The Yale expositor., 1895-02-01


last annual message, remains unset
tied. From the diplomatic CORE
spondence on this subject, which haS
been laid before the senate, it will be
seen that this government has offered
to conclude a convention with Spain
for disposal by arbitration of outstand-
ing claims between the two countries,
except the Mora claim, which, having
been long adjusted, now only awaits
payment as stipulated, and of course
it could not be included in the pro-
posed convention. 1t was hoped that
this offer would remove parliamentary
obstacles encountered by the Spanish
government in providing payment Of
the Mora indemnity. / regret to say
that no definite reply to this offer has
yet been made and all efforts to secure
payment of this settled claim have
been unavailing."
This Mora case has become famous
in the annals of modern diplo-
macy. beginning with Grants last
presidency, every succeeding admins
tration, every secretary OF state, every
foreign relations committee, has had
hand in it. Nor has it been a bette
noire in any sense to the state depart
ment, for, irrespective of party, each
administration in turn has taken up
the case with vigor and done its best
TO effect settlement
The history of the case in brief is as
follows:-Antonio Maxine Mora, re-
ferred to in the Presidents message, is
native of Cuba, where he owned
large and valuable sugar plantations
In 1853 he came to New York and es-
tablished residence. In May, 1869,
he took out his final papers of natural
ization and became citizen of the
United States Cubawas at that time
in state of constant fidget and unrest
bordering on absolute rebellion. 1t is
an open secret that President Grant
was in sympathy with the revolution
airy propaganda, and his secretary Of
war, Gen. Rawlings. was an avowed
sympathizer with the Cuban patriots
1t was under such encouragement
that leading Cubans like Mora, Aida
ma and Castillo might have been in
clined to offer assistance to the revo-
lutionary cause. Before anything was
done or even thought of, court mar
tial convened in Havana, passed SEN
tence of death and confscation of
property against the gentlemen named
md many others for alleged completely
in the Cuban rebellion. Antonio Mora
and his brother escaped to New York,
disguised as sailors. Young Jose Manuel
Mora, now a well-lnown resident of
New York, remained to assist in his
fathers escape, was captured and
transported to penal colony in
Africa, whence, after suffering I'M
heard Of miseries, he finally escaped
to Europe. Maxine Mora no sooner
arrived in New York than he laid his
case before Hamilton Fish, the then
secretary of state, asserting that he
had in no wise engaged in the rebel
lion or given it aid or comfort. On
Nov. 25 of the same year-1s70-Mr.
Fish instructed the United States min
lister at Madrid to protest against the
sentence of the court martial and Its
enforcement against the lives and
property of American citizens, on the
ground that it was gross violation of
the provisions of the treaty between
the United States and Spain, relating
to the manner in which citizens of one
country could be tried or deprived of
their property in the other. This,
then, was the beginning of the famous
Mora case, which is still unsettled. In
May, 1872, the secretary of state, who
had had several interviews with the
Spanish minister in Washington on the