

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS. 



265 



vember 25th, that Lord Granville regarded the 

 reparation demanded as just and moderate. 

 On the 26th. Mr. Sickles telegraphed to Mr. 

 Fish : " President Castelar says Mr. Sickles 

 would receive a note that day recognizing the 

 principles on which the American demand 

 was made, and asking a delay till December 

 25th for investigation." Mr. Sickles, Novem- 

 ber 26th, acknowledged receipt of instructions, 

 and stated that he had informed the minister 

 that he might defer a reply and request for 

 passports, and transmitted the substance of a 

 note received from the Minister of State con- 

 taining a proposal for an adjustment. 



Mr. Fish telegraphed to Minister Sickles 

 November 27th, transmitting a copy of the 

 Senate's resolution of June 1C, 1858, that the 

 detention of merchant-vessels on the high-seas 

 by force in time of peace is a derogation of the 

 sovereignty of the United States. Minister 

 Sicklestelegraphed to Mr. Fish, November 28th, 

 announcing that it had been informally agreed 

 at Madrid the previous day that reparation 

 should be made in accordance with the Ameri- 

 can demand ; that he was informed that a differ- 

 ent proposition had been authorized by Mr. Fish 

 and accepted by the Spanish Government, and 

 he inquired whether this was true. Mr. Fish tel- 

 egraphed to Minister Sickles, November 28th : 



Supposing from the tenor of Minister Siekles's 

 dispatches that he had left Madrid, the reply to the 

 last Spanish proposal was communicated to Admiral 

 Polo, who now says that negotiations are going on at 

 Madrid. Having received notice that General Sickles 

 would demand his passports a '.three o'clock, it is 

 lupposed that these negotiations have dropped. 



Mr. Fish said to General Sickles, November 

 29th: 



Spanish minister yesterday made a proposal em- 

 bracing substance of demands of loth of November, 

 with slight variations, which has been accepted and 

 protocol signed. 



December 3d, Mr. Fish telegraphed to Gen- 

 eral Sickles : " Powers sent to Admiral Polo to 

 negotiate place and time for surrender of the 

 ViririniiiH." The result is given, and the cor- 

 respondence between Mr. Fish and General 

 Sickles relative to the latter's resignation ap- 

 pears in the documents. 



The following will give an idea of the corre- 

 spondence and negotiations with the Spanish 

 Legation at Washington: Mr. Fish stated to 

 Admiral Polo, November 12th, that he had re- 

 ceived intelligence of the shooting of fifty-three 

 persons from the Virg'mius ; that the story 

 was too shocking and cruel to be credible. The 

 Secretary asked if Admiral Polo had more au- 

 thentic intelligence. Admiral Polo said to Mr. 

 Fish, November 12th, that he had received no 

 information. Copies of telegrams to Admiral 

 Polo were handed by Admiral Polo to Mr. Fish, 

 November 15th. It was there said that the 

 papers of the Virprinius were irregular; that 

 the order from Madrid did not reach Santiago 

 in time to stay the execution, owing to the de- 

 struction of telegraph-wires, and that the Vir- 

 ginius was regarded as a pirate. Telegrams 



handed by Admiral Polo to Mr. Fish, Novem- 

 ber 17th, said that Spain was disposed to make 

 amends for any violation of international law, 

 but required time to make examination. 



Admiral Polo, in a letter to Mr. Fish, No- 

 vember 18th, inclosed a copy of a telegraphic 

 dispatch from the Minister of State at Madrid, 

 in which it was said that Spain could not an- 

 swer till the facts were known, and was re- 

 solved to preserve the integrity of its territory, 

 but she would observe the obligations of inter- 

 national law and the letters of all treaties. 



A copy of a telegram from the Foreign Min- 

 ister at Madrid to Admiral Polo was handed to 

 Mr. Fish by Admiral Polo, November 20th, 

 proposing an arbitration, and the surrender of 

 the vessel into the hands of the arbitrators. 

 It was added that " the authority of Spain is 

 respected in Cuba. The evidence is conflict- 

 ing. This is a reason for arbitration. Spain is 

 acting in good faith." 



Admiral Polo wrote to Mr. Fish November 

 20th, inclosing a copy of a telegram from the 

 Minister of State, in which it was said that the 

 Spanish authority was respected in Cuba, and 

 that peremptory orders had been issued. The 

 following is a memorandum of an interview 

 between Admiral Polo and Mr. Fish, Novem- 

 ber 21, 1873: 



Mr. Fish declines to submit to arbitration the ques- 

 tion of an indignity to the flag. He is willing to 

 submit all Questions which are properly subjects of 

 reference. He is surprised to find no expression from 

 Spain of disapproval of the hasty executions, or of 

 readiness to release the vessel and survivors. Arbi- 

 tration would be postponement. It was desirable to 

 have the settlement complete before the assembling 

 of Congress. The United States strongly desire a 

 friendly settlement. 



Admiral Polo informed Mr. Fish, November 

 28d, when and where the testimony of Green- 

 wood and other witnesses would be taken. 

 Admiral Polo, November 23d, inclosed to Mr. 

 Fish a telegram from Madrid, in which it was 

 stated that the reported hostile manifestations 

 against General Sickles were not true. Mr. 

 Fish wrote to Admiral Polo, November 24th, 

 respecting the proposed examination of wit- 

 nesses in New York. A telegram from Madrid 

 to Admiral Polo was handed to Mr. Fish by 

 Admiral Polo, November 24th, asking whether 

 the United States would await the result of 

 the investigation by Spain ; whether the Presi- 

 dent would submit the question to Congress, 

 and ask for a statement of the points of offense 

 in view of the treaty stipulations and interna- 

 tional law. Secretary Fish stated to Admiral 

 Polo, November 24th (in answer to a demand 

 for reasons why it isimpracticable to wait), the 

 reasons why the President must submit the 

 facts to Congress, and gave a general state- 

 ment of the points of offense. 



A telegram from Madrid to Admiral Polo 

 was handed to Mr. Fish by Admiral Polo on 

 November 25th, in which it was said : 



The news contradictory as to right of Virginius to 

 carry United States flag. It may appear that she is 



