The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-19

RkAU&0A &O8x1k8 ~ Su0A-~- ho lOltONtuk
communication comes from = gentleman resid-
ing II Havana and if all tho circumstances TO-
lated are true, wanton and most fragrant act
VI injustice has been committed,
John lie CleTc, native Of Guernsey, but for
many years past naiuraized citizen OF Louisa-
IA, came to this island about two years ago, to
cary on his trsde as a carpenter During these
two years no had gained, from his honest, up
right and peaceable disposition, the good will
aud high esteem Of all who knew him indeed,
90 gentle and quietly disposed is lie Clerc, that
he has made himself generally beloved.
About two weeks ago, LIE Cicrc, with some
ak or seven others Of his professon---French-
men, Spaniards and English--were amusing
themselves ut their. lodgings, also kept by a
Frenchman, in the Gale Dc Jesus Maria, near
the gas works, outside the walls Of the city,
when at or near . p. m, two soderrs who had
previously attempted to enter the next house,
presented themselves to the master OF this, de-
manding to be permitted to search the yard, UNI
der pretence, as they alleged, of pistol having
been fired off someighsre in that neighborhood.
Their search having proved fruitless, they return
I'd to the room in which lie Clerc and his friends
were assembled and having singled him from
the rest, carried him forthwith to the Captain
de Partido's, who, without asking any questions,
but upon the mere statement of the soldiers,
thrust LIE Clerc into the stocks, the holes of
which were too small for his legs, causing the
unfortunate man the most excruciating pain, and
his limbs to swell exceedingly.
His body rested on u damp mud floor, and in
this condition was the poor man kept two days
and two nights. and part OF the third day, when
his friends holding him 10 the high appreciation
in which they did, and Mortified at the dreadful
suffering which he was so unjustly undergoing,
presented themselves in body to the British
consul general entreating that fuctionary to use
his good offices on behalf of their unfortunate
comrade, declaring to him the facts of the case,
and the understandable conduct of the Spanish
official in arresting man innocent altogether
Of the simple net imputed to him OF having fired
off pistol.
Mr.. Crawford, the English consul, at once
demanded the liberation of LIE Clerc, and the
matter to be fully inquired into. The man was
Immediately set at liberty, as no ground of COM
plaint whatever could be proved against him, and
the Captain de Partido made many apologies for
having arrested him and placed him in the stocks
for nothing. But what is the consequence of
all this to the unhappy lie Clerc, exposed for
two days and two nights on a cold damp, mud
floor, with both legs in stocks much too small
for his limbs, causing them to swell so that he
was unable to sleep from the excrucatng pain !
On the third day he was thrown into violent
fever, from which he is only now slowly recov
ering, perfect wreck of his former self having
been reduced to mere skeleton, and almost en-
tirely lost the use of his limbs. The poor man
has received no kind Of satisfaction compen-
sstion for This barbarous treatment on the part
of an upstart Captain de Partido, who has not
even received q reprimand for such unwarranted
treatment of an American citizen, too poor him.
self to take up his case, and pr,bably too happy
to be released from his recent suffering, even to
make his case known to his government.
The above is a simple, unvarnished statement
of facts which became known to the writer, who,
having made due inquiries into the matter, found
them fully substantiated.
THE GENERAL CONFERENCE of the bunker
religious sect was, at the latest date, holding its
annual session near New Hope, Augusta county,
Va, numbering from five to ten thousand per-
sons, from all parts of the Union. They met in
the woods, and the editor of the Staunton Spec
tator who visited the camp, observes:
Besides the people, there were from ten to
fifteen acres of horses in the woods There
seemed to be one or more horses tied to every
tree, as far az the eye could penetrate the dark
forest contiguous to the church This sect has
numerous adherents in certain portions of Penn
sylvania, where they bear high character for
industry, thrift, morality and intelligence.
LEpRU. RoLLIN.-The Glamour says" there is
much conversation in the political world in re-
gard to a letter from London by NJ. Ledru-Rollin,
to one of his friends. in which he announces his
return to France after the constitution Of the
new assembly departments, and some days be-
fore the general eIection.-This resolution,
which seems to have been suddenly taken by him,
10 destined to produce lively sensation M.
Ledru- RolIin is at present Ineligible by virtue
of the articles II Of the law Of March 18TH lS49
and 8 Of the law May ,3lst, 1850; but If he sur
renders himself as prisoner, the judgment pro-
nounced against him for contumacy falls to the
ground by the mere fact of his presence, and he
will be legally eligible to the Office of represent
tative of the people, or even that of President of
the Republic The High Court will neces-
sarily be convoked, and then the question Of vio-
lation of the 9th article of the preamble to the
constitution by the expedition TO Rome, will be
again submitted to the consideration Of n jury.
We need not enlarge upon the Importance Of
this news, in the trnth of which we place the
most implicit confidence"
"THE sWHrG VICTORY IN THE SEVENTH DIS
states the aggregate of votes at the late trial as
about $500 less than in November. and avs that
during the last week great efforts were made
BY the Wing press and the friends of the sue
cessful candidate to reconcile the differences
whic, were known to exist in the Wing ranks
in regard to Mr.. Goaddch, and to bring the dis
sati fled to his support The exertions were
gen rally successful, and, with few honorable
exceptions, most of those who had previously
voted against him, or withheld their ballots,
gave him their sutfrages.. This, added to the
70 en- Of Free-soiIers cast for Mr.. G., is the
cause of his election. II is well known that the
vie,os of Mr. G.. rere represented 10 Free-soilers
as being in perfect accordance ,cih de creed Of
their party"
EscAPE.-- On Tuesday last, while the steamer
Darlington was cndesvorng to bring her lighters
through Mother Griffin, Capt Brock narrowly
escaped drowning. 1t appears that the Darling
ton, with one OF her lighters along side, headed
up into the a.Suck," where she was kept station
AIRY by working her engines, while nm at'empt
,va. vy,oda In m, an Enoa In her other ltohtpra In