The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-09-11
DEATH OF LOPEZ FAILURE OF THE CUBAN
EXPEDITION.

Arrivals Of a late date from Havana announce
the death of Lopez, and total failure of the Cuban
expedition. dfter the separation of Col Critten-
den from his command, ne maintained himself a
rev days against the Spsnisrds, defeating sAs IS.
repeated engagements But, receiving no sid
from the inhabitants, his small band was st lsst
broken up. Some were killed, some were hksn
prisoners, some fled to the mountains, about tlies
| ty remained with him short time, and thsA IN
him Alone, without single friend, be We q
last hunted down by bloodhounds. On the 29th
he was captured, and September lst publicly gar
roted The punishment of the garrote is de.
scribed as placing the victim in an easy chair,
clamping his limbs, fastening an iron band round
his throat, which is gradually frightened by screw
till the neck is broken His last words were,
"Adieu, dear Cubsp
One hundred and fifty prisoners, chiefly Amer
leans are in the hands of the Government and
it is said they have been sentenced to the chain
gang for ten years. General Pragay was killed
in battle.
1t is stated that Lopez declared himself greatly
deceived as to the aid promised from the Cubans,
and all accounts concur in this-that the Creoles
refused to join the invaders.
Lopez was undoubtedly deceived, and the con-
fdence he put in the representation Of the
sham patriots of Cuba led him Internationally to
deceive others The fact that he ventured with
four hundred men to make descent upon an
island protected bya disciplined army of twenty
FIVE thousand strong, and abundantly supplied
with munitions of war, showed that he was no
imposter, but firm believer in his own state
ments
We sorry for his hard fate. Cuba was
his country his life showed hi. devotion II,
and he ioved II 70 the death. Honor to his men,
oryi g. -ssc,ss
strength Of false representations from Cuba, will
be warning. The dastardly Creoles are not
worth the blood that has been wasted in their
behalf Let them wear the chains they have not
the nerve to break. If they want q revolution
let them make it their conduct in relation to the
expedition of Lopez shows that they either de-
sired no revolution, or were too cowardly to ven.
ture drop of their precious blood in support or
succor Of those who had been deuded by fc-
| tons
The Government Of Cuba will attribute the
failure Of the expedition to its own efforts, and
point to it as an evidence of the stability Of its
rule; and the London Times, with other foreign
journals Of the same stamp, will doubtless have
much to say Of the weakness of our Government,
and the freebooting propensities Of our people,
which would have beeu gratiied but for the en-
ergy displayed by the Cuban authorities. But
the truth is, the few hundred invaders landed in
Cuba were strong enough to put in jeopardy the
feeble despotsm Of the island held at bay for some
weeks the whole force of the Government, and,
had they received succor from this country,
would have accomplished the revolution. Our
Government held in its hand the destinies of
Cuba, and had it not been true to its engage
ments and able to enforce the obligations of
neutrality, Cuba would have been lost to the
Spanish Crown. 1t acted promptly and energet-
ically. Incpent expeditions were arrested in
this country, and all succor was prevented from
reaching the band of Lopez. It seemed hard that
80 many deluded, unfortunate men should be left
in the jaws of destruction, but good faith was
to be observed towards friendly Power cost
what it might And Whatever might be the feel
ing of certain portion Of our countrymen, the
action Of the Government has been sustained by
Public Sentiment.