Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-14
From the Washington Republic.
COLONEL CRlTTENDEN AND THE PITBIIC

|
1t is with the painful emotions that we bava
read and that we publish the last letter wtten by Co
ionel Cfittenden, and addressed to his uncle the
| hon ). j. Crenden, the Attorney General of the
Onitta states. NO one Can read 1t without feeling
OF Indignation towards the unprnciped Spectators
anu tnelr infamous cooReraors In the press by whose
reckless reckless Vaccinations the followers of Lopez were
deGoyed to their melancholy fate. Sincerely do we
believe, as the dying words of the brave but misgud-
ca young man, whose letter is before u.s. attest
that the 'motlVes'' of the writer and ot those VIII
perIshed with him, were e'geod" But what sbal we
say OF the men who, by their nsidous counsel per-
sua9ed tiese young men that "goed motves'' could
De pleaded In the forum of conscience as an excuse
Ior violating the laws OF their country! What shall
we say OF such men as Henderson and Slqur and Of
such sue newspapers as the Delta of New Orleans, when
we know that 1t by their efforts and nv tho ef
lorts OF men and journals like them that Colonel
Grlttenden and his followers were duped into their
disastrous expedition And the labors of this class
10 me 'ls OF The imprisoned and slain. Their living
elesrdphc dispatches, fabricated from the start VIII
NOT even foundation In truth, were almost successful
In stimulating new adventures TO the island TO pro-
ect or rescue the expedition of Lopez, after Lopez
and his followers had fallen into the hands of the On
nan au Y. 1t was not the fault of the specua-
tors IN the generous sympathies'' of humanity and
inc yes OF the young, gallant and inexperienced that
hundreds OF misguided men were not embarked from
different ports OF the United States to look after The
same ''frosnerous revolution,' the report of which
timely end. " '''|'A ol'
Crttenden says IN bis dying breath 81 mas decs;red
by Lopez He, nell the public press assured me
mat HeiStand acas in estate prosperous reuoLution
Lopez would have had the power TO deceive no one
nad not been tor the cooperation Of the public press
Lopez would have been unable to rally a corporals
guard for The invasion of Cuba the face OF the proc
lamatlon OF the President had it not been thai he
public press was instnq into the easy and two Grad
ulous ear OF its victims that it would be mertorious
movement OF 'patriotism and generous symnatbv''
to DISREGARD The warning OF the Executive and the
laws OF the land and to Join in the liberation" OF Cuba
we have the solemn, dying declaration of young Crit
tenden, mat ms blood is on the head OF those Infamous
men who fabricated the tales that were sent abroad
OF 'he existence OF prosperous revolution in the
siana whose INVASION they had planned, and whose
soil thelr employers had morgaged in advance of it's
couqlgst 10 supply the means OF its subjugalion. But
we VIII not longer detain readers from the letter
to which we have above referred:
SHIP OF WAR EspRRANzA,2
DEAR UNCLE: In few moments some fftv nj TIC
VIII be shot. We came with Lopez. You will do
me the justice to believe my motive for coming was
good one: was deceived by Lopez. He, as well
as the public press, assured me the Island was in
sale OF prosperous revolution. | am commanded TO
finish writing at once
Your Nephew.
will die like man
10 J. y. CRlTTENDEN, Attorney General, United
States. Washington city.
he letter lying before write in the firm
bold, steady hand of one who was prepared to die ike
man., and who kept his word. And his diving as
seron IS mat ne owes his death to the receptions Of
the PUBLIC PRESsi'
Yes doubly was he deceived by the public press-jn
the rst instance by the Misrepresentation of the nature
ana character OF the expedition in which he about
engage as 1t was understood by the laws of the civilized
Worlo Herein was the first and most cruel deception
ne was told that career OF glory before him and
that his name would live history on the same page
with that OF Koscuk o and Laiayette-among the III
berators OF mankind. He was told that in the indul.
gence OF generous sympathy he might look FOR a
highef law lhan the statutes of his country which in
the conflict might be meritoriousIy dsobeyed This
was the first deception.
r. The second was hardly more crimnal-the manu-
factne and circulation oil false intelligence. 1t is true
as Crlttenden al eges that the public press" told him
that Cuba was in state OF prosperous revolution
We NOW know, from other information than that of
Crtlenden not only that this statement was "decep.
tive, but that there was no possible foundation for It
In all ITS length and breadth it lie. Who were
me guilty authors o, this fabrication it may be Diff
hcutto trace; but does responsibility rest upon
those who circulated it knowing it be false or most
IMPROBABLE or who, at all events, did not know or
care rush whether it was true or false?
we hope that the public press will be taught by
the late OF CrIttenden and his command to be more
guarded IN the doctrines it ncucaes and the ineIli-
gence to which it gives circulation