New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-08


THE List PHASE or THE VIRGINIUS CASE
The utterances from the Government oracle
this morning are more reassuring than foi
several days past. The mysterious dispatch
from Havana which contained the resignation
of the Captain General has received no con
tirmatiOn as yet from any quarter. 1t is not
possible TO regard it as fabrication, for
everything sent by cable from that point Is
subjected to rigid censorship and cannot
pass without the positive or implied permission
Of the Captain Generals office The dispatch
in question stated that Gen. jovcllar had re-
signed and had informed the Government
that the execution of their orders was lmpOs-
sible. 1t is now stated that Admiral Polo has
received nothing to indicate that this dispatch
was true. If it was false. it was deib-
crate attempt OH the part of Gen.
.Iovellar to propagate false information for
the purpose of observing its effect upon pub
lie opinion III the United States. In that case
the experiment was not successful, for the
news that the Casino Espanol was displeased
with the Madrid Government, and did not
propose to submit to the terms of the protocol
of Washington has had no effect at all in this
country. There has been general DISPOSE
ton to look to Madrid for ali proper repara-
ton, TO give the government OF CASTELAR, a
reasonable time in which to carry out their
agreement, and only when it is evident that
the Peninsulars of Cuba are in fragrant revolt
against the authority of Spain, to look di-
rectly to them for satisfaction of the claims
which we have founded upon their lawless
acts.
The pacific news of this morning will he
received with general satisfaction. War is at
all times an undesirable and illogical thing,
and it would be hard to imagine war which
should have so many disadvantages and so
little probable profit as that with which we
have been threatened for the last month. We
do not want Cuba we do not want to bring
back the BOurbOns.to Spain we do not want
our own finances more dsordered than they
are nor our politics more debased and cor
rupted. Yet all these results would be likely
to follow war with Spain undertaken at this
time, for whatever reason or with whatever
purpose. All these considerations are not
enough to make us hesitate in our demands
of full reparatiOn for any wrong to our citizens
or affrOnt to our flag. But they are enough to
inspire the negotiations of our Government with
the greatest discretion, and to cause us to give
our hearty approval to any solution of the
question which shall save Our interests and
honor without blOodshed. The Governments
at Washington and Madrid both profess to
have attained such solution and to have no
apprehension that there will be any failure in
the prompt execution of the agreement. The
excitement in Havana is represented as less
violent. The leading men of the Casino are
said TO follow the example of Zulueta in eat
ing the leek and saving their Espahoism by
swearing that the United States shall be made
to pay a hundred millions for this. This is a
comfortable sum to think Of and to talk
about, and it will be cheerful subject of
contemplation at the time when the Virginius
is surrendered, and the prisoners at Santiago
are delivered into our hands.
We do not hear that any punishment is to
be melted out to the jealous officers of the
Tornado, or even to that sanguinary rhetOri-
clan Gen. Burrel for their Incorporate devO-
ton to the interests of Spain. Their aberra-
tons are supposed to be covered by their zeal.
Our Government looks less kindly upon such
patriotic impulses. Gen. Sickes is, thus far,
the only officer sacrificed to State exigencies
since the beginning of the affair. He has re-
signed because he was placed by the Govern
ment in position where resignation was CON-
manded by his sef-respect. There will probably
be two stories to account for this retirement.
The Government will probably say that Gen.
Sickles exceeded his instructions in the desire
to satisfy the requirements of an imaginary
public opinion in this country and the friends
of Gen. Slckles will be likely to respond that
the State Department at first over-estimated
the popular excitement, and directed Gen.
Sickles TO act with more energy than seemed
advisable week or two later. The general
impression at present is that the praiseworthy
desire of the Secretary of State to secure a
peaceful settlement of the difficulty induced
him to transfer all negotiations to Washing
ton, and to withdraw from Gen. Sickles that
full confidence which had formerly been re-
posed in him. The country is always little
anxious when an important place falls to the
disposition of the President. With all his ex-
cellent qualities, he does not shine In his
Civil Service appointments, and it is hardly to
DO expected that no will make an appoint