Washington telegraph., 1851-10-15

20 leave Havana for this port in the pack.
ct ship Norma on Friday. My own re-
lease was granted as. a special favor to
Capt Charles Il. Platt, of the United
States ship Albany, OH hoard Of which |
was conveyed by an aid of the Captain
General, at IL clock, Oh Wednesday
night; tine ship proceeded to sea imme-
diately. His excellency sent a gov
ernment towboat and pilot to take her
out
Lopez was caught with bloodhounds,
in the mountains, Oh the morning of Fri
day the 9th inst. The dogs being some
distance IN advance of the men, bit him
badly in the left leg. There were seven
teen coumrymen in the party who cap
tnred him, each of whom was publicly
presented with $1,000 and a cross of hon-
or, Immediately after his execution.
Let us now view the cause and results
of this expedition. At the time | receiv-
ed my appointment from Mr.. Sigur, one
of the editors of the New Orleans Delta,
l was told by him that revolt was reg
ularIy or9nized among the Creoles
throughoutthe Island of Cuba; that they
had elected Gen. Lopez as their leader,
and their object was to free Cuba from
the tyranny of Spain, and either form a
republic of their own, or annex the Island
to the Uniteo States, He told me that Lo-
peg was about to leave New Orleans for
Cuba, with about five hundred Ameri.
cans; and that his landing was the signal
FOR a general rising, and that within ten
days after landing he would be at the
head Of an army of ten thousand men;
that there were also two whole regi
ments of Spanish troops to come over to
him with their equipments. The same
story was told to all. Was it so!
AS have already stated, our first sal
utation was a volley Of musketry, instead
of, as the Delta asserts, a large body of
friends, with horses. stores, ETC., for our
use Instead Of finding the Creoles our
friends, we found them our most bitter
enemies far more SO than .he troops
keeping the troops constantly informed
of our movements. and hanging on our
skirts putting to death, without mercy,
all those who struggled on the march,
Of the troops | cannot but speak in
praise, without single exception. They
treated the prisoners with the utmost
kindness, giving them wine. cigars, bread,
tobacco, and ayuadente, freely, and from
their own small means. [ imagine no
one will say that he had a right to expect
such treatment. Our conduct forced and
demanded their respect, but certainly we
had no claim either on their sympathy or
generosity.
Much has been said relative to the
execution of Crittenden and his men
Amoug al. the prisoners now in Havana.
much as they admired Crittenden, there
is but one opinion, and that is, that that
execution was justl6able-was merited.
That they were deceived all know; but
that was no business of the Spanish
authorities. Why. look at this affair in
its proper light. Where even in history,
in the annals Of the world, do you fluid
similar occurrence? Here four hun
dred and fifty men. without the least
provocation, leave their home, and invade
the shores of perfectly peaceful Island
expressing determination to take that
Island from its lawful owners, by force.
Self-preservation is one Of the first laws
OF nature; and if the law will uphold
and protect that American citizen, who,
without hesitation. shoots down the mid
night robber in defence of his property,
certainly that law will upnold the otti
GERS of the crown of Spain in extermi-
mating band of men who attempted to
wrest its brightest jewel from that crown
consider that every man connected
with that expedition deserved DEATH
At the time was made prisoner, fully
expected it, and, although the reflection
was anything but pleasant my own con-
science told me that it was jus.. Crit
tendeu with his force not only committed
crime in landing on the Island, but
actually committed an act Of open piracy
in taking those vessels in which he was
caught, the punishment for which is, by
the laws of all nations, death.
Much has been said relative to the
mutilauons of their bodies. Certainly L
was not present a, the time, and cannot
speak positively, but cannot learn from
reliable source such was the case.
have conversed with the officers OF the
U. S. ship Albany on the subject. They
are men of high standing IN society, and
they assure me that such was not the
case-that they were shot in accordance
with military usages on such occasions,
and tha: the only thing that occurred
that conld be condemned was the way in
which they were dragged to aud thrown
into carts by the negroes ordered to bury
them.
1t has been reported that Crittenden
wrote home that he had been abandoned
by Lopez, without arms and ammunition.
wrote any thing of the kind. Attached
20 his command--in hourly contact with
him knew him, aud do not hesitate in
saying that braver, nobler, more honor
at,l., man than W., r C.;,,a,,,a,, ,,ayo.