North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-09-06
TGUBANzAsFFAIRs.


sfe'cs and Explanations of the ~: GrleG,as Papers
Dlnerent parties will interpret of the letter
from murdered capiives in the Cuban expedition ac
Sorelng to their different sympathies and views. TIL
uslre should be to put true Discriminating estimate
upon mem, SO that justice may be done all sides
~ VIII have been observed that those of the victims
VINO Were most capable to judge. in military sense
las Crttenden and KERR make complaints agains
any one, and seem to have regarded their fate simply
as the fortune of warwhile one or two of less
rience Intimate that they deceived as Creole
assistance, and speak harshly of Lopez for supposed
abandonment. The New Orleans Crescent, remark
Ing upen these letters, CONSTITUTES and explains them
In the following rational way:
- we do not think that they charge wilful deser-
uon or treachery upon Lopez but we do think they
charge upon him want of plan and foresight, and
announce, further, that reliance upon the assistance
OF the Cuban Creoles is at best feeble hope We
confess we suspect there is point and force in
| these implied statements.
Had there been any actual treachery-any wiIful
deserhon on the part of LopeZ-the fiery Kerr and
he chlvalrc Crttenden would not have failed have
written to that effect in terms of manly and indignant
remuneration. 1t is nonsense to suppose tn Lopez
DehaVed treacherously or in bad faith. man has
only to look at his position this. The fate of
Lopez is In the contest and now the soil of Cuba
must bear him conqueror, cover him corpse.
ne he has no alternative between death and victory.
lie is cut off from escape from Cuba. He is, with
price upon his head, surrounded by all that Spain
has of power in Cuba. In such position he needs
men, and every soldier is invaluable to him. Bad
sanity.
Blu: the letter of Adjutant Sanford gives key to
the whole matter. Crittenden and his party were
assigned the duty OF bringing up portion of the bag
gage, necessary, peous, and honorable duty. Dis
charging this duty, encountered with the baggage,
Spanish force interviewed between them and the main
body of Lopez, and communication was temporarily
broken off. Before it could be resumed as will be
seen from Havana letters which we publish to-day,
Lopez had some hard fighting. and could not com
muncate with Critenden. When he did communi-
II
sh force again ntervened and the unfortunate result
was Adutant Sanford has sketched it.
That Lopez should peril whole force TO go to a
detachment impossible and contrary all rules
of reason and of war. And yet on this it appears to
US, must any complaint solely rest. Kerr makes
Crttenden, far many of his friends in this
city know, (and they have letter from him,) makes
Treachery bad faith cannot therefore, from
present lights reasonably be imputed to Lopez. !
In reference to another matter, aid from the Gu
ban Creoles. 1t has been long known that they have
arms, and certainly till they have these and
spectacle American to.ce in the field to encourage
them. general outbreak their part is be
pected. If Americans go to Cuba, they must, for
the present, rely upon their own to sustain them
We think it proper to say this, in all fairness. A
truly brave man looks all contingencies in the face,
and, fairly considered and wisely provided for, he
them without terror and without surprise. AS
Journalists, aim to state facts with clearness and
candor. We wish to Cuba free, and we deem it
a matter of plain common sense that this result will
be sooner reached by calm provision than head-long
daring-by wise preparation and sober calculation,
than by needless forays and ill-ordered expeditions.
This view, we have every reason believe. pre-
walls among the emierants who will soon land in Gu
ba, and in calmer and more thoroughly digested
views dare prophecy more solid aud successful
results.''
In confirmation of one point in the above the Ha-
vana correspondent of the Crescent, writing the
18th uno, any account had been received of the
Lopez battles and the captures speaks thus prophet
caly, his clear sagacy being but too fully pro-
ven by the subsequent sad catastrophe:
'The landing selected has not been udicious for
small force. 1t is not where the has been main
tanned. Il is among an unarmed people, and the re-
suit must be disastrous, although it may have the voice
of the whole community to sustain iI.''
The Picayune. in referring to the letters of Kerr
Brandt and James, says:
"These young men were all we'll known here, and
had numerous friends, to whom these touching me-
MORALS of the constancy with which they met their
hard fate nexpressbly dear. Who read those
simple and feeling lines, written in the last hour Of
mortal peril in the very face of DEATH and not feel
that these generous died in the full faith that they
were engaged in an honorable cause, and died
tyrs."