The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-19

The Spanish Lie Diplomatic.
The State Department at Washington con-
tradicts, in very delicate and diplomatic
manner, the statement made few days since
In the Spanish Cortes by Seiior Zorrilla, that
no communications have passed between the
governments of Washington and Madrid on
the subject OF the abolition of slavery in the
Spanish West Indian possessions, and that no
notes addressed by Secretary Fish to our
Minister at Madrid have ever been read to the
Spanish Ministry. With the polished courtesy
belonging to knee breaches, bob wigs, dress
swords and cooked hats, the singular denial of
tie Spanish Premier is designated by our
Secretary Of State as ''strictly diplomatic"
and as ''not to be understood as warranting
the assumption that nothing has been re-
ceived by the Spanish Ministry in regard
to the sentiments of our government on the
question of slavery in the islands. ''The
Spanish government has not, of course, re-
ceived the note of Mr. Fish," says our Secre-
tary through his party organs, ''because that
was written to Minister Sickles. When read
be furnished unless asked for, and none was
asked for; SO that, automatically speaking,
the government has received no such commu-
nication; but the Spanish Minister of Foreign
Affairs and through him the Spanish govern
ment, has full knowledge of the latest views of
this government on the subject of slavery in
the Spanish West Indian possessions, what
ever they may say in the Cortes."
We would suggest that the American people
had quite sufficient of this diplomatic humbug
at the time of the Geneva Conference contro-
versy between Mr.. Fish and Earl Granville,
and they would like now little plain,
Ineligible language. The question of
slavery in Cuba is one in which the
American people have deep interest
and for which the republican party of
freedom now in power has grave
responsibility. Secretary Fish has recently
sneered at the idea of the right of the "Cuban
insurgents" as he styles the revolutionists
who are struggling for their liberty on the
island, to recognition as belligerents but they
are the champions of human freedom, while
the Spanish rulers of Cuba are the upholders
of human slavery. The government of the
United States, by affording profitable mar
ket for slave-grown sugar, is encouraging the
Spanish planters in Cuba to resist the abo-
lition of slavery and enriching Spain. Con-
gress, as the representative Of the people, has
declared its condemnation of the policy of
Spain in continuing human bondage on the
E;ch has
respondence, in which he assumes to have
received from the Spanish government
repeated pledges that slavery should be
abolished in the Spanish West Indian posses
sions, and in which he instructs the American
Minister at Madrid to almost demand from
the Spanish government fulflment of those
pledges. And now the Spanish Premier rises
in the Cortes and declares that the American
government has never approached Spain on
the subject of slavery, and asserts that the
American Minister has never brought any note
on that topic from Secretary Fish to the notice
of the Spanish Ministry.
In undiplomatic language it is plain that
either Secretary Fish or the Spanish Premier
has uttered an untruth. Have the American
people been deceived when told by Secre-
tary Fish that our government has protested
against the continuance of slavery in
Cuba and has received repeated pledges
from Spain that slavery should be
abolished, or did Sehor Zorrilla pub
licly give utterance to falsehood when he
denied the statements of Secretary Fish? The
issue is a direct one and cannot be evaded. If
our Minister at Madrid has, for any reason,
neglected to carry out the instructions of his
government he should be at once recalled.
Unless he has committed this offence there is
question of veracity between Mr.. Fish and
Sefior Zorrilla, in the settlement of which the
American people are interested. We have had
enough intrigue, deception and underhanded
influence in all our recent transactions with
the Spanish government. Now let us know
where the responsibility rests.