The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-07

| The Herald, the State Department and
the virginius Negotiations. ~
We have confidently looked forward to the
publication of the correspondence In the vir-
ginius case for q justification before the
country of our special dispatches from
Madrid, whose veraciousness was 80 steadily
impugnsd by the partisan press ct the instigs-
ton of the State Department. The diplomacy
of Mr.. Fish Is would-bs MAohiavelhm, and
counts great deal on the way in which it can
train the people to shout Nothing SO much
disconcerts it as the knowledge that the out
side world is likely to discover whittier the
diplomacy ia tending. II it could keep mat
tiers secret it might have its little surprise for
the people A single ray Of light disturbs the
burrowing diplomatic, and food OF lnmi-
Mostly drives him frantic It would
be difficult, indeed, otherwise to account
for the studiousness with which the
State Department inspired countless
partisan pangraphists with denials of
the truth of the HERALD informa-
ton. II was curious to observe the JOY
with which the partisan sheets struck out into
all sorts of base charges against the HERALD.
According to these s'inspired'' worthless we
were engaged exclusively in the fabrica-
ton Of Madrid dispatches for the
purpose of fomenting war with Spain.
We have no doubt that as the partisan
editors were deceived by the willy Secretary
Buchu, of Washington, some of the public
were deceived by the partisan editor. Now
that the correspondence has been published
the truth approximately, that the HERALD
dispatches were correct and that Buchu
diplomacy failed to obscure question
for US which it was muddling successfully
for the rest of the world The partisan
editor, in such q case, is indeed an object of
pity. Not daring to look into question
further than his party chain and collar will
permit his attempts to cry down the work of
untrammelled searchers after truth must al
ways be lamentable; for it is trampled man.
hood within him inventing an excuse for the
garb of the funky which he wears.
It will be remembered that the series of
State Department denials of HERALD de-
spatches commenced about the time that the
HERALD published the points Of the ultimatum
of the American government, presented
through Minister Sickles in Madrid. 1t was
freely stated that no such ultimatum had
been presented The correspondence en-
tirely justifes the HERALD. The demands
were made substantially as telegraphed to
this journal If they were not held on to as
an ultimatum should have been it was because
an invertebrate Secretary of State allowed the
case to be moved from Madrid to Washington.
When the HERALD stated that Minister
Sickles was in danger from the mob the State
Department again put forth its denials,
and added that Spain was acting in
good faith When the news of Sickles' resig-
nation was forwarded there came from the
State Department first denial then we'll
covered inuendo that the Minister was exceed
ing his instructions and likely to bring about
war. These small paltry dishonesties to
the public are severally nailed in the cor
respondence. He had resigned, and he had not
exceeded his instructions. What seems difficult
of explanation even now is why the Secretary
of State took the case to Washington at the
moment when Spain was about to yield all in
Madrid The most charitable explanation is
that the transfer was made out Of blind,
enormous vanity which believed the Spanish
Minister when he said in efect:-"We, and
we alone, can settle this between u.s." The
first effect of this removal was an
encouragement to the Spanish gov
eminent to insult our Minister by making
false statement Of its position to him. The
Secretary of State seems to have rather re-
joiced in this duplicity. The HERALD de-
spatches of that date said that Minister Sickles
doubted the sincerity Of the Spaniards. Even
Mr.. Fish will admit that the HERALD was
right in this, for the correspondence reveals
the same opinion, although the State Depart
ment saw fit to deny it It is certain that
from the moment the case was transferred
to Washington it commenced to lose its
clear-cut features Then it was that
all the small juggling points were introduced
which left America such barren victory.
From the signing of the protocol to the furtive
surrender of the filth covered Virginius and
thence to her sinking off Cape Fear, we
have an instance Of the political d.
rninuendo, which, in music, Rubinstein
could not equal We hear something of
treaty right upheld; of ship delivered;
of survivors surrendered; but of the murders
done by the Spaniards we hear not q word.
It was one of the original demands ''that the
Spanish government manifest, by signal pun
ishment to be inflicted on them, its sense of
the misconduct Of those of it's servants who
were concerned in the capture of the said YES
sci and in the execution Of the passengers and
crew thereof" The President declares that
the right Of regularly documented vessel to
carry the American flag is one which the
declares that the right Of search or visitation
of such vessel in time Of peace does not
exist These two declarations are suf-
fcient to show that no justification