New-York tribune., 1875-11-18
THE CTBAN FURRY.

The excitement in the London newspaper
Offices over supposed diplomatic complications
between Spain and the United States Is trace
able principally to n correspondent OF The LoHdon
Tines who tclegraphed Oh the 1st OF Noyem-
Der a version Of reports then current III this
country so strangely distorted and magnlhed
that we hardly recognize it when it comes
back across the ocean. According to this cor
respondent the United States Government had
lust acknowledged that q note on Cuban aiialra
had been sent to Madrid last September, and
summary OF its contents, purpOuiug to
be official, was then appended. "The delay
"of tho Spanish Cabinet in answering
"the note,n continues The Times dispatch,
"causes resGessness at Washington, and eX-
"tcnsivC preparations are being made to
strengthen the Navy; eight slO0pS OF war
care being got ready at different yards; AT
"least ten irOn-clads at League Island are
"ready for outfit. though work has not been
"begun on them" The reported reinforce
ment of the Spanish feet i'll the West Indies
was said to "add to the sensation" and
Reuters Agency completed the picture of con-
fusion and alarm by telegraphiug that Gen.
Grant had increased the North Atlantic
squadron.
Some of these erroneous statements were at
once discrcdited, but when the last mail left
England, four days after the publication OF
the dispatch in Tie Times, London was still
ignorant that the supposed American note Is
merely a more or loSs garbled summary OF
Mr. Cushing's original memorandum OF IN
structions, published at least year ago; that
our Government has not acknowledged send
ing note to Madrid last September, and has
not put forth this memorandum as the sub
stance OF it, that there Is no "restlcssnesS' at
Washington except in the Cuban Bond RiDg
that the work Of getting ready eight sloOps OF
war has been g0lng on for more than year; /;
that the iron-clads laid up at League Island
are all safe and quiet, and likely to remain so !;
that the North Atlantic squadron has not been
strengthcncd and that there has been no sen
sation on this side of the Atlantic whatever
may have happened on the other. The Sata-
day Rerac calls the supposed note "a clap OF
" thunder in a clear sky and wonders whether
it is not a discreditable trick of the Presidents
to make popularity on the eve of ar election.
The Times reiterates its original bunder, and
treats the partial corrections sent from Madrid
as charactcrstcally disingenuous attempts OF
the Spaniards to minimize the importance OF
troublesome communications. The amiable
Staadrd, beg;nning TO suspect the story, goes
so far o. not only to accuse Gen. Grant OF
putting forth lie for campaign purposes but
of covering it so adroitly that those who made
use of It could not fix upon him the response
bility of its manufacture.
There is 10 doubt that Mr. Gushing has been
corresponding with the Madrid Government on
the affairs of Cuba probably he has done so
pretty steadily ever since lis appointment
The rights of American citizens on Spanish
territory are not protected, and it is absurd to
suppose that any Administration would venture
to let this important subject drop. But here
is no reason to suppose that We are in danger
of war for the benefit Of a little clique of pes
tilcnt spectators.