North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-09-03
from the New York Sun, August 26.
roucT,a,s Death.Warrant


Hagana, August 18th, 1851.
q II having been deereed by the general order of
the Goth of April last, and subsequently reproduc
al what was to be the fate of the pirates who
boud dare to profane the soil of this island and
in view of the declarations of the fifty individuals
who have been taken by his excellency the COM
ander-general of this naval station, and placed at
my disposal, which declarations establish the iden-
ty of their persons pertaining to the horde COM
manded by the traitor Lopez, 1 have resolved, in
accordance with the provisions of the royal ordi
nances, general laws of the kingdom, and particu
arly the royal order of the 18th June of the past
year, issued for this particular case that the said
individuals, whose names and designations set
forth in the following statement suffer this day the
pain of death by being shot, the execution being
committed to the Senior Teniente lie Rey, brigadier
of the Plaza "JOSE DE LA CONCHA."
We have translated the above warrant for the
instruction of readers, and of the American
public generally. The Spanish Haynau does not
pretend in his warrant for the massacre that the
men had been placed trial, and convicted on
conclusive evidence. 1t would seem that the
brave fellows had scorned to seek mercy by preva-
relations or subterfuges; but whether they made
any declaration of their acts and intentions is
matter of great doubt. Even if they did declare
their connexion with the lberating expedition that
declaration not sufficient ground for their sum-
mary and wholesale massacre. But the language
was not in accordance with the laws and usages of
civilized nations but in accordance with royalor
oinance of the Spanish Crown-despotic and arbi-
trary rs the ukase of the Russian Car.
And this is the kind of government with which
the government of the United States is so anxious
to maintain % amicoUc relations ?" II hare re-
so1ped," says Havnau Concha. And what did he
resolves To set at defiance all respect for civilized
law, and all respect for the government of the Uni
ted States which has shown such anxious de-
sire to maintain g friendly relations with his gov
eminent, and to preserve to it its oppressed colony
of Cuba. Concha will live to regret his resolve.
He is ignorant of the character and spirit of the
freemen of this republic. He fancied that from
the conduct of the United States government he
could CRAFTY his savage thirst for revenge his de-
sire for blood, with impunity. But the government
of the United States is not despotism which can
defy and control the feelings and actions of its people
according to its pleasure. 1t must be guided by the
will ofthe people, or if its opposes that WILL the peo
pie set its dictatorial and despotc opposition
at defiance. :
The American people are law-abiding, and lovers
of just laws, justly and firmly administered; but
whenever their government exceeds the limits of its
delegated power, attempts to form coalitions with
despotism to crush a people struggling for their
rights and liberties, they will cease to yield subms-
sion to its usurped power and arbitrary mandates.
As all power elnanates from the people in this coun-
try, the people are Jealous OF any surpatlons which
the constitution the laws, and the spirit of their
free institutions do not sanction. 1t would be we'll
if Concha had understood these facts, and we'll for
our present rulers at Washington to bear them well
in mind.
In this connexion We will quote an extract from
article in the Philadelphia North American of
yesterday. We have frequently expressed the idea
which is contained in the first part of the extract:
at has been what we may call the misfor-
tune of the government of the United States to
act towards all other governments and especially
the weak and minor ones, with gentle courtesy
and forbearance very seldom practised by other
powerful States and the result has been that it
has had to bear-and has always been too willing
to put up with-slights and grievances from such
weak and minor governments as never perhaps
would have been offered to other States.
We have particularly erred in treating gov
eminent the captan-geueracy of Cuba, which is
no government at ALL but a colonial satrapate,
which ought never in any instance, to be allowed
to exercise as it does, the power of life death
the citizens of foreign State. Our courtesy
is rewarded by the cold-booded massacre of fifty
of our citizens Does any one believe that Gen.
Concha, any other island Governor, would ever
have dared to shoot fifty Englishmen, fifty French
men, under similar circumstances Z"