New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-27
PRUDENT coUNsELs GAINING STRENGTH.


TO the EditOr OF The Tribune.
SIR: The action Of Congress in the case OF
the yrginlus will DO event in which there IS scope
for the highest wisdom and If the is rightly appre
cated the result viii have immense influence or the
civilized world Rarely docs case occur in which there
Is such an opportunity. The act OF the spansh ohel@s
in sezng the vessel and dspOsng OF the prisoners u not
only a gros5 ofense against civilization and humanity,
but is one most exasperItng to America. It was the
spark TO explode magazine Of indignation, distance
alone saved the perpetrators from almost instantaneous
apnihaton The country has scarcely recovered from
tho shock and now the first duty is that OF looking into
the circumstances of the The President collect
ing facts and Congress is ON tho eve OF Assembling IL
ought 70 beperhaps 1t is-especia!ly fortunate That
the members Of Congress are coming fresh from the
people 1t will he the first important question for them
TO consider They will not be turned from some other
ouostion OIL which their minds might have been dis
tracted, aud they have been somewhat demoFaIlzed,
but they take up the case with all the freshness oil
llborcrs the morning The only real danger from any
exterior il the liability to passion from the ex'
traordnary character OF the The large number OF
executions suddenly made nlls all minds with horror,
moment is overpoweri"s i~s f"rt""~'e's'
q little time interycnes to recover from the shock Then
there - opportunity to take the Judgment OF the
country large and the verdict OF nation 50 lneh'
gent IN the Masses iu which there 50 mnch OF cult
walton and 70 much morality must be one Of more than
war Had the President called for volunteers on the
supposton that be had the power he might at this time
have had an army in motion which Spain would not
hayo found pleasant 10 meet; But that feeling IS already
subsidin. We begin 10 hear the Suggestions O the pr
dent who could not he heard IN the ciamOr which fol-
lowed the first shock. and they pres mt the circum
stances which led 10 the act. They give tho CAUTION
always appTOpri te-nOt 10 decide great questions IN
haste BE careful not 10 90 TOO fast and too far" By
noting the change IA public sentiment which week or
two OCCASIONS, 1t may be what sober thought
gests. The tendency OF the judgment OF the whole
nation when operating naturally and spontaneously Is
likely u % toward the right
s there a difficult point 70 be decided when there
is such cOnGction OF interest Spain looks upon tho
action of those prisoners criminal aud dangerous 20
their nation America secs in the execution atrocities
which no charity cover. BJth parties see energen-
ces which call Tor extreme measures IL Is sti cues
ton peace, mOmontous as that question u.
The experience OF country is TOO fresh to permit her
to be Insensible 10 the horrors or
Tie Influence which the action " our Congress viii
have the civilization Of the world the interests of
humanity not rely vast IL is wholly incalcul3Jl
On tue one hand, II II checks batbaries, which have
long been black cloud on the horizon 10 VIII usher in
br, chter day. IT, the other hand permits iDds-
ere ION to cOmpcate difficulties AMI still further
agsravatc them, 1t will delay the suspicious day when
reason shall hold sway. The verde. viii be awaited Ivy
the civilized world with intense interest, and VIII affect
not merely countries who the parties in
case but mankind. 1t viii DC looked upon the action
OF n great nation, where education and religion have
their widest influence and should show their greatest
effect. O. A ".
NeWi0n, Mass, Nov. II, 1873.