The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-11-20
Making out Captive AmsdsAn Citizens to be Pirate
and Ouslnws.

We would advise the editor OF the Republic 10 seek
without, delay brief private conference with the Secre
,ary OF State touching the Cuban The plea Of
ignorance will not be admissible for that journal much
longer Day after day il devoles itself 10 the ruthless
and revolving task OF proving 10 Spain and the world that
Concha in shooting down without trial Critenden and
his fifty captive companions, only shot many pirates
and outlaws and that the one hundred and fifty other
American capves whom Concha has sent 10 Spain are
also pirates and beyond the pale OF law, who may be
treated in the same fashion, wilhou, giving anybody
cause for remonstrance or complaint That the "spe.
cial organ" of the President should in the teeth
OF all the law and all the facts OF the case, as officially
set forth by the Secretary Of State, take such
towards these American prisoners, nothing less than
great public scandal. The pertinacous application in
the Official columns under such circumstances, of such
doctrine TO a body OF captive American citizens whose
fate is now hanging suspended by hair aud whom the
Secretary OF State appears be trying TO save from
violent death, is noisome political nuisance, which the
government should forthwith abale The good name OF
the country demands it, In what public policy, in what
patriotic principle, the Republic justify itself IN thus
persstantly stretching forth It's hand from its official pc
des,al or pllory TO stab, with this dreadful name OF
pirate these American prisoners as they lie mmured IN
their Spanish dungeon is u lof lhe uoinR oi such
work as this tina, the administration has established
special organ" and given il sanction Even II these
American prisoners bad committed piracy II would be
but decent and decorous for American Official jour.
nal TO keep quiet about their case, at least until alter
their trial. and even hen without backenng then
case or character. 10 leave them 10 the penal instc'
OF the power which they have offended, and which
holds them in prison But when there is no act MOI
thought OF piracy in their hapess and criminal deed
when they started out in the delusve belief that they
were to take part in paro, for liberiy-when this
motive claimed n their favor by the Secretary OF State
and not denied even by the Republication for The Off
cial journal continue shouting out against them "Pi
rate !" "Pirae !" just cry "mad dog I" when they
seek TO urge every wayfarer TO shoot stone the
brute TO deathtbs, say, is past all endurance and
il the Republic does not knoD better how TO treat its
countrymen in foreign dungeon, it should be sum
| tAarily and srngently taught
| AS il seems TO u.s. there be but one imaginable
motive for the official organ in taking such course In
making out these American citizens to be pirates, il
may seek to give color Of justification TO the arrogance
of France and England ordering their cruisers in open
outrage of our government and flag, search arrest
and il need be- sink any American other vessel the
high seas which nigh, be suspected Of having them
board II 10 trump up such show of defence for such
foreign orders be not the Republics object then we defy
any ingenuity assign any plausible object al all for it's
course in pessting that these prisoners pirates
Nor is The mode in which the Republic seeks TO fory
its position any less Objectionable It snacbes up what
we are disposed in charity, to regard recent basy