The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-03-23
1T WAS A SURPRISE.

Secretary Gresham's P~eremptory Demand
of Spain Unexpected by Minister Murus-
ga, Who Think His Government Will
First Wait for All the Facts and Then Do
What is Right-Hypothetical Cases Put.
WASHINGTON, March 16.-Secretary
Gresham's peremptory demand to Min
lister Taylor At Madrid for a prompt
explanation of the Alliance affair was
a manifest surprise to the Spanish
minister. Senior Murnaga. The minis
| ter did not say that the information
was entirely unexpected, but he did
not hesitate to express his surprise and
regret hat the government had acted
apparently so hastily i'll sending such
a telegram to Minister Taylor without
hearing both sides of the case. Asked
what the Spanish government would
probably do in regard to this matter,
the minister said:
81 do not think my government will
make any reply until it shall first have
heard from the governor-general of
Cuba. Up to the present time the gov
ernor general had been placed in pos
| session of no information leading him
to believe the Alliance had been fired
upon. | had 4 telegram from him last
night stating that the naval COM
mander at Havana had te~legraphed to
the local authorities at Santiago de
Cuba and Gibara, two of our coast
cities, for full particulars of the
alleged firing upon the Alliance.
Gibara is neal the spot where the out
-z-z : .-.l q --. L4@- aN,,-,t.1
Up to a few hours ago no report had
been made to the local authorities.
Suppose the governor general Of
Havana reports that the facts are sub
s%tantially as stated by Capt. Crossman,
what them"
what then?" queried the minister.
swell, the rest will depend upon cir
cumstances. If the Alliance was upon
jurisdictional waters of Cuba, l can't
see that we have any apology to make.
If she was out of the six-miles limit l
have no doubt that the Spanish gov
eminent will do what is right in the
matter"
Suppose she was within the juris-
dictional limit, but was simply max
ing a quick transit through the wind
ward passage in order to reach the At
%lantic, and was not carrying any con-
traband of war, what face would that
put upon the natter"
In those circumstances, the Span
ish government would invoke the gen.
eral international law that every ma
ton has the right of sovereignty in
its own waters. Everybody knows
hat we are having trouble with bands
of so-called insurgents in Cuba. The
government has declared martial law
in the islands. We know that vessels
have been fitted out in the United
States with arms and men designed to
assist the insurgents. Is it not nat
ural, under these circumstance, that
we should be suspicious of all vessels
lowering about our shores? Only
last month three yachts were fitted
out in this country to carry arms
and men to Cuba to aid in the
rebellion. The facts must be familiar
to you. They were the La Gonda,
Amandis and Baracoa. They were
fitted out by Mr.. Borden, who had been
the ~vice-consul of Spain and England
at Fernandina. The yachts were de-
tanned at Derdina and released on the
ground that no charge had been made
in the United States against them.
If the United States wants to deny our
right of search at this time within the
jurisdictional waters of Cuba, they
must then prevent vessels leaving
their shores which it is known are car
rying c~ontraband of wa for the peo-
pie in rebellion against our govern