National Republican., 1873-12-24
TIE NEW ERA IN SPAIN


TIE NEW ERA IN SPAIN
A careful examination Of the Official re.
ports regarding the treatment Of tho cap
tured passengers and crew Of the virginius
by the Spanish authorities at Santiago pre-.
sents numerous facts which are not calcu
lated 10 increase ones admiration for the
methods OF administering justice which OBJ.
tain under Volunteer rule. II seems that
our naval officers found the prisoners who
had not been executed confined In the com.
mon Jail and that they were not only suf.
fcrins Cor food and clothing. but that their
surroundings were wretchcd and filthy.
With commcndablc promptitude Com
mandcr Bniinc took steps to alleviate their
condition, which were finally successful,
and which included not only the unfortu.
natos who were citizens of the United
States. but those Of other nationalities. But
the inGlmy which attaches TO the affair is to
be found in the cruelty Of the act Of the
butcher Burriel and his associates Of the
court martial, In refusing to allow the pris.
oner the poor privilege Of being repre-
sen,cd by counsel They even carried their
proscriptvc cruelty 80 far rs TO prohibit the
American vice consul from making efforts
to defend them. The sessions Of the court
not even questioned during the trial-if
such II may lc called. In short, according
TO their own admissions, or, rather, the cx
plantations Of the successor Of Burricl, the
trials OF the unfortunate victims were wicked
prctcnccs, without even the shadow Of JUS
ticc as basis. The excuse for this extraor.
dinnry procedure, as given by Comman
dante General Morales de los Rios, was the
discovery oil an order issued by Captain
General De Rodas. We have no authori.
tslivr explanation OF the terms OF this or
der. but we know that II was so execrably
rcpulsive to the spirit OF modern civiliza.
ton that II was met by the most earnest and
decided pro, its Of both the Governments
of Great Britain and the United States. But
the protests were disrcgar,lcd; and with hot
and bloodihirsty haste its directions were
complied with. The miserable victims were
allowed but few hours in which 10 make
preparations for death. ~
We do not refer TO Tlesc distressing facts
for the purpose of renewing the excitement
regarding the massacre, but to show that
the present Government ut Madrid Is ccm.
posed Of q newer and better class Of people
than those who have won for the Spansrds
rs q lac the name and character of vindic.
tive blood d-thirstiness. They belong to the.
new element OF republicanism which Is now
steadily advancing in power throughout the
Old World, and before which the old and
oppressive forms Of monarchical govern
ment trcmble with frightened weakness
They are opposed by such wretches as the
Cure Of Santa Cruz but their faithful ad.
h,rence to republicanism finds fitting cxem.
p,iication in the stcadhst support Of the
principles of justice and reform of such
men Us Emilio CASTELAR,. When informa-
tion Of the Santiago massacre was conveyed
to the latter he unhesitatingly Joined with
our Government In Its detestation of act,
and orders were accordingly issued sus.
pending further executions. How fiith.
fully these orders have been obcyed,
notwithstanding the overshadowing innu.
cnccs brought to bear In opposition TO them,
the world now knows. Not only have the
American prisoners been released, but
those Of other natlonalities. including
native Cubans, Spaniards. and desert.
ers from the Spanish army. Here
was noble act. In defiance offs power
known a3 the Volunteers Of the island OF
Cuba--a power which has in It's time ruled
both the island and the home Government
castelar, asserted his authority as the
President of the Spanish republic, and that
authority has been obeycd. The success
which attended his efforts has made him
stronger as a leader than he had dreamed of
being before, 1t fixed upon him and his
ssociates responsibility which they viii.
lingly accepted; but now that they have so
faithfully fulfilled their difficult duty, they
are a.sured Of unexpected and gratifying
power. The evident and just deduction
from this statement of the facts OF the case
that with the disappearance Of slavery
1 the Spanish dominion and the establish.
m,nt Of true republican governments the
disregard Of law and all moral obligations
which has In the past tainted the Spanish
character is disappearing. In behalf of
humanity and civilized progress 1t is
Our duty TO foster this newly developed
spirit. We must encourage Its growth
with every method at our command, even
to the extent Of support OF the
authority OF the home Government by moral
and physical menace Of the milconien;s on
the island. To the reflective mind Il Is up.
parent that we have already done this, and
that the successful execution of Castelar's
orders for tho delivery Of the prisoners and
the return Of the Virginius was due, in .
great measure, to the determined character
of our preparations for the dread alterna-
tive OF war during the past few weeks. We
have In f,ct, acted us an ally Of the Madrid
Government, and so long as II comports 1t.
selfas honestly and with such regard for
the demands of justice as II has during that
time, we cannot afford TO net otherwise. In
cirrying out the evident obligation Of our
Government to do this thing. Il may be.
come necessary that we shall interfere with
the sailing OF future filllbustering expsdi.
tons However unpopular this duty may
be In the present condition OF the popular
mind, II Is nevertheless imposed upon us bS
our obligations to a sister republic After
all. II must be conceded that the sympathy
Of our people for the Cuban insurgents Is n
mere sentiment, which has been handed
down from the days of Queen Isabella,
when the islanders were subjected 10 impo'
sltions to the allevation of which the re-
public Is pledged.