With the vessels referred to it is said that a dozen harbor tugs, three or four lighters, a few small steamers, and about a dozen small sloops and schooners have been associated.
That only six American vessels out of all our large merchant navy succeeded in reaching Cuba is, the Secretary thinks, a proof of the law-abiding spirit of the American people.
He says that eight revenue-cutters, with 317 men, have cruised 75,768 miles, patrolling the coast to prevent filibustering. These vessels captured seven ships and 115 men, and broke up two expeditions.
He goes into the close examination of sixty expeditions which Spain complains of.
Twenty of these he shows were stopped through the efforts of the Treasury, five by the United States Navy, four by Spain, two were wrecked, and one driven back by storm. One which is laid to our credit the Secretary declines to acknowledge as belonging to us at all.
Of the successful expeditions, Mr. Gage points out that much was due to the weakness of the Spanish patrol. In all the cases where the offenders have been caught, he shows that they have either been punished or are awaiting trial.
Concerning the case of the Silver Heels, the Secretary says that the Collector of the Port of New York informed him that a representative of the Spanish Consul stated to him that he did not desire the vessel to be seized at the dock, but captured after departure therefrom. It was not, therefore, so much negligence on the part of the Government, as speed on the part of the Silver Heels, which enabled her to slip away from her pursuers.
While we are on the subject of the Silver Heels, it will interest you to know that she has been taken into custody.
She arrived at Wilmington the other day, and was at once seized by the collector of that port.
An examination was made of the vessel, but nothing was found on board to indicate that the ship had been engaged in unlawful work.