Year: 1876

new secrets to disclose and no ingenious
speculations or conjectures to indulge in.
Now that the franklin has sailed from the
port of Vigo with Tweed securely on board
we think there should be no longer any
official concealments, and that oil the steps
which led to his arrest should be made pub
lie. We know no good reason for doubling
that everything which has been done was
legitimate We recognize a necessity for
secrecy until the felon was bagged, lest he
should get warning and elude pursuit But
that reason no longer exists, and we hope
Secretary Fish will permit all the facts to be
known, especially as imputatlons have
been cast which we are willing
to believe groundless. 1t is fair to pre-
sumo that Immediately after Tweed's escape
an application was made to Secretary Fish
by our State authorities to demand his sur
render by any foreign government within
whose territory he might seek refuge. Dill
gent search was made for him in Canada. and
our authorities would have been strangely
remiss ifthey had not arranged with the De-
partment of State to have him seized with
out delay rs soon as found. AS they could
not know whether he would be found within
British or other jurisdiction the application
would naturally be made in terms broad
enough to include oil countries Assuming
that such request was made we do not see
that Mr.. Fish's action is exposed to any just
criticism. True, we have no extradi-
ton treaty with Spain, but although that
To.+ Dracludad our oovorp IN ant from, m LiDo
o demand it was no bar to request. The
request was proper, and it is an occasion for
congratulation, but not for surprise, that it
was granted.


The ''mare's nest" which some people
have discovered and the aspersions they
have cast on the Secretary of State are a re-
markable example of hasty Judgment
founded on apparent ignorance Of facts. 1t
is insinuated in some quarters, and openly
charged in others, that Secretary Fish has
purchased this favor by obsequious truck
ling to Spain and long course of subser-
viency to her interests. 1t is asked and re-
iterated why the Spanish government has in
this particular case acted in such surprising
contrast to her usual practice. Such ques-
tion is born of sheer ignorance or inexcus-
able perversity. 1t has not been the ordi-
nary practice Of Spain to refuse such
applications when made by the gov
ernment of the United States. On
the contrary, she has generally granted
them in most considerate and
friendly spirit. The case of Sharkey is in
decd, an exception, prompted, we presume
by feeling of resentment at our harboring
at that time a multitude of Spanish subjects
who were plotting expeditions against Cuba.
But in former years our government has had
many occasions for acknowledging the
prompt courtesy Of Spain in surrendering
fugitives from justice. The following reel
tai of facts is taken from ON elaborate docu-
ment prepared by Secretary Seward in 1864,
in defence of his action in the noted Ar
guelles case Although we never had, in
the whole course of our amicable and init
tions with Spain, any treaty clause for
the cxtradition of criminals, it was q most
important and pertinent consideration for
the President in meeting this request of the
Spanish government, that our government
had not hesitated, with some frequency
when its important interests were con-
cerned to make similar demands upon
the comfy Of the Spanish government
in the same interests of justice and
humanity. Our commerce with the
Spanish West Indies carried on almost
entirely by our own marine, made us
frequent applicants to the Spanish gov
ernment for the extradition of seamen Of
our vessels charged with mutiny, murder
and piracy. 1t is believed that to all such
applications the promptest and most respect
full compliance has been yielded by the
Spanish government, and it may well be
doubted whether our extensive and valua-
BILE West India trade could have reached
and maintained its prosperity had the
Spanish ports furnished protection and i'm
munity to these maritime offences" If this
statement of Secretary Seward was justified
BY the history Of our intercourse with Spain
the surrender Of Tweed should cause
no surprise, because it is in keeping
with the customary comfy Of the
Spanish government toward our own in
cases OF extradition. Nothing could be more
unjust than to hold up the exceptional case
of Sharkey as proof Of the ordinary prac-
tice of the Spanish government. The con-
sular correspondence on the files of the De-
partment of State exhibits many cases Of
Spanish comfy in such extraditions. We
insert another extract from Mr.. Seward, Civ
ing instances "A brief notice of few
cases will illustrate our obligations to Spain
in this behalf and the sentiments and policy
upon which our government, with the uni
versal approval Of the people, has proceeded.
In 1857 three seamen were arrested, lodged
in jail in Havana, and sent to this country