Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-09-30
THE AMERICAN CONSUL AT HAVANA.

However necessary may be for the administration TO
stand by ts man. and however ry ale pecGdcd l!o CEN
suring his course we confess with regret only
that they keep him in office but apologize 70: him through
the columns the Republics because such course AT once
insult 10 the among u, whom Spanish buchc-
r. has bercaveL und an outrage on The public humanity
The Republic argues that Mr. Owen is TOO intelligent 10
seek TO excuse his total dcction OF duty by pleading The
proclamation in his Defence ana incrs HAT there must be
some nsapprchcnSou' in the whole WE'LL then.
what is Owen kept oico for Does the Republic doubt
or irny ha, his conduct this alif has heci disgrace tn
the American name! Does Inc Rcpubttc pretend 10 have
heard om any quarter the CoasGs "'"n account Included,
tat he performed o OF his N in official duty in the pre-
;i-csl Admitting, what - not tree t'iat l'e Americans
all that the pUcraun announced ihcih |" hc-ruo-
berS Runderc'S, outlaws ~ p'a;cs-st d1as nc hPNH
deny that, under the express saaii"na :! The eiy Wit;
Spain specially insisted 70 nCc cases ~ ca"es oicnce
these Americans were lGy entitled not on Ia AR aah de-
libcata trial under the forms ut Spanish iw, ou; were aJ
entitled in preparation such ll Il; have !u an! "e
conference win any counsel n'tarieS or '-cn ontla or
unofficial, whose services they might relrc Does tue
Re2ubic deny that under this re1yt was both tie clear night
and solemn duty of American consul 10 have dsmaaHta
in percmpory TERMS only free access 10 The i!".ts
but all reasonable delay prepare both for their general de-
ant for accurate discrimination {" he gut v ndi;
ual cases among ti,ni Z!
And what now is Consu! Ovens mean ard wrItcha.
cusr uivcn in III er.. for doiag CoIhngu all u his
ir standing suil with folded aud marble heart VIZ
tho g'sho's that slaughtered ~ n'"i cennsrynrn oy
nhoc- , rang in his rars H.Gt is his excuse? WAY,
frsngtn he had no time rc in"I:cencc y" III" IL vas
uajor he treaty :" s.c that he Cuban 'thot-
ties :Gsc Jim time! 1t lis ouScss 10 lei. those ~
ihotili"s tmt it so@i faae tn:s, and that II i"y touched
one tie head any American citizen without "!'in&
hal citizen noi un!y time, 2 every oti,r privilege gu '"-
led To him as an .c.ci ti:r by the very words OF the
treaty. ;,,y did ihr deed ~ tcir peril Ani more then iiS
III in l.sc prolonged and lticc-rePcacd prcsden.
,ia pleasure trips and JGnnengs may say much oi
any whg o;iicia wItlpu: "outTag;ng pa5c ecency'wc
would respectfully intimate Ia on tiiat lo"dy H'oTi"
was Consul Owens duty n"t 10 lie absd t near ten clo
,.ftI,x GfIIsfr IN
oil
this shameful ne:ncas 0: the American Consul II Is IN
he p7uc!lnllon the ii"ci!iil'I1n lhc E"cahit.oh
forbade him iLtrrtar by lunuunc!hg any insr.rence
unwarrillrd The procIamativa forbade h;m 10 interfere
6y linus in the pacsi Implication, deaJaEchg u" lG' o'
,e yAyrdtiun "iiG0nt the iair | TIC lw ans! the treaty
which is the supr.re law o the The prc'l:naiion
forbade ,u ttlrrc. by empowering II: Cuoln auiJr
tics ~ So" il ~" ::g,y, ;Iy nd say, i::t
,ic prc-:a =: y ~, UnrI States rad uHiIlreG these o
dcrs aI left them be ds with J"si rs GnGcha ni=ni
,s. We cIaEg" again and again, II was II" !aia proc
I.m.i:Jn which, uaiiwIg a"! pcniatu!ry hrl'&tthS !"
,n President liaclJus plniv iuGi-a aid uaii"u!i! as-
s1ur, Ia and p.a;e the plain words 0! saicInn
treaty. not only deprived these Vl legal tfl bu!
~ the American sui win nutb palsy, and turned an
niiciaI Orrgn shore n:o stone star hav
in, eyes thai not and cars that .' not and ais tln
nciu mol ;nsGiic> ut his captive co"nym'n! E':n IL
h day appears IL: will rot ." near 'he; IN Their iun'on
(, t. softly whispers tie srcial crgan. 'C"nS"l Owen
ti!cn very intelligent man n1-aip;
niSfnpreieuIcG the piucidnatun. Di nc 80! !hch
wr ~ t, c administrator, ccGsG!e cOinii'r Piht-
en,ur. him YOU r For he put HE construction ni
,hc rrocn:ua,ion that Owen d aud that CJ"ca do, atd
tnat vc do nj H.. ;"ady else docs, itt we Eno" OIL
except The Rcyuj and perhaps some o! III" cabinet Cni-
nanIcr plt icl5 you his Official despatch o Ssp"!hr'
81; from II vana na when he visited the prisoners In 'il"'r
all "hry were iut distinctly thai they were Ia the p""ct
Of tho Spanish government and t5ht nofhy c'md D: aons
tor s as Imcriccns indsmHch he PrcStdets PrgctG
nation had derinred dt persons 'cna" an iHrdGhS
force aroud thereby forfeit nc protection Of he gortrnaf"f
lie United States
Tncrc Won have all Nothing could be done for them IA
crulI h..
~ And why "Inc PrsSicni h1. lccGrc1 that they
od forfeited every i,t every sort I" protection or ne
ference! IIiaat Commander Piaits construction OF
yn,lr rpra and that his action under H. Cen
.r,rc or accuse i cours", an! h: chn plead berc
his n.rrs your procidtinn they vii! sustain, and you
aiasay his construction ~ IT, ay more ~ We Oe'
cyc and charge l.. plead 0rH more recent nSrHc
,ious either 10 himself his bother officers oi Strdnac
m to both fully confirming his view III the proclamation .!
subscuaenl oil 1ili Interpretation oi ;olr own In any
event his p1sun entirely unlike Owens because, ~ 40
i of the navy he Ia ooey the oTdrs ol Inc ffeSi-
dent and had the discretionary power "hicil ouohea
p.rrss,r,iy 10 the consul az a civil tuncti"narr.
Bu, Owcn hl the nerve 10 exercise ms discretionary
mower ard 80 in the spr Of pi,riosr Jnstice ana huah
~ take hs stand upon the treaty. and iran" !Gi MS t'
The pr,carIann which unswiniy, Gsu!pn=y, aid 10 the
boo!cst issca assumed 10 Set the treaty at aaicht lic
has thus zone downhoperSsig down-beiore ie ti:loc
udmrnt o the American peoples but he down will the
proclamation lis hand. and he drags The an!'rs @. Inc
proclan,a,on down with him Il Washington CnOn