The New York herald., 1873-12-29
Rescued from santiago-Thc Survivor
or tho virginius Tragedy.

Il
arrived at this port with one hundred and two
rescued prisoners-the survivors OF those
taken on the steamer virginius; and the
arrival of these poor fellows, saved not only
from DEATH but from the horrors Of Cuban
prison and the cruelty Of Spanish jailers'
while it will turn public attention once more
to the subject of the outrage to this country
done by the capture of the Virginius, will,
assuredly provoke new indignation that the
case has been settled on conditions so easy to
the wretches that represent the Spanish power
in Cuba.
Some new light is cast upon the capture
and the Immediately related events by the
account we give elsewhere. the details OF
which were gathered by the HERALD corre-
spondent at the scene of the massacre, and
from the men now brought hither. BY this
detailed story the history of the massacre
is somewhat redeemed from the con-
fusion into which it was thrown by
the several contradictory statements Of
the numbers of persons killed on the vari-
Gus days of the executions. 1t appears that
in all ffty-three persons were shot-four at
first, on November 4; thirty-seven on Novem-
Der and twelve on November sand that
the executions were only stopped by the arri-
val at Santiago of the British man-of-war
Niobe. There is further report that the
thirty-seven who were killed on the 7th were
at first to have been shot on the Sth, but that
a change was made in the day in consequence
of its becoming known to these official assas-
sins that the British man-of-war would arrive
on the Sth, and that if they did not do some
of their murders before her arrival they might
altogether lose the opportunity to indulge in
their bloody revel. And this fact is in keep
ing with the general course of their conduct
through the whole transaction; for we know,
as they knew at the time, that any delay, any
opportunity offered for inquiry, would have
deprived the savages of their prey; and as
they killed all that they did kill absolutely
without trial lest the time occupied by that
formality should enable their own government
to forbid the murders, we can readily credit
the statement that their apprehension of the
arrival of the Niobe and her gallant, whole
souled and generous commander, hurried their
action as reported. AS ffty-three were thus
slain and one hundred and two are now set
at liberty, the whole number of persons who
sailed on the Virginius, one hundred and fifty
fve is thus accounted for All the names of
the killed on the respective days and Of
the survivors are given in our report
| AS we would naturally expect from the
Spanish character in general and especially
| from the character of those concerned in these
murders, the men who were not killed suffered
at the hands of their keepers treatment to
which death would be preferable in the minds
of persons Of the slightest sensibility. The
hourly insults, the hectoring before the per-
sons who made the little inquiry designed by
the authorities, the national and personal
degradation, the atrocious attempt to excite
| fear by the frequent information that all were
to be shot, and this only in hope that out Of
the momentary weakness Of some poor wretch
they might get testimony against the ship and
those on her-an this together might we'll
break down ordinary resolution. And this WINS
but part; for to the merely mental misery was
added the physical distress of privation, not
only of food and drink, but even of those pro-
visions for personal propriety and the decen-
cies Of life that any others than Spaniards
would accord to cattle. And the short COM
| pulsory voyage of the prisoners, when they
were sent to Cienfuegos and again returned
to Santiago de Cuba, recalls in its salient
features the dreadful history of the
middle passage in the worst stories
of the slave trader. Another trait of the
Spanish character is indicated in this minute
history when are seen the brilliant Dons, no
doubt of the purest possible Castilian blood,
anticipating their murders by robbery, and
before imbruing their hands in the blood of
their helpless captives, chivalrously thr,isting
the same hands into the prisoners pockets or
trunks and gallantly helping themselves to
| the contents Ransacking staterooms for
money, rifing trunks for valuables of every
sort, helping themselves to even the passable
garments of their captives-these are the
noble achievements Of the heroes of the
Spanish Navy; these are the acts that will
cover their national standard with glory-the
only glory that the Spanish Navy is ever likely
to cast on it Spain, it is true, has no army.
It has rotted away because thoroughly satu-
rated with the national spirit Her soldiers
stand bravely to their duty so long as that
duty consists in eating regular ration in safe
barracks, but they desert or rebel whenever
called upon to face the enemy. But though
she has no longer an army, let Us OF least con-
gratulate the land of so much glory that it has
navy left and, therefore, all is not lost
not even honor, as the Spaniards under
stand it.
1t is infamous that there is no punishment
for these wretches infamous that our govern
ment can have SO betrayed its duty to the peo-
pie that the seizure Of an American ship on
the high seas, the murder Of fifty-three per-
sons entitled to the protection of our flag, and