The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-15 00:00:00

;bit* 11N +i
gev `-tl4. .4.14 0 rit
• 4r,, 4'

THE
A_,,TERICAN PRESIDENT'S

MESSAGE.

The following is the Message of President Fill-
more, delivered to the American Congress, on the

2d inst. :

Fellow Citizens of the Senate and of the House 0
Representatives,
I congratulate you and our common constituency upon
the favourable auspices under which you meet for your first
se salon. Our country is at peace with all the world. The
agitation which for a time threatened to disturb the frater-
nal relations which make us one people is fast subsiding, and
a year of general prosperity and health has crowned the
nation with unasual blessings. None can look back to the
dangers which are passed, or forward to the bright prospect
before us, without feeling a thrill of gratification, at the same
time that he must be impressed with a grateful sense of our
profound obligations to a beneficent Providence, whose Pa-
ternal care is so manifest in the happiness of this highly-fa.

voured land.
Since the close of the last Congress certain Cubans and
other foreigners, resident in the United States,
of whe were
more or less concerned in the previrus invasion Cuba,
atghaeinst scenethaotf
in-
stead of being discouraged by its failure, have again abused
toe hospitality of this country, by
the equipment of another military
emssapkedilitgionit
posseesion of her Catholic Majesty,. in which they were coun-
f
tenanced, aided, and joined by citizens the United States.
On receiving intelligence that such designs were entertained,
I lust no time in issuing such instructions to the proper officers
of the United States as seemed to be called for by the occa-
,;lol3. By the proclamation, a copy of which is herewith
iiismitted, I also warned these who might he in danger of
jititlg inveigled into this scheme, of its unlawful character,
and Of the
penalties which they would incur. For some
:tine there was reason to hope that these measures had suf-
aced to prevent any such attempt. This
_hope, however,
eroved to be delusive. Very early in the morning of the 3d
of August, a steamer, called the Pampero, departed from New
Orleans for Cuba, having on board upwards of 40 armed
men, with evident intentions to make war upon the autho-
rities cf the island. This expedition was set on foot in pal-
pable violation of the laws of the United States. Its leader
was a Spaniard, and several of the chief officers, and some
others engaged in it were foreigners. The persons composing
it, however, were mostly citizens of the United States.
Before the expedition set out, and probably before it was
organized, a slight insurrectionary movement, which appears
to have been soon suppressed, had taken place in the eastern
quarter of Cuba. The importance of this movemsnt was un-
fortunately so much exaggerated in the accounts of it pub-
lished in this country, that these adventurers seem to have
been led to believe that the Creole population of the island
not only desired to throw off the authority of the mother
country, but had resolved upon that step, and bad begun a
well-concocted enterprise for effecting it. The persons en-
gaged in the expedition were generally young and ill-in-
formed. The steamer in which they embarked left New
Orleans stealthily, and without a clearance. After touching
at Key West, she proceeded to the coast of Cuba, and on the
night between the 11th and 12th August, lauded the persons
on board at Piaytas, within about 20 leagues of Havannah
The main body of them proceeded to, and took possession
of, an inland vill -ge, six leagues distant, leaving others to
follow in charge of the baggage, as soon as the means of
transportation could be obtained. The latter having taken
up their line of march to connect themselves with the main
body, and having
proceeded about four leagues into the coun-
try, were attacked on the morning of the 13th by a body of
Spanish troops, and a bloody conflict ensued; after which
the retreated to the place of disembarkation, where about
fifty of them obtained boats, and re-embareed therein. They
were, however, intercepted among tbd keys near the shore by
a Spanish steamer cruising on the coast, captured, and car-
ried to Havannah, and, after being examined before a mili-
tary court, were sentenced to be publicly executed, and the
sentence was carried into effect on the 16th of August.
On receiving information of what had occurred, Commo-
dore F. A. Parker was instructed to proceed in the ' steam-
frigate Saranac to Revenue:, and inquire into the charges
against the persons executed, the circumstances under which
they were taken, add whatsoever referred to their trial and
sentence. Copies of the instructions from the departments of
s tate to him, and of his letters to that department, are here-
with submitted.
According to the record of the examination, the prisoners
all admit ed the offences charged against them, of being
hostile invaders of the island. At the time of their trial and
execution the main body of the invaders was still in the
field, making war upon the Spanish authorities and Spanish
subjects. After the lapse of some days, being overcome by
the Spanish troops, they dispersed on the 24th of August;
Lopez, their leader, was captured some days atter, and exe-
cuted on the Ist of September. Many of his remaining fol-
lowers were killed, or died of hunger and fatigue, and the
rest were made prisoners. Of these, none appear to have been
tried or executed. Several of them were pardoned upon the
application of their friends and others, and the rest, about
Poe hundred and sixty in number, were sent to Spain. Of
the final disposition made of these we have no official in-
form at ion.
Such is the melancholy resuit of this illegal and ill-fated
expedition. Thus, thoughtless young men have been in-
duced, by false and fraudulent representations, to violate
the law of their country, through rash and unfounded ex-
pectations of assistance to accomplish political revolutions
in other States, and have lost their lives in the undertaking.
T o severe a judgment can hardly be passed, by the indig-
nant sense of the community, upon those who, being better
informed themselves have yet led away the ardour of
youth and an ill-directed love of political liberty. The cor-
respondence between this Government and that of Spain re-
lating to this transaction is herewith communicated.
Al hough these offenders against the laws have forfeited
tie protection of their country, yet the Government may, so
far as is consistent with its obligations to other countries,
and its fixed purpose to maintain and enforce the laws, en-
tertain sympathy fur their unefferetiug families and friends,
as well as a reeling of compassion for themselves. Accord-
ingly no proper effort has been spared, and none will be
seared, to procure the release of such citizens of the United
States, engaged in this unlawful enterprise, as are now in
confinement in Spain ; but it is to be hoped that such inter-
position with the Government of that country may not be
considered as affording any ground of expectation that the
Government of the United States will hereafter feel itself
under any obligation of duty to intercede for the liberation
or pardon of such persons as are flagrant offenders against
the law of nations and the laws of the United States. These
laws must be executed. If' we desire to maintain our re-
spectability among the nations of the earth, it behoves us to
enforce speedily and sternly the neutrality Acts passed by
Congress, and to follow, as far as may be, the violation of
those Acts with condign punishment.
But what gives a peculiar criminality to this invasion of
Cuba is, that under the lead of Spanish subjects, and with
the aid of citizens of the United States, it had its origin,
with many, in motives of cupidity. Money was advanced
by individuals, probably iu considerable amounts, to pur-
chase • bowie, as they have been called, issued by Lopez,
sold doubtless, at a very large discount, and for the payment
of which the public lands and public property of Cuba,
of whatever kind, and the fiscal resources of the people and
Government of that island, from whatever source to be de-
rived, were pledged, as well as the good faith of the Govern-
ment expected to be established. All these means of pay •
ment, it is evident, were only to be obtained by a process of
bloodshed, war, and revolution: None will deny that
those who set on foot military expeditions against foreign
States by means like these, are far more culpable than the
ignorant and the necessitous whom they induce to go forth
as the ostensible parties in the proceeding. These origina-
tors of the invasion of Cuba seem to have determined with
coolness and system upon an undertaking which should
disgrace their country, violate its laws, and put to hazard
the lives of ill-informed and deluded men. You will con-
sider whether further legislation be necessary to prevent
the perpetration of such offences in future.
No individuals have a right to hazard the peace of the
country or to violate its laws upon vague notions of altering
or reforming governments in other States. This principle is
not only reasonable in itsel-, and in accordance with public
law, but is engrafted into the codes of other nations as well
as our own. But while such are the sentiments of this Go-
vernment, it may be added that every independent nation
must be presumed to be able to defend its possessions against
uuauthorised individuals banded together to attack them.
The Governmeut of the United States, at all times since its
establishment, has abstained and has sought to restrain the
citizens of the country, from entering into controversies
between other Powers, and to observe all the duties of
neutrality. At an early period of the Government. in the
administration of Washington, several lave were passed
for this purpose. The main provisions of these lae s
were re-enacted by the Act of April, iB, 8. by which, among
?.the territory
things, it was declared that if any person shall, within
t.
Oenrritory or jurisdiction of the United States, begin, or
setn toot, or provide, or prepare the means of any military
expedition or enterprise to be carried on from thence against
the territory or dominion ofany foreign prince or state, or of
any colony, ee
people with whom the United States
are at peace, every person so offendii hall be deemed
guilty of a high misdemeanour, and shallg be fined, not ex-
ceeding three thousand dollars ar.d imprisoned ot more
than three years; and this has been executed and en-
t 'reed, to the full extent of thew power of the Government
from that day to this.
In proclaiming and adhering to the doctrine
of neutrality
v-it non-intervention, the United States .
have not followed
others. taken, the lead
the lead of other civilized nations; te„aYt
!heeieelves and have been folio
wed by o rhis was ad-
ed by one of the most eminent of modern British states-
uen. who said in Parliament, e a Minister of the Crown,
that if he wished for a guide in a system of neutrality, he
should take that laid d mn by America in the days of Wash_
ington and the Secretaryship of Jefferson,and we see in
fact, that the Act of Congress of 1818 was followed the suc-
centing year by an Act of the Parliament of England, substa • nd.
fiery the same in its general provisions. Up to that time
there had been no similar law in England, except certain.
II
highly penal statutes passed in the reign of George
s e'r vpircoe-
hibiting English subjects from enlisting in foreign ,
the avowed sbject of which statutes wits, that foreign armies,
raised for the purpose of restorieg the house of Stuart to the
throng, should not be strengthened by recruits from England
, All must see that difficulties may arise in carrying the
iees referred to into execution in a conntry now having
three or four thousand miles of sea coast, with an infinite
number of ports and harbours and small iulets, from some of
which unlawful
expeditions
may suddenly set forth, without
the knowledge of Government, against the possession of
foreign states
Friendly relations • with all, but • 1' • entang u,g alliances with
none, has long been a m •
axim with us Our true mission is
not to propagate our opinions r i
coun-
tries our f rm of government t
bysmpose upon other
teach by example and show by our artifice or force, but to
jest ice, the blessings of self eovesuccess, moderation, and
of f. institutions. Let every peoplereet and the advantages
make and alter i s political institutions c
s to its own cendi-
hoose for itself, and
ti,:n and convenience ; but while we vow
maintain
and this
neutral policy ourselves, we are anxious to see
the
for-
bearance on the part of other nations whose an
formsie o
government are different from our own. The deep interest
which we feel in the spread of liberal principles and the es-
taelishment of free Governments, and the sympathy with
which we witness every struggle againet opps„men
, forbid
that we should be inditferent to a case in which the strong
erne of a foreign power sinvoked to stifle public senti-
ment and repress the spirit of freedom in any country.
The Governments of Great Britain and France have issued
orders to their naval commanders on the West India sta-
tion to prevent by force, if necessary,. the landing of ad-
venturers from any nation on the island of Cuba with
hostile intent. The copy of a memorandum of a conver-
sation on this subject between the Chargé d'Affaires of
her Britannic Majesty and the acting Secretary of State,