Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-09-03
CUBAN AFFAIRS.
The National Inteligencer of Friday has the

The National lnteliigencef OF Friday has the
following statement
Defeat of Lopez-A letter has been received in
this city from reliable source in New York, which
states that the Spanish Minister has received off
cal information from Cuba that Lopez and his fol-
lowers, after landing on the LII instant, at place
called Playtas, four leagues east of Bahia Honda,
took possession of the village of Puzas. where they
fortified themselves, but from which they were dis
lodged after bloody fgh; with the Spanish troops,
in which The latter suffered severe loss, both of
officers and men, and that the invading force
were broken up and dispersed and were pursued
on all sides, both by the troops and the native pop
uann, who were highly eXasperaed.
The source from which we procure the above IN
formation entities it 10 fuk confidence, so far as TO
the fact that it has actually been received by the
Spanish Minister. 1t will be recollecled that the
New York papers, Immediately after the arrival Of
the steamer Cherokee, stated that dispatches ofthe
above tenor were received by The Minister, which
were put on board at Havana when The Cherokee
was on the eve of departure.
Wehave ourselves but little doubt as to the truth
Of the defeat and dispersion of the force under Lo
PEI, as all the collateral circumstances lead to that
belief: and we can only account for the capture of
the prisoners who were executed on the 9TH by
surprising they were portion of the fugitlves from
the defeat, who were endeavuring 10 escape from
the Island.
The Charleston Mercury contains an article
which seems to have been car e lily considered and
written, in which that journal takes ground against
the annexation Of Cuba to the United States. The
following is an exlrac, from the article in question:
"Cuba is region already well peoped, with
manners and laws fixed by lmmemoral usage
These differ essentially from our own. They are
the manners and laws that bgong TO absolute gov
ernmenls, not republics and there is no instance
on record where the people of Spanish and of En-
glish descent have coaesced harmoniously into one.
1t is the union of elements OF everlasting hostility
and discord, and instead Of increasing our strength,
1t would be adding To our troubles. Ii is indeed
urged hat,by admission into this Coniederacy, Gu
ba would speedily be peopled with the Anglo-A-
mercan race, and thus become one of US. Sumo
thing Of this would doubtless take place but G uba
has already more than The population of Georgia On
scarcely more than one-ha!f the area OF Georgia.
BY what process are we to change this great popu-
lali0n into one of different laws, manners, and ma
tionality2 Are they TO be eXterminated, or bought
out2 If either of these processes is depended on,
what is meant by the high sounding declaration "a
bout the oppressed Cubans2 The enterprises on
foot would then be better characterized as attempts
TO dspossess, rob, and exiermlnale Cubans. Our
love for Cuba would Prove 10 be that affection
which thief has for his neighbours gold watch,
rather than that which Christian has for his
neiphbor. If we look to the union Of the people Of
Cuba with this Confederacy. as we have already
intimated, we think the effects would be deplora
Bile. Ii was in this laller aspect that MIR. Calhoun
considered and deprecated The acquisition of any
portion of the settled country Of Mexico, and sill
more strongly of the Island Of Cuba"
The New Orleans Delta, of the 2lst instant, has
the following particulars respecting the band Ofmen
who accompanied Lopez to Cuba:
Gen. LaYez took with him five hundred picked
men, all that could be crowded on the Pampero.-
They were all well armed, well munitoned and
pruvsioned. They carried, also, arms for much
larger force. The greater portion Of the men had
seen active service Many ofthe privates had been
officers in the Mexican war. They were all suber
men, and one Of the Generals precautions was 10
take not pint Of any kind OF splrlluOus liquors
The organization of this force conided 10 Gen.
Pragay, late Adjutant General in the Hungarian
army, who received an honorable parole at The ca
pituIation of Comorn. Gen. Pragay is an accom-
pllSflpQ SOuleI anu anu VI
popular work on the late Hungarian revolution.
The effects Of his admirable talents for command
and organization had already been displayed in the
admirable discipline TO which he was able to- reduce
the command, crowded as they were a small
steamer
There was also a complete corps Of engineers,
composed chiefly of Hungarans, under Major Ru-
gendorf. Then there was company composed ex
clusively Of Creoles and Spanards, including the
soldiers who deserted to General Lopez at Carde.
mas, all under the command Of the gallant Captain
Golay, Creole by birth, and gentleman OF daunt
less courage and lofty bearing The rest of the
command were Americans, mostly from this city
and Mississippi, young men of good standing and
habits These were commanded by Colonel Crit
tenden, nephew Of the Attorney Genera! of the
United States, graduade of The Military Acade
my, and by Colonel Donovan, of Georgia, with
Major J. A. Kelley. and Captains Saunders, Brig
ham, Stewart, Ellis, Viclor Kerr, and Others
whose names do not now occur to us, all young
men of approved courage, and capable Of any trials
or endurance necessary in campaign Of the char
acter they have entered upon. The Pampero is
well differed and supplied with coal for twenty
days.
The Louisville Courier of the Goth instant
says
The COL Criltenden, who was one OF the Amer
leans executed at Havana, was doubtless. VIM.
Crittenden, formerly Of this city, and brother Of
John A. Cri,,enden. late Marshal OF the Chancery
Court here Patrick Den, DR.. Fisher, and Man
vile, who were also executed at the same time,
were from this city. and we understand same two
or three others of the unforIunates were from Indi
ana.
THE CUBA MEETING IN THE PARK.-The acts,
objects, definitions, and in,enls Of public meetings
in the Park are well understood by us New York
ers, but not so well by strangers, and therefore,
NAV pass a word ofeXpanalion upon them here