The New York herald., 1873-11-27
Our NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF Peaceful
Relations with Spain Imminent.

Relations with Spain Imminent.
BY the time this days HERALD gets into the
hands Of our readers the Spanish government
will either have conceded the demands made
by the United States or the United States
Minister will have left the Spanish capital
and that rupture of diplomatic rela-
tions which we have hitherto re-
ported as imminent will have taken
place. 1t will be seen by our
special despatch from Madrid that the
demands of our government, exactly as they
were given in the HERALD of the 21st inst,
were presented to Spain in the nature of an
ultimatum on the 10Th inst, with declara-
ton that unless the terms were complied with
within limit of seven days direct diplomatic
relations would cease by the withdrawal OF
our representative. Although the journals
| that with more or less distinctness sustain the
case of the people who murdered the
men of the virginius and deprecate al
| earnest denunciation of the insult
to our flag as well as the journals that are
supposed to be specially favored with drib-
blings of cheap news from the Department of
State have rallied at our despatch publishing
the terms of the ultimatum-have declared
that it was fabricated in this Office and that it
yet it is now evident that the famous '.five
points" of our so-called diplomatic memo
randum" have been in negotiation for
seven days between the two govern
ments, and that the Spanish Executive,
though impressed by our resolute attitude, has
its yielding would have in Spain than the
effect its refusal would have on this side the
water and has, in fact feared its people and
crisis that would have carried it out Of Office
more than it has apprehended the inevitable
consequences of assuming as its own acts of
barbarity that no necessity could palliate and
an attitude OF defiant injustice toward us that
We, as selfrespecting Power cannot toler-
ate. 1t It's intimated by our correspondent that,
in the refusal to accept our terms, Senior Cas-
telar is overruled by the other members of
the Executive Council, and whether we take
this as an indication of his sense of the justice
and legal right of our position, or as q con-
sequence of his opinion that Spain in her
present crippled condition cannot meet
the alternative, it is equally creditable
to the judgment of the orator; but
we should have expected of him that
he would have resigned Office rather
than by remaining in the government have
given the sanction of his name to decision
that he could not approve, and thereby parti-
cipating in the determination that will launch
his country nto war on an issue in which he
does not believe her cause is just and in
circumstances in which he cannot imagine
that she can sustain her ancient glory.
With all our sympathy for this gentle
mans endeavors in extreme difficulty,
and our admiration for his enthusiastic faith
in the great principles of free government that
we hope may some time find the atmosphere
of his country more congenial to their growth,
we cannot but observe that he puts himself if
our correspondent represents him accurately
of which we have no doubt-in a position alto
gether false and in o dilemma between his
political probity and his love for his country;
since, if he has decided as patriot to plunge
his country into hopeless contest he is
poor politician, and if he has decided as
politician to hold Office rather than revolt
against a bad decision his patriotism is not
beyond reproach.
Since the occurrence of the event, the
results of which are likely to be SO momen-
tous to Spain, there has been an earnest
endeavor to reconcile by diplomacy the posi-
ton of the two nations, but in simple truth
they were radically irreconcilable. 1t was pub
lished yesterday with puerile inconsequence
that all the difficulties were smoothed away.
We were told that Spain was willing to
concede all our demands if we would
consent to prove first that the V1rginius
was entitled to our protection, but that our
government required this essential fact to be
taken for granted and would not consent to
examine this point till the demands were first
complied with and that inasmuch as this
was the only difference between the nations,
the trouble might be regarded as satisfactorily
overcome. In other Words the fact that the
United States and Spain took Numerically
opposite views of the main issue,
was looked upon as an evidence
of their agreement. The circumstance
that Spain could not possibly accede to our
demands, save with a condition that we could
not, in any circumstances, admit was given
as an evidence that peace was secured
There was central fact and two distinctly
opposite sides to it, and Spain was on one
side and we were on the other; therefore
there was no longer any difference in our
views. And all this was ostentatiously put
forth as an inspired account from the State
Department 1t to be hoped the diplomacy
was not inspired in the same way, and
that it was q little more logical than
this report of it, and we are disposed to be-
leve it was. 1t had at least back bone in
The very distinct attitnda as to our rights