New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-20
ORR RELATIONS WITH SPAIN
Continued frem First Page.


secretary Richardson in conversa''Vn so'. 80
.e.:. 90 tho Associated Press, to-day, stated
rN 80 confidence in Secretary FISH, lie
.u a. ;rst right. and you may rest as
"" III not be carried away by
euieu oeitber will he yield one bit OF the ma
excten'en' To- reference to the ability of the
tionaa nono'' - 1,aoe n successful war with Spain,
e"i'su ~ tonnd necessary TO resort TO arms, he
shoa'u old such a course be determined upon,
Ssna. r.,asnrv Department is fully prepared. We
sno ..oncb money TO begin with, but exactly as to
=. uiII he done afterward depends upon the pro
1ongation of war; though have no doubt 1t would
D. Of short duration. As Congress Will be here IN
vo weeks it is very certain that there viii be no
d;afculty in raising all the means we want war;
will be expensive, as 1t requires large sums
ofnoney 10 move armies and hit out shlpS; out we
arc equal TO the emergency" He then asked the
anesiion. "DO you fud the CABINET warlkeT ahu'
I'm heing answered that the sentiment seemed to
he 70 uphold the national honor he repeated; The
on;nions of Mr.. Fish are correct and the Treasury
n~nar,ent is prepared to maintain these opinions"
Sooretarv Richardson, on being asked If he was in
49, 90 the annexation of Cuba. said, after sig
,i6cant silence: "Whie do not say what am IN
favor Of do saw that will stand by Mr.. Fish and
~hatever the State Department does. believe the
Secretary of State is a careful, cautious and judi
ions man. and that he wiz not get us into any en-
barrassments. That is my decided opinion. have
moi given much attention to the subject in its pres
ant shape 1t belongs entirely to the Department of
State. assume that, if we had war with Spain, II
,would result in the annexation of Cuba"
The Secretary was then asked if the acquisition of
that island would not materially disarrange our
tariff system. to which he replied: AT first. of
course it would upset everything, as would lose
large sum of money the first year from the import
duties on sugar and tobacco, which we now receive;
hut after that our internal collections on these arti
Ties, especially on tobacco, would more than CON-
pensate for that loss"
On being asked il it would not be necessary to
keep large army of customs officers there, he
answered, Yes. 1t would be a great place for
smuggling 1t would render necessary the estab-
Ishment of Custom-houses all along the coast and
rs there is such an extent of coast many persons
would have to be emplOyed to guard it," The Secre
Iay was asked if the Department knew officially of
the past history of the Virginius He replied that
il did, the vessel having been twice owned by the
Government. Once she belonged to the division of
captured aud abandoned property of the Treasury,
by which she was Sold and again lin 1870 she was
seized at Mobile for the debt of defaulting Assist
ant Treasurer. She was then brought to the PotO-
mac, and sold TO q New-YOrk man named Paterson.
Her name was then the Virgin, but upon being
taken to New-York her name was changed to Viz
ginus. i believe the Viryinius and the vessel
which captured her. the Tornado were both built on
the Clyde, by the builders, for blockade-run-
ners, during the war.