Year: 1869

Many persons believe that the Cuban ship
Hornet was never intended for actual service
and that the Cubans intended her to be seized
by the United States authorities that the
question of the standing of Cuban vessels
may be settled. They also think that the
Cubans would be glad to embroil the United
States with Spain, knowing that such an
event would be of the greatest benefit to
Cuba. In speaking of this the New York
World says: n.


.'Is it by any means certain that the Hor-
net was really intended for active service
agains. the Spanish marine9 Was it not
the real purpose of those who equipped and
dispatched her to embrol the United States
with the Spanish government There are
certainly some facts in regard to the affair
which makes such superstition by no means
improbable. The Hornet is a side,wheel
steam er, and is therefore totally unfit to be
used as cruiser. She can make little head
way under sail. and consumes so large an
amount of coal as to make her practically
useless as cruiser for government which
does not possess single coaling station.
A steam privateer must OF necessity be a
screw propeller, if she is expected to keep the
sea. The Alabama could trice up her screw
and depend entirely upon her sails, and the
small amount of coal which her engines con-
sumed enabled her to cruise for long time
without coming into port for fresh supply.
The Cubans could have purchased screw
just as easily as side wheel steamer, and
their choice of the Hornet looks as though
they had no real intention OF sending an
efficient war vessel to sea. Moreover, the
Hornet came into an American port appa
rently for no other purpose than to invite
seizure She was not out of coal, and had
she been, she could have been supplied by a
vessel dispatched from New York, precisely
as she was supplied with armament. The
Cubans who sent her to Wilmington may
have intended to force definite decision
from our Government as to their right to fit
out armed vessels, or may have hoped to
bring about a collision between Spain and
the United States. They could hardly have
expected to use her for any other purpose" !"
H The suppositions of the World may be
correct, and we are inclined to think they
are Such vessel as the Hornet could not
fight regular man of war, and would not
be able to cruise for any length of time with
out going into some port to coal. This, as
the Cubans have no ports and no coal, she
could not do, unless allowed to enter Amer
ican or European ports. Therefore, we are
inclined to believe that the Hornet was sent
into the port of Wilmington merely to make
a test case, that the Cubans may know what
would be the action of the United States in
similar cases hereafter


Asto the trial of the Hornet we hope to see
the case decided according to the dictates
of International law and without the slight
est regard being paid to the wishes, threats
or promises of Spain. This the government
owes to the people who, North and South,
are almost unanimously in favor of the re-
naanition of Cuba s.s.s...z - :.
It is now . year thai me oub.as nav.
held their ground against the strength of
Spain, and the utmost endeavors of the
spaniards have not only produced no effect
but have demonstrated that Spain is unable
to subdue the Cubans. The cruelties of the
Spaniards have been so frequent and barba-
rous that it is the duty of the civilized
world to puta stop to them by recognizing
the Cubans as belligerents. Peru and Mex
leo have already done this


The United States still delays. We have
no wish to see America engaged in a foreign
war, but we do not think it would be
creditable to US as nation to hesitate from
doing what is felt to be right on account of
the threats of any foreign power. We do
not advocate the propriety of the United
States taking part in the contest, but simply
wish her to give her moral influence in favor
of the Cubans by recognizing them as bel
igerents- s-an oct to which their successful
resistance of the power of Spain fully en-
titles them. For these reasons we hope the
trial of the Hornet may be rendered unim-
portant by the recognition of Cuba, which
would give Cuban ships the right to enter
American ports without being mo!ested,