Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-13

submit reply your letters Of the 18th ultimo and
instant such particulars in respect to the outrages which
were committed upon the Spanish Consul and other
Spanish residents of this city, the 21s August last
4 have been able to ascertain III
In order to obtain the most full and authentic infoma-
ton regard the origin and extent of the riots which
took place that day, well as the measured wtch
adopted by the public authorities for their supplies
son addressed letter to the Hon. A. d. CrossnAn,
Mayor of the city, and enclose herewith his reply ind
also copies furnished by him Of the several orders
from his office during the existence of the excitement And
of his message the Council of the Second Municipality
under date OF the 10Th ultimo. ## A
These documents furnish general history of whit
Cured but your inquiries in relation to the Spanish Con-
sui call for particular statement and compel
refer to circumstances which preceded and perha may
serve to explain the attack upon his office.
Mr. Brncio, the Secretary of the Spanish Consq,
arrived the Empire City from Havana the 2Ft Au-
gust had in his charge the letters from the prsones
cued in Havana their friends this country 4c had
been directed by the Captain General of Cuba, aa
informed deliver the letters addressed to parties this
city personally if practicable and to deposite the thers
in the post Office 1t made known that tie let
in his possession, and manyof the parties to
whom letters directed called at the Consus oe and
received them but report got into circulation in ourse
of the morning that the letters improperly detained
the Consups office, instead of being deposited usual
in the post Office and that the Consul had refused
deliver them. Perhaps the rumor grew out OF nscon-
sruction of the conduct of the Secretary, who hid
cned deliver the letters to any other than the PARTIES
to whom they addressed when the parties themtees
known to be in the city, 1t is proper to stat that
he informed of the misunderstanding and libel
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 th(
ceip from which appears that the letters put into
the post Office at 81 o'clock p NJ, but meanwhile the
of the matter which had been crcua
ted had served TO excite luminosity againH the
4 Consul. e
Office of La Union, which contained abstract IF the
news from Havana, preceded by few editorial remarks
1t happened that passing the ONCE OF La Union
few minutes before three o'clock p NJ, and bought at
the office copy of the extra which is herewith transmit
ted. At that time the press at work All quiet
in the neghborhood and appreheasions seemed to be
entertained Of disturbance appears however, that
pacards had been pasted up during the morning Of the
2st, threatening attack the office Of that journal
the ensuing night Perhaps the Publication of the extra
precpitated the attack but be this as it may between
and o'clock p NJ and before che public authorities
pected prepared resist it, the attack made
and all the presses and other furniture Of the Office
petey destroyed No violence personal offence of any
kind far lear offered to any of the people
employed about the establishment, and as soon the
destruction of the Office had been accomplished the par
ties engaged in it dispersed None of the police appear
to have been present ind arrests made; but it
is believed that few fany of the engaged in that
business took part in the disturbances that afterwards
occurred great and general excitement, however was
created by it throughout the city. Shortly afterwards
difficulty occurred in cigar shop the corner OF st
Charles and GravieI streets.
am inclined to believe that the affair rather acct
dental than preconeerted and that it in great
induced by the folly of Gonzales himself the propre
tor or attendant of the shop He said have been
very loyal subject of the Queen of Span and in the habit
of speaking very freely and in strong language in relation
to Cuban affairs His shop however, was the resort Of
many OF that class of quite numerous In this city
about that time, and known " Fillbusters." They
would call for Fillibuster cigars" and Gonzales permit
ted himself to be rated by it, He had been cautioned
in friendly way against his Incorporate language and
conduct such occasions and advised not involve him
self in unnecessary quarrel Quite angry scene,
however, took place in his shop the morning of the
2ls and in the evening of that day. between four and five
o'clock, nm attack made upon his establishment ;
but whether it induced by the quarrel of the morning
by difficulty have not been able to learn The
police promptly interfered and succeeded without much
trouble in expeng the assaants and in closing the doors
of the shop, leaving Gonzales within. But the crowd
which, in the feverish state of the public mind, had quick
y collected in considerable numbers still fingered around
the and several citizens addressed them urging
them respect the laws and preserve the peace The
excitement appeared subsde and the people had al
ready begun dispense when Gonzales removed the bars
of Of the DOORS which had been fastened the in
sde and out upon the sidewalk in his shirt sleeves
with knife in his hand and threatened to kill any
who should attack him or his property. He was mne-
diaey assaulted with stones and brckbats when he ruth
ed into the crowd and began to cut right and left till
forced his way through and fed towards the
of the Second Municipality He pursued by the mob
but fortunately policemen out from the guard
house and rescued him from his pursuers The attack
upon his shop then recommended and all its contents
broken pieces and thrown into the street In the
OF the confusion ana excitement thus renewed
raised for attack the office of the Spanish Consul
and the mob forthwith started off in that direction.
The Consus Office is Bourbon street, the
of ST. Louis street, in the First Municipality Ho
Joseph Genois the Recorder of the First Municipality
forms that it between and o'clock p. nj. tht
he learned that mob from the Second Municipality
threatening the Consuls Office and that he Immediately
repaired to the spot accompanied by the captain of tie
watch and one or two policemen He states that his
arrival he found the streets filed with people, the DOCS
of the Office broken OPEN and eight persons
inside in the act of breaking the furniture that he
his way into the Office, and commanded the rioters to DE-
sst from further violence; and that with difficulty
he at length succeeded in inducing them to Withdraw
without having done any serious injury They possessed
themselves however, of the Consu's g sign with which
they Off shouting and exulting to the Lafayetts
square, in the Second Municipality where public meet
had been called for that evening and had already be
gun to assemble and there the sign publicly burnt
No made Of any of the who had beer
found in the Office After the mob had withdrawn the
doors closed and nailed up. No guard placed
the Office but the police retired called off te
other Of disorder without any apprehension appa
renty, that the attack would be renewed. Within
hour afterwards the rioters returned forced their
again into the Office, without any interruption hin
drance destroyed all the furniture Of the Office threw the
archives of the Consulate into the street. deaced the
traits of Queen of Spain and the Captain
of Cuba and tore the flag Of Spain (Which they found in
the of6ce) into pieces All these outrages commit
ted upon the Office of the Consul without any interference
the part of the police none of whom appear to have
been presently and without the apprehension, yet Of
of the offenders Other disturbances took place dur
ing the night and arrests of the rioters
made but far can learn of the persons
ken or identified The value Of the property destroyed al
the Office cannot great chief