The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-11-10
The Virginius.
Dispatches Between the Governments of
the United States and spain--.The State
Department making gam Investi CATION,
Etc., Etc.

NEW YORK, Nov. ga despatch from Wash
ington says the Secretary of the Navy yester-
day telegraphed to Rear Admiral Scott of the
North Atlantic station, to proceed In person, or
send a vessel to Santiago de Cuba without de-
lay, to cooperate wi tn Vice Consul Schmitt at
that place in protecting the interests of the U
S. in the affair Of the Virginius. Dispatches
have also passed between the State Department
and Madrid, several times.
Admiral Polo, the Spanish Minister, with
Mr.. Potestad, the secretary of the Spanish ega-
ton, had long interview with Secretary Fish
yesterday The Minister is empowered for the
time to act with plenipotentiary power, and
Capt. General Juvella of. Cuba, has been so in
structed.
At this interview the Secretary Of the State
tailed the Spanish Minister'S attention to the
extreme sensativeness of the people of the Uni
ted States, on the 'subject of Cuba especially to
the summary execution OF the so-caled paSsan-
gers on the ViTgnius.
After the interview Admiral Polo telegraph
e to Capt, General Juveila his instructions,
with the request that they be promptly con-
yeyed to the officials of the Eastern Depart
| ment, especially to the commander at Santiago
| de Cuba
There has been much inquiry as to what view
| the State Department took of the case of the
| Virginius 1t docs not appear that the Virgin
ius had been guilty of any violation of the neu-
| trality laws of the United States although it
| may appear that for other reasons she may
| have ceased to be entitled to the protection of
| our government. Whether the fact of her cap
| ture on the high seas is justfable or not, de-
| pends upon facts yet to be inquired into. If
| she had been captured in the territorial waters
of the United States that would have afforded
an evident cause of complaint on the part of
| the United States against Spain and if captur-
| ed within the territorial waters of Jamaica,
| that would have constituted an invasion OF the
sovereign right of Great Britain. But whether
| captured on the high seas or in the waters of
| Jamaica, the question for our government
! would be the same, provided she was Amer
| lean vessel engaged in honest business, and as
such is entitled to the protection OF the govern
| ment of the United States.
| The capture is already the subject of cores
pondence between the two governments by tel
| egraph through our Minister, Gen. Sickles, at
| Madrid, and tina t government is all ready, or
| soon will be informed of the circumstances by
the Amercn Consul at Santiago de Cuba.
| 1t may be taken for granted that it the act OF
| the Tornado was without justifable cause, our
| government will demand and receive complete
! redress at tbh hands of Spain.
Meanwhile it is question with which the
| Caba agents in New York have nothing to do
and the less they NEEDLE with it the better for
| them. 1t is question of American rights, not
of Cuban rights. 1t is the duty of our govern
ment to look after the interests of the United
| States, not of those of Cuban insurgents in
| New York or in Cuba.
Ii the bona fide property of an American
owner has been captured by the Spanish cruis-
| er nnlawfully, or if in that capture, the SOW
ereignty of the United States has been infring-
| ed, it is to be taken for granted that our gov
| eminent will fully discharge its duty to the flag
and to the country; but there is nothing in this
incident to produce socitude or lead to any ap-
| prehension of rupture between Spain and the
| United States. On the contrary, if Pound in
the wrong, we may be sure the Spanish gov
eminent will afford full reparation1ito the
| United States. At present we have no exact
information respecting the persons on board the
| Virglnius. The only persons whose names are
| spoken of are either notorious Cutans like Ces-
pedes or Varona, or fillbusters like Ryan. Inc
previous history of the vessel, the great number
OF persons said to have been on board OF her at
the time, tt e lotriety of the leaders among
them, the place and destination of the Nirginus
| when overhauled by the Tornado aud the des-
| efforts OF the former to escape from the latter
are conclusive proofs of what nobody seems to
doubt, that she was engaged in transporting
men and munitions of war for the use of the in
surgents in Cuba. The State Department will
| know better what to think OF the transaction
| when some honest American citizen presents
himself showing that at the time of the capture
he was owner of the Virginus, and claiming
| the intervention of our government against
Spain While the State Department protests
against the Spanish government unnecessarily
Irritating the people of this country by sum-
mary punishment of alleged offenders, it does
not intend to sacrifice its own dignity in hastily
| aspous'ng the cause of the Virginus to lind
hereafter that according to international law
and treaty obligation it had no justification for
such zeal.
Nv AsHINGToN, Nov 9-The capture OF the
! Ilrglnius was under decree of the Captain
general OF 1869. One of its articles provided
tnat Qn me high seas contiguous to those OF
Cuoa, spanish cruisers were to oontne them
serves to the right OF search over soch vessels as
might be denounced. but in consequence OF the
/ strong protests of the Secretary OF state, the
Captain General said in view of the determln,
j atibn adopted by the government OF the United