Year: 1873

the outcome OF the sssettlement the
return of o ship. if We can get it,;
the release Of az many of the captives
as the butchers do not think meat for the
Slaughter House. All the rest Of the case goes
to the dogs. Truly. between Mr. Fish and
the sea lawyer. Polo, a plain case has been
muddled beyond recognition. 1t looked to all
tho world that we had clear case against
Spain. but the Quaker City has not educated
a lawyer who could honestly swear. after ex-
amining the Polo-Fish protocol, that America
was not the gross offender. and that all the
contingent homages and damages were not due
to Spain. Yet this is the latest triumph of
American diplomacy-a hollow, barren, bun
gled thing.


Like the echo of a satanic laugh at all this
Washington diplomacy comes tho news from
Havana. 1t is the ribald cachinnation of the
volunteers at the announcement that the Vir-
ginius is to be surrendered. The chief author
tiles of the island have sent manifesto bid
ding the Spanish government wait until the
slave owners protocol. which justifes the
seizure and butchery. reaches Madrid They
are manning the forts and creating resources
''to resist any aggressive act" Where be your
guarantees now, Mr.. Fish? Is it not mock
cry of sympathy and an insult to common
sense to say that the guarantees are in the
honor of Senior CASTELAR, at Madrid? There is
little need to question his honor. His honor, we
can see now, as we have always seen, Is moth
ing unless it means force. He must depend
upon monarchical slave owners for his force in
Cuba, and for him or for America to rely upon
their support to execute measures so hateful to
them would be to s'hold serpent by the
tongue, fasting tiger by the, tooth" On
every side we hear of ''grave doubts in the
highest administration circles as to the
ability of Spain to force even the pitiful
measure of redress which Mr.. Fish
and Mr.. Polo have agreed on. The President
in his Message, if he presents it to-day will
give his views of the situation, and if he
enters into the question Of guarantees for
future protection of our flag, our commerce
and our citizens in the Spanish West Indies
he must reach a conclusion which will make the
Fish-Polo inchoate production very ridiculous
lnueeu Ii lie UOeS 80 lie Will SUrlp Tic Itst
presumptuous shred Of lions hide from off
the Secretary of State, and ''hang a calfskin
on the recreant limbs it should adorn.
We have before stated and we now affirm,
that these stopgap measures of so-called
redress "a ship, some unslain capives, possi-
bic flash in the pan and the very remote chance
OF few dollars-do not touch the need
of this case. We want the entire Cuban ques-
ton settled fully and completely. We want
the measures of reparatioh to be such as will
rehabiltate our national honor, not leaving
single flaw. We want the island reduced to
state of peace and order, so that our
citizens and our vessels can come and go
without let or hindrance. We want the aboi-
ton Of slavery, without which all other meas
ures of guarantee must be vain. 1t is
absurdity drawn to its utmost tension to go
before the country and pretend that Spain can
force any of these measures or that the
Spaniards in Cuba will do it of themselves
If it is done, we must do it.