Year: 1873




Madrid despatch, and by the fact that our gov
ernment, to be prepared for any contingency
on Spain, is making every warlike preparation
to which it is constitutionally adequate, it is
made evident that war is now the only
honorable issue to the present comph-
cation of our relations with the Spanish
Republic. 1t is clear from the course
of the government that this is the con-
viction at Washington, and in view OF the
naughty and arrogant attitude OF the Spanish
Ministry and their insulting pretension to
Judge for us whether we have any ground of
complaint-their assumption that an Ameri-
can ship on the high seas is subject to their
municipal laws-we believe this must be the
conviction of the whole American people.
| The President demands the formal delivery
of the yirginius to officers of our government
in port of the United States the release
and restoration to our protection Of the sur.
viving captives; money indemnity to the
heirs of all taken from on board the Virginius
and put to death the trial and punishment
of General Burriel and all other responsible
officers the immediate and unconditional
abolition of slavery in Cuba as the source of
all pending difficulties and complaints. Such
is our position in the case, and the position of
Spain is that so far from her having any dis
position to accede to our demands she actu-
ally refuses to hear our Minister discuss the
| subject on the impudent and ridiculous
| ground that there is no case whatever in in
ternational law-that it is altogether included
in her local and territorial jurisdiction, as
| if the high seas were her dominion and ships
under our flag subject to her sovereignty
wherever taken. The demands of our gov
ernment indicate the outline of an ample
reparation, and are equal to the utmost re-
quirement of the occasion. In the few dis
tinct points in which the case of the nation is
there laid down we see the natural energy Of
the Presidents character asserting itself once
more in its legitimate sphere 1t is revival
of the old unconditional surrender style,
when Grant was great because he was in
sympathy with the spirit of the people, glori-
fed by patriotic ardor, and was the incarna-
ton of their heroic purpose And in proper
ton as this style gives emphasis to the de-
mands it formulates we miss the hazy rigma-
role of diplomatic prolixity which has clouded
and blurred and smothered in its multitude of
words the few and small thoughts that our
Washington functionaries have had to put
forth there several years past. Barbarossa
sleeping under the mountain has heard
the sound of the battle-cry and the bugle,
and dreaming Achilles in his idle ease has
caught the CLEAN of sword blade. Doubt
less the whole dose will be hard enough to
swallow; but it was clear when the virginius
was taken that some one would have to eat
humble pie, and we are Of opinion that that
sort of diet will sit better on the Spanish
stomach than on ours. 1t will be hard to re-
trace the miles OF that triumphal procession
of the virginius into the harbor of Havana
amid the barbarous festivities of population
rejoicing in butchery; it will be hard to be
compelled to do honor, in restoring them to
freedom, to those poor wretches who were
thought not worth the killing; it will be hard
for Spain to pay even pitiful sum in the actual
state of her finances, and hard to punish
Burriel, for justice is not in favor with the
Spanish people; but harder than all these
together will be compliance with the last de-
mand for the unconditional abolition of
slavery and on this demand the whole case
will so turn as to result in the discontinuance
of our present relations with Spain, and prob
ably in the occupation of Cuba by the United
States forces


Spain, as our despatch hints, has some
definite objections to our demand, which is
natural enough; and one objection probably
is that the fifth requirement involves an act
beyond the competency of the Spanish gov
ernment. Already the Cortes have declared
against the abolition of slavery in Cuba.
Pretentiously this declaration was made on
point of honor that Spain would not proceed
to legislate reforms for Cuba till the rebellion
was put down; but in reality it was o conces-
sion to the slave owners. Naturally the gov
ernment will tell us it has no authority