Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-11
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
WEDNESDAY,, DECEMBER 10, 1878.
THE TRENT AND THE VIR-
GENEUS.

" y
for the best results, and that the Span
ish authorities will comply with the rea-
sonable demands of the United States
without a resort to war. The people
demand that the government should re-
main firm in their demands for full re-
paration for the outrage, so far as it is
possible to make amends. Spain seems
TO acknowledge that we are right, but
the difficulty comes where it has always
come from, an inability on the part of
the home government to enforce her
authority in Cuba We have waited,
however, about as long as good nature
can hold out, and it would seem that we
are entitled to not only full and frank
tender of an apology and reparation on
the part of Spain, but also that Spanish
authority in Cuba should treat us with,
at least, the consideration of the Madrid
government.
All men arc fallible and governments
are but organizations of men, and there
is no more humiliation in a nation ac-
knowledging wrong than in an indi-
vidual apologizing for an insult. The
course of our own government in the
Trent affair furnishes good precedent
for other nations. There a national
vessel of the United States hailed and
detained workmanship sailing on the
high seas under the British flag, and ar
rested and removed to its own deck two
eminent citizens of the United States
who had been VIGOROUSLY engaged in
making war on their own government,
and were at the time on mission to
governments on the other side of the
Atlantic for the avowed purpose OF
securing aid and comfort for our ene-
mics. No one can deny that they were
proper subjects of arrest. On the the
DRY that the rebels were legal belHger-
erents, Messrs. Mason and Slidell were
public enemies, and subject to capture
and detention as prisoners of war, being
accredited representatives of the enemys
government. If regarded merely as in
e. surrectionists, they were criminals, and,
of course, subject to arrest and punish
ment by our authorities. Had they been
captured within the limits of our juris-
diction, whether in the insurrectionary
or loyal States, or on board Confeder-
ate or Union vessel at sea, the right of
the United States to hold them would
not have been questioned; but they
were on board of British vessel on the
high seas, and, therefore, England per-
emptorily demanded their retura to her
protection.
The flag of Great Britain was insulted
and she declined to discuss the question
of the character of the prisoners, or of
the vessel on which they were sailing,
until reparation was made for the insult.
After careful examination of the sub
ject by Mr.. Seward, Secretary of State,
he found no sufficient reasons IN the law
of nations, as interpreted by ourselves
during our whole history, to Justify a
refusal to comply, and they were ac-
cordingly promptly returned to the pro-
lection of the flag from which they had
been forcibly taken. England manifest
ed no feeling of triumph nor the United
States of humiliation on that account.
The authorities of both countries agreed
that the right of British ship to free
ly navigate the high seas without moles-
tation had been violated by one our ma
tional vessels, and that public and for
NAL acknowledgment of that fact was
due to the nation whose rights had been
disregarded. During the progress of the
same war, subjects of Great Britain, in
different, but equally fragrant manner,
violated the rights of citizens of the
United States on the same theater. The
United States demanded redress, and re-
fused to submit the question of damages
TO arbitration, except upon the condition
precedent that Great Britain should apol-
Ogize for the wrong, which was conced-
ed by the representatives of her govern
ment before the whole world, in the city
of Washington. Our government man
Tested no exultation nor the English any
feeling of humiliation on that occasion.
There was no degradation in either case.
Such public confessions of wrong and
frank PREPARATION elevated both people
in their own estimation and in that of
the civilized world.
In the case now under consideration
the Spanish man-of-war Tornado in
suited our sovereignty by not merely
boarding one of our merchant ships, but
by taking forcible possession thereof,
and sacrificed the property and lives of
our citizens and the subjects of other
countries who had taken shelter under
our flag, and as in the case of Mason and
Slidell were sailing on the high seas.
These ambassadors of the rebel govern
ment were certainly ON no more peaceful
or legitimate mission than the Cuban
passengers of the Virginius. 1t was
lawful for us to surrender them on the
demand of Great Britain. There can be
no doubt but what we are not only
justified, but that our self-respect de-
mands that we should require a com
pliance with our demands for repara-
ton before we consent to discuss the
character of vessel or passengers, and |
we should interpret all unnecessary de-
lay as a refusal to comply, and be active
in our preparations to enforce our rights. |
We hope for peace; but if we must have
war let it be short, sharp and decisive |
and the sooner we are through with it
the better.
THE opinions of some of the members
of the House committee on banking and /
currency have been ascertained by
correspondent. It's thought that Messrs.