The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-08

with our Washington correspondent, affords
the clew to the general sympathy felt in Mr..
OKelly's trials when he says that if that gen.
tieman returns in safety to tell all he has seen
it will be ga prodigious thing for the cause Of
humanity as well as for the HERALD." Mr..
Gushing is correct in saying that the informa-
ton our commissioner win bring twill be Of
great value, such as heretofore we have had
very little of, and that little SO much colored
by Spanish sympathy on one hand and insur-
gent sympathy on the other hand as to be Of
little practical value" The feeling that the
American people have been prevented from
learning the truth about Cuba, the suspicion
that our government has been misled by
accounts coming through Spanish sources,
and the fear that we have carried the policy Of
non-intervention to q point of cruel injus-
tice to brave and suffering people. have
won popular approval for Mr.. O'Kelly's mis-
sion, and have enlisted almost the entire press
in his cause. His success will be proud
triumph Of American journalism, and any out
rage committed upon him would be as warmly
resented by our contemporaries as by our
selves. There are some successes which be-
long to no one journal, although achieved by
single newspaper There are some wrongs
which, although directly affecting single
establishment, excite the just indigna-
ton of the whole press. Mr.. O'Kelly's
assassination by Spanish butchers would be Of
such character. He has gone forth on the
legitimate business Of an enterprising journal
list; he has borne himself with modesty, cour-
age and tact he has been open, frank and
fearless with the Spanish authorities; he
comes back into the Spanish lines scorning
disguise or evasion with nothing in his pos
session but the information he went out to
seek. That information belongs to the
HERALD. It is as much our property as are
the presses on which our paper is printed, and
the Spaniards have no right to demand
it of our commissioner If their own
stories about the hopeless and hapless con-
dition of the rebels are not grossly false they
cannot fear its publication. They will not
force it from Mr.. O'Kelly. They dare not
murder him in order to suppress it. for the
act would be the strongest evidence of their
own falsehood, weakness and cowardice.
They cannot successfully concoct any con-
spiracy to prove him guilty Of an offence
against the Spanish laws, for the whole
world would know that they had only added
perjury to assassination. The dastardly at
tack Of the Diario, noticed in our special de-
spatches to-day is Characteristic of that journal
and its mendacity is only equalled by its
Mr.. O'Kelly is regular attache of
the HERALD, and is not half so likely to be an
insurgent spy as is the Diario itself, which
would probably be as fierce for free Cuba, in
the event of Cuban success, as it is for Span
ish rule while the Spaniards hold control of
Havana. But the Diario bears the best testi-
mony to Mr.. OKellys innocence when it
admits that 'sto leave the island is easy
enough, but to reach the rebels offers many
Why, then, did Mr.. O'Kelly
return to the Spanish lines, if he
was Cuban emissary, intent only upon bear
ing verbal messages from the insurgents to
their allies in New York?
We have every confidence that Mr.. O'Kelly
will not suffer other injury than the tempo
rary loss of his liberty, not because we believe
in Spanish justice and honor, but because
we understand Spanish buster and
Spanish discretion. The patience of
the American people has been sorely
tried already on the Cuban question, and
their temper towards Spain will not be i'm
proved by the story which reaches us to-day
of the insolent treatment of the American
Consul at Santiago de Cuba by the Spanish
authorities on the occasion of the unau-
thorized detention of three American sailors
as Cuban spies. It will be well for those
now in power in Cuba to remember that
the people rule in the United States,
and that no government would dare to resist
the popular outburst that would demand
retribution for the murder of the HERALD
commissioner in the shape of tardy justice to
Cuba. As we have said, his assassination
could have but one object-the suppress
sion Of the facts he has learned in
the Cuban lines Of the real condition Of
the insurgent cause. Itwould be the strongest
evidence that the revolution is o success, and
that the brave Cubans are entitled to
recognition. Besides, Captain General
Ceballos and his officers, now about to be
superseded, are the relics Of the dead
Spanish monarchy. Spain is now Republic,
and she cannot afford to stain her earliest
days with cowardly crime against free
press. The present authorities in Cuba
dare not act hastily in this matter.
The new authorities will not venture,
as the representatives Of republican
government to initiate their rule by
an act that would star!le and outrage the
whole civilized world. We have no
fears for our commissioners life, but we
demand that he shall be set at liberty. If the
Spaniards are wise they will not compIcate
dangerous question by refusing Mr..
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