1090


FOREIGN RELATIONS.


  mori. But we have also sworn to preserve order, obey and cause respect
to the au-
  thority, and we should comply therewith. If our worthy captain-general,
as prudent
  and noble-as he is brave, with the purest and most elevated patriotism,
asks of us con-
  fidence and a, reflective and calm attitude to save the dignity of the
nation, which,
  like us, he loves more than life itself; if in him .we admire justice,
valor, morality, and
  all the other virtues which make us look to him as a father, love him as
a friend, and
  venerate him as a chief; if he is, in effect, with us without conditions,
let us conquer
  the sentiments of just indignation which, with frenzied enthusiasm, always
burst
  from Castilian breasts upon the slightest approach of a blemish on national
honor,
  and follow his counsels. Let us wait, if he says we ought to wait, and
execute his
  will, recollecting that we shall soon see-and perhaps very soon-shine at
his side, in
  the now gloomy horizon of Cuba, the bow of peace and promise, and without
him we
  shall find but chaos, and, behind that, perdition and dishonor to that
beloved country
  we shall ever adore.
  Should war break out, let us seek a glorious death without counting the
number of
  our enemies; but for love of Spain, and in order not to disconcert the
magnanimous
  design of astonishing the world With our heroism, let us await the orders
of our cap-
  tain-general. Implicit faith in his patriotism, confidence in his valor,
obedience to his
  commands ; calmness, union, firmness, and moderation among ourselves, and
the future
  is ours. But should fate still hold for us some painful sacrifice reserved,
some conces-
  ,sion to wound our national pride, let us reflect that there is no nation,
however great,
  ,and heroic, which has not passed, some time, through the same bitterness,
and let us
  have the sublime courage and abnegation of martyrs to save the integrity
and the
  honor of Spain, and with the faith of sincere patriotism let us wait for
better days.
  Hawjvana, December 2, 1873.
                                              B. B. JIMENEZ,
                                                                    President.
                                              VINCENTE LUIS FERRER,
                                                                Vice-President.
                                              G. IBANEZ,
                                     *                              S~ecretary.
                                              And nmany others.


                                    Meeting.
   At half past five yesterday afternoon his excellency, the minister of
uiltramar, pre-
ýsided over a meeting of authorities, which was also attended by the
colonels of volun-
teers of this city, and a few other persons invited to that effect. To the
inquiry which
his excellency made, several of those present replied with the greatest loyalty,
and
there were replies as noble, and worthy to figure at its side, as that of
Mendez Nunez:
"Spain prefers honor without vessels, than vessels without honor."



                                   No. 738.

                            Mr. Hall to Mr. Fish.
 No. 19.1                   UNITED STATES CONSTSULATE-GENERAL9
                 Ha'ana, December 13, 1873. (Received December 21.)
   SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of the Department's instruic-
tions Nos. 4 and 5, of 3d instant.
   From information received from Santiago de Cuba, it appears that on
the 3d instant our vessels of war, the Juniata, Wyoming, and Kan-
sas, had a boat-exercise in that harbor, which somewhat alarmed the
commanding general ot the place, leading him to believe that an attack
upon the prison and the release of the Virginius prisoners was contem-
plated by the commanders of those vessels.
   Acting upon this unfbunded apprehension, the commanding general,
 without any authority from Havana, had the prisoners transferred early
 ;in the morning of the 4th instant to the Spanish vessel of war Bazan,
 .and sent in the direction of Havana.
   The first intimation the captain-general received respecting this move-
 ment was communicated to him by telegra~ph upon the arrival of the