St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-05-15
Cuban Affairs.

During the past week interest in the
Cuban rebellion has greatly increased
on account Of the capture of the five
men on board the tilibustering
schooner Competitor and their sub
seouent sentence to death by the
Spanish court martial. The prisoners
were not given fair trial. They |
were denied copies Of the charges
against them, were not allowed 10 !
have witnesses nor furnished counsel
oftheir own selection. The prisoners,
not having been captured with arms
in their hands, were by treaty entitled
to be tried by the regular civil tribu-
nails of the island, but no attention
was paid to this fact. Weyler, thirsty
for blood, turned a deaf ear to
appeals for a fair trial, and, II lett
alone, would doubtless have had
all the Compe titor's men butchered
and their bodies mutilated as were
the fifty men in the famous Virginius
case. But Secretary Olney sent word
to Minister Taylor at Madrid, asking
a suspension of the death sentence in
order that an investigation could be
made, and the American representa-
tive was instructed to say that action
without further investigation would
be considered a deep affront to this
country. The request OF the United
States government has been needed.
The Spanish government has called a
halt upon Weylerism in Cuba. 1t
knows that while the Competitor
might readily be made a new Vir-
ginius, the sequel to the slaughter
would be very different in 1896 from
what it was in 1878 "a. The United
States government is not as helpless
now as it was then. 1t now assem-
bling in New York waters fleet that
could IN an hour destroy the whole
navy of Spain. Nor is it to be
imagined that it would be as patient
and forbearing as it was. A first
offence may be overlooked but a
repetition of it could not be pardoned
1t is not too much to say that had
Wevler carried out his bloodthirsty
designs last week, war between thu
! United States and Spain would now
be well nigh inevitable. There arr
many men in this country who remem
Der the Virginius, and long to aveng
: that massacre. Such war would
be bitter and unrelenting to the las
. degree permitted by the laws of civil
! ization. Spain has done well to tax
' these things into account She ha
i postponed and, it is earnestly to b
hoped, averted the danger of war
Il Concerning the affair the New Yor
y Tribune we'll says:
y "She has doubtless also taken accout
IL of the change in Great Britaiu's tone an
n temper. A few weeks ago, when SPANS
y bullring mobs were bowling for war wit
l. the United States because American cit
$. zens dared to express sympathy with Il
It victims of Spanish tyranny the press
"a England and of all Europe was on the
side. That is the case no longer. TIL
!. latest proposed outrage is too rank f
~ the British stomach, Besides, Britt
~ subject, as we'll as American citizens, is
III danger of death. So John Bull roars
different tune One of the most authC
re itative of British journals, The Sta
at dard, warns Spain that persistence
on Weylers course will mean utter ru
m Another, The Daily News exhorts
,,s Spaniards to season their natural teroci
,o- for time and to act like human beinj
A third, The Chronicle, openly hoI
- the United States will Intervene, and ma
" an end of the denominations of Span
all rule in Cuba. These are expressions
am the better sentiments of the Engl
60 people Spain well remembers why all