The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-12-03
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Feiiow ctiscnS Of The Senate
,,,i of H., II.... . D,...,.

plces under which you meet for your
first session. Our country is at peace
with all the world. The agitation
which, for a time, threatened to dis
turb the fratcrnal relations which make
us one people, is fast subsiding ; and a
year Of general prosperity and health
has crowned the nation with unusual
blessings. None can look back to the
dangers which are PASSED, or forward
to the bril- ht prospect before us, with
out feeling thrill of qualification, at
the same time that he must be i'm
pressed with a grateful sense Of our
profound obligations to benefccnt
Providence, whose patcnal care is SO
manifest in the happiness of this high
ly-favored land.
Since the close of the last Congress,
certain Cubans and other foreigners
resident in the United States, who
were more or less concerned in the
previous invasion of Cuba, instead of
being discouraged by its failure, have
again abused the hosl itality of this
country, by making it the scene Of the
equipment of another military cxpcdi-
ton against that possession of her Cath
Ole majesty, in which they were coun-
tenanced, aided and joined by citizens
of the United States. On receiving
intelligence that such designs were en-
tcrtaincd, | lost no time in issuing such
instructions to the proper officers of
the Uni cd States as seemed to be
called for by the occasion. BY the
proclamation, a copy of which is here
with submitted, | also warned those
who might be i'll danger Of being in
weighed into this scheme of its unlaw-
full character, and of the penalties
which they would incur. For some
time there was reason to hope that these
measures had suliiced to prevent any
such attempt. This hope, however,
proved to he delusiyc. Very carly in
the morning of the third of August, a
steamer called the Pampero departed
from New Orleans for Cuba, having On
board upwards of four hundred armed
men, with evident intentions to make
war upon the authorities of the island.
This expedition was set on foot in pal
pable violation of the laws of the T.
nited States. Its leader was a Span
lard, and several Of the chief officers,
and some others engaged it, were for
eigners. The persons composing it,
however, were mostly citizens of the
United States.
Before the expedition set out, and
probably before it was organized, q
slight insurcctionary movement, which
appears to have been soon suppressed,
had taken place in the eastern quarter
Of Cuba. The Importance of this
movement was unfortunately so much
exaggerated in the accounts of it pub
lished in this country, that these adj
venturers seem to have been led to be-
licve that the Creole population of the
island not only desired to throw off the
authority of the mother country, but
had resolved upon that step, and had
begun well-concertcd enterprise fol-
effecting it. The persons engaged in
the expedition were generally young
and ill-informed. The steamer in
which they embarked left New Or
leans stealthily and without a clear
ance. After touching at Key West,
she proceeded to the coast Of Cuba,
and, on the night between the 18th
and 18th of August, landed the per-
sons on board at Playtas, within about
twenty leagues of Havana.
The main body of them proceeded
to, and took possession Of, an inland
village, six leagues distant, leaving 9TH
ers to follow in charge of the baggage,
as soon as the means of transportation
could be obtained. The latter, hay
ing taken up their line of march to
connect themselves with the main
body, and having proceeded about four
leagues into the country, were attack
ed on the morning of the 18th by a
body of Spanish troops, and a bloody
conflict ensued after which they re-
treated to the place of Decentralization,
where about fifty of them obtained
boats and rc-embarled therein. They
were, however, intercepted among the
keys near the shore by Spanish
steamer cruising on the coast, CAP
tured and carried to Havana, and, ai-
ter being examined before a military
court, were sentenced to be publicly
executed, and the sentence was car
ried into effect on the 10th of August.
On receiving information of what
had occurred, Commodore Foxhall A.
Parker was instructed to proceed in
the stcam-frigate Saranac to Havana,
and inquire into the charges against
the persons executed, the circum-
stances under which they were taken,
and whatsoever referred to their trial
and sentence. Copies of the instruc-
tons from the Department Of State to
him, and of lis letters to that DEPART
ment, are herewith submitted.
According to the record of the ex-
animation, the prisoners all admitted
the offences charged against them, Of
being hostile invaders of the island.
At the time of their trial and exccu-
ton the main body of tho invaders was
still in the field, making war upon the