Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-28
ODD, INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
THE BLACK wARkIoR 1NeIsENT.

During the nineteenth century therej were a number of incidents that caused a friction between the United States and Spain regarding Cuba, several of which | brought the countries to the very verge war. The narrowest escape was the | 1854. This was an American merchant l steamer which piled between NeW York and Mobile, Ala, stopping en route at ] Havana for passengers and mail. ! The Black Warrior had made 3e such voyages, almost always having a cargo for the American port, but not being per- | nitted to bring freight to Havana The custom of her agents was to clear her in Eballastp the day before her arrival. This practice, while contrary te the regulations of Cuban ports, had always been winked at by the authorities It was we'll under stood that the Black Warrior generally had cargo on board. but a detailed manifest of her load had never been re- quired. She had always been permitted | to sail unInolested until, when bound from Mobile to New York. she was stopped on Feb. 2s, 1854. by order of the royal exchequsr for having violated the tregula atioRs of the port.
 The cargo was cotton, valued at $1e8.- # eee, and the captain was fined $sboo The United States consul applied for re-
 
 f A gang of men with lighters was sent te the ship under the charge of the com mandante, who ordered the captain ef the Black Warrior to discharge her car- ;l go. This he refused to do. The com mandante then had the hatehes opened and his men began to take out the bales of cotton. The captain hauled down his
 iag and abandoned the vessel to the Spanish authorities.
 |, he 1H& - , Washington it caused great excitement. The president sent message to the ' house of representatives stating that in- demnity for the injury to our citizens had been demanded from Spain. The day after the news was received the secretary of state sent the American minister to ! Spain documents which contained a his 2 tory of the transaction. He expressed the t opinion that the outrage would cause deer h indignation throughout the country, as il : was tue most fragrant of many unredress. T ed wrongs of Cuba to this country.
 It took a considerable time in 1854. fo, a message from this country to reael Madrid, and Soule the American minis ; ter, did not receive the report until Apri e !. Had Soule been less domineerine il It his diplomatic work, the trouble miSfa j. have easily been adjusted but he wa
 very impatient in receiving a reply t
 his communication, and addressed tn
 Spanish minister a note in which he kav
 him AS hours time to send a satisfactor l. answer. To this the minister replied IT z he government of her majesty, jealou
 also of its decorum, is not accustomed |
 the harsh and imperioRs manner wit V which this matter has been expressed ;, which, furthermore. is not the most sd.
 quate for attaining to the anicable settlt
 ment which is wished for"
 The spirit of the proud Castilian spck III in this despatch. In the official circles { + Madrid war with the United States VI
 how considered as evry probable, and tt
 chances of it were very seriously di, ae cussed, and six thousand soldiers ve, ,n ordered to the West Indies t> reiAfor, ,t. the garrison of Cuba
 When the correspondence between Ssu
 and the Spanish minister reached wasl ington the little hurry caused by u . seizure of the Black Warrior had subsi, ns ed, except where an e1citRnent was ke H. alive by the operations of alihusters. Tl
 ship and her cargo had been released. SI
 was aow plying as usual between Ne at York and MdSiie. touching at Havan on where she was treated with great eonsi CT eration by the authorities
 From several brief discussions it -
 plainly to be seen that proposition loo T. V Spain on account of the Black IWarri ny affair would not for moment be ente lat tained. With this incident besan a serj
 of fhbustering expeditions to Cuba vhi
 finally became So annoying that on Ju Ich l., 1954, issued a proclamation wafni ,ra the hlibNsterers that the neutrality Ia |, would be enforced and that they vouId
 prosecuted. 4 few days later it becal apparent that the naederats element the administration had won and that nn- danger of war was past.
 ,ur It is quite rrehahia that hut for i've strong feeling aroused by taa 6ans: ks Nebraska measure, the adnninistrati ii
 would have been forced into a war E
 Spain for the conquest of cuha 1or facts of the case showed that no ins ted had lheen. offered to the American fl ost and Soule, piqued under what hs cons nn- cred was a show of yeSkAess on
 part of his government. resizhca lis E
 and the trouble, at least for the til was safely pas,eI.
 an (Tcmorrow-Israel Putnam's Charn N Life