Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-12-26
HOLLY SPRINGS MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY NUM-


President of the Military Commission
that night, who refused to receive it,
saying that it could only be admitted
by the Captain General. The Ameri-
can Consul, ,;aIr. Owen, as soon as in
formed of this, proceeded to the palace,
and protested against sentence being
pronounced, as | had not been heard
in defence.
In the morning, my nominal defender
came to my prison to inform me that
he had been allowed by the court only
faeenty-fous- hours to prepare my defence,
thar he had been occupied tatI that mo
msnt examining the proceedings, srlaict
are uoluminous, and thai, ,cithin an hour,
he must return them to the Fiscal On
the 18th | was taken befofe Court
Martial, composed of a Brigadier Cen
eral and six officers of the army. The
testimony and proceedings were read
before | was brought into court, which
is contrary to law, and to custom, and
when brought in, was asked mtat l
had to say to the charges against me. |
replied that had not been furnished
with copy Of the charges, that [ had
been denied acceSSt to the proceedings and
testimony, that my nominal defender had
neithca- consulted touh me nor aoith my
counsel, and that | now asked that ngy
protest and petition for proceedings
should be admitted. | was told by the
President OF the Court that it should
be considered.
| was remanded to my dungeon, and
heard nothing more of the proceedings
until to-day, when have been formal
ly notified that HAVE BEEN SEN
FENCED TO EIGHT YEARS La
BOR, IN CHAINS, AT CEUTA, IN
AFRICA, WITH PAYMENT OF
COSTS.
1t is unnecessary for me to enlarge
upon the improperly of bringing me
before a Court Martial in time of pro-
found peace, or the injustice OF senten-
cling me without hearing; on the ut
ter contempt of international law, civil
rights, and treaty stipulations, il my
trial; or upon the wilful disregard in
this manner of proceedings of the con-
stitution and rules of the very court
which has assumed a jurisdiction over
me without right, has tried me without
a crime, and has sentenced me without
q defence.
The Government that has the power
and the will to commit these acts is be-
yond the reach of reason; and my on
ly resource is to appeal to the physical
power of our own Government for that
protection which its moral power has
not been able to extend/over me, and
TO ask from my fellow -countrymen such
countenance as will encourage the Ex-
ecutive in the manifestations of firm
ness, and carry some appreciation OF
national rights and national duties to
the hearts of the unscrupulous rulers of
Cuba.
| solemnly affirm that | have never
had any connection with the parties
which have invaded this Island; and
that the only ground for hatred TO me
on the part Of the Government and
Spanish portion of the population here,
are that | am an American; that re-
fused TO abjure my nationality one year
since, when required by this Govern
ment to do so, or to abandon the busi-
ness | was then engaged in; that sue
cored SO far as | was able, those of my
unfortunate countrymen who were
captives here; and that in the court
had the independent spirit (they call it
audacity) TO rely upon my innocence
and my rights as an American citizen.
Having been denied justice, | now
ask at the hands of the American Gov
ernment and the American people that
liberty of which am SO iniquitously
deprived. All the horrors of the Span
ish galleys are before me, and my only
hopes are in the sympathies of my
countrymen, and the prompt action of
our National Government.
]. S. THRASHER.