Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-01-06
Synopsis of Correspondence be.
tween Fish, Minister Siskles,
and the Spanish Gov
ernment.
Complete Official History of the
Diiiiculty-The Vessel, her
Owners, and her UnfOr-
tunate Crew and
Passengers.
Finale-Diselaimer Of Intent to
Insult our Flag, Made by Ad-
miral PalO, and the Cur
tain Drops.

] W AShlN0IONt = SahdaAl y u. ne lcS
ident to-day sent the following mes
sage:
1 To the Senate and House OF Representatives
In my inaugural message of Decem
| ber last l gave reason to expect that
/ when a full and accurate text of the cor
respOndence relating to the steamer Vir
ginius, which had been telegraphed il
| cypher, should be received, the papen
concerning the capture Of the vessel, the
execution of part of her passengers anC
crew, and the restoration of the crew
and the survivors, would be transmitted
to congress. In compliance with the
expectations then held out, now trans.
init the papers and correspondence or
the subject. On the twenty sixth
of September, 1870, the VirSiniuS
was registered in the custom.
house at New York as the property of q
citizen OF the United States, he having
first made oath required by law that he
was the true and only owner Of said ves'
sci, and that there was no subject OF
citizen of any foreign prince or State,
directly or indirectly, by way of trust,
confidence, or otherwise, interested
therein. Having complied with the re-
Juisites of the statute in that behalf,
she cleared in the usual way for Curs-
Goa, and on or about the fourth of Octo-
Der, 1876, sailed for that port. 1t is not
disputed that she made the voyage ac-
cording to her clearing; nor from that
day to this she has not returned
within the territorial jurisdiction of the
United States. 1t il also under
stood she preserved her American
papers, and that when in foreign ports
She made a practice of putting forth 8
claim to American nationality, which
was recognized by the authorities at
such ports. When, therefore, she left
the port of Kingston, in October last,
under the flag of the United States, she
would appear to have had, against all
powers except the United States, the
right to fly that flag, and to claim its
protection as enjoyed by all regu.
larly dOcumented vessels registered
as a part of our commercial marine
No state of war existed, comforting
upon maritime powers the right to mo.
lest and retain upon the high seas q
dOcumented vessel, and it has not been
pretended that the Virginius bad placed
herself beyond the pale Of the law by
acts of piracy against humanity. II her
papers were irregular or fraudulent, the
Offense was one agai inst the laws of the
United States, justifiable only in theiI
tribunals. When it, therefore, became
known that the Virginius had been cap
tured on the high seas bya Spanish
mau-Of-waT, that the American flag had
been hauled down by her captOrs, that
the vessel had been carried to Spanish
port, and that the Spanish tribunals were
taking jurisdiction over the persons
Of those found on her, and exercising
that jurisdiction upon American citi-
zens, not only in violation of interna-
tiOnal law, but in contraventiOn of the
provisions of the treaty of 1875, l di-
rected demand to be made upon Spain
for the restoration of the vessel, and foI
the return of the survivors to the pro-
lection of the United States; for a sa-
lutte to the flag, and for the punishment
Of the offending parties. The princi.
pies on which these demands rested
could not be seriously question.
ed; but it was suggested by the
Spanish government that there were
grave doubts whether the Virginius
was entitled to the character given hel
by her papers, and that therefore il
might be proper for the United States
after the surrender of the vessel and sur,
vivors, to dispense with the salute to the
flag, should such facts be established tC
their satisfaction. This seemed to bt
reasonable and Just. therefore assenteC
to it, in assurance tat Spain would
then declare that no insult to the flag o
the United States had been intended.
also authorized an agreement to bt
made that should it &c shown to the sat
isfactiOn of this government that tht
Virginius was Improperly bearing tn,
flag, proceedings should be instituted in
our courts for the punishment o
any offense committed against u:
on her part. Spain undertook t
proceed against those who had offended
the sovereignty OF the United States, ol
who had violated their treaty rights
The surrender OF the vessel and sur
vIvors to the jurisdiction of the tribunals
Of the United States was an admission
Of the principles upon which our de.
mand had been founded. l therefore
had no hesitation in agreeing to the ar
rangement finally made between the
two governments, an arrangement
which was moderate and just, and cal.
culated to cement the good relation:
which have so long existed between
Spain and the United States. Under this
agreement, the Nirginius, with the Amer.
lean flag flying, was delivered to the navy
of the United States at Bahia Honda, il
the island of Cuba, on the sixteenth OF
December. She was in an unseaworthy
condition, and in the passage TO New
York she encountered one OF the most
tempestuous of our winter storms, and
at the risk Of the lives of the officen
and crew placed in charge of her, they
attempted to keep her af1oat. Their eff
forts were unavailing, and she sunk of
Cape Fear. The prisoners who survived
the massacres were surrendered at San
tiago de Cuba on the eighteenth ultimo
and reached the port OF New York in
safety. The evidence submitted on thG
part of Spain to establish the fact thai
the Virginius, at the time of her capture
was improperly bearing the flag of tbs
United States is transmitted herewith
together with the attOrney-g
opinion therein, and copy of the note O
the Spanish minister, expressing, on be-
half of his government, s disclaimer o
any intent of indignity to the flag of the
United States. U. S. GRANT.
The correspondence is very volumIn.
Gus, and contains the following features
On the sixth of November, Minister
Sickles telegraphed Secretary Fish thai
tine Virginius had been captured six
miles from Jamaica, General Ryan
Captain Fry, and two others executed
and that the captain-general had beer
ordered, on Minister Sickles's sugges.
ton, to await orders. The secretary
telegraphed to Minister Sickles, in re-
ply, that the summary proceedings de-
mand investigation as inbumRn; thai
reparation will be required If the
American citizens have been wrongly
executed. Minister Sickles next day
reported his interviews with Carvojal
and with President CASTELAR,. The lat
ter, he said, had ordered that no person
be executed without the authority of the
cOrtes, and thereupOn Minister Sickles
expressed satisfaction. he subsequently
telegrsphed Secretary Fish that the
Spanish government would spontane-
ously do everything required by public
law and treaty obligations; that the
Spanish government regretted the exc
eution Of the four prisoners, and or
ders were sent TO stay further
proceedings. On the eighth Of ofNovembel
Minister Sickles gave = detailed account
ofthe interview with the minister ofstate
who said that no formal demand would
be necessary ON the part of the United
States, as the Spanish government