Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-05
INSULTED AMERICAS FLAG
SPANISH MODS INDIGNANT OVER THE
SeNATe'S RESOLUTION.
The United States Consulate In Baroeions
stonsd--rhe Stars and stripes Drag
gsd Through tho streets and
Torn in shreds.

Madrid, March 1.-Popular feeling here
is bitter against the United States be-
cause of the action Of the Senate In adop-
ting a resolution favoring the granting Of
belligerent rights to the Cuban rebels.
The stock market here yesterday respond
ed to the excitement and there was a ma
terial decline in purely Spanish and Gu
ban securities. In view OF the financial
difficulties under which the government
Is laboring this is most unfortunate
time for Spanish securities to decline in
value.
Tho prime minister said last evenings:
II trust that President Cleveland will
veto the formal resolution OF Congress and
have more reason to trust that he VIII
not comply with tho recommendations
contained therein" y
lie added: 1.-THE granting of belligerent
rights to the Cuban rebels Is not casus
belli but Spain will declare that 1t Is not
the act of friendly ration. ! do not think
that Spain Is threatened by foreign ag-
gression, but measures Will be taken for
the defense Of Spanish rights. chiefly In
Cuba. AS regards demonstration In the
streets here shall rcpress them severely
If they are attempted"
Senior Silvela leader OF the dissident con-
servatives, has In an interview advised the
union of all Spaniards without regard to
their political faith. He added that the
act of the American Senate was without
precedent in International law. He great
ly feared considering the bad faith of the
Americans that they gave belligerent
rights a different meaning than IS de-
scribed In International law.
This morning the city was quiet but the
public buildings, the American legation
and the residence of Minister Taylor were
guarded the authorities fearing In the
present state of public excitement an at
tack might be made upon them.
There is general feeling that Spain
must do something to avenge what she
considers an insult to her honor, but 1t Is
thought that the government Is too cool
headed to be carried away by popular
clamor 1t will take all the steps 1t
deems right and expedlent to- protect
Spanish interests but it will do nothing to
provoke war with the United States.
TO FIGHT COMMERCE..
The impartial independently to-day ad-
vises prudence and exhorts the ministry
to await events. 1t says:
"If matters reach the conclusion the
Americans desire the whole of Spain will
rise against the United States. Neither
in the Mediterranean whose entrance we
command, nor on the Atlantic will a single
American ship be safe. for We shall or
ganize privateers IN large scale. We
must not make a noisy demonstration like
the Portuguese at the time Ct their dis
pute with Great Britain. We conquered
Napoleon by a system of guerilla war
fare, and we shall establish a system Of
privateers that will conquer mercan-
tile nation on the sea. The Americans are
wrong to judge Spain by her finances.
There are considerations superior to the
revenues of the county"
This article Is illustrative Of the popu-
lar feeling. There. Is no doubt expressed
of the perfect ability of Spain to whip
the United States, the resources of which
are not in the least understood by the
people of this country.
Dispatches from Barcelona state that
an attack has been made upon the United
States consulate in that city. notwith-
standing the fact that the building was
guarded. During the. day a procession
comprising 10000 persons, headed by four
republican members OF the chamber OF
deputies, paraded through the principal
streets of the city as a demonstration
against the action of the American SEN
ate. A strong guard had been placed
about the American consulate In antici-
patton of trouble. AS the procession pass
ed it there was some derisive whistlng In
terspersed with cat-calls and other tokens
of disapproval. Some of the paraders
| tried to force their way into the building,
but the police and gendarmes succeeded In
driving them away but not until they had
been forced to charge upon the mob with
drawn sabres. While this trouble was go
| ing on the main body Of the procession
| continued its march to the town hall
where the leaders Of the demonstration
| handed to the mayor strongly worded
protest against the action or the Ameri'
can Senate and also against the speeches
| that had been delivered therein on the
| Cuban question, 1t being declared thai
| some of the speakers had grossly Insult
| a., tCh UnUhrnnnant
| defending Cuban bandits and outlaws.
Subsequently a great crowd assembled
| In the Plaza Catalina and number o.
| patriotic speeches were delivered. Tnt
| crowd became greatly excited by the burn
] ing oratory of the speakers and after th'
| meeting had broken up large NUMBER o.
those who had listened to the words glor
flying Spain and denouncing the United
States proceeded to the American consu
late where they gave vent to their patriot
| ism by stoning the building much to TIT
| damage of the windows. Ht j.
| AS in previous mob demonstrations II
Barcelona the police were almost impo
tent to disperse the rioters, who did abou
| as they pleased
In the evening there was another out
burst Of disapprovals of the United State:
| and all things American. This time II tool
the form of publicly dishonoring the Am
erican flag. The rioters had purchased
somewhere q large American flag. which
after 1t had been dragged throughout thu
streets was pulled to pieces and cries o.
"Long Live Spain" and Down with th'
Americans" There is still much excite
| ment In the city.
| -Adter,this outrage on the flag OF the Uni
ted States the mob became more violent
and a proposition to make further de-
monstration against the American consul
late was speedily acted upon. The mob
proceeded to the consulate, In the mean
| time arming themselves fifth stones. Ar
rived at the consulate a perfect volley OF
missiles was directed against the shield
over the doorway bearing the American
coat Of arms which was battered almost
to pieces. The mob in some way became
possessed of several American hags- which
we're destroyed amid ribald 5ests and ex-
pressions of contempt for the nation they
represented. Ia. t 40 ~,
The situation was becoming more and
| more threatening when reinforcements
| for the guards at the consulate arrived
in the shape OF a detachment OF mounted
gendarmes. The crowd was ordered to
dispense which they sullenly refused to dc
whereupon the gendarmes charged them
with drawn swords and put them to flight
Several OF the rioters were injured by. be-
ing trampled upon by the horses. N,
| Until late hour the boutevards were
1 a. AvufA n Iw.r< -