The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-28

The Voz de Cuba has been criticising the
recent encounter between the Modoc Indians
and the United States troops. It thinks that
'sthis Indian war wounds humanity in its
noblest sentiments, and is real scandal to
this century of humanitarian constituencies"
The same organ also insinuates that President
Grant needs instruction in the means of civ
ilizing the Indians, instead of discriminating
them, and obscurely hints that good moral
effect might be exercised over us by the send
ing forth of correspondents from Europe to
spy out what is passing in the Indian Ter
ritory.
Perhaps this is disinterested and excellent
advice; but the glass of which our Havanese
neighbours house is constructed is SO ex-
tremely brittle that it is doubly inexpedient
for him to throw stones One little pebble
from the sling of truth would be more than
sufficient to demolsh his vitreous tenement
and bring it in splinters about his ears. Be-
tween the mutual outrages inflicted by Span
ish and Cuban soldiers there is little to
choose. They are outrages which make
humanity's blood boil and the cheeks
of the most impassive civilized man
tingle-outrages which glorify the most un-
natural mutilation Of the person and cele-
brate bloody and obscene triumph over each
fresh corpse. In view of these things, it
sometimes seems as though the Christian
world, in the mere name of humanity, would
one day find herself under obligation to step
between the mutual butchers and exclaim,
''Thus far thou shalt go, but no farther"
The same undertaking record of cruelties that
made General Sheridan declare, with all the
solemnity of sad experience and profound con-
viction, that the American Indians, incapable,
as a race, of civilization, deserved that series
of severe chastisements whose end is extermi-
nation, is presented by this long and barbar-
GUS contest between Cuban and Spaniard,
with this addition-that in the Cuban-Spanish
case those cruelties are mutual. We say it
looks as though it may become necessary for
the civilized world-that is to say, for human
ity in its highest present development-to put
an end to the horrid Cuban war. We do not
care as nation to NEEDLE in the affairs Of
| other peoples, but all civilized nations may
feel compelled to unite in stopping
the atrocity. The atrocities by the Indians in
| their warfare we regret and wish to end
them in the only practicable way-by bring
ing the warlike tribe into subsection. These
poor savages have their barbarism for an
excuse when they mutilate the dead and
torture their prisoners. If the Spaniards and
Cubans wish to claim the same excuse of bar
barism for their inhumanities and cruelties
we shall cheerfully admit their claim to moral
fellowship with the Apaches, the Kiowas or
the Modocs. This may not be the aim of the
Voc de Cuba, but it is the only logical conclu-
learn, has, like the boomerang, tendency to
knock out the operator brains.
On the journalistic point we are glad to note
sign of progress in the Cuban press The
Voc is anxious that the outside world should
know something of our Indian war. Very
well. Let all the Cuban press send cor
respondent each to Oregon. They will have
full facilities to prosecute their inquiries on
the spot They will have one great advan-
tage over HERALD correspondents in Cuba
namely, no passports will be required. They
can observe the conduct of the war on the
part of our boys in blue, and then they can
cross over into the lines of Captain Jack,
among his boys in red. If the correspondents
are all bald we will insure them against
being scalped there. If they have the
good fortune to bring their clothes and them