The Yazoo Democrat., 1851-12-17
PRESIDENTS. MESSAGE.

AAhN 1du4b Will every t14A5 OludhobAHS
from political adversary, but so far
as we know ourselves, we have cast
aside all party prejudice, and read un-
biased the message of the. President.
We would;scorn in trucking spirit Of
parry feeling to carp at anything eman-
ating from so distinguished source,
merely to feed party bitterness and
rancour, but when opinions and views
are set forth SO obnoxious andtglaring-
ly unjust as contained in Mr. Fillmore's
message it is the"duty of every one to
speak in cenSure The President to.
shield himself from the wrongs Of his
own administration, attempts to legal
iSe the attrociouS and savage execution
of Crittenden aAd his men at Havann
To do this he would degrade to the
level of pirates and plunderers, the
memory of the brave men whose devo-
tion to liberty has consigned them to
an ignominious grave. With what
justice, the unmeaSured abuse and cal
umny, is heaped upon the memory of
the murdered "fillibuiterS" the history
of that illStarted expedition will show.
Before the departure OF thai expedition
rom the Z. s., declaration of indie
pendence on theFpart of the Cubans
against Spain, was received and pub
aiShed in many papers of the country
This declaration was of itself sufficient
evidence that the island was in state
of Instructions that'a conflict of arms
had already commenced between the
niniOnS OF Spain and the native Gu
bans.s Reports too, came thai one or
two BATTLES had been fought, and that
all Cuba was ready to throw off the
Spanish yoke. An appeal was made to
the citizens Of the United States. Ma
ny inspired with an unSelfish love of
liberty, left their. homes to peril their
lives in the cause they supposed of
Freedom against tyranny. They had
as full and positive evidence as could
be given, that the spirit of lib
erty so long oppressed with thapow-
er OF tyranny had been enkindled on!
that misruled and tyrannized island 6,
that thousands would greet their COM
ing as the;harbinger Of Freedom that
would loose them from the grinding
heel Of Spanish despotisn. All know
how grossly they were deceived, and
the tragic termination Of that Inflated
expedition. Mr.. Webster is thus re-
portedyto have said on this subject in a
late negotiation for the settlement of
our dificultiesssWith Spain.
@That the United States may have
serious recIamations with Spain, ,Eunder
the-Sth article of the treaty of 1895
on account of the massacre of 80 AM
erican prisoners on the 10th of Au-
gust. The official and detailed reports
of these transactions, establish, that
the victims were not taken fGgrante
delicto, with arms in their hands, but in
open boats on3 the sea, without arms
and making for an American port.
They were not tried but only examin-
ed by a military commissioner, whose
sitting was attended by fiscal; the
prisoners all made the same answer.
They had come to Cuba as 3 part Of an
expedition, to assist the Cubans in secu-
ring their liberty and independence
under the assurance and full belief that
the island was in a state Of war. When
they discovered their error, they imme-
diately without any7delay, threw away
their arms and left the shores of Cuba
by the first means they could procure
BY their cwn statement theyH were
peaceable men, passing from Cuba to
the UnitedEStateS They We're exeeu-
ted without any trial in which The con-
trary was or could not be,shown.
If this act sof SpainFEwas right and
legal, why has Owen been stripped of
his Consular robes & disgraced by the
administration? Can Mr.. Fillmore
blast and damn the character of this
man for permitting Spain.to do, what
Fillmore says was heriduty What othth-
.er dereliction, but his daslardly conduct al