Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-11-29
Delaware State journal
wILnISSTON. DEE
saturday. NoN-cml,cr ~. 1875


saturday. y oNcmhcr ~. 100
The Attempt 10 Rebuke Brave
and Generous Peoples Righteous {
WRATH I
A great many of the wise ard blood
less kind of men and newspapers are no"
rebukiug the indignant wrath oil Tue
American people over the Insult 10 our
flag and the outrage to humanity, perpe-
trated by the spanish butchers in Cuba
We are unable to lind in any OF the'f
articles, however, any grounds Tor the
rebuke they attempt to administer. Our
flag has been iusulted, for argue as one
may about the notorious character OF lhe
Yirgini,ss, the Spanish authorities had no
legal proof that she was other Than sne
pretended to be, simple trading vessel
and however strong or well grouhueu
their suspicious that she was ola different
character may have been, they bad no
right to seize her upon the high seas wth
view to verifying those suspicious II
we admit they had such a right theh
they NAV seize and search any vessel ny
ing our aag, for If their belief and sus'
picion are to be their guide, they, ana no |
one else, can Judge of how strong the |
belief or suspicion may be, or on what !
grounds they shall form it. If as these
timid apelogists claim, the character and
mission of the lirginius were notorious
It behooved the Spanish authorities 10
keep that much stricter watch on inelr
own coast. with a view to her capture the
moment she entered their waters and be-
came subject to their jurisdiction ou'
that was all. We know that this If
legal question, but 1t is legal question
the traditional American view OF "hleh
one need not ue learned in law To snow
and understand, since our nation fought
great war in Intellectual defence of it in
1872 Il, and finally gained its recognition
by diplomacy from England no longer
ago than the date Of the treaty OF Wash
ington. Our dag then, we repeat, was
iusulted by the capture of the 1gHHN
on the high seas while sailing under It,
no matter what men might think they
knew. concerning her right, or lack Of
right, to fly our colors.
Again, in the subsequent hutchery of
those captured on the IUgaiius, no one
prstends that an awful outrage against
humanity was no: perpetated 1t
was perpetrated, too, right at our
very doors on men taken from underline
protection of the flag of this republic,
some OF them our fellow citizeus. Vht
protests Of our governments representa-
tive at the scene Of slaughter, were
treated at first with silent contempt and
then with open insoence by the villain
who ordered the massacre, aud the consul
was even prevented by the seizure OF the
telegraph wires from asking the Ameil
eau Cousu! at Kingston proper anC
reasonable question concerning the sAil
seized.
Are our people to be blamed for resent
ing with anger such outrage and Insult
as this Nay, should they in uerc
wrath clauor for vengeance Tor sucl
heaping of wrong upon wrong, nsul
upon insult and outrage upon outpg,
we could scarcely have blamed them
while had the flush Of honest anger no
risen to their checks, had they borne d
this tamely and stopped to count ihe co.
and calculate the possible consequence
before expressing heir horror aud indl.
nation their demand for rcparatiou, an
tor security against further outrag
then indeed might We have exclaimed,
God help the Republic for the soul
the Nation has died within it, and y
are become a congregation OF traders al
bayterer. banded together merely to pr
tect ourselves I'm our pursuit Of gai
Then, indeed, would the gluomu,
prophecies Of those who fear the tend,
cies of utilitaran philosophy have De-
realized, aud well and properly msut
have laid aside the starry banner We
longer had the uanliucss to protect flc
insult, ard have hiaz1ned the " Nui-i
Dollar on new flag as our stanttl
But neither the cold philosophy ot :
fanatics Of practically ou the Que hui
nor the rose coored, mol usk ideas of /
fanatical sentimeutaists on thy oh
hand, seem to have altered the policy
Heaven thus far and this land of ours
not either inhabited ty patent caIuu
ling machines, nor vet ny Il 4p-r
order Of mol.usk-, torn Of women alo
but by men formed on The old ti
model born with fathers. and iuhgit
from their fathers the faults and Writ
OF the race, usty, strong, ho--Aeadei.
endowed with backboues 10 make O.
stand uuright and with hearts ttJa