New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-08
The Virginfus Indemnity.

A Washington letter to the New Iog,;
Times says:
The report is in circulation that the Brit
ish government has received a large sum OF
money from Spain as indemnity for the
murder of the English members of the crew
of the Virginius. The report. though ap.
parently without official confirmation. has
naturally led to inquiries as to what has
become Of the demand Of the United States
against Spain on account of the shooting OF
American citizens seized with the Virglnlus.
1t is now a year since the vessel was cap.
tured. The Virginius was restored TO the
control of the authorities OF the United
States: those members of the crew whom
Spanish barbarity and cruelty had spared
from death were set free: Spain ack1owI.
edged the illegality of the seizure, and
made public apology for the act. and that
is all. She has resisted with her usual arts
of prevarication and delay the payment of
any sum ;or the families of the murdered
Americans, and has failed to punish. as she
promised to do, tho officers in Cuba who
authorized and conducted the outrage. II
it is true that Great Britain has secured
compliance with her demands, when those
made by our government have remained
unrecognized, what is the foundation OF her
success, and the reason of our failure!
In the first place. as to the report that
Great Britain has received indemnity. it is
probably true that Spain either has actually
paid, or entered into definite agreement to
pay to the English government Ga. 900.
What claims that payment is intended to
cover is quite another question. The word
has gone out as above noted. that it is for
indemnity on account of the Virginius.
That is undoubtedly the English side of the
story. But Great Britain had other claims
against Spain, and has been pressing all Of
them together. Certain English vessels
have been seized carrying arms to the party
of Don Carlos. The British government
regards these seizures as illegal, and de-
manded indemnity, demand, no doubt,
we'll founded in principles of international
yield. England had also other claims for
long time pending. 1t is probable. then, that
the Spanish payment is settlement in full,
and that Spain has made such protests in
regard to the Virginius and such explana-
tons of the specific claims which she admits,
as she hopes and expects will leave her free
from any liability to the United States for
indemnity on account of the Eirginius.
England takes the money and distributes it
for the liquidation OF her claims in such
manner as she pleases. Spain made pay
to her liking, and whether her statement of
details agrees with the statement of Eng
land depends upon whether the English
statement ia suitable for the purposes of
Spain. Such is Spanish duplicity in her
dealings with all nations. Ii Spain should
lind it necessary to explain to the United
States the payment to Great Britain, she
would profess that it was not for the Fir-
ginius massacre. but for something else.
But how has England succeeded in fore
ing any settlement with Spain, while the
United States has made very little progress
in the efforts to secure an acknowledgment
Of her claims! This is a question easily
asked. and the more easily by those who
give it an emphasis hostile to the present
administration. 1t is also a question not
hard to answer. In the first place there is
q very great difference in the constitutional
powers Of the English and American execu-
tive in dealings with foreign governments,
which put US at a disadvantage, felt on
more than one occasion. Mr.. Disraeli may
send the British navy to the coast of Spain
to open fire upon the first town they reach.
He may strike at Cuba, or send tho iron
clads to battle with the spanish first. The
President can do nothing Of the kind. He
can only use the war power u the dsfess-