Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-11-26
THE SPANISH QUESTION.
SECRETARY FISH AND ADMIRAL POLO
WAR TALK IN HAVANA.
Our Precautionary Preparations.

At the meeting of the Cabinet Yesterday the
Spanish question was debated. but no add
tol al facts were presented by the Secretsry of
STATE, nor was any new action taken relative TO
the subject
PROMISE OF A PEACEFUL SOLUTION.
There are indications that the dispatches re-
ceiyed last night, by both Secretary Fish and
Admiral Polo, the Spanish Minister, from Mad
rid, are OF a character which gives, more than
heretofore. promise of = peaceful solution OF
the present IMPLICATIONS; and IL is known tn At
the gentlemen were in private conference for
several hours last night at the residence of Mr..
Fish, comparing dispatches, aud discussing
generally the situation OF affairs. Ii seems to
be the impression that instead of our govern
ment having to wait for reports from Minister
Sickles concerning the Spanish Cabinets views
the Spanish Cabinet has conferred extraordi-
nary powers on Admiral Polo to communicate
directly with orr government through the Sec
rotary of State. At all events the Spanish
Minister is now brought into more intimate
communication with Secretary Fish than at
any time since the present trouble began.
OUR PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.
So far as the Philadelphia navy yard is con-
cerned, no orders have as vet been received for
suspension of work. On the contrary, the
work on hand is not only being pushed forward
| ceiyed. Yesterday Admiral Porter made a
| tour of inspection among the vessels at the
yard, and a dispatch was received ordering the
dispatch boat Pinta to proceed Immediately to
sea.
Work in the Brooklyn navy-yard was going
on as usual Yesterday afternoon, although sew
erdl reports stated mat there had been orders
| stopping work. Twenty-Five hundred men
were paid at the yard yesterday, most of whom
| have been employed since the Nirginius out
rage. 1t is said the United States fTigate Col
Orado will be taken from Brooklyn to the
Charlestown navy-yard TO be fitted for sea.
The steamer General Meade stopped of the
bar yesterday and landed recruits for the naval
squadron at Key West.
The United States Cartridge Company of
Boston will commence this week TO run their
| works day and night, with two sets of men.
har Siratr
cartridges from the War and Navy depart
ments, and also orders for commercial work.
| WHAT 1T COSTS.
| The Washington correspondent of the y pw
York journal OF Commerce writes 70 that pa
! per that the effect of the VirginiUs matter,
| whether It embroils us in war with Spain OF
not, will be to cause immediate expense. The
| Secretary Of the Navy is spending his money so
fast 10 get our navy in good condition, that his
appropriations that were to last till the first of
| next July will possibly be exhausted by the
| middle OF January. The Secretary of War will
need more money for Notifications and details
| Of defense, and we shall probably have two OF
| hTee new vessels put on the stocks. Shrewd
'alculatOrs fix the actual extra necessary ex-
iense of repairs and preparations to put our
| ANY and Notifications on good footing. ex-
elusive OF new vessels, at about ten million dol
lars.
WAR TALK IN HAVANA.
letter received in New York from Havana
says: There is much talk OF war with the
United States. The captain general and his m IL
taTy chiefs have had veral meetings, but their
| deliberations are not known. One thing is GER
tain, however, that preparations for defence are
being actively made. Guns are bel ny mounted
| on all the forts around the city; who they will
| get 10 man them j. another matter, as they have
no artilleTymen. Powder is also being supplied,
ard general hustle is noticed around the ar Sc
nails The people talk waTlike, and express their
determination to make no concessions. They
say they will fight TO the last before they will
| give up the Nirginus orany of the persons who
took part i'll the execution of her crew. The
conservative journals publish articles to excite
The people, and the republican papers Join in for
fear they will not be considered patriotic. The
statement that the Tornado is captured block
adC-runner is incorrect. She was built in Eng
ard for the Gillian government at the time o,
the war with Spain, and was captured by the
spanish man-Ot-war Genoa ami taken into
CadiZ, where she was condemned and sold. She
: a tine vessel"
BLISTER OF THE HAVANA NEWSPAPERS.
The DiGTiO de la Marina, of Havana in an
dltorlal yesterday, SAYS -" Far from our minds
DC the feeling of arrogance, further still the
ceiling of debility from our hearts. We neither
eek nor shun peril. Ii the Am .ricans obAge
Is TO fight We will. II the mother country can
I'D Us we Will thank her, bat il we must con
end alone there are enough Spauiarls in Cuba
o keep our banner safe. We will sell very
dearly that which was once the most brilliant
Hover Of the crown of CASTLE
The COnstanc'a newspaper OF Havana indig-
nantiy repudiates the idea that Spain could
consent to submit the settlement of the Virgin
JUS question TO arbitration.
HOW HE GOT RVEH.
IL appears that Lieut.. Commander Autran,
who commanded the Spanish war steamer Ba-
Fan at Aspinwail last spring when Commander
Reed, OF the |. =. navy, escorted the Eirginius
out of the harbOr, was the judge advocate at
the recent summary trial ana condemnation to
death of the crew and passengers OF the Viz
ginius at Santiago de Cuba.
THE SPANISH IRoN-CLAD AEAPILRs
has not left the yard yet, but was painted to-
day, and the last work upon her in the
dry dock will lie done to- morrow.
WHITTIER, THE QUAKER POET, ON THE vIR-
GINIUs AFFAIR.
The poet, John G.. Whittier, has written a
letter to Senator Sumner, in which he says that
he shooting of the Nirginus captives was
hooking and uDiuStifable, but that in this case
no man among us so regrets and deplores the
bloody deed as do CASTELAR, and the Intelligent
republicans of Spain. He adds: "If we seize
this occasion to strike at them, we give direct
AID and comfort to uitramOntane popery, to
Don Carlos, and the cruel priesthood who are
Sighting against republicanism in Europe. We
10 deed in crushing out the republic OF Spain
lnder its noble president, which can only find
rs parallel of atrOcity in the crushing out of the
Roman republic by the so -called French renub-
lie Of 1919. Heaven preserve us from such in
amy"
The FRENCH CABINET. as reconstructed is
composed as fOllOws:-Minister OF Interior
Duke de BTOglie; Foreign Affairs. Duke De
taZCs: Finance, Pierre Maprie: ,Iustice Ernnul-