The republic., 1851-11-01

consideration Of the public good demands this
slf the Administration cannot stand upon the
principles of the message, it does not expect to
stand at all."-DANIEL WEBsTER's Letter 10 the
Union Meeting at Wesfehestsr.
When DEMocRATIc papers assail WING
Cabinet, with or without cause, it is obvious
that they are but laboring in their vocation
We submit, however, that WHIG journals
should have good grounds for complaint when
they seek TO impair popular confidence in an
administration of their own friends.
One ofour WING contemporaries of the city
of New York, in our judgment, has manifested
an unnecessarily captious spirit on subject
which has escaped the animadversions even OF
the DEMOCRATIC press. We refer to the case
of Mr.. JOHN S. THRAsHER, of Havana. Il
seems that this gentleman, who was recently
the editor of the Faro Industrial Of that city,
was arrested on the 10Th of October by the Gu
ban authorities, and that his papers were seized
by the government officials. We have two ac-
counts before us of the transaction; one from a
CORES pondent of the New York Journal o.
Commerce, and another from correspondent
of the New Orleans Crescent We annex
these statements:
F,om the Journal of Commerce.
HAVANA, Friday, Oct. II, 1851
Mr. John s. Thrasher, late editor of the Faro In
d,sirial, was placed under arrest yesterday morn
ing, and general examination of his papers had,
the canee for which has not transpired he had
been retained in custody, in bis own quarters, and
not been subject to any other Inconvenience than
the interruption to his labor-whch suppose If
devoted, at this moment, to the adjustment OF hf
afflirs-,ciliout the probability Of ertricaiing himseB
from the embarrassing consequences Of the sudden
suspension of his means Of bread-tohere iree accu
mualed the fruits of gears Of toll. He has not
yet been able to dispose of his press and establish
meut.
From the Crescent of October D.
Mr. John g. Thrasher, late editor of the Faro
industrial, and who has been very active in biz
efforts TO alleviate the condition of the Lopez
prisoners, was arrested at Havana by the Cubar
authorities on the morning of the 10th, after
the arrival Of the Georgia from New Orleans.
His papers were seized by the government Off
cials Our corresp ondent, whose letter we Will
publish to morrow, says that his treatment haf
been altogether gentle, and that be was not com
rntted to prieon For the first day be merely
detained in his Office and the next at the resi-
dence of the chief police officer of the district il
which he resides; he not however, allowed to
communicate with his friends The charges
against him do not appear, nor is it known BY
wnose fundamentally he was arrested, but 1t Ii
thought that of our city prees has in some way
directed the attention of the Captain General to-
ward him.
Our correspondent t, however, places great conf
dence in the justice of Concha, and thinks the
friends of Mr. Thrasher have no cause to fear ior
the result. We hope 80.
On this state of the case the New Yorl
Times of the 25th ultmo makes the follow
ing comments:
1--WE have been waiting for several weeks 4
hear of some movement on the part of our Gov
eminent for the protection OF Mr. THRAsHEI
against the tyrannica prosecutions Of the Spanish
authorities in Cuba. Is il possible that be is to b.
abandoned utterly to their tender mercies' W.
have seen no intimation in either of the Admin
istration papers that his has engaged the at
tention of the Government at all; but instead o
1T paragraph in the Intenigener, protesting Il
have found reasons more or less satisfactory, 70
the treatment he has experienced, in the ALLEGED
fact that he had sent a copy of the Cuban Decla
ration Of Independence TO a New Orleans newspa
per; and even this paltry allegation has beer
thoroughly disproved.
''But Mr. Thrasher ia an American citizen, pur
suing lawful business and unaccused of crime
Yet his property is seized and destroyed, he i
prevented from continuing his business, and thu
fruits Of life Of industrious toll swept away
simply on suspicion; and the authorities have nov
seized his papers in the hope of finding among
them something to justify their conduct! He i
punished fret and suspected afterward; but ha
never even yet been accused, And the American
Government has nothing to say in the matter.
b,, M ,rot4cfion n extend no inouiriee even I
make, in regard TO this malicious persecution
an American citizen. We that tn
Secretary Of State, TO whose Departmentthis mat
ter properly belongs, has been absent for som
weeks from Washington; but certainly such
matter as this should engage the prompt atter
ton of the Government in way, unlei
American citizenship has become too cheap an
worthless TO deserve prote ction."
The same journal of the 29th ultimo II
sumes the subject, and enlghtens the Admir-
istration with some very extemporaneous news
paper law in regard TO its business and duty
II is, perhaps, fortunate for the country that
is supplied IN such abundance with this readil
concocted jurisprudence of the public press
There is a convenience in having such a multi
tude of self-erected tribunals for pronouncin
er cathedra on the great and important topics
national and international law. No case arise
in which they are not prepared to inforl
the Administration with great dstnctness
the precise course which they ought to pursue
Thus they not only supply full and Pertet
knowledge Of the circumstances upon whic
the Government is TO act, but Of the law apPl
cable to them. To be sure, it is not law iroT