The record-union., 1898-06-12

goods against the American ship Es-
meralda. Even had the company been
disposed to pay this fine, the money
could not have been had within twenty
four hours, for the following day was
Sunday. The order, which was from
the Supreme Court, gave notice that If
the fine was not paid the company's
property would be confiscated. Span
ish colonial officials had used this
method of destroying the business OF
foreigners on more than one occasion
Blodgett went at once to Consul Ell
liott's residence, and when he had
briefly related the story of the new
Spanish outrage the two went down to
the cable office. Admiral Carpenter was
then at Yokohama with the Asiatic
squadron. The Consul wrote a short
message to the Admiral and handed it
to the operator The message was in
cipher. Send assistance" it read.
American interests in peril. Elliott"
Send in English. Carpenter" was the
answer received by the Consul short
time afterward. Elliott could not un-
derstand why Admiral Carpenter wish
ed the message sent in English, for he
knew that the Admiral must under
stand the cipher. But the Consul hast
ened back to the cable office and wrote
out second message in plain English.
An hour later Governor General Blan-
co.'s Secretary called at the Consulate
and said that Blanco wished to see the
Consul at once. Elliott went over to
the Governor Generals residence.
Blanco handed him the second message
he had left at the cable Office.
Il am astoniShed, SIR exclaimed
been held"
Il am sorry it had to be DONE" re-
piled Blanco, but you see we couldn't
let that go 1t might cause some un-
pleasantness between your country and
mine
But no Government has a right to
hold back a Consups message, and if
this message is not sent at once I will
report the fact to my Government"
The Consul then produced the bill
presented to the American company by
the customs official and asked by what
right an officer of the Government could
trump up such charge. Blanco said
he was sorry that there was any misun-
derstanding between the company and
| the officials, but the embargo" was
according to law, having come from the
ing about it.
GENERAL BLANCO'S BACKDowN.
Then 1 shall take the first steamer
for Hongkong," stoutly replied Consul
Elliott. "and return with the American
squadron to protect American inter
ests.'
Il will look into the matter more
thoroughly" said Blanco after mo-
ment's thought. See me again before
you do anything" That evening Blanco
sent again for the Consul to tell him
that the law had been looked up, and it
had been found that the embargo could
be raised. Warner, Blodgett & Co.
never paid the fine of So, ,3S5 10, and
Admiral Carpenters hint about plain
English saved the United States the
cost of sending a fleet and getting into
tangle with Spain, but the petty
! robberies continued, and the officials
found new ways Of injuring the COM
pany's business. The persecution grew
so great that the company reluctantly
decided to seek the protection of the
British flag, and the American house
of Warner, Blodgett & Co. became the
British house of Warner, Barnes & Co.
Spain's misgovernment of her rich
possessions in the East, begun with the
massacres of the natives by their Span
ish conquerers in the sixteenth century,
has continued uninterruptedly for more
! than three centuries since and might
| have gone on hundreds of years more
had not Spanish nlisrule on the Ameri-
can Island of Cuba brought about a
war for human rights between this
| country and Spain. In the faraway
! Philippines, a land of volcanoes, earth