Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-07
rHEvERGINIUs CORRESPONDENCE.

THE VERGINEUs CORRESPONDENTS.
The Presidents message which We
published in full yesterday, slurs over
many important points in the compli-
cation. He broadly states that in 1870
the Virginius compiled with the requi-
sites of the statute and cleared in the
usual way" He thinks the people will
forget Attorney General Williams Of
fetal statement that Patterson, her
owner, did not give the bond required
by the statute, and that this was a lache
on the part Of our own officials. He
improves on the loose law OF the Attor-
ney by making the capture an outrage
not on the flag merely-a pieceof bunt-
ing which any pirate might run up at
moments warning-but an outrage on
the documents which were prima tacie
evidence Of her right to that flag. If
these documents were procured fraud
ulently, it was the business OF the Uni
ted States, and not Of Spain, to inyesti-
gate and punish the fraud. If Spain
has the right to 90 behind American
clearing papers. pronounce them frauds,
and punish the criminals even with
death. she might as well establish a
highscommission at Washington to spy
out and punish all frauds on the laws
Of the United States.
Again. the President tells us that
among his demands on Spain was one
''forthepunishmentoftheof offending par
ties'-the capturers OF the Firginius
and the murderers OF her people. But
he cannot tell us that this demand has
been complied with. He does tell us
that 'on her part Spain undertook
promised to proceed against those who
had offended the sovereignty Of the
United States or who had violated
their treaty rights" But, practically,
has Spain to this good day under
taken" to do any thing Of the sort?
Spain's compliance with the other
demands Is duly recorded, even to the
surrender Of a filthy old unseaworthy
hulk, but the message is silent about
any compliance in the way Of punish
ing the Cuban outlaws. This silence
is the more oninous now, that we have
a new Spain to deal with.
The diplomatic correspondence shows
that when only four persons had been
murdered at Santiago, Fish denounced
it as inhuman and said PREPARATION viii
be required if American citizens have
been wrongfully executed Has any
PREPARATION yet been made for these exc
cutions, or does our Government agree
that the victims were rightfully muir
dered? Again, on Nov. Il, when the
whole series Of fifty-four murders were
known, Fish demands ''the signal pun
ishment of the officials who were con-
cerned IN the execution of the passen-
gers and crew" The world has yet to
hear Of this signal and signally needed
punishment, or of any pretence on the
part of the Madrid government to CON-
ply with this Just and most important
demand Of all. 1t is evident that the
quarrel between Fish and Sickles arose
from the latter pressing these earlier
demands on the Spanish govern
ment, while Fish at Washington
receded from them and patched up the
pitiful protocol. Fish's brilliant diplo-
macy places our commercial marine on
this preearioUs footing: any third rate
power Ike Spain may overhaul on the
high seas any vessel floating the Amer
lean flag backed by American clearance
papers, and may with impunity massa-
ere one-third of the persons aboard;
always prOcidcd she returns the vessel
in a mutilated condition and releases
the other two-thirds Of the souls on
board. If the vessels papers are a
fraud through the neglect of United
States officials, the murderous nation
must make mere disclaimer of the IN
dignity. But if the vessel prove an
honest merchantmen, we viii insist on
a salute to our flag. That's all.
IT has Just been discovered bya con-