Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-10-26
II. NJ. BRACkENRIDGE.
To The Editors of he E2oliidinn.

Having promised to give in the last num-
Der, statement of facts relative TO the arrest
and imprisonment of our worthy and respect
ed chief, col. Don Jose Caava, in order to
correct few msstdtements in report in
serted IN the Louisiana Advertiser, of o3th of
Aug. under the signature of III. b. We have
been since informed that it is your intention to
insert tho protest at length OF the colonel "a
>sanst the proceedings, and shall therefore on
Iy take notice of few misstatements of the
said writer, as they particularly affect ourselves,
and IN vindcation of our honor as we'll as that
oi orr chief, which we think has been rather
sbghiingly attacked.
The writer tells us that he is going to relate
an affair which will probably make some noise,
aud more probably he misrepresented he
then goes on" although am not exactly ac-
quaInted with all the facts, think cap give
as faithful an account of them as any other
person, at this moment" lie is not mistaken
III his first remark ; but the public will doubt
ot his having represented the facts truly, since
he conesses that he is not exactly acquainted
with them.
Further onwaids, II. B. says that message
having been sent To Callava, demanding the
papers, Inc promised TO search for them, and
send them, ii found. Here the writer furgets
10 add, on the express condition that they
Should be asked of him III writing, and as
Spanish connmissary, and ex-governor of this
province. IL Is true, hc says, that after two
hours had elapsed, the demand was reiterated,
and then col. Caliava refused to deliver The
papers, unless they were asked for in the man
ner aGove stated. But this is very capital
mls-saemGnt, inaslnuch as it attributes To- our
chief, an unworthy disposition 10 gain time,
which was utterly foreign To his character.
We are next told, that the ex-g governor, Cal
lava, at nine O'Clock at night, was surround
ed by several Spanish officers in full uniform,
with their swords at their side. And we are
given TO understand, thai the officer command
in5 the guard which came to take col. Gala
va, prisoner, being alarmed at this sight, 9" or
deled his men TO prime and load their mus
kets that this operation changed Callava's
resolution, and that he, us well as his officers,
un6Irded their swords and quietly submitted"
hcre 1t Is necessary to remark the levi:y with
with which quasi anonymous writer casts :,
Stigma upon body of men of honor, and in
such mannerthatt the desultory reader,regard-
less OF consequences, skins it over, and gives
Ii proportional place amongst the mass OF
miscellaneous intelligence which a newspaper
necessarily contains. There was nothing ex-
raordinary IN our having our uniforms and
swords, since we had been invited to dine.
~ company with colonel Callaya that day. by
colonel Brooke, and etiquette required we
should appear in full dress. But the latter
part OF the sentence is entirely without foun-
datlon for neither did col. Callava submit 10
what was asked of him,no did we ungird our
swords, as can he attestcd by lieut. Mounts
VINO commanded the detachment. Weccrtaln-
~ MADE no opposition, and we acted as we
ought to have done, for it would have been a
PROOF OF raslIness and not ofcourage in hand
iul OF men, to resist an armed force-whicli.
III obedience to the orders il had received, for
chilly entered the house of Our respected com
= inander and chief. Col CalIava therefore
yielded, but declared that he himself, would on
no account, deliver the papers.
In speaking of col. CalIava's appearance be-
lore General jackson, III. b. ought 10 have sta
.ed, that none of the interrOgatnres and high
~ offensive accusations of the General were
3 Ialtilllilly interpreted to col. Caava, any
more than the replies of the latter to the for
ner 1t was therefore out of the power of our
chieI' not Knowing what was said 10 him, to
make the auditory understand how innocent
ne was OF the foul charges with which his un-
suhieu nonOr was endeayored to he stained
ouch In sum are the observations we had
90 make on the statement of n. b. and we
nope thai nc and the public will be convinced
..ia' we acted from no principle of pusiIlanimi-
'ndt u on the one hand, we shuddcrcd at
uie violent proceedings exercised against our
superioF-we knew also what was due TO n
government, which is on the most friendly foot
ing with our own
We are sc.
The SPANISH OFFICERS,
Resident in this place.