, 1873-11-29
THE CASE OF THE VlRGlNIUS.


IN the Editors ay tie Bos.on Journal:
Every intelligent, rolecting, upright clsizcn
has cause to hang his head for shame, in view Of
the frantic excitement which. for the paat fort.
night, has followed tho news Of tho capture Of
tue VirginluB, and tho summary execution Of
thrty-soycn Of hcr filihustering crow Of 1G3 mon.
Dodla1n itself haa been distanced, especially in
tho city Of Now York, TINT focal point Of what
over is lawlcHH, brutal, md desperate in spirit
and purpose, as opportunity n1ny sccm to offcr.
The responsibility for this delicious outbreak
rests heavily upon tho leading journals
Ct TINT city With scarcely ~ eov exception pptin
dono their worst TO- deceive the ignorant,
mslcad tho credulous, oxaspe1ate the
yle-to set the whole country son fire Of he'll"
and, crying "hevoc," to "let slip the doga Of
Cuba. aud 3 bloody retaliation fol. the Santiago
tragedy. They have given. circulation to the
widest runors, tho basess fabrications, tho most
malignant fnlaehoods, either knowing Or having
Lave tried to hurry President Grant to take such
q bcllgelent attitude as could find no justlfca-
ton in tho court Of roasou or Of international
Law. reckless OF consequences and in This city
havo at loast partially succeeded, ,-as witness tho
extraordinary activity ut tho nayy-yarta, tho
reauisition upon tho iron-cad and otllor naval
ships to bo III rcadineaB for their departure to
Cubn, tho employment Of thousands OF
workrncn, tho rnrtd enlistment Of sailors,
Btant " redress" or " atonement," or "aat-
isfaction for tic "insult" done 10 our national
thonor.' And all this in hot blood and hot
haBse, without waiting to procure tho real facts
in the case-hcfore tic Spanish Government at
Madrid could possibly havo received any official
intelligence Of the proceedings With full
knowledge Oh the part Of these incond!a!y pa-
pcrs, and Of tho President and his Cabinet, that
no actual or Intentional insult had boon done to
the American flag no purposcd outrage inflicted
upon bona lido American citizenB, either by the
home Government Of Spain, or the military au-
thoritics Of Cuba
First, as to tue disposition toward us Of the
new Spanish Republic Struggling 40 1t is for
existence against three formidable factions Oh its
own soil, the Instinct OF self-p escrvation aoue
| must naturally make it shrink tro.n incurring
foreign hostility by wauton disregard Of na:ion-
al rights n any quarter, particularly as it relates
| to this country. 10 us it llns right to look
pretaton aud goneious treatment in this most
trying hour, aeong that 1t iB oudeavoring, rs far
as practicable, to initiate our republican exam-
pie by lberating Spain from tue dynaat!c thsal-
on popular basis. We should exercise the ut
most forbearance, even it wo bad d positive
grievance to urge against it; but as We have
mono in tho present casc-nay, as tie tlamo for
all tint llaB grown out Of tho capture Of the Yr-
ginius rosts mainly upon lib, though conniyanco
at her 1awless enterprise BY interested parties OIL
tho QUO, lland, aud tlo neglect Of governmental
vigilance on tho othor-ro assumea bullying atu
|
CASTELAR,, tue Spanish President, is our friend
and aI,niror; the incarnation Of sublime genius,
tho soul Of honor, tho conBummate flower of pa
triolism, incapable Of perfidy, inRpi,od by the
nshSas as Ssa @ aent%ds Of Gs5y 1aa n e sses
armament. Dehaiug with such man aud lIs
associates It becomes liz to bohaye with equal
dignity, equal fairness, eqnel appreciation OF tho
right, e4ual abhorronce Of ,, the wrong: they do
to induce them to make ample rodreAa for any
outrage douo to uH under the Spanish flag or
through colonial barbarity, Whenever We can
prove that such outrage has been perpetlated;
loyal Inhabitants OF that island, 1t must 10 con-
fossod that thoy have strong reaaons to ba
deeply angored towards this country; for had it
not been for tho frequent aid rendered to tho In
surgent cause In mon, money, and arms. by our
completely, -lawlcasly given, It'll truo, but mono
tho leys cffoctiye,-unqueBtiona tho inaur-
rcction would long since have boon quellel. 1n-
Decd il IL quite as much American as Cuban in
nSSpSn and and snssson d tef cue ss
were pet objccts Of our Southern slayo olgar-
chy long boioro they themselves rose in rcboll-
lou, aud they Bot OIL foot various invading ex.
petitions. Hm not treating here thls terribly
not pertineut 10 this discussion but tho matter
unlor consideration concerns Our rotations with
Snajn exclusively. These we have allowed to bo
ehamefuily violated again and again, alld y WI
| OA'
noyornmont to call Spain to account for any
thing pertaining to the Cuban iu!osoG!io. =,
IN actlng againHt thc spaniards,' sayH tn
Now York Nation, "wo oTo It to oursalves a''t
To international uBngo to endeavor 10 put our
selyoy to reasonable degree, in their place
We ought not to. forget, in measnrng thoi @
rujlt ~, that tho men whom they hay'
nnaesaorod [exocutcdl are tho cllofs and promo
tars Of ~ ilsurrootion which has nov lasted fo
several years; and which, however noble Or JUST
flablo we may think it, they look on as an atte'np
to Jisulouber and humiiate their country ans
wlion-aud this 10 the mont important point Q
all~has. during that whole period, fad 'ts pas
md headouurtors in this city" And by way Q
Confirmation 1t adds, tMoro Cuban Generals
and Coionoia, and Oommlsaaros could, so Won
turo 10 any, for long willis past have boen &C sec .
III broadway, on ilno days, than in tue lslana 9
CuLa and tho great bulk Of the supplies 2
arms ind munitions which tho Insurgents nay '
received have con,s from this country OWING
lie conuiyanco or negligence Of United a1Ate
onIccrs at various ports." Clearly. "o ara to 70 !
summoned to Judgment rather than spain
Cnba. It ia our bull that has gorod the spanla iI
az. Il,at may "altor tho caso," IN our lai!o
oniulon, but not in the opinion OF tho ciSl!'za
world, ,..
Amour the devices reBorted to BY tho Cuba