Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-12-02
From the New York Herald, of Nov. oath ]
ADMIRAL POLO IN DEFENCE.

| Arguments Why No Insult Was offered to tn
| Am. lean Flag The Virginius Was Not Unite
| States Vessel Burriel Ae ted Only in Accordanc
| With Law-1he Telegram from Spain Concern
| ing Minister Sickles
WASHINGTON, Nov. %, 1873
Admiral Polo, the Spanish Minister. who ha
hitherto maintained strict reserve on the sub
ject of the Virginius imbroglio, accorded t,
your correspondent an interview at late hou
this evening. The Admiral expressed his opin
ions fully and frankly on the grave complica
| tions which threaten to involve this country ii
war with Spain, as be is evidently desirous o.
placing before the American people what be
considers the real facts of the case of the Vir.
ginius knowing full well that when the>qHes-
! ton OF peace or war comes to be decided upon
our Congress and government will be led by
public opinion
Your correspondent opeued the conversation
by remarking that it was the accepted belief
we were on the verge of war with Spain.
Admiral Polo replied Yes war has stared
me in the face from the newspaper prints for
the last fortnight or so. and | suppose there is
great deal of talk about war; but [ doubt
very much whether those who are clamorinq
for it represent the real sentiments of the Amer
lean people at large. There is certainly no oc-
casion, not even pretext for war, except 1t be
to find employment for the many idle people
about New York 1t is said they must be pro-
vided for, and therefore war would be good
thing Perhaps it would but I think it is a
queer way of solving the labor problem y
Your correspondent here queried whether
the insult done to the American flag was not a
/ good pretext for war.
Admiral Polo said There has been no in
suit done or intended to the American flag. be-
cause the Virginius was no more entitled to it
than to the flag of Venezuela and perhaps not
quite as much. | ask you. in the name of fair
ness, shall the great flag of this country serve
as cover for the lawless acts of set of adven-
turers who except as temporary expedient
care no more for it than for mere rag? When
the facts of the whole career of the Virginius
will be laid before the American people they
will look at the case in different aspect. The
Virginius has been engaged for three years in
awless pursuit. During all that time she has
not once been in an American port. There is
ample proof that she was owned by Cuban in-
surgents. and by 10 Mr. Patterson or any other
American It is well known that she has land
ed several expeditions 10 Cuba. She took part
in the civil war of Venezuela, carrying troops
for Guzman BIanco, which fact was enough to
deprive her of the Americun nationality, if she
had not forfeited it before.
mere your correspondent Sdiu Il rs tuo v IL
ginus had American papers and was cleared by
the American Consul at Jamaica, would it not
have been well to have examined the question of
her nationality before assuming her to be pi-
rate and before the wholesale shooting of pris-
oners?"
Admiral Polo replied THE VirgiDius OBJ
tanned those papers on fraudulent representa-
tons, and therefore they were void The
American ConsuIat Kingston did wrong 10
clearing her; for the character and real desti-
nation of the Virginius must have been known
to him as well "a the iIibusters who manned
her General Burriel upon whom so much
abuse has been lavished by the American news
papers, only carried out the sentences of reg
ularly constituted council of war 1t was, how
ever,sno mere assumption on the part of the
Santiago authorities that the prisoners of the
Virginius were fllibusters. They knew it to be
fact They had attempted to land for the
purpose Of killing loyal people in the island and
destroying their property The authorities act
ed upon hat knowledge in enforcing with the
utmost rigor the municipal law governing such
cases. | deplore most sincerely that he orders
of the Madrid government did not arrive IN
time to stop the executions. Regarding the
capture of the Virginius, am sorry to say that
many people in this country have the mistaken
idea that the same laws of evidence apply to
nations in their dealings with one another as t.
criminal cases statement of certain fact
by one friendly government to another ought to
be sufficient evidence Diplomatic action should
not be hampered by the requirement of sworn
afidayits and other legal instruments of that
nature They are right and proper In criminal
cases, but seem like chicanery in international
dealings The American government has been
repeatedly notified of the character of the Vir-
h7 cba hro,,cot haok to tk q
United States and turned iuto bona ttde mer-
chant vessel?
Are the present complications likely to lead
TO war with spain ? was the next query oi
your correspondents.
Admiral Polo said II believe there will be
20 war unless the senseless clsmor of few
should prevail over the American government
If you drive the Spanish authorities from the
island, which cannot be done so easily as some
people here suppose, what government woulG
you substitute? Americans who have lived II
Cuba know that the Cubans are incapable O
self government. There remains, then annex
alton to the United States. Well, if you mus
have the island, If that is what you call 'manifes
Destiny take it, If you can, but get stronger
case than that of the Virgibius as pretext fol
aggression | do not think it would be gener
GUS for this great Republic to take advantage
of the difficulties of a struggling sister Republic
| although am OF those who believe that wa
with foreign power would have the effect o
uniting the whole Spanish nation for the de
| fence Of the national territory.
| Your correspondent then alluded to the re
ported attempt to mob the American Minister
at Madrid.
Admiral Polo answered II am authorized
TO contradict the whole report telegraphed re
garding General Sickles, having received tel
egram from Madrid in the following words:-
Contradict reports of hostile demonstration
against the American Minister. Gen. Sickle
is treated with sincere friendship and respect
Some excesses in the monarchial press haV
been Immediately suppressed.
| Labor.
| L is mistake to suppose that labor is a