Year: 1873

1
We shall rejoice. in common with the
whole country, if war with Spain has been
honorably avoided; but We are of opinion
that in the history Of nations there are some
things worse than war. and before declaring
an unqualified satisfaction with the reputed
peaceful solution Of our difficulties we want to
know that the conditions of settlement do not
include or involve admissions on our part or
abandonments of principle to which war itself
would be preferable. If the statement pub
lished gives an accurate account of the conclu-
sions reached between the diplomatic authori-
ties of either country, then surely demand
for reparation that ''roared and thundered in
the index with stentorian pretence has
sneaked to wretched and contemplate close
Never before was an international negotiation
so conspicuously pitiful in its results. and
never before did the pusillanmous spirit of
senile incapacity SO shamefully abuse
the confidence of nation. Spain
yields us reparation, certainly; she slaps
us in the face with it, even And we
must take, cringingly, what her lofty spirit
chooses to concede, though the reparation as
sumo the form of new insult. We demand
the surrender Of our ship unlawfully seized on
the high seas; but Spain refuses at first and
waits to be assured from England that our de-
mand is Just and fair before she gives it
proper notice, and at last consents to the
surrender. Have we submitted the sub
ject to arbitration, that England must de-
clare before justice can be done us? Are
We already incapable of righting ourselves
when wronged by a Power like Spain, that
England must answer for our responsibility to
get us a civil answer? And Spain will also,
we are told, give up the poor wretches whom
she tore from the protection Of our fag-such
of them as have not been publicly murdered
or have not been tortured to death in her
prisons-but indemnity for the slain she will
only pay if the papers of the Virginius shall
prove regular, and she will only salute
our flag on the same condition while
the miscreant Burriel goes altogether
unwhipped of justice, save such farce of trial
or rebuke as Spain may choose. There is
no limitation to her in this. Our de-
manded guarantee for the future is laughed
at and relinquished. Such is the summary of
what is called satisfaction Two of the
points demanded that were most thoroughly
just, are given up, and we accept Spains
view rather than insist upon our own as to
the Others and admit that the character of
our ship shall be investigated before satisfac-
ton shall be exacted. Has not the President
intelligence to see that if this is not an Amer
lean ship We have no right to make any de-
mand, and that if she is an American ship it
is shameful to submit to investigation before
we protect her?


For the future, then, it must be understood
that our relations with Spain are established
by this precedent on such footing that if the
Spanish cruisers choose to capture any
American vessel with or without pre-
tended reasons, aud to murder the greater
number of the persons they catch on board,
it is all right. We give to such proceedings a
qualified assent. They must only send the ship
home when they are done with her, release
the unmurdered sailors whom they have tor
tured in their prisons and pay (perhaps)
ptitul indemnity of SO much a head for the
persons they may have chosen to kill. 1t must
be clearly understood that our government, as
at present constituted does not protect its
ships, and sailors who venture in the waters
of the West Indies under our colors go at their
proper peril People who are in the molasses
trade are ready to say that the Virgini1s was
only ilibuster. Was the Lloyd Aspinwall
a fhbuster? 1t is abundantly well known that,
innocent or guilty, our ships are seized upon
the caprices and suspicious of Spanish officials
in Cuba and now it is formally established by
the recognition of our government that we are
under no national obligation to prevent these
outrages and murders Spain can be called
upon only to return the ships she takes and
pay for the men she kills. the flag, it seems
to be thought, cannot be dishonored. Is it
not strange that the view taken in London of
our position is more in consonance with an
honest support of our rights than the view
taken in Washington? Is it not remarkable
that the London Times should represent the
rights of our case more clearly and state them
more forcbly than our government itself pre-
sumes to do in its amable communications
with the hostile Power? There are not
many in England" says the London Teie-
groph 'who could approve of the Deer
hounds recent expedition; but if every person
on board that troublesome little craft had
been fusilladed there would have been an out
cry of just wrath against the Spaniards
No doubt just as there was in this country an
outcry Of just wrath against the butcheries of
Santiago. But who believe that England would
have accepted such a satisfaction as seems
sufficient in Washington who believe that
England would have submitted her honor TO
be investigated by the Spaniards, or have
permitted them to inquire into the justice of
demands she had made?


All purpose to require Of Spain guarantee