, 1873-11-28
WAR WITH EpAIu.

| are apparently warltko. The decision must DO
made within fcw days, and, although this do
cison reBts with Congress, 1t Ia possible for tho
President to put things in such shape that war
will be tho result, although the unbiased juag-
naent of Congress- might DO opposed to it. In
tho moantmo, thero aro two ways In which tho
difficulty may be considered. Thoro is broad
gaugo viow Of tho affair md narrow-gaugc
| Wow, and tho decision in favor Of war or poaco
will depond largely on which Of those viowa shall
DO adopted.
Tho broal-gaugo Wow Of tho Virginius affair
lB to consider the real merits Of tho controversy
npart from any nero technicalitieB that might
furnish protoxt for uar. What would no bo
| fighting for 10 avongo tho capture Of lot Of
| hlibustorH, and thoir execution Under tho Span
! ish law, to which they n,ado themselves ameua-
| bic when they went into tho llibustoring busl-
! ness. Gon. Ryan WAS the loador Of tho expedi-
tion, aud 1t turns out that ho Ind undertaken
tho job Of landing mon and arms on Spanish
territory, to resist spaniah authority, for tho
sum OF S2u, COO Ho took tho risk Of his lifo for
8 valuable consideration. and thoroby boca,uo
common 6poculator. He haa violated our neu-
trnlity lnwa, and thereby forfeited hiB claim to
protection ~ m American citizcn. Capt. Fry
was tho commander OF tho hlibustcring vesuel,
fully awaro Of tho character Of tho expedition,
as he confessed in the protest prepared by hima
fow hours hofore lis death. Fry was profess
atonal blockade.runner. Moro than that, l1e had
been guilty Of cruelty in his own career rs an
American Rebel which exceeded that of tho
spanisrds. If possible. During the civil war in
this country, he YVES the commander Of Rebel
battery near tho mouth Of the White River,
Which. On one occasion, fired into tho atoam-
drum Of the Union gunboat Mound City. Tho
explosion, beaidea acalding large number of
tho crew, throw others into the river, whoro thoy
lad to struggle for their lives. During this
struggle, aud wtilo two small bonte were picking
them up, Fry ordered his mon to tue banks with
their ritos to shoot tho poor wretchos in tho
water subsequently, Fry fell into the hands OF
Col. Graham N. Fitch, Of Indiana, who informed
him that his condition as prisoner-ot-war alono
saved hira from being hanged OF tho next tree.
Ho certainly deserved such treatment for tue ill.,
human butchery Of shooting at drowning men.
Several Of the Cuban members Of tho Vi1ginius
expedition no sooner foil into the hands OF tho
Spanish authorities than they made tho most
craven appeals for thoir lives, even
proposing to batray tho cause III which
they had enlisted If thoy could be
apared. These uro fair samples Of tile
mon executed by tho spaniardB, to ayeugo
whose death the United States nro called upon
to 60 to war with Spain. IL this tho kind Of
Cause to 60 to war in7 Can re, In Justice to
Americans who do not 60 on filibugtering ex-
poditionst undertake a war for such cause,-a
war that, ut tho best, must cost us tlousanda OF
lars t.? Shall VIC add to the number Of Our widows
and orphans enlargo our ponsion listH, aud ILL.,
crease our taxea for such meu as thoso2 This la
the broaa-Gauge viaw Of the question.
Tho narrow-gaugc Wow is to find son1o protext,
no matter how tlimBy, TINT will justify the United
statos in waging war upon Spain for tho annoxa-
ton Of Cuba. It would 10 strange, indeed, II
such pretoxt could not bo found In so oompli-
Gated IN affair as that Of tho yirgiuiuH. It is
possible that the Beizuro Of this veeael on tho
high Reas aud tho summary execution Of tho
crow, Without giving the American represents
tives an opportunity for proving the character Of
tia vessel, was technical violation Of iuterpn-
tional LAW, Which, II the Virginiua had proved to
be what ahe purportsd 10 be, would have furuish-
cd q casus oe'li. Tho Bpauisl authorities took tho
riak Of this. II the Virglnius had proved to bo
m American ship OF no hostile intent and
1t American eltlxons had bcon put to
death wlo had committed no crime,
then Spain would have had to answer a righteous
dcaaud for vengeance which would hayo como
from the pooElo OF tha country ps with QUO voice.
But, na tho very royorso Of this Ia tho csyo, shall
wo avail ourselves Of q tooluical proso1t for war
whio We hnyt 10 roal wrongs to rodrogs
Doforo VIC 80 to war OIL q technical protest
We lnust stop to think what war with Bpaiu
rneasa. 1tmeans at tho best, aprolonged, tedious,
hasasuiss, and murlerous conflict. spanlsl wasa
aro always long, oxasperatf,g, voxatious, costly,
and full Of unnecessary cruelty and vindlotiyc-
ness. 1t is altogether likely TINT In tho ond,
tho United htstca. With 4o,ooo,000 people aud
within hundred ,nlloa Of tho territory In
ataputo, would yanquish Spain, With only
100000 people nnd 5000 milea away from The
Cuhan coaut. 1'r* it Ia Great mistake to sup
poae that thepe differences In favor Of tho
Unltoa sta4ea will ouahlu uH to cloHo out tho war
In short lime. war with Spain will not ond
with tho capture aud posaosson at Cuta. Spain
mny for many yaaEa, ;1leseaftor, hurana our ootn-
lnercS ou Tie saaa, tllruaton our soast, and drug
oat a' expensive und dIscouraglug conflict,
wEioh wo will not have the power to ntop SUN.
maEtly. Tho "G, onco begun. will not aud TILL