938                     FOREIGN RELATIONS.

                               No. 609.
                      General Sickles to Mr. Fish.
                              [Telegram.]
                                        MADRID, November 15, 1873.
  Made demand by note to-day at 3 in the afternoon.
                                                         SICKLES.


                               No. 610.
                     General Sickles to Mr. Fish.
                              [Telegram.]
                                        MADRID, November 15, 1873.
  Received an ill-tempered note to-day from minister of state, rejecting
protest, and saying Spain would, nevertheless, consider and decide ques-
tion according to law and her dignity.
                                                         SICKLES.


                               No. 611.
                      Mr. Fish to General Sickles.
                              [Telegram.]
                                  WASHINGTON, November 15, 1873.
  Hall telegraphs this date the confirmation of report of furtherexecution
on 12th instant, and that Havana papers of yesterday published account
of execution of fifty-seven other prisoners, and that only some eight-
een will escape death, but that nothing official was received. You will
represent this report to minister. These repeated violations of assur-
ances of good-will and of the prohibition of murder by the authorities
in Santiago increase the necessity of full and speedy reparation. There
is but one alternative if denied or long deferred. If Spain cannot re-
dress the outrages perpetrated in her name in Cuba the United States
will. If Spain should regard this act of self-defense and justification,
and of the vindication of long-continued wrongs, as necessitating,her
interference, the United States, while regretting it, cannot avoid the
result. You will use this instruction cautiously and discreetly, avoiding
unnecessarily exciting any proper sensibilities, and avoiding all appear-
ance of menace; but the gravity of the case admits no doubt, and must
be fairly and frankly met.
                                                             FISH.


                              No. 612.
                     VGeneral Sickles to Mr. Fish.
                              [Telegram.]
                                        M:ADRID, November 15, 1873.
  Duplicate of protest cable of 12th received at 6 to-night.
                                                        SICKLES.