The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-11-27
MORE ABOUT THE cuBaN
MURDERS,

! "OnDEnSs
Washington dispatches of the 10
, says: Capt. Fry of the Virginius
! previous to his execution, wrote
letters to President Grant. his wife
and father; also to Mr.. Hubert O
New Orleans, and to Mr.. Waltor
Fry. The Vose de Cuba expresse,
sorrow that all hostile enterprise.
against Spain find favor with ma
jority Of the American press. Wher
, young Crittenden was executed the
American papers took the same
course as now, and endeavored te
work upon the public passions and
mercenary motives. 1t has no fears
OF any serious questions arising be-
tween the two countries, there being
no just grounds therefor. The fact
that American war vessels have been
ordered to Havana implies nothing.
If, unfortunately, such should be the
case, and unjustly in timidated by
superior strength, in that case, above
all others, Spanish honor will com.
mand every sacrifice from her sons.
Diaro says we are strong in our
right and firm in our resolve to COM
port ourselves well and have sufficient
GOODNESS to hear the American press
without returning insult for insult,
only again stating that their threats
in no wise intimidated the United
States, because we repeat to-day
what we said five years ago to
stand by government, and to save the
honor of the nation, come what
may.
The impression is general in official
and other circles here to-day, that
the Spanish Government is disposed
to make every effort to settle the
impending difficulties, and gentle
men who hold intimate personal re-
lations with the President, assert
the belief that the war will not arise
from the present complications, mas
much as Spain, through Casteler,
give assurances that all the demands
of this Government will be COM
piled with.
A letter was received to day from
Gen. Longstreet offering the services
of 100000 men to the Government
should the necessity arise therefore.
| OPINIONS OF SEcY. RICHARDSON.
81 have every confidence in Secreta.
ry Fish. He will do just right, and
you may rest assured he will not be
carried away by excitement neither
will he yield one bit of the national
honor"
In reference to the ability of the
United States to war success sfully
with Spain, should it be found nee
essary to resort to arms, he said !:
"Should such a course be determined
upon, the Treasury Department is
fully prepared. We have money
enough to commence with but exact
ly as to what is to be done afterwards
depends upon the prolongation OF
the war, though have no doubt it
would be of short duration. As Con-
gress will be here in two weeks, it is
very certain that there will be no
difficulty in raising all the means we
should want. The war of course will
be expensive, as it requires large
sums of money to move armies and
fit out ships; but we are equal to the
emergency. He then asked the
question, "Do you find that the pub.
JIG opinion is war-like? Upon being
answered that the sentiment seemed
to uphold the national honor, he re.
peated: "The opinions of Mr.. Fish
are correct, and the Treasury De.
partment is prepared to maintain
these opinions"
Question. "Do / understand,
Judge, that you are in favor of an.
nexation with Cuba ?" Answer, af.
ter significant silence: "While do
not say what / am in favor of, l do
say that l will stand by Mr.. Fish and
whatever the State Department does
l believe the Secretary of State il
cautious and judicious, and that he
will not get us into any embarrass
ments. That is my decided opinion.
/ have not given much attention to
the subject in its present shape. L
belongs entirely to the Department
of State. l assume that if we haG
war with Spain it would result in the
annexation of Cuba"
The Secretary was then asked i
the acquisition of that island would
not materially disarrange our tariff
system, to which he replied, "At first
of course, it would upset everything
aud we would lose a large sum Of
money the first year from import du
ties on sugar and tobacco, which we
now receive, but after that our inter.
nal collections on these articles, es.
pecially on tobacco, would more than
compensate for that loss"
Question. Would it not be nee.
essasy to keep large army OF Gus
tom officers there? Answer-'yes
it would be a great place for SNUG
gIing. 1t would necessltate the
establishment of custom houses al
along the coast, many persons would
have to be employed to guard it."
The Secretary was asked if the
Department knew officially the past
history of the Virginius. He replied
that he did, the vessel having beer
twice owned by the Government
Once she belonged TO the Division
of captured and abandoned propert,
of the Treasury, by which she was
sold, and again in 1870 she was
seized at Mobile, for debts of the de.
faulting Assistant Treasurer; she
was then brought to the Potomac
and sold to New Yorker named
Patterson: her name was then "Ths
Virginia." but upon being taken to
New York it was changed to "Vir
ginius." This vessel, and also the
one which captured her, the lorna
do," were both built in Clyde by the
same builders, for blockade runners
during the war.
Unusual activity prevails in the
Washington navy yards, in some de
partments over time being made. A
large force is at work on the steamer
Shawmut, third class, three guns, be.
longing to the ninth Atlantic squad.
ron, and the Tallayoosa, transport
paddle wheel steamer, is being re-
paired. A large force is being rur
in the ordinance department., making