The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-07-23
MEANS BUSINESS.


Foreign Relations, which Reports =
Joint Resolution Empow ering the Presi.
dent to Take such steps as Shall secure
the Immedia Release of American Pris-
oners in Cuba.
WASHINGTON, July 15.-Scnator Da-
sis. chairman of the committee on for
eign relations, yesterday reported from
that committee the following joint res
olution:
Resoired. Thst the president be empowered
20 take such measures ar In his judgement may
b. necessary TO obtain the release from the
Spanish government OF Ona Melton. Alfred O
Laborde and VIM Gil1sa. ana the restoration
OF the schooner Competitor 70 her owner; and
10 secure this he is authorized and re luested TO
employ such means or exercise such power ~
may be necessary.
The report recites all the facts that
have been brought out in the Competitor
case. her ownership, capture and citi-
zcnship of the three men named in the
resolution together with the proceed
ings thus far had by the Spani sh
authorities, the trial Sc ntence, etc
The report characterizes it IA "moclx-
cry of trial The affidavits of the
parties are cited to show that they
were coerced into Spanish waters, in
which case they were not amcnabl .
to Spanish jurisdiction. They were
not subject to piracy and intended no
act of depreciation on the seas nor were
they subject To the Spanish authorities
on account of alleged re bellion.
The report then says:
retrospective of any of the foregoing
considerations the conduct of Spain,
as herein before detailed. constitutes
such delay and denial of Justice, and
such an inflction of injustice upon
these, men as to make it the duty of
this government to demand PREPARATION
therefor irrespective of any act which
these prisoners may have committed
up to the date of their capture.
Among the acts of reparation which
ought to be demanded should be the
release of these captives."
Secretary Evarts is quoted to sustain
this position. The report declares
that the rights of the men have been
violated, aud continues:
They have been tried and sentenced
to death 10y summary naval court
martial in proceeding which has been
annulled by the appellate courts of
Madrid, upon the ground that such
court-martial had no jurisdiction what
ever over them. Ten months have
elapsed since this death sentence was
annulled, and they have not aga ain been
brought to trial. In the meantime they
have been subjected TO protracted pre-
liminary examinations preparatory to
their trial by another court-martial,
which III ffars from fh. II ,.ef N h.
fact that it is less summary and more
formal in its character than the first"
The report says that the men at the
first trial did not know until after
the testimony for the prosecution was
in that an interpreter was present and |
the only translation made to them
was at the close of the sanguinary pro-
ceedings when they were asked il
they had anything to say. and neces-
sarily they could have little to say.
yet one of them protested that he had
not understood one word OF the pro-
ceedings against him by which his life
was adjudged forfeited.
with these protests" continues The |
report. the trial ended and the de-
PENDANTS were Immediately sentenced
TO death. 1t is now fourteen months
since they were arrested. during all of
which time they have been held in
Cabanas fortress as prisoners. Melton
and Laborde are unquestionably citi-
zens of the United States. Gildea is
British subject but he was n sailor
upon an American vessel when taken,
and acting as its mate. and il is the
opinion of your committee that he is
entitled to be protected by this govern
ment. He was serving under the flag,
and he is entitled to be protected by il.
In our opinion, these acts of delay
and denial of justice, and of the infiic-
ton of injustice. vitiate and make void
any right which Spain had in the be-
ginning of this transaction to proceed
criminally against any of these men.
This government should demand that
they be set at liberty, and that the
Competitor be restored TO her owner,
as there is no evidence that the owner
knows anything about the divergence
of the vessel from its regular voyage
to Lamon City, Fla.