The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-09-02

|
found that they contain reference whatever to any in
sructions from the Department OF State to Gen Campbell
our consul at Havana We conclude therefore, that they
not all the official correspondence which has been had
touching the abduction of Rey The Crescent uses hi,
portion Of the correspondence to prove that Rey was moi
forcbly abducted; and that he to Havana volun,a
ry We think, however, that the evidence furnished by
these official papers cannot be made support the view
taken by The Crescent On the contrary they contain pree
nant evidence that the Spanish consul at New Orleans
aided and abetted by others, did violate the sanety of
SOIL and that the Captain General Of Cuba was mar
neeps erimnis and endeavored to screen him and his
nation from the consequences Of his II we are cor
recty informed of the condition Of things in Cuba-,he
unlimited authority of the Captain General of that island
and the unmtgaed cruelty and tyranny with which he
exercises his powers, we can well understand how
weak and imid man, carried by violence to Havana.
where he had committed criminal offence, should be
alarmed for his personal safety in the presence Of Span
sh officer. II Rey left New Orleans voluntarily we can.
not conceive why he should have claimed the protection
OF the American consul a all, or why the Captain Gene
raj refused to permit consul have private inter-
view with him. The verbal statement which Rev
made to Gen Campbell on board the Andrew Ring, in
the presence Of the officer of the port and the letter which
he wrote to that gentleman, dated on board the Terrible
are directly Inconsistent, and Of them must be false
II the verbal statement be true then the letter is mys
terry, and we can see no reason which could have in.
duced It, or why the Captain General acted as he did
But on the supposton that that letter states the truth the
falsehood of the verbal statement and the reasons for
that falsehood, are plain and apparent
The evidence adduced in the investigation at New o.
leans made the duty Of government to demand that
Rey should be surrendered and sent there If for no other
purpose than to give his testimony. This duty was i'm
perative; and the demand was made and acceded To
Yet the organs OF the administration could not permit the
discharge of such plain and simple duty to pass with
out provoking rdicue upon government by extraya
CANT audatons Of the administration; as il the Discharge
OF an imperative duty by the President and the Secretary
OF State, which could hardly have occupied them NOR,
than thirty minutes, was act OF kindness and condo
scenson for which the people cannot be sufficiently CRAZE
full! II is doubtful, indeed, whether our consul at the
Havana has not acted upon his own impulses II is Ger
tain that he acted at first upon information received
from New Orleans and not upon instructions from Wash.
ngon. Nosuch instructions are mentioned in the course
of the correspondence which we publish this morning
As soon he heard of Reys arrival at the Havana he
sought an interview with him and if Rey had not de-
ceived him in the first instance, and ued his vigilance
the consul would probably have demanded his immediate
restitution. AS soon as he was undeceived by Rey,s
subsequent letters, Gen. Campbell would in all proba
bility, have made the demand solely upon his own
authority We conceive, therefore, that it is worse
than ide-it is ungracious to consu-to claim all
the merit OF the transaction for the administration at
Washington. The National Iateigeneer holds the fol.
lowing language
"The course pursued by the President In vindicains
promptly the honor OF the country in this whe
he was also engaged in maintaining faith of treaties by
suPpIessng the Illegal expedition against Cnba In
striking illustration Of the administration govern
mrnt on uue wing principe1 We pRFY ANT MAN TO rao-
DUcE AN EXAMPLE FROM OUR MoKK SUCCESSFUL
EFroRr TO MAINTAIN THE NATION THAN is tx.
HIBIrED IN THE DIPLOMACY ADMINISTRATION IN rHg
OF GARcn."
Our object in epublshing these remarks s not to ex.
pose the ridiculous defiance Of the last but to call aen.
ton TO the statement of the first sentence in connexion
with the two following statements made the same day in
reference to the subject by the other organ OF the
administration, the Republic:
Thus promptly has American honor been vindoaed by
the President
"a great principle has thus by the prompt
and decided action Of the President harmonzes with
his policy Of neutrality and peace"
Ii the two organs do not speak at random, they assert
that the demand for the surrender OF Juan Garcia or Rey
having been complied with by the Captain General Of
Cuba, the honor Of the country has been vndcaed by
the President. But, without finding fault with the con-
duct OF the President thus arfor there was but one
course for him to pursue-we must protest against the
official assertion that the honor OF the nation has as yet
been vndicaied. We are but at the commencement Of
this business and IL the two organs speak BY authority
and the similarity Of their language indicates that they
do-hey assert, in effect, that the administration has
finished with this matter. II so, our national honor Is
not vndcaed and will not be vndicated, by the Pres
dent or his cabinet The Republic admits that the Pres
dent was convinced that Garcia Tor Reyl had been
violently abducted from our soil" The President il true
to the national honor must therefore, 20 further than
he has yet gone before be said with any semblanee
Of truth. that the honor OF the country has bean vndca
ted. The authors Of the violence done on our coll and
OF the insult offered 10 our flag were not private nd-
vduas, but the officers and emssaries Of the Spanish
government When these offences are brought home to
those officers and emissares, the Spanish governwent
must be called upon. not only dsavow their acts but
to make ample and sufficient aonement for them by pun
shng her consul at New Orleans, (unless our govern
nent may choose to punish him. and by revoking The
Of the Captain General Of Caba When his
Is done, then the organs Of the administration may cay
hat the national honor has been indicated We trust
therefore, that the National Inteigener and the Rspubn
did not speak by authority when they used the language
which we have quoted for that language indicates most
that the intends 10 take no further