The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-08-14

INTERESTING FROM HAyAsA.-~.fTtpal Or Hs u. D.
Eigats Potomac The United States Frigae Polo
mac, Thomas nj. Newell, Esq, Captain, bearng the
broad pennant of Commodore David Conner, com
handing the home squadron, arrived IN the Delaware
river the 9Th instant after active cruise OF So
ven or eight months, among The West India Islands,
aud ia the Caribbean sea and Gulf of Mexico. The
following interesting particulars easve to the insur-
lecton in Havana, and the conduct of the Captain
General were furnished to the Philadelphia Ledger
by who was On board
On our last departure from Pensacola this ship the
Vincennes, and the Somers, sailed in squadron thence
% Havana. And we left the latter port on The 9Th
ultimo the Somers accompanying us To sea- bound 10
Key West and Nassau in New Providence, thence
to northern porl-the Vincennes to follow us next
day.
All things were in quiescent and apparently ret
lied state in Havana and throughout the Island so
far We could learn, at the date of our departure
Such al least was the external aspect of affairs
ciai, industrial, commercial and political. BY the
vigiapt forecast Of the present Captain General Leo
podo O'DonDe, the energy displayed in his admins
raton OF the Government Of the Island the vgor of
his remedial measures and the rromptness OF his In
hctions upon the guilty, the alarming revolt
among the blacks has been suppressed. So extern
sively had the plot been concurred in, and tho
roughly and systematically had the details of
The revolt been arranged, that the crisis
was most fearful one, and nothing but
resort 10 the most energetic and summary measures
by the Captain General could have stayed hundred
thousand upfted hands, all clenchng instruments of
destruction, and all nerved by the demonac fury
characteristic of the Ethiopian race ready at the
next moment TO deal death and desolation over the
whole island, deluging the fields, aud smea,ing the
family affairs with the iiebood Of thousands OF I'M
offending victims
In a conjuncture so critical, every consideration of
policy and humanity dictated the Captain General
the Of the strongest measures, and the most sum
mary punshmens, TO save Cuba from the fate OF i'll
starred San Domingo. Since then O'Donnell's mea-
and merits have averted from this perhaps the
most fruitful and important of all the Islands, aside
from those constituting the Kingdom Of Great Bri-
taIn,) worse than barbarian destiny, it is much to
be regretted that better appreciation Of his real
character, public and private, does not prevail in the
United States. Those of our countrymen who cha
racterlze him saDguinary despot and accuse him
with chershng illlberal sentiments with regard to
our country and people, do great injustice TO the man.
They have either an entirely erroneous conception
OF the peculiar structure Of society in Cuba, which,
on an emergency like that to which the Island has
Just been subjected, requires extraordinary rgo-
rous administration of The laws, or they prompt
ed by less excu.abe motives to mlsrepresent and
aspeise his character.
General O'Donnell possesses great decision and
hrmness OF purpose military qualities consplcu-
ously displayed by him during the late revolt and
pality, amenlty of manners, and nice sense of
gId justice. And it is peculiarly incumbent on
Americans to deal kindly by him, for he has repeat
eddy evinced liberal feeling towards, and marked
partlalily for our country and counrymen, as Com
modore Conner General Campbell, Consul at Ha-
vana, and other public functonaries, readily tes
tfy.
In the of the shooting of the American sailor,
Murphy, by sentry, the Corporal who gave the or
der 10 hre was undoubtedly more severely punished
than soldier would have been in the United States
for a similar act. The sailor had twice knocked The
sentry down, before the latter fired. Now by the
laws and usages of all nations, included,
try on post is never permitted to be tempered with,
much less assaulted and beaten, without the right IN
stantly TO shoot doss the assaant.
And from inquiry in relation to the arrest of GER
tain Americans DUNG the revolt it appears that the
judicial tribunals at the suggestion OF the Captain
| General, extended towards them degree Of enien-
cy hitherto unknown in the island under like clrcum-
stances the Cap ain General entertaining the belief
that they had been seduced into the acts with which
they we're charged, by the English emissares who
were suspected of having instgated the revolt and
since the Immnency of the danger has passed, nearly
or quite all the Americans have been released.