana and inferred with pomp
by the volunteers, who placed glass frame In the
cavity of his tomb. Some few young and thought
less Cuban students one day dlshgured this glass,
and for that slight offence eight q them were shot,
killed by the volunteers here and there along the
streets the day they returned from the funeral OF
at a high premium. His figures OF speech were
accepted as facts, and thus 1t Is that in
the absence & OF news-ior tEs papers here fur;
the government-the EDITORS utterances are taken
for gospel; what he urges Is supposed to be the
imperative need OF the hour; what he hints at is
spelled out into most improbable happenings; and
when he pleases he can fill the air with rumors
enough to make q winding sheet for the father OF
lies. The next cause that contributes to the
FABRICATION OF GRoUNDLESs STORIES
that pass current from mouth to mouth is the
the Cuban laborantes, of whom you nave heard IN
former chapter. No sooner was the Virginius
that the IA ArapiIes rom New York, mad rescued
her and was bringing her back IN triumph
Havana The simple o Of TINS was
to restore the war fever and get some overt act
committed that might bring the Casino into Sc
rious trouble. The third that contributes to
make the atmosphere reek with unhealthy and
alarming rumors is the habit among all in authority
OF conceallng the truth, even when 1t would pro-
duce no harm to tell 1t, and substituting inyen-
tions Of all kinds.
MOB BEFORE THE PALACE.
1t need be no surprise, then, that last evening
there should be so much cOmmoti0n caused by the
silly protest against Grants references to Cuba,
which appeared in the Dtayio's evening edition.
Here was lot OF bombast that turned cool heads
crazy and added to the multitude of lies
put in circulation about Grant giving carte
blanche to the flibusters OF America
to come here whatever way they might manage,
the feeling among the lower ranks OF Spaniards
rose to lever heat The captains and the colonies
sevens-the former in opposition TO the Captain
General, the latter in his favor-while the ma
jorty OF the rank and file were supposed to side
with the captains. Colonel Zueletta and Colonel
Herrera were thought to be In a fair way OF being
annihllated by the mob for encouraging the Cap
tain General TO deliver up the Virginlus and then
comes the DidyiO with its innammatory article to
add fuel to the flame. The gist OF the mob's angry
expression of feeling last evening was that with
the surrender or the vessel disappears the
LAST REMNANT or SPANISH POWER
in the West Indies. 1t smote upon them like some
great deprvaton-like the loss of jewel worn
next the heart and priced beyond earthly means
OF purchase. CASTELAR, had no friends among the
mob that filed the Plaza de Armas, nor had Admi-
raj Polo, OF whom they said tnat he had sold him
sell to the Yankees by becoming an American citl-
zen and Freemason.
POOR CASTELAR,
best and noblest son of Spain, who would fain lift
her up to an honored place among the nations
and brush away the rust and verdigris that are
eating into her vitalsl No one poor in this
wretched mob of darkened intellects as
to do him reverence. What that mob
might have done IL they had had their way
the Lord only knows; but 1t was a cowardly blus-
tering crowd, and wien the firm, emphatic Captain
General Jovellar gave orders to three squadrons