No. 606.
General Sickles to Mr. Fish.
United States Legation in Spain,
Madrid
,
November 14, 1873. (Received December
11.)
No. 827.]
Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith a
copy of a note this day passed to the minister of state, in which,
in obedience to your instruction of the twelfth instant by cable, I
have protested against the summary execution of the captain and
thirty-six of the crew of the Virginius and sixteen others by the
order of the Spanish authorities at Santiago de Cuba. You were
advised in my telegram of last evening that Mr. Carvajal, in our
interview of yesterday, confirmed the report published in the Havana
papers.
I am, &c,
[Inclosure.]
General Sickles to Mr. José de
Carvajal.
Legation of the United States of
America,
Madrid
,
November 14,
1873.
The undersigned, in obedience to the orders of his Government,
has the honor to invite the attention of his excellency the
minister of state to the fact that the Havana papers published
on the morning of the. 12th instant a statement, apparently
derived from official sources, that the captain and thirty-six
of the crew of the Virginius, and sixteen other persons taken on
board that vessel, were shot on the 7th and 8th of the present
month, by the order and sanction of the Spanish authorities at
Santiago de Cuba. The verbal communication made to the
undersigned last evening by Mr. Carvajal, at the ministry of
state, coinciding in substance with the information received at
Washington, must be regarded as a confirmation of the report
published in Havana and in Madrid on the day before yesterday.
The undersigned is, therefore, directed to protest, and, in the
name of his Government and of humanity, he does hereby protest
against the said act of the authorities in Cuba as barbarous and
brutal, and an outrage upon this epoch of civilization; and the
undersigned is likewise ordered to declare to his excellency the
minister of state that the Government of the United States will
demand the most ample reparation of any wrong which may have
been thereby committed upon any of its citizens or upon its
flag.
The undersigned avails himself, &c.