The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-07

given no such privilege to the representative
off friendly people. If this assertion wer,
true which it is not, there would be no par
allel between the cases. The Spaniards de-
clare that there is no organized rebellion on
the island. They claim that the insurgents
are confined to handful of half-armed, half
clothed. halffed guerillas, who have
no abiding place, no organization, no follow
ing on the part of the people. BY
what right. then, do they refuse a
citizen of a friendly nation safe conduct
over the whole island and pirate about shoot
ing innocent men as ''spies'' if they are
caught in ''the enemy's lines ?" The refusal
and the threat are inconsistent with the
assertions they have so boldly made. Mr..
OKelly's mission is to discover whether the
Spanish stories are true or false. 1t is
designed in the cause of humanity to bring
the war to close one way or the other, for
both sides have been guilty of savage butch
cry and of crimes revolving to the civilized
world. He will report facts as he finds them
If they establish the hopelessness of the
rebellion the American press will decry q
continued struggle If they show that the
Spanish accounts are unreliable and that the
rebellion cannot be subdued the American
press will urge upon our government such
action as will be likely to secure the speedy
independence of the island. Thee course of the
Spanish authorities in Cuba is strong pre-
sumptive evidence of the untruthfulness of
their own representations.
We repeat our message to General Morales
and his associates:-Do any injury to the
HERALD Commissioner while he obeys the
laws of your country, and your nation will pay
the penalty of the outrage. This is no Spanish
threat The American press is stronger than
the American government; it is the repre-
sentative and the mouthpiece Of the American
people, who hold the government in their
hands. Shoot Mr.. O'Kelly as a spy, and a
subservient State Department would be but q
reed in the way of the storm of indignation
that would sweep over the United States and
declare war against the assassin Power There
is broad, generous fraternity among Ameri-
can journals, which, in such an event, would
rise superior to all rivalry and make common
cause with the HERALD in avenging the cow
ardly murder. But Mr.. O'Kelly is safe! He
will fulfil his mission faithfully and WE'LL and the
Spanish authorities will take precautions that he
receives no injury at their hands. Their
threats will not be likely to swerve him an
inch from his line Of duty, and we shall be
mistaken if he does not fully carry out all he
has undertaken to accomplish. If he should
fail, others would be found willing to fill his
place, as he himself was found ready to sue
coed his predecessor. Our belief is that he
| will not fail, and we are quite confident that
he will not be shot as spy. Spanish hauteur
is magnificent but Spanish policy is keen.
There are swashbucklers in the Spanish
uniform who are brave when they have cow
ards to deal with and cowardly when con-
fronted with men of frmness and courage.
Mr.. O. Kelly is of the latter school. General
Morales will not NEEDLE with him.