The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-06
The Captain General and the Herald
COmmissioner to Cuba.


Our special despatch from Havana, recount
ing briefly an interview between HERALD
correspondent and Captain General Ceballos,
is of first rate interest at present. The sub
ject of the interview was the HERALD's Special
Commissioner to Cuba, Mr.. James j. O. Kelly,
and what treatment the Spanish authorities
were likely to extend to him on his return
from the insurgent camp. We confess our
selves not little amused by the statement of
the Captain General that Mr.. O'Kelly was
doubtless concealed somewhere in Santiago
de Cuba. On what possible grounds
he could imagine o newspaper correspond
ent burying himself from human eye
in city where it would be SO
much more pleasant to take the air
in the cool of the evening we cannot state.
The Captain General was then informed
pointedly that Mr.. O'Kelly was in the insur-
gent camp, and not hiding at all When His
Excellency became convinced that this was
really the case "he became exasperated. ;"
We are sorry indeed that it should take SO
little to rufle the temper of 80 exalted an
official Why should he object to news
paper correspondent going to and fro and
seeking information wherever he lists,
SO long as he retains his position
as neutral2 II would seem, indeed, from the
heat of temper displayed by this high official
of the Spanish Republic that in the days when
he was Captain General of the Spanish Mon
archy he had intimated to somebody his
objection to our Commissioner entering
the insurgent lines. We take it, then,
that his first impulse of choler was di-
rected against those subordinates who had
not clearly understood or very imper-
fectly carried out his Instructions But
he very sooA shifted his anger and gave it
full fling against the HERALD and its faithful
Commissioner. ''Who and what are the New
YORK HERALD and Mr.. O'Kelly, that they
should mock the Spanish laws in Cuba"
We can tell him what the New
YORK HERALD is without any difficulty. It
is o thoroughly independent American
journal, whose cause is the cause of truth,
honesty, light and right everywhere; fearless
in its championing of these and indefatigable
in its endeavors to spread intelligence of them.
Mr.. O'Kelly is the HKRAID's trusted repre-
sentative to bear testimony of how for truth,
honesty and human right ore respected in Cuba.
To such, journal or representative, no honest
Executive of an honest cause has the slightest
reason to object. This the Captain General
must we'll have known but, in his passion, he
so far forgot himself as to say that Mr..
O'Kelly, on his temperance, should be tried
by drum-head court martial and shot
as spy. The trial and the shoot
ing are put SO closely together that
the Captain General might well have spared
himself any allusion to trial ct all. Where
man who is the Executive over an entire
people speaks 60 trial we generally presume
that there is some chance left to the accused.
But the Captain General declared that there
should be no such chance, for he said that Mr..
o Kelly would be shot This, in plain terms,
would be, If promulgated, an order from the
Captain General to assassinate the HERALD
Commissioner when he returned to the Span
ish lines. Upon its essential brutality, its
short-sighted defiance to the American people
and its truculent inhumanity we are happily
spared any lengthy comment, and for very
sufficient reason. The Captain General, on
coming to the sober second thought, decided