Evening star., 1923-11-18
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The "virginius atrocity." as the
execution of three Cubans and an
American filibust-
Stir Americans. the steamer vir-
ginius and put to
death after summary trial. was called
fifty years ago. greatly aroused the
American people. In The Star OF
November 10, 1873, is printed an
interview with Mr.. Fish. the Secre-
tary of State, expressing his personal
sympathy with the Cuban insurgents
and a determination to investigate
the circumstances thoroughly. The
Star says:
Elsewhere will be found an ex-
preston of the views of Secretary
Fish upon the seizure of the vir-
ginius by the Spanish authorities and
the butchery of four persons found
in the vessel. The Secretary points
definite action until the authoritative
facts are obtained; but. in the mean
time the Madrid government, at the
request of our government, has
issued peremptory orders for a. stay
Of proceedings in the case OF the
other prisoners taken on the vir-
ginius. Secretary Fish, in saying
that the trouble in dealing with
Cuban matters Is not with the Madrid
government. but with the Spanish
be recognized as an unmistakabIe
. fact by all who have visited Havana.
. These volunteers are the real die
tators In the island. They consist
for their seal of rule the Casino Club
room. This club passes upon all
DEGREES issued in regard to Cuban
. affairs by the Madrid government.
its will. These Spanish-Cuban volun-
teers have been at issue with the
home government upon the emonci-
patton project. They are the slave
ocracy. of the island. and are inter
: ested in having slavery maintained.
, For this reason they really favor
having the rebellion maintained, be-
| home government upon the emanci-
| patton does not go into effect until
the rebellion is suppressed. Their
I bellion kept up to a certain but not
dangerous extent: but were 1t put
down they would manage to have the
embers kept alive in order to stave
the weak condition of the Madrid
, government for some years the
volunteers have been able to carry
things with high hand in snubbing
the nome dutnOTlIleSs Out SnOul0
Castelars government become fully
established. it is probable that the
Casino Club at Havana will be
brought to terms"
- !,
The Star in its Issue Of November
| II, 1873. points out. as follows. why
| the Cuban rev.
Cuban Cause Badly olution had not
Represented Here. received sup p
country:
"It has been averred. and probably
with Justice, that the main reason
| why the cause of Cuba Libre' has
not received the encouragement and
recognition by US to which 1t is en-
titled Is because the represen tatives
! of Cuba in this country have not
been, in many instances, fitted for
their delicate and responsible duties.
On several occasions, at least, the
official representatives of Cuba have
language. and in perhaps every
, instance they have exhibited a woe
full lack of knowledge of the Ameri-
can character and the first prin-
ciples of modern diplomacy. The
Cubans in this country. nearly since
the beginning of the present struggle,
have been divided by dissension and
split UP into contending factions,
which has done much to prevent the
earnest espousal of the cause by
many Americans of position and
influence whose aid would have been
invaluable. There Is no denying the
fact that the patriots have had
almost from the beginning the SYM
pathy of the great mass of the
American people. But this SYM
pathy. after all, has been until re-
Gently of a dormant and undemon-
strative character. What the Cubans
want is an active sympathy which,
besides moral support, shall give them
material assistance. and 1t remains
for the representatives of Cuba In
America to develop this sympathy
into earnest and active efforts In their
behalf"