The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1851-12-04


OF questions By tlle fiscal pn
The prisoner or witnt ~ ta IS
Imagined how the truth can distorted $50
an inimical fiscal, and llaw aiihtoIl So
prisoner to detep5 himself as Is never AZ
lowed to see the evidence, and can o1ly infer
lis nature FROM the QaestieEs d xed 81 him
IL a prisoner refases'to answer any question
it is presumptive evidence against him, and
has much weight As I said before CHS di-
gtcssion, the autos were read but in the
whole Of about ream Of sealed paper there
vas not a shad0woof proof that the prisoner
had committed any act, or even uttered any
oPiui5n before his arrest, iniailcal the Gov
crumcnt. -
Much Importance was attached to the two
following paragraph, IN his own declaration .
II believe all foreigners arc bound to obey
the laws. -" do not think that entertain-
Ing an opinion favorable to reform Of the
abuses OF vicious and corrupt administra-
ton can be.cnlled conspiracy against the
Government" The allegation that he sent
the declaration Of independence, and wrote
letters to the American papers, was reiterated,
but no proofs adduc6d
Ills deaiul, published here and there, did
nat appear. The most important document
upon which two arrests and eleven witnesses
were cxamincd; appeared and proves to be a
scrap If Spanish newspaper, announcing
the Of the Gyane-inthis port, and with
the ominous words in pencil, "Sharkey has
been appointed Consul, from which the
worthy hscat infers that Thrasher aspiEed. to
the office; aud expected to have obtained the
appointment.
The letter in cypher appears in the autos,
also tie divining card, as its key; but the
stupid fellows even with this key cannot
make treason or any Ineligible reading out
of its contents The autos conclude with
five specifications under the general charge Of
infdcncia, (uufaithfulness:)
/. Hostility to the Government and per-
version 81 facts iii letters sent to American
,. lllicitcorrespondencc with the piratical
organs, Delta, Picayunc and Sun.
3 Fraudson the post Office, by getting let
tiers dircct.from steamers.
L. Sending the so-called declaration of in
dependence to New Orleans.
, Having two letters in cypher, such as
used by tho pirates =
The fiscal then asked of the court SEN
tcnca of eight years imprisonment at hard
labor, and prohibition to return to this island
or Porto Rico.
The dcfcnsor was now called upon to de-
feud his client, which he did, in the terms of
which the, following is from the memory of
ono well yersod in the language, verbatim
translation After enumcrating his grade,
titles, and decorations, he said. ~.
."sNIr. PREsIDENT-My client is accused
Of yiSilingthe steamers, and he cOnfesses that
he did :. but. lean see no crime in his going
on board of steamers from his own country,
a. be- SAYS; tosee his friends and'OthOrs. My
client gqiso accused of hostility to this
GovcramGut, andof visiting the pirates while
they were iu prison. do not think this
proves 'hihrm accomplice in their Infamous
designs, for he was then free, and, if he
chose. could have Joined them but he did
not do 50, but kept quiet at home, and did
not take arms III his hands. therefore ask
Of ;his court 10 commute his sentence to per-
petual Punishment from this island where all
his dearest ties are. have nothing further
to say -. r-
The President, Brigadier Vargas, then or
dorad the prisoner to be brought into court
He was brought up undera guard of soldiers
After answering the usual questions of name,
age, and all the others, except that n adtiU-
t,y the President asked: a.
Are you domiciliated?
Iw-Tcs.
Qy.sz-Woffe you domiciliated from choice,
or compelled by the authorities?
III do not remember.
Q.-ls your head disordered affectingyour
memory
A.--It.is not.
Q.-Were you molcstod when you became
domiciiated?
Mot to my RECOLLECTION.
Odd not your letter Of domiciliation
give YOU all the privileges of born subject
Al SUPPOSED it would, but soon found
my ,r- Any Spaniard could edit paper,
wsch 4 was bot allowed to do.
Q.-pid, you not afterwards write for the
paper?
Al did not say anything about writing
for the paper. l said l was'not allowed tc
edit one.
Q-What was your business previously
IL was agent for a commercial house
Q-What do you mean by that?
Ali agent tobuy and sell for my prin
cipals,
Q.-How long we're you their agent?
About two years.
QZVhat did you follow after that?
4 II bought the Faro Industrial and
employed myself in the editorship until
was ordered to cease to act as its editor.
Qa-Doyouknow the charges against you
AAEdd not
QEII6& can that be?
A-Because l have not heard them, no.
been allowed to see the autos.
QeDia not your defensor sec you
Al have seen him twice for about ter
minules each time.
QzDid.you not see the autos when yol
wrote IN them your declaration /?
4 4-I.sGi9 what wrote myself, but was
not alloFed to sec any other part
The President here orderedthe charges I,
be read to him. The court alsocalled fot
the reading of those parts Of the prisoner
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS cited
Ques ~ he IFssiaasat. Are these g0ni
opinions
A.--Tlgy arc
QIoE what purpose did yoH visit th'
American sleancFs