Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-20
THE SNARE
THE SNARE
WHEREBY so MANY ARDENT SPIRITS BECAME
ENTANGI,EDI IN THE CUBAN ENTERPRISE

ENTANGLED IN The CUBAN ENIEhrhiSE.
In late number of this paper we engaged to re-
cur, at an early day. to the articles and receptions
by which SO many ardent and brave but apparent
ly lin general) unsophis.icated and unsusPectlng
youths became involved in the late lawless and
desperate enterprise against the Spanish province
of Cuba. Intervening disclosures, made by lately
returned victims of those arts, will much abrldge
the task which we had proposed to ourselves. By
these disclosures the truth has been made too clear
for much need Of calculation.
During the interval occupied by the artificial ex-
ciement concerning this projected expedition, from
the beginning TO its termination In The fatal and
disastrous results which no intelligent and observ
ING person could have failed to foresee, the Nation
al Intelligencer has been obliged, by an imperious
sense of duty, to place itself in position between
the conspirators against the peace and dignity as
well as the positive laws Of their own country. and
the unwary and yet innocent young men whom
they were endeavorng to entice into participation
in their guilty projects. For assuming this respon'
sibity, which it would have been deserhon
of our post 10 have shrunk from, we have had
journals chiefly instrumental in this mischief, being
the Cuban-nvading papers, published in what they
themselves have very recently termed the two
great centres of intelligence and action, New York
and New Orleans" and repeated, parrot-lke, here
and there, by journals of lesser prominence.
Between The two leading anti-Cuban journals,
the Nen York Sun and the Ne,o Orleans Delta,
it would be difficult 10 determine which is entitled
to the need of pre-eminence in the work of getting
up the public excitement" they call il, in the
circles Of which they are the organs.
The first thing which provoked the simulta-
neous assaults upon this paper by those two organs
was the detection of the forgery and fraud OF the
Declaration, purporting to have been issued at
Principe, on the Fourth of July last, and entitled
:. Manifest and Proclamation Of their hadepen-
dence by the Liberming Society Of Puerto Prin-
cipe, La Sociadad Liberfadora de p. Ply This
Proclamation bore upon its face, as we showed to
our readers at the time, palpable evidence Of its
fraudulent character. The object of the fraud was
to persuade creduous Public that the work OF
Revolution had not only begun in Cuba, but had
made such progress tina. Declaration Of lndepen-
dence had actually been proclaimed by an organized
body at Puerto Principe, the pretended Spanish
title OF which, as well the English translation of
it, was published. VIVA, was then plainly appa-
rent to US is now admitted to have been exactly
true. No such Declaration was issued by any
body in Cuba it was not translation from the
Spanish, the caption of it was intended to init
mate, but was downright Anglo-Saxon in its execu-
ton as well as in its conception, having been both
written and printed in the city of New Y ork. The
passion with which the exposure of this fraud upon
the Public, and, above all, this reckless sporting
with the lives of their fellow-clizens whom they
were by such means inveigling in an undertaking
which has proved to be to them field of blood, Of
massacre, and of captivity, excited in our minds
suspicion, which we expressed at the time, of some
personal interest on the part of the agents in this
matter, which was to be fur,hered by the intended
invasion.
What was then only inference has now become
established fact. How far these persons were
themselves imposed upon it is impossible for us to
decide; but it is beyond doubt that they succeeded
for time in the greatest imposition on millions Of
men that was ever practised upon any People.
With this brief introduction, we present to our
readers portion Of the indictments which pre-
ceded the sailing Of the Expedition, for the purpose
of showing, by comparison of the publications
then made with facts which are now notorious, how
utterly false beside the pretended Principe Declare
tions-for there was more than one version of
them-were the representations got up, by some
body or other, made the occasion of salutes Of ar
tillery, torchlight marches and mad revery by the
dupes Of devices SO transparent, and finally of the
dire catastrophe which has overtaken the victims of
criminals far greater than they.
We begin with the New Orleans DELTA, as
having more directly influenced those who enlisted
themselves under the banners of the adventurer
Lopez, in the expedition so signally fatal to him
and to those who followed his fortunes.
n B. The Italics in the following extracts generally
own intended direct the attention of the reader par
tcuar passages.
PUBLICATIONS IN THE N. ORLEANS stDELTA."
rvEsIss EDITION or THE "DELrA" OF JOLT %.
GLORIOUS NEWS FROM CUBA!
THE REVOLUTION COMMENCED.
First Battle on the 4h Of July! .Auspicious Day!
THE PATRIOTS TRIUMPHANT!
Thirty Of the Troops Of Tyranny killed in the first cond
The Patriots concentrating at imPregnable point
ENTHUSIASM OF THE PATRIOTS
.