Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-10-16
Letter from cur Consul at Havana,

Mr. Owen has been bitterly denounced bv many
letter writers, and by portion Of the Press, for
his asserted indifference to the fate Of the sCn-
ban Lberators," and, as it is but fair that he
should have a hearing when his own reputation
is at stake, we insert the following letter, with
the single remark that, if il be shown that he has
in the slightest degree neglected his duly, he
| ought at once to be removed:
CONSULATE or THE UNITED SrATEs,1
HAVANA, Sept. 16, 1851.
| To the Editor ofthe Republic: ~. VI ss
| SIR: In your weekly issue Of the 2Sth ult, you
do me the justice to object to my condemnation
without hearing. and to say that am probably
able TO EXPLAIN to the satisfaction of nv country
men, my omission TO act relative to the execl,-
! hon OF the prisoners who were shot here on the
| 10th ult
| do not doubt that l shall satisfy every impair
hal mind that am undeserving censure. and that
had no opportunity of doing anything in behalf
/ OF the unfortunate men who met so sad fate
reside about four miles from this place, and,
not being wei! on the morning Of the IS h. did
not react, my office till some time after ten o.
clock, where, for the first tine, heard of the
capture OF about fifty of the men who had come
with Lopez TO this island in the steamer Pampe-
ro at the same time heard that the prisoners
had been tried, found guilty, condemned. ordered
10 be executed, the order for their execution sen:
! forward, and that thes We're about being removed
from the harbor, where ;hey were, to the place
of execution. u.s. #..# .4a# .
Shortly afterwards, the American residing
here, who, it is said, called on me, came and
mentioned the subject to me. when said to him
that il was too late, and that could do nothing
that | should not have time to get permission
and see the prisoners. OF this felt perfectly
satisfied at the time. and have since been con
Err,,o IN ~ h,,t ths,I :,
the Island, who informed me that the execution.
which had already been ordered before reached
the city, would not have been postponed for Inc
to have an interview with The prisoners. mas
much as all | could have asked TO be permitted
to do had already been done by gentleman known
to some of the prisoners, and for whom they had
sent. .'..-z '.-..sr e...
Soon after the American referred to left nv
office, received the Information that gentle
man known TO some of the prisoners had been
sent for by them, and to him they had delivered
the articles and messages they desired TO be con-
veyed TO their friends. 1t was but short time
afterwards that | sent to the palace of the Gov
ernor and Captain General, and heard that the
prisoners had then been executed
You will thas see that | haG no time to act. and
that il was not in my power 10 do anything for
the unfortunate men who had been induced TO IN
wade Cuba with the expectation that they would
find the whole Island in stale OF revolution. and
that they would be received with open arms by
the whole native population al least.
The charge of indifference 10 the dreadful con-
ditlon OF snch number of men. the bitterest en-
envy have OH earth will not believe; and al!
must believe it base falsehood and an uufounI-
e c;lumny. .-
IL IL were allowable on snch an occasion. I
would most so'emnly declare before God that in
my Judgment, al the time and under the circum-
stances, it was not in my power either to have an
interview with the prisoners, or to have done
anything on their behalf.
am, very respectfully, your obedent servant,
A. F. OWEN