Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-11-27
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 81, 1873.
Spails-Cuba.

SDaAn-SuDA.
The morning papers publish the following
dispatch, received in cipher" from the New
York Hcralds Madrid correspondent:
"MaDRID, Nov. 26.-The situation is grave.
con the 18th, General Sickles, by order OF
President Grant, delivered a formal ultlmatum
10 President Castelar,, demanding prompt and
rigorous reparatiou for the insult to the tas.
the restoration of the Eirginius, the release OF
the surviving prisoners, indemnity to the fam
lilies of the murdered and the punishment OF
the murderers; aud also guarantee against
future outrages in Cuba.
1.-The demand was couched in kind, synlpa-
thetic tone, but no alternative was given. Gcn-
eral Sickles was also instructed to say that II
Castelar, did not comply with the demand IN Il
week he should ask for his passport and leave
Madrid with the Legation. The time expires
to. day, and no answer has been received.
"Everything at the Legation is packed up
ready for immediate departure. SicklcS has no
hone that the ultimatum will be complied with,
and teleeraphed to Paris yesterday to have all
his official correspondence that might be there
kept for few days.
Gen Sickles in conversation says he does
not see how war can be avoided, as Castelar,
can give no assurance that the order will be
obeyed in CUBA. The public feeling is also OPP
posed to concessions. Unless Castelar, responds
this evening General Sickles leaves immedl-
ately.
"All the American ships in the Mediterra-
mean have been ordered to Key West.
''ln the event of Gen. Sickles leaving, the
British Minister will probably protect the ar
chives and the American residents.
president CASTELAR, is personally ANXIOUS to
accept the British Minister good offices to et-
feet compromise, but there is no hope to-.
night"
While plausible, the above smacks of the
sensational and we shall not be surprised to
hear it contradicted tomorrow.
The Washington Republican this morning,
speaking semi-oficialy, says: The statement
that Admiral Pelo, the Spanish Minister to this
Government, and Secretary Fish have reached
any agreement regarding the |lrglnlus case Is
utterly false Admiral Polo has no authority
to enter into an agreement OF any kind. Ills
powers as Minister Penipotentiary have been
ignored from the beginning of the pending
negotiations which have been conducted direct
" between the two Governments. He has at
all times enjoyed the fullest confidence of both
situations which have occurred in Washington
regarding the matter he has been an interested
party. He has received dispatches from his
Government, and has delivered them to our
State Department, but has at no time assumed
an authority to act independently of the in-
structions embraced in them. His endeavors
have been to persuade our Government to be as
lenient as possible, and if his advice has been
sought it has been given informally and un-
officially.
The situation now is simply critical. The
Madrid Cabinet has from the first asserted its
intention to yield any honest and just rcpara-
ton that may be demanded in atonement OF
the wrongs We have suffered; but the fear is
still entertained that it will be unable to sus-
tain itself if it attempts to execute that lnten-
ton. 1t may be positively stated that our
Government expects very soon to receive the
Virgiuius, through the hands of the collector
of the port of Key West IF this expectation
is realized, the vessel will be brought to that
port under the escort of Spanish maD- otwar.
1t may also be stated with equal positiveness
that our Government expects that the survlv-
ing members of the Virginius crew will soon be
released. When this is done, the next step
will be to settle by arbitration the question of
indemnity to the families Of such Of the vic
Tins of the Santiago slaughter as were Ameri-
can citizens This much is expected regard
less of additional points that may have been
embraced in our original demand for repara-
ton, and may be accepted 10 atonement for
the insult to our flag. 1t will be accepted as
an acknowledgment to the world by Spain that
the seizure Of the Virginius on the high seas
while she was carrying the American flag was
illegal and an outrage upon one natoua honor.
a,,ta RI MI no o
cred will follow, as matter of custom. Spain
has 10 the past made similar deliveries, and has
yielded indemnities such as are now expected.
1t is therefore not impossible that she will do
so again; but the attempt to repeat them at
this critical juncture will prove to be severe
test Of the strength ofthe CASTELAR, Government.
Our Government is constrained by this fact to
refrain from urging an immediate ultimatum.
''lf the Firglnius should be delivered to our
Government the case will assume different
form. An investigation will follow into the
charges made by the Spanish Government
that she has violated our neutrality and reg
istration laws. Spain will then have an oppor-
tunity to prove her allegations that our officers
in the West Indies at Aspinwal and elsewhere
have been derelict in their duty, or have
aided the Virglnius in pursuing an illegal
traffic. Whatever result may eDsue FROM
such an investigation, Spain will be compelled
to admit that her treaty obligations did not war
rant the seizure of the vessel outside of Span
ish waters, even if it is proved that she was en-
gagged in such pursuits, and the United States
will be called upon to iuflict such punishment
as the law provides upon the parties who may
be found guilty Of having violated those laws
From this statement it will be seen that the
result depends entirely upon the strength Of
the Castelar, Government to fulfill our expecta-
tions. But under any circumstance, whether
the Castelar, Government sustains itself or not,
the United States will demand full atoucment
from the Spaniards as people
The Associated Press dispatch from Havana
yesterday, says:
A communication from the Spanish colonial
minister to the political Governor of the island,
under date of oath instant, published to-day in
the Official Gazette, is in substance as follows ::
The Government of the republic resolved
to secure the faithful observance of treaty
agreements contracted between Spain and tor-