The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-02


Assaulted the Spanish Consulate.
WASHINGTON, March 1-1ntense
interest is felt here tonight in the dis
patch showing the demonstrative feel
ings existing in Spain regarding the
Cuban question, and the statement that
| the government is increasing its naval
forces.
Copies of the Associated Press dis
patches we're shown to public men in
terested in the question.
No surprise was expressed at the
demonstrations which have occurred;
in fact, such were expected. The
speeches in the senate, extracts Of
which have, no doubt, been published
in the Spanish papers, have had their
influence on the masses of the people,
and they impulsive, excited and in
spired with patriotism, have thrown
them into an unfriendly mood against
United States officials. The whole mat
ter is regarded here as simply that
of mob violence, of which the Spanish
government has not in any manner
been responsible.
So far as could be learned tonight, no
official news had been received here by
the government. Steps undoubtedly
will be taken very promptly tomorrow
to
through state department thannels, if
Minister Taylor at Madrid or Consul
Bowen at Barcelona do not anticipate
the officials and make report The
Spanish minister, Senior Dupuy &c
LONE, heard of the disturbances in
Spain today through the press, and he
was beseiged by the reporters for an
expression of his opinion. He diplo7
matically declined, however, to say
anything for publication, pending news
from his government, which he expects
to receive soon.
The violation of the consulate of the
United States at Barcelona makes a
disaVowal necessary by Spain, and the
United States probably Will inquire of
the Spanish government what amends
will be made. The case finds an ANAL
ogous one IN an event which occurred
in this country probably sixty years
ago. when a mob of persons in New
Orleans assaulted the Spanish CONSUL
ate at time when the Florida queS-
ton was uppermost in the public mind.
1t was
CASE OF MOB VIOLENCE,
and the government of the United
States gave compensation to Spain for
the damage done. More recent cases
where the United States has paid or is
about to pay indemnity for damages
to foreigners for assaults committed
on them, are the cases of the Chinese
in Wyoming and the Italians in Colo
RADIO. In these cases, however, the
outrages were the work of mobs on
individuals. not officials.
The outrage against the consulate at
Barcelona is looked upon here by those
who have given an opinion on the
matter, as the work of a mob, for
which the Spanish government is not
directly responsible. On the contrary,
as shown in the dispatches, it has ia
ken precautions to protect the consul
ate and exercised due diligence in the
matter. This being the case, Spain
may be expected to make an express
sion of genuine regret or proper eXpla-
nation for the unfortunate occurrence,
and possibly PREPARATION for the dam
age done. This, at least, is the
OPINION OF CHAIRMAN HIT
of the house committee on foreign af-
fairs, who, from his actual experience
in diplomatic usages, is well qualified
to say what the requirements of inter-
national law and custom are in such
cases Mr.. Hit is confident that the
attitude of our government will be one
Of great caution at this juncture, and
it is not probable that any act or ex-
preston that may emanate from it
will add to the difficulty of peace
able and honorable settlement Of the
trouble. The danger to be apprehen-
ded, in his mind is solely in some in
temperate utterances in congress that
may add to the excitement and pre-
cipitate a collision unnecessarily.
AS the case now stands, nothing has
happened that cannot be easily and
readily adjusted by the. means always
at the disposal of diplomacy, and that,
too, in a manner that will leave not
stain upon the honor Of either of the
parties to this affair. Even if the
Spanish government should be reluc-
tant to undertake to do what is es-
sential to
HEAL THE WOUND
voluntarily, which may well be doubt
ed. there is every reason to suppose
that some one or more of the great
European powers who have sound rea-
sons for preventing, if possible. any
hostile collision between the United
States and Spain, will exercise their
good offices to bring about a peaceful
conclusion of the incident. It is said
to be a fact that in many countries of
Spanish tendencies and extraction
these attacks upon the personal repre-
SentativeS of an offensive foreign ma
ton are most common, and scarcely
one of the great European powers has,
in the course Of the present century,
escaped an onslaught on one of its
consulates, or even legations. in some
Of the, countries of South or Central
America. Yet these incidents rarely
lead to- anything more serious that a
temporary straining of the diplomatic
relations, and end in a proper apology
and, in case of the destruction of prop
erty, or i'll treatment of any individ-
ual the payment of an indemnity.
Mr.. Herbert Bowen, the United States
consul general at Barcelona, is believed
to be very good official TO have in
this troublesome place at this time. He
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