The New York herald., 1873-12-09

Peace That VIII Lead 20 War o.
War That VIII Lead to Peaees
The game of diplomacy just now being
played between Spain and the United States
is very similar to the children's game Of see
saw Peace sits at one end of the beam and
War at the other, and, balanced nicely on She
Fish-Polo protocol. we at one moment see the
war end up and the peace end down, and in
the next the peace end up and the war end
down. The rapid changes OF position are
somewhat puzzling to the beholdsr for we
not unfrequently find them occurring on the
same day in succeeding paragraphs in the
semi-official utterances from Washington. In
one we are assured our government is entirely
satisfied that the conditions agreed upon by
Spain will be successfully carried out and
that a peaceful solution of the Virginius diff
Guilty is regarded as certain, while in the next
we learn that the situation looks graver than
ever and that active war preparations have
not been abandoned. To base conclusions ON
this see-saw intelligence would be to change
position half dozen times day; hence
it is better to treat all the semi-oficial
reports and rumors from Washington as
designed to confuse as well as to amuse the
public mind, and to apply the test OF common
sense to the facts actually within our knowl-
! edge il we wish to form an intelligent idea of
the present situation and the prospect before
u.s. We know our government has taken the
ground that our flag covered the virginius SO
long as she remained on the high seas and was
not within Spanish jurisdiction; that, what
ever act the vessel might have committed in
violation of our neutrality laws, no foreigner
had the right to visit and search her on the
high seas, but must leave to us the enforce
offenders. We know Spain has controverted
this position and insisted upon her right to
intercept and capture vessels known to be en-
gagged in landing men and material in Cuba
for the use of the insurgents; but, as COM
promise, has agreed to give us back the vir-
ginius without prejudice to this right, the
alleged object of her expedition having re-
ceived bloody defeat, and the United
States guaranteeing q further punish
ment of the parties interested in
her either by ownership or association,
provided it can be shown by Spain that they
have broken our laws. We know our govern
ment has taken the position that the Spaniards
had no right to kill citizens of the United
States and others under the protection of our
flag without proper trial, whatever may have
been the character of the vessel on which they
were found. We know Spain has justified.
while deploring, the executions, and has con-
sented to give up the prisoners who have
escaped death
The concessions on the part Of SPAIN insult
ficient as they are and destitute of security for
the future, have formed the basis of the Fish
Polo protocol So far as Spain is concerned.
here was an end of the matter The other
points, such as the salute to the flag and the
reciprocal reclamations" which might or
might not be referred to arbitration, are not
worthy of consideration. The one is q mere
sentimentality, the other means that for the
next twenty years we may buster about in
demnity for the murder of poor Fry and his
fellow victims, to be met by counter claims
from Spain for damages inflicted upon
her by the act of every flibuster or
Cuban who has managed to evade our
friendly authorities and to land ON the island
within the last five years. But the fulflment
Of the real conditions of the protocol settle
ment has been interfered with by the
volunteers and the excitable spirits of the
Casino Espafol, and Havana is in state of
semi-rebelion against Madrid To be sure.
the reports from the forr r city are also of
the see-saw character. At one moment the
Spanish population is said to be resolved on
war in preference to surrender the virginius
is to be destroyed if necessary to prevent the
threatened humiliation, and the lives of
mob. In the next the Casino Espa1ol is re-
ported as having swallowed its Indignation
and agreed to allow the orders of the Spanish
government to be carried out. Nevertheless,
it is certain that rebellious spirit exists in
Cuba; that there is great probability of an
interruption of the conditions of the protocol
and that the government at Madrid seems
unable to enforce its authority in the island.
Our special cable despatch from Paris to-day
shows that the Madrid Bourse recognizes and
appreciates the dispiriting character of the
colonial news, and the pulse of the Bourse is
the best indication we can have of the uncer-
tain condition of the negotiations for peace.
These are the facts as known to us to-day,
and we may gather from them q correct idea
Of the situation. There are such grave doubts
of the ultimate fulflment of the conditions of
the Fish-Polo protocol, Notwithstanding the
spasmodic assertions of the final removal of
all difficulties, that our government very prop
erly continues its warlike preparations. The
Secretary Of the Navy asks for money, which
should be given to him instantly; our IRON
clads are coming home and getting into con-
dition for active service as rapidly as possible;
an unfortunate and unforeseen accident de-