The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-23
.wh.t masa, a.vs s..n."

| "What Mighs Hsvc Been"
The story of the virginius is now part OF
ancient history, but our able contemporary,
| the Tribune gives it sort Of posthumous H.
terest by rehearsing the adventures OF the
famous flibuster during the period she was
under Captain Smiths command, and show
ing ''what might have been" if our govern
mental eyes had not been closed to her pratt
Cal doings Perhaps it is idle to waste tears
over 'the saddest of words, now that 'what
might have been" has been so effectually swal-
lowed up in what has been. Nevertheless,
the 1ribunes reflections will not be without
utility if they serve us as warning for the
future and impress upon us the lesson that
'there must be no more playing with hre.
The almost ridiculous vexatOns and perplex-
tiles to which the American Consul at Puerto
Cabello was subjected by the vagaries OF
the vessel; his eager but vain attempts
to ''throw her off" on United
States man-of-war; the troubles OF our
Consul at Maracaibo, who denounced her az
damned pirate" to his administration, all
prove flat it was the plain duty Of the gov
eminent to put stop to the fraud that was
being practised upon our flag, and justify the
Tribune in charging to its neglect the
butcheries at Santiago and the loss of the five
million dollars which the Spanish seizure has
already entailed upon U.s. There can be no
doubt that we shall now be expected to punish
the fragrant violations of our neutrality laws,
which appear to have been proven against the
Virginius, before we can insist upon the pun
ishment of the Santiago butchers or press for
compensation to the families of their victims.
Indeed, it will be fortunate if we escape the
payment OF damages to Spain for the negli-
gence of which we have been guilty.
There will be some compensation for our
losses and humiliations, however, if the Vir-
ginius troubles lead us to more circum-
spection in the future. We can no longer
afford to neglect the duty we owe to
friendly nations, to adopt the tone of the
bully when our omissions subject us to insult
and outrage, and to back down from our
position when we are met by resistance and
defiance. We must either resolve to maintain
our standing as first class Power, faithfully
fulfilling all our international obligations ana
firmly enforcing all our just demands, or
make up our minds to be nothing more than
business and commercial nation, submitting
patiently to insult and putting up with in
juries as best we may. In the former case we
must strengthen our navy and tske such po-
sition on the high seas that third rate Power
like Spain will no longer be able to sweep our
flag from the ocean and threaten our coast
with devastation. In the latter case we must
be content to leave our national honor
in the hands of other Powers, and to
notify Americans that from the mo-
ment they leave their native soil they
must expect no protection from their
own government so that they may either give
up foreign travel or pass themselves of as
Englishmen when abroad. At present we are
neither the one thing nor the other. It is
true that we succeeded in securing the sur
render Of the Virginius in a damaged and dis
graceful condition but this was due to the
temporary crippled condition of Spain and
especially of the Spanish navy. At the very
moment the surrender was made our Consuls
in Cuba were subjected to insults which would
never have been offered to British representa-
tives. The Virginius trouble may be repeated
at any moment when Spain is less embarrassed
and has her whole navy at her command. We
should at once make up our minds to put our
selves in condition to maintain our national
honor in better cause than that of the Vir-
ginius, or abandon the character of first
class Power, sell our vessels Of war, dismantle
our ports and settle down as nation of peace
full and non-combatant traders.