The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-11-15
THE CUBAN IMBR0GLI0.

found happy relief from working up uu
financial items and election returns int
columns Of sensational news in a somcwhI
more exciting bit Of news from Cuba. .
sbold privaeer," cruising in the West lndi
waters in the interest of the patriots in Cubs
was picked up by Spanish man-ofwar
couple of weeks ago carried TO Cuba
port, where all on board, after hasty mocl
drumhead military trial, were brutal,
slaughtered.
The captured vessel was the Nirginius
Clyde built iron steam ship, constructed il
1863 for the confederatcs for blockade running
but fell into the hands of the fcderals at the
surrender of Mobile. Subsequently she was
sold to an American firm, and being fast
sailer, was sent to Venezuela, where she seems
to have been hired by the patriots in Cuba
in whose service she had made frequent sue
cessful trips between Venezuela, Kingston and
other West India ports and the coast of Cuba
On the 23d ult she sailed from Kingston
Jamaica, under the American flag and a regu-
lar clearance, with Gen. Ryan, Gen. Del Sol
aud sundry other high officials among the
rebelioGs Cubans on board, together with
some 40 recruits, ammunition, supplies, &c.
About the 1st inst. she was captured by the
Spanish man-ofwar Tornado, it is said six
miles from the Jamaica coast, and therefore
on the high seas. How so fast sailing a
vessel as the Virginius should fall into the
hands Of the sluggish Spaniard, is one Of the
nt Oh rod
and carried To Santiago de Cuba, where the
vessel and all on board were turned over, on
the Sd inst, to the tender mercies of Gen.
BurlllO, the Spanish Commandant. They
were tried by drnmhcad court martial al
most Immediately on landing and on the
4th inst, four of tn Cuban leaders, embracing
Gen. W. orc. Ryan, Col Jesus de Sol, Gen
Cespedes and Bambetta, were taken out and
shot, The execution took place before Presi-
dent CASTELAR,, in Spain, and ms ministers,
were even informed of the capture The first
intimation to them Of the fact came through
dispatch from Secretary Fish to Minister
Sicklcs and on receipt Of the news the Span.
ish government at Madrid at once sent direc
lions to Cuba to hold the prisoners until
further orders, but these orders never reached
Cuba until the Sth, while the four officers
we're executed on the 4th, and on the 7th the
additional outrage was committed of cxccut
ing the captain and all the men on board the
Virginius, to the number OF SO.
Now rs the Virginius was cleared from
Kingston with regular papers, sailed under
lAe American flag, and was captured on the
high seas, no matter what her real character
may have been, he capture by the Spaniard
was an oflense of which the United States
government is bound to take notice Then
there is no doubt that Gen Ryan and many
others on board the vessel, the sailors &c,
were American citizens and no matter what
'heir oilensc, their punishment is matter
chat belongs TO the government of the United
states and not of Spain.
The American consul at Santiago, Mr..
Young was hanging around Washington
at the time, or possibly by determined pro
;cst he could have delayed the execution
until it was countermanded Hall, our con.
sui at Havana, says the telegraph wires be
tween Havana and Santiago were cut, so that
ne could do nothing at the former place
The distance between the two points is over
800 miles.
1t i also said, in cXtenuaton Of the Captain
General Of Cuba, that he is kept completely
n terror by the volunteers in Cuba, who are
as brutal and bloody in instinct, as they are
H., al
humanity
1t thus looks as if, in spite of the brutality
as well rs iIlegality of the outrage, neither
The government at Madrid or even that ut
Havana is really to blame, as both were help.
ess; and there is no doubt that both will be |
ready with prompt and ample apology |
let it is hardly probable that our government
viii be- satisfied to let the matter rest there
She will doubtless demand security against
any similar outragcs in future. Were even
International law not strictly opposed to the
outrage, common humanity demands that
such wholesale slaughter of prisoners shall
cease. Whether our government will extend
jelligercnt rights to the Cuban patriots or
assume a sort of protectoratc over them, or
whatever she may determine, the case de
nands decisive measures of some sort
A. to the patriot cause, the excitement the
outrage has created has given the Cuban
juntas in New York, Philadelphia New
Orleans &c, mighty impetus, and men by
hundreds and money by thousands are freely
offered TO strengthen the hands of the insur
gents on the island.
The Bureau county Tribune, which bore