The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-09-24
Our Consul at Havana.

We have received the following letter from
ALLEN f. OWEN, esq.,, our Consul at Havana
and submit it without comment to the conside-
ration of his countrymen:
CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
HAVANA, Sept l6, 1851.
| TO The Editor of the Republic:
| SIR: In your weekly issue of the 28th ult
| you do me the justice to object to my condem-
| nation without hearing, and to say that | am
probably able to explain, to the satisfaction of
| my countrymen, my omission to act relative to
the execution of the prisoners who shot here
on the 10th ult.
do not doubt that shall satisfy every impartial
mind that am undeserving censure, and that
had no opportunity of doing any thing in behalf Of
the unfortunate men who met SO sad q fate.
reside about four miles from this place, and
not being we'll on the morning of the 10th, did not
reach my office till some time after ten o'clock,
where, for the first time, heard of the capture OF
about fifty of the men who had come with Lo-
PEI to this island in the steamer Pampero. at
the same time heard that the prisoners had been
tried, found guilty, condemned, ordered to be
cutcd, the order for their execution sent forward,
and that they were about being removed from the
harbor, where they were, to the place of execution
Shortly afterwards, the American residing here,
the subject to me, when said to him that il was too
late, and that could do nothing-that should
not have time to get permission and the pris-
OF this felt perfectly Satisfied at the time,
and have since been confirmed in this opinion by
the highest authority in the island, who informed
me that the execution, which had already been or
dered before reached the city, would not have been
postponed for me to have interview with the
prisoners, inasmuch as oil could have asked to be
permitted to do had already been done by a gentle
man known to some Of the prisoners, and for whom
they had sent.
Soon after the American referred to left my
office, received the information that gentleman
known to some of the prisoners had been sent for
by them, and to him they had delivered the arti-
cles and messages they desired to be conveyed to
their friends 1t was but short time afterwards
that sent to the palace of the governor and cap
tain general, and heard that the prisoners had then
been executed.
You will thus see that had no time to act, and
that il was not in my power to do any thing for
the unfortunate men who had been induced to
invade Cuba with the expectation that they would
find the whole island in state of revolution, and
that they would be received with open arms by the
whole native population at least
Tho charge OF Indifference to tho dreadful condi-
ton of such number Of men, the bitterest enemy
have ON earth will not believe; and all must be-
heve it base falsehood and an unfounded cal
umny.
If it were allowable on such occasion, would
most solemnly declare before God that, in my
judgment, at the time and under the circum-
stances, it not in my power either to have an
interview with the prisoners, or to have done any
thing on their behalf
am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. f. OWEN.