Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-11-27

cGGma0S tDc lNW0 Am0lTs
The manner in which the subjoined sx-
tracts from letters written at Washington
are copied by the National Intellgencer
gives assurance Of the accuracy Of their
| statements:
! DIPLOMATIC PRoCEEDINes.-As We
have had occasion to remark heretofore,
we sometimes find in the Washington COR
respondence Of distant journals revelations
Of official matters interesting to the Public,
which. having no reason to doubt their au-
thenficity, we think it right TO commune
cate to our readers also Such we regard
the subloined extracts from recent Wash
ington letters. which we find, the FIRST in
the New York Courier, the srcond in the
Philadelphia Ledger.-Nat. Int.
| From tie Conyier.
| THE DEMANDS OF THE SPANISH Gov
ERNMENT.-Mr. Webstsr says the govern
ment deeply regrets both the sailing of the
expedition lrum our ports and the riots by
which the dignity and safety ofihe Span
ish consul at New Orleans were compro-
missed. Blu, he says the government did
all that, under the circumstances, any Gov
eminent could have done to prevent these
occurrences, and therefore owes neither
PREPARATION nor apology for them. As to
the losses suffered by private individuals
subjects ofSpain, resident at New Or
leans--he says the courts are opened for
the aggrieved, the same as they are in any
country to its own citizens. He also sug-
gests that the United States may have Sc
rious reclainalions against Spain, under
the sth article Of the treaty Of l795, on ac.
count of the massacre ofthe fifty American
prisoners on the 10th ofAugust. The Off
cial and detailed reports Of these transac-
tons establish that the victims were not
taken .fagrante delicto. with arms in theiI
hands, but in open boats on the sea, " it'll
arms, and making for an American port
They were not tried, but only examined
by a military commission, whose sitting
was attended by fiscal. The prisoner:
all made the same answer; They had come
to Cuba as par, of an expedition 10 assist
the Cubans in securing their liberty ano
independence, under the assurance and
full belief that the island was in a state o
war. When they discovered their error
they Immediately. without any delay
threw away their arms and left the shore:
of Cuba by the first means they could pro
cure. BY their own statement they were
peaceable men passing from Cuba to the
United States. They WIRE executed
without any trial in which the contrary wa.
or could be shown.
"The prisoners were not allowed any
advocate, nor were they permitted to ad
duce any testimony corroborative of theil
own assertions. 1t will doubtless be urged
by the Spanish Government that the above
stipulation was never meant to apply te
the case Of invaders Of their country Oh
its provinces. But it would seem thai
this offence can hardly be excepted from
the class designated as crimes by the trea
ty.
"There is also the most conclusive evi-
dence in possession of the State Depart
ment that the charge formulating the re-
mains Of the prisoners is true. This is a
matter which cannot enter into diplama
tic discussion between the Secretary and
the Minister, but it is one wen calculated
to exasperate the popular sentiment a
gainst Spain, and to render the adjustment
of the questions she has started the more
| Difficult"