The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-08

Of without distinction, by her Britannia majesty 3
Consul and the Consul Of the French republic, re.
siding la this city.
New oRLsANs, August %. 1851.
(Signed) JUAN IGNACIo LABoRDE.
Actimg District AltOrney of the United States at
Neto O'leGns TO Acting Secretary Of STATE
New oRLEANs, September 20, 1851.
SIR: After delay which have found unayoid-
! able, but for which beg 10 express my regrets,
proceed to submit in reply TO your ietter5 of the
18th ultimo and LIST instant, such particulars in
spect to the outrages which were committed upon
the Spanish Consul and other Spanish residents of
this city, on the 2lst August last, j have been
able to ascertain
In order obtain the most full and authentic ia
formation in regard to the origin and extent OF the
riots which took place on that day, as well as the
measures which were adopted by the public lu-
thorities for their suppression, addressed letter
TO the Hon. A. ID. Crossnan, Mayor OF the city,
and enclose herewith his reply, and also copies
furnished by him OF the several orders issued from
his office during the existence Of the excitement,
and OF his message TO the council of the Second
| Municipality under date Of the 20 h uumo
These documents furnish = geleral history of
what occurred; but your inquiries in relation 10 the
Spanish Consul call for more particular state
ment, and compel me to refer 10 circumstances
which preceded, and perhaps may serve to explain
the attack upon his office.
| Mr.. Brrcio, tho secretary of the Spanish Con-
| sui, who arrived on the Empire City from Havana
on the 2lst August, had i'll his charge the letters
from the prisoners executed in Havana to their
friends in this country. lie had been directed by
the Captain General of Cuba. as am informed, TO
deliver the letters addressed to parties this city
personally il practicable, and to deposit the Others
in the post office. IL was soon made known that
the letters were In his possession and many of the
parties to whom letters were directed called at the
Consuls office and received them; but report got
into circulation in course of the morning that the
letters were improperly detained at the Consui's
office, instead of being deposited, usual, in the
post office, and even that the Consul had refused
to deliver them. Perhaps the rumor grew out OF q
| mlsCOn5tTuCtlOn oil the conduct OF tile secretary
who had declined to deliver the etters to any other
than the parties TO whom they were Addressed
when the parties themselves known TO be in the
city. 1t Is proper TO state, that he informed
OF the Misunderstanding and i-feellng which
had been occasioned, he Immediately deposited all
the letters remaining in his hands in the post Office
and took receipt for them. | enclose copy Of
the receipt, from which it appears that the letters
were put into the post office at 81 O'Clock p m;
but meanwhile the misrepresentation of the mat
ter which had been circulated had served TO excite
some animo5ity against the Consul.
About p O'Clock p. IN. an extra was Issued from
the office Of La Union, which contained an abstract
of the news from Havana, preceded by few edito
rial remarks 1t SO happened that was passing
the office OF La Union a few minutes before three
O'Clock p. m. and bought at the office copy of the
extra, which is herewith transmitted. At that
time the press was at work All was quiet in the
neighborhood, and no apprehensions seemed to be
entertained of any disturbance. II appears, how
ever, that placards had been posted up during the
morning of the 2lst, threatening attack on the
office of that journal the ensuing night Perhaps
the publication of the extra preciptated the attack
but, be this as it may, between and 4 O'Clock p.
m, and before the public authorities expected or
were prepared to resist it. the attack Was made,
and all the presses and other furniture Of the Office
completely destroyed, No violence personal Of
fence of any kind SO far as can learn, offered
to any of the people employed about the establish
ment, and soon the destruction of the Office
had been accomplished, the parties engaged in 1t
diepersed None of the police appear to have been
present, and nc arrests were made; but it is be-
hat N nf Inc ana oaf, in
that business took part in the disturbances that af
forwards occurred. great and general excite
ment, however, was created by it throughout the
city. Shortly afterwards difficulty occurred in a
cigar shop OH the corner ofSt Charles and Graycr
streets.
] am inclined to believe that the affair was rather
accidental than prcconcered, and that II was, in
great measure, induced by the folly Of Gonzales
himself, the proprietor or attendant of the shop
He is said to have been very loyal subject of the
Queen of Spain, and in the habit of speaking very
freely and in strong languagein relation to Cuban
affairs His shop, however, was the resort Of many
II that class OF men, quite numerous IN this city
about that time, and known as "FilbusIers J"
They would call for "Fillibuster cigars," and Con
zales permitted himself to be irritated by it. lie
had been cautioned in friendly way against his
incorporate language and conduct on such occa
sions, and advised not to involve himself IN an un-
necessary quarrel. Quite angry scene, hog
ever, took place in his shop on the morning of the
2lst and in the evening of that day, between four
and five O'Clock, an attack was made upon his es
faDll5Dunent; but whether III was INDUCED by the
quarrel OF the morning or by some new ditlculty
have not been able to learn The police promptly in
terfered and succeeded without much trouble in
peling the assailants, and in closing the doors of
the shop, leaving Gonzales within. But the crowd
which, in the feyerish state OF the public mind
had quickly COLI cted in considerable numbers, stii
fingered around the corner, and several citizens
addressed them, urging them to respect the laws
and preserve the peace. The excitement ppearcd
( to subside, and the people had already begun to
dispersc, when Gonzales removed the bars of oEe
Of the doors which had been fastened the inside
and came out upon the sidewalk in his shirt Sleeves
With knife in his hand, and threatened to kill
any one who should attack h,a or his property
He was Immediately assailcd With stones and
hrichbats, when he rushed into the crowd, and be-
gan to cut right and left, till he forced his way
through and fled towards the guard house of the
Second Municipality He was pursued by the
mob but fortunately some policemen came out
from the guard house and rcscued him from his
= pursuers. The attack upon his shop then recon
Inenced, aqd ali its contents broken to pieces
and lhrowp into the street. In the midst Of the
confusion and excitement thus rencWed cfY waS
: raised for attack on the office Of the Spanish
Consul and the mob forthwith started off In that
direction
The Consuls office is on Bourbon street, near
the corner of St. Louie atre.t in the First Munich
palty. Hon. Joseph Genos, the Recorder of the
First Municipality, informs me thai il yas bp
tween five and six O'Clock p. m. that he learned
that mob from the Second Municipality
threatening the Coneul's office, and that he imme-
: diately repaired to the spJl, accompanied by the
captain OF the watch and one or two policemen
He states that on his arri. al he found the streets
filed with people, the doors Of the office broken
: open, and some seven or eight persons inside in
the act of breaking the furniture; that nc made
his way into the Office, and commanded the rioters
to dcsist from further violence and that, with
difficulty, he at length succeeded in inducing
them to withdraw, without having done any seri.
Gus injury. They possessed Themselves, however
OF the ConsuPs sign" with which they ran Off
shouting and exulting, to the Lafayette square, in
the Second Municipality, where a public ineetng
had been called for that evening, and had already
begun 10 assemble, and there the sign was pub.
, licly burnt.
No arrest was made Of any of the persons who
had been found in the office. After the mob had
} withdrawn the doors closed and nailed up
No guard was placed over the office, but the police
retired, or were called off to other scenes Of dis
order, without any apprehension, apparently, that
the attack would be renewed. Within an hour az
forwards the rioters returned, forced their way
again into the office, without any interruption or
hindrance, destroyed all the furniture of the office,
threw the archives Of the consulate into the street.
dcfaced the portraits Of the Queen Of Spain and Of
the Captain General of Cuba, and tore the flag Of
Spain (Which they found in the ofice) Into