Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-12-08
sus,;an Affairs.

rcut ala not make Il loi lili iSiu|s' ioi I" Ho'
fica,ion of the terms OF the protocol with regard
70 tho delivery Of the Firginus. but simply
Forwarded here dispatch from Captain Gene
raj .Jovcl!ar, suggesting The ACCESSIBILITY OF pIac-
! ing the vessel in the hands Of Il neutral power
| ,ul icct to arbitration y c,py Ut this dispatch
! hal previously been received here by Admiral
| p,.lo direct lrom Havana, aud was the SUBJECT
Of confcrelice between Secretary FISH anu
| several members OF the Senate Committee on
| FOREIGN Relations. It was decided that this
| Government could NOT accept any such prono-
| siton, and this determination instead OF IN
crcasinc the excitement at Havana appears to
have aaycd it, There seems 10 be little doubt
now but that The Nirg!rus will be quietly tow
ed uu, Of the harbor OF Havana aud delivered
up to our h3ct. and if any trouble arises 1t VIII
be confined To the Spaulards on the Island,
! matter with Which we can show no concession.
1t is reported that Minister Sick les has resign
ed aud will start hnnJcward III day or two.
WASHINGTON, Dec. THE advlccs from
Havana, published this morning., are more
favorable 10 i peaceful settlement OF the !ll'
uiDius oucstinu and the war cloud which lm-
pended Yesterday gives Indications Of lifting.
| That the Firgi;Ils WAS not surrendered at
Havana last week is doubtless, owing, as nero,
toture stated in these dispatches, to the excited
state of the ropuIace there. Castelar, dis
naGch announcing the terms OF the delivery 10
! the bort ct Havana is said 70 have CAUSED
| the greatest surprise among he Spanlards, who
| cSpccted a contrary course wuuld DC taken,
and Captain General JUvellar had previously
,elegraphcd to Madrid that 1.-The people were
unanimously opposed to the steamer surren-
| der" In view ui these facts the Madrid Gov
errmcnt doubtless asked, and this Government
srauted, an extension of time, both parties de-
string 10 avoid bciog dragged into hostlIltles
through the ACTS uf the Smnlards IN Cuba.
When the terms of thc protocol were under
| discussion Admiral Polo OH behalf OF the Span
| ish Government, suggested that the question
Of Tie surrender Of the vessel be left to the ar
bi!ration Ola third party, before whom SPAN
and the United States should present their re-
spcctivc claims. This proposition was rejected
| by Secretary Fish who insisted, as prcllmna.
~ step IL The negotiations, that tie vessel
should be surrendered to this Government.
Whether Spain has or has not proof that the
Hirciuiua had 10 right to carry American pa
pcrs and hy the American flag Is u matter OF
40 consequence at the present time, and no
amount OF such proof would cause this Govern
! u.rnt to rGuguisl lis demands tor the surrcn-
der OF the vessel Tie Nirginius was under
the Amcrican flag At the time OF her capture,
and ha, American papers, and neither Spain
nor third party can be permitted to 60 be-
hiud these luc:s. If, after the surrende: of the
Eirguius, it eau be proved that she was not al
.Americun vessel, and that the use otthc Amer
! lean flag aud American papers was illegal. she
will, after conviction before the United States
authorities be c0rH>cated to this Government.
Ii should also be- remembered, as important
il this cnnucclon that tho protocol signed Oh
the 18th vi November last Is L modlhctlun OF
our original dclnabds, aud that the terms OF
the protocol were proposed by Spain and ac-
cejted by tins Government 4 request now
IRON Spain for the modification OF the protocol
would be tantauGunt to an admission that the
Madrid Government nus Itself unable to carry
out the agreement Ii such be the case it will
BE- come necessary for this Government to take
decisive steps to vibdicatc the dational honor;
and if the HavancSc DO not yield speedily to
the Madrid authorities the case will be consld-
cred by the Cabinet on Tuesday, and no doubt
sent to Congress on the following day. 1t may
be stated, positively that this Government Will
| make go further Concessions.
y member Of! the Cabinet stated in converse
ton with gcntlcmai, last evening that the day
had not been agreed upon for the delivery of the
! Iirglnius, but that the selection Of day Was
now the suffice OF ucgot1ilon between Secre-
tary Fish aud Admiral Polo.
1t is very probable that no day has been
fixed since the disturbed condition of affairs
IN ll.lyaua led to the abandonment Of the pro-
gra;umc originally agreed upon.
Iu an>>er to a question he stated that 1t was
difficult 10 MI whether Castelar, was acting IN
good faith VI not; that ne (Castelar) was
placed in delicate position; il he delivered up
the Eirginius AID enforced the agreement his
Government would almost certainly be over
n HI hn f,tt hand IN N
50 would result il precipitation of hustiitics,
which he had the good seusc to see would only
result 10 the discontinue of the Spanish arms
aud tie ultimate loss of Cuba
The Cabinet official stated further his opin-
ion that hOstilities were now more Imminent
than they were Il week since He stated posi-
lively that he believed no dispatches had been
received to substantiatc the rumor that Spain
had confessed her inability to comply with the
terms Of The protocol, aud that she had pro-
posed to deliver the Firginius to a ncutral
power to be held Tor arbitration.
WASHINGTON, Dec There is the highest
authority Tor stating that the CASTELAR, Govern
ment has not asked for modification of the
protocol, so that the Eirgiuius might be placed
10 the custody Of a third party, to awtit adlu-
dcatiun. This suggestion came from the Gu
ban authorities to Admiral Polo, and was un-
officially communicated to Secretary Fish; but
as stated yesterday, it did meet with the favor
| Of the Administration.
The protocol signed by Admiral Polo, with
Secretary Fish, GU the ooh Of November, was
with the full appreciation of his Government
after mature consideration OF all its cOnse-
! Gucnccs, aud since that that time 1t has eX-
| dressed 20 u'imation whatever for change OF
lis terms The excitement 10 the island of
| Cuba aud the alleged threats concerning the
| Firainius gave reasonable foundation for fear
on the part of many persons that the vessel
and the surviving passengers and crew would
not be promptly delivered to the UuItcd States
authorities according to the terms 9th agree
mcnt but such apprehensions have not been
shared by the Executive branch Of our Govern
neut, for it can be positively stated that there is
nothing to diminish its confidence in the sincerity
of the purpose Of the Spanish Government, or
its ability to execute It's engagements. The de.
lay of the transactions as been unavoidable,
and only recently the arrangement for the con-