The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-03-20

CdSC II ~
ton of whose crew the United States
exacted heavy Indemnity from Spain
the power to punish the vessel for the
misuse Of this flag would rest with the
United States alone and not with Spain.
Bat Of course there is 20 superstition ct
a misuse Of the flag possible in the case
of a steamer belonging to a regular
United States mail line"
s.Is it actually a fact" was asked.
ssthat the Virgiuius had no right TO fly
the United States flag, and yet the
United States exacted an indemnity
aud an apology from Spain on her &C.
count 2"
Certainly" was the reply. ''But
the irregularity of her clearance from
Jamaica was not discovered until after
the demand for indemnity and apology
bad been made and acceded to. That,
however, was not a matter that con-
cerned the Spaniards at all. 1t was
purely a question for the United States
to deal with. The only notice we took
Of it was to remit the salute and hold
on to the indemnity. If you will turn
to page 975 of Foreign Relations,
1874" you will fad this telegram from
'ecretary of State Hamilton Fish to
Minister Dan Sickles at Madrid:
Washington, Dec. 20, 1873. The At
torney General decides that the Vir-
ginius was not rigbtfuliy carrying the
flag of the United States ct the time of
her capture, consequently the salute
will be spontaneously dispensed with
But, as I was about to say when
you interrupted me, the assumption
that there is the slightest obligation on
the part of the Alliance to show that
she vas more than one marine league
from shore when fired upon, is entirely
IN warranted. If she bad been within
half a mile Of the Cuban coast, the
alleged action of the Spanish man-of-
war would have been just as uujusti6a-
bic as if she had been fifty miles out at
sea. In the case of the seizure of the
four American steamers by Spanish au-
thorities 10 Cuban waters years ago.
our government successfully asserted
aud sustained the principle that in time
Of peace, no forcible Intervention With
American ships could be permitted
whether they were within three miles
of the shore or not. Our State Depart
ment then laid down the dicsum, that
the right of examining ships letters
within the marine league Of shore 10
time of peace, was conGoed TO revenue
vessels and could not be extended to
warships, and We declared most posi-
lively that the worlds commerce was
not to be impeded by driving SHIPS of
friendly %nstious out Of their course, to
adverse winds aud currents, to avoid
discourteous acts.
s-The same doctrine has been sus-
tanned in many other cases. We have
held open the Straits of Magellan.
though they are barely a mile across at
their uarrowest point and are absolute
" within the domain Of one of the
South American States. The award Of
the Emperor Of Germany, 10 a similar
question, in regard to the Strait of Juan
De Fuca aud the channels between the
continent and Vancouver Island. sub
United to his arbitration by Great
Britain. took similar ground. You vii!
6ud that case set out in treaties and
conventions of the United States, page
1877. In short, the right Of any mer-
chant vessel TO traverse any channel,
within three miles of shore or DOT, is
sustained by universally accepted ID
ternational law. aud 10 ship Of war OF
any nation under any pretext has the
right 70 stop OF search her or even to
ask an exanioation Of her papers.
The case 10 point is almos; exactly
parallel to this. Suppose there was a
Fenian uprising in Ireland and a
French mail steamer should be hailed
OF Queenstown cy a British man-ot-
war, aud, falling to heave to, should
be fred upon With solid shot. Do you
think that France would wait for an
10 vestigation as to how far the steamer
was FROM shore before demanding an
apology? Or do you think she would
have been satisfied by a statement after
ten days had elapsed that no report
had yet been received from the offend
lag warsbip, aud that it was ueces-
sary 10 wait until both sides had been
heard Spain is in tie wrong III this
natter, aud feel sure will in due tine
admit it,"
"Wha if she does not?"
..Whv. then. 10 such an unfrienGiT