Year: 1873




of tho Navy Depart rtment-The Voice


OF tho Country.


While the exact purposes of the President


and the action of the Secretary of State


looking to redress for the intolerable outrages


connected with the seizure of the Virginius


and the hurried and lawless massacres of her


passengers, officers and crew. remain undis-
closed, the country is encouraged to believe
from the activity of the Navy De-
partment in view of possible contin-
gencies that the administration has
resolutely abandoned the policy of temporiz-
ing or OF halfway measures touching the
atrocities Of the Spaniards of Cuba on the
land and sea. Secretary Robeson, evidently
in full accord with the awakened indignation
of the country, has, since the first intelligence
of the late outrageous insult to our national
flag on the high seas, exhibited a degree of
activity in the preparation of his available
ships for active service which challenges the
appreciation of the American people.


Two iron-clads, fully equipped and. ready
for action, are already on their way to the
Gulf of Mexico several others in the course of
the present week will be heading in the same
direction, and doubtless on or before the day
of the meeting Of Congress (first Monday in
December) WE shall have powerful feet
within easy range of the Island of Cuba.
A thousand men, we understand, will
this day be added to the work
men in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and similar
vigorous preparations are afoot in other places
in the repairs and equipment of ships-of-war
for immediate duty. These preparations are
a grateful response to the demands Of the
general public sentiment of the United States,
of all sections and all parties, because they
are accepted as evidences that decisive
and satisfactory action by the govern
ment will shortly follow. This action, in
giving us indemnity for the past and security
for the future, in reference to the honor of our
flag and the rights Of our citizens, does not
involve war with Spain, or bel
ligerent rights to the Cubans. or a protecto-
rate over the island; but it does involve q set
tlement not alone with Spain, but first and
Ollectly Will <uc COutuuACIOuS OPdAuSu
authorities Of Cuba


Now, in settling with these provincial au-
thorities, is the President 80 restricted in his
constitutional powers that he must await the
meeting and the action Of Congress on the
subject? A demand under the guns of feet
Of iron-clads at Santiago de Cuba for the de-
livery of the ship Virginius, if not destroyed,
or for an equivalent if she is destroyed, with
. demand for the surviving men taken from
the ship, will not be war, or cause
Of war, with Spain, even if enforced
by the bombardment and destruction
Of the town On the part Of the President it
will be simply proceeding in the fulflment
Of his official duty, which is to take care that
The laws be faithfully executed, for this en-
braces the duty Of seeing to it that the rights
If our flag and our citizens are duly respected
In other words, no special authority from
Congress is needed for a settlement with
Captain Castillo and General Burriel and
their Spanish confederates who constitute the
with them we deal with the only parties that
can be held responsible for these recent
outrages


The governing authorities, de tacto, Of Cuba
pursue their own course regardless of instruc-
lions from Spain, and apologies from Spain
for their offences neither redress the wrong
nor serve as a check to its repetition. The
Republic of Spain, struggling for existence
against Carlists, intransigentes and other in
surgent factions, is utterly unable to enforce
its authority over the slaveholding oil
garchy of Cuba. We shall, therefore,
be rendering friendly service to the Spanish
Republic in dealing directly with its refrac-
tory provincials of Cuba and in holding them
directly responsible for their crimes, for which
there is no atonement The course
Of our government in reference to the
Spanish Republic has from the begin
ming been that of friendly and
Power. So far has this
respect for that experimental Republic been
carried in relation to Cuba in the pursuit of
in the building Of Spanish gun
boats and in the gentle treatment of Spain for
various outrages committed by her Cuban
provincials from time to time that Mr. Secre-
tary Fish has lost, TO great extent, the CON
fdence of our people in regard to the impor-
tant questions now before him.


He cannot however, be insensible to the
voice of the country; he is we are inclined
to believe, anxious in this business to meet
the just expectations of the country. As the
and the responsibility, however, rest
not with him, but with the President we enter
tain the hope that, heedful Of the general voice
of the country. the President will have some
thing better to report in his forthcoming
message to Congress on these outrages con-
nected with the virginius than the inter
change of preliminary diplomatic dispatches
between Washington and Madrid.


THE EFFECT AT MADRID. The effect of the
Cuban outrages is beginning to be felt at