The New York herald., 1873-12-19
The Only Lively Incident or the

morning we publish the details OF the stealing
out of the Virginius by the Spanish authorities
from under the noses of the unsuspecting
volunteers, whose brutal rage was simmering
down delightfully."-. As companion pictures
they should be hung up in the Department OF
State at Washington Insulted majesty re-
ceiving the atonement might be the titles. In
proportion as the majesty of the affair is
invisible it will be nearer the truth. After q
crime which reused the indignant feelings
of the civilized world, the poor ceremony,
which was deliberately made to wear the
appearance Of q piece of contemptuous con-
descension on the part of Spain and humble
reception of aims on the part Of the United
States, can only awaken feelings Of derision
the world over. Covered with filth the Vir-
ginius reached American hands from the
blood-stained hands of those who murdered
fifty-three of her passengers. We are great
people, and Secretary Buchu is worthy of us
The only thing to relieve the surrender
from absolute fatness was the adventures of q
HERALD correspondent, who, in this supposi-
titious hour of American triumph, had the
supreme credulity to believe that the American
flag would protect him sufficiently to allow
him entry to Bahia Honda during the "cere-
monies of the surrender. This amusing
piece of misplaced confidence will he heartily
enjoyed by the American people, who are well
aware that the protocol and its consequences
were never intended by Secretary Buchu or
any other of the "high contracting parties to
give the American flag in Cuba any rights
which Spaniard is bound to respect. But
our correspondence blind faith in his nation
is not the funniest part of the affair. He had
gone out from Key West in an American
eighty-ton schooner flying the American flag.
The schooner stood bravely up for Fort
Murillo, which frowns forts always
frown) over the entrance to the
harbor of Bahia Honda. AS the
schooner wore round to beat in, 10 and be-
hold the swarthy Spaniards rush to man the
batteries Of the Murillo. Huge Parrot guns
are trained on the eighty-ton schooner. and
the electricity Of battle. charges the air.
boat laden to the gunwales with fierce Spanish
soldiers rows down upon the schooner, and
things look very squally for the HERALD man:
The schooner is ordered to- come to- and, un-
der the circumstances, she comes. A parley
ensues; high words are spoken on one side,
and naughty, blood-curdling threats are
hurled on the other. The HERALD man re-
connoitres, and now had deeds of high en-
prise been wrought, if the little, craft a mile
and a half away in harbor that represented the
giant, America, had but shown the symptom
Of recognition of his critical position. 1t was
not to be- The eighty-ton schooner was or
dered by the naughty Spaniard out to sea,
and the correspondent, with sigh, .'wore
ship" and gulped down his gall over the
waters of the Gulf. He mustered his forces on
the quarter deck, and it is within the possibili-
ties that he would have returned and engaged
the fort if the crew were willing to fight The
spirit of Secretary Buchu, however, hovered
over the mariners, and, to a man. they showed
the white feather. Then followed a weary
time for the HERALD man. He was resolved
once more to beard the Spaniard in his den,
and the eighty-ton schooner bore down upon
the fort. Guns were once more trained on the
devoted schooner, and more boatloads Of
fierce Spanish soldiers rowed down upon her.
The HERALD man boldly summoned the fort
to suriender-its provisions. It was repre-
sented to him that no state Of war existed. He
consented to compromise and bought out
the provisions of the fortress for four
dollars and half As they consisted
only of water and Spanish biscuits,
it shows to- what condition the
garrison was reduced. Unluckily there was
not particle Of fight in the crew. The Par
rot guns and the Spanish soldiers would
otherwise have tempted a saint to open hos
tilities at once. The HERALD man, therefore,
''wore ship once more, and having at this
precise moment witnessed the diverting
ceremonies" then going on in the harbor,
set sail for the land Of the great spread eagle.
Imagination alone can fill in the ''what might
have been" of that rencontre. A fight between
Fort Murillo and its don defenders on one
side and the eighty-ton schooner on the other
ended badly for the schooner. The glory
which the Spaniards could have reaped from
such fray is, in all the range Of history,
only comparable to the glory which our great
Secretary Buchu reaped from his crushing
victory over the 10S pounds of diplomacy
under the cooked hat of Catacazy. 1t is almost
pity that Secretary Buchu's spirit cowed the
crew at such moment, for then the Catacazy
achievement might have had Spanish parallel
for all ages to come.
BISHOPS CUMMINs AND CHENEY PRosELY-
THING IN THE WEsr.--At Peoria, H., the
Reformed Episcopal Church is finding some
sympathy and little encouragement. On
Wednesday evening, it appears, large meet
ing of those friendly to the new reform move
ment was held in the Second Presbyterian
church Of that city. Bishop Cummins and
Bishop Cheney were both present and ad-