The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-15
From The Louisville Journal.
he President and FiIlibusterlan,.

attacking him on both sides for not having done
his duty, and for having done more than his duty.
We hold that the President has strictly conformed
his conduct to his oath, in relation TO the Cuban
expedition. He did all that fidelity, honesty, and
stern determination to sustain the threatened
laws of the land, required. When the first intelli-
gence reached him that there an expedition
secretly fitting out for the invasion Of Cuba he is-
sued his proclamation warning all those engaged
iu such expedition that, by going to Cuba to fight,
they would forfeit the protection of their Govern
ment, and invoking all the officers in the employ
ment of the Government TO be active and vigilant,
and to do all they could to prevent violation of
the law. To guard against violation of law, the
President directed vessels belonging the navy to
cruise about in the Gulf of Mexico in order to pre-
ventthe landing of men and munitions of war from
this country on the soil of Cuba.
We defy any honest man toscamly review the
course pursued by the President, and then accuse
him of dereliction of duty. The Executive did
all in his power to prevent violation of the act of
Congress of 1918, and the treaty obligations en-
tered into between the United States and Spain
To the credit of the country be it spoken all the
subordinate officers of the Government also did
their duty with efficiency and promptness, with
solitary exception-that of the surveyor of the port
of New Orleans. That officer was speedily re.
moved-an act which showed very conclusively
that the President would not tolerate any disobe
dence to law on the part of his subordinates.
In spite of all the efforts of the President and his
subordinates, an expedition set on foot and
sailed for Cuba. The fate of that i'll starred expe
dtion is well known. Fifty men, captured by the
Spanish authorities were hastily tried, condemned,
and shot This was an act of atrocity which
,lo I-ol -, AZ.
intelligence of that black and damning deed
reached Washington, Cabinet council was called
and orders were Immediately transmitted to Nor
folk for the U. s. steamship saranac to proceed
without delay to Havana, to inquire into the afro
city, and to demand an explanation OF an insult
offered to the Falcon.
Such very briefly stated, ia the course of the
President in this wretched Cuban business Had
his countrymen taken his advice there would have
been no Cuban expedition, Cuban invasion, and
no Cuban butchery. His timely warning was dis
regarded, and his invocation in behalf of the laws
treated with contempt by the fllibusters. 1t
is clear to all men of justice and common sense
that his hands entirely free of stain. He acted
nobly and with promptituie. To accuse him of
either indifference to law of inability to execute
it is palpably and ridiculously absurd. He is a
stern lover of law, and most infexible executive
officer. Calm, just, and independent, he cannot
be turned aside from discharge OF his duty. To
say that he failed to do his duty to the law because
he did not prevent the sailing of the Pampero is
clearly unjust. He could not foresee that the
veyor of New Orleans would countenance viola
ton of law. They who think he ought to have FORE
seen that result and removed that officer before he
failed in his duty, are either very silly or very
knavish men,
l. "a
condemning the President How did they act, and
how will their conduct compare with that OF the
President? Let US see
The men who went from the United States to
Cuba, and butchered imprisoned in that
island have declared that they were grossly
deceived in relation to the wishes of the Cubans.
Who deceived them2 The fllibuster editors who
now with unblushing impudence denounce the
President. The more wretched and reckless of
these editors manufactured the statements which
induced the men who went to Cuba to expatriate
themselves. These editors were daily in the habit
of fabricating accounts which mised thousands of
trusting hearts, hundreds of whom have either
suffered death suffering Imprisonment.
forged proclamation or declaration of indepen-
dence, purporting to emanate from the Cubaps, was
published, and various statements in relation to
the strong desire of the Cubans to rid themselves
Of the despotsm of Spain constantly made their
appearance There ipas not one cord Of truth in
any of these statements. They were all base forge
ries. and all astounding lies. The fllibusters
who invented these lies imposed on the credulity
of the fllibuster editors throughout the country,
who wrote and published article after article to in
duce better men than themselves to join the expe-
ditioniss and undertake the revolution of Cuba 1t
was the course pursued by these lawless to
which is to be attributed much of that disposition
manifested by the people to assist the Cubans
Those editors got up the expedition in fact and it
is their heads that The guilt of the business must
rest. They are the murderers of the ffty-two
fortunate men who were butchered in Havana, and
they are the authors of the sufferings endured by
the men who are now on their way to Spain. And
yet, with their hands wet with blood they have the
audacity to brave the contempt and indignation of
the community by calling on the people to throw
the guilt and all the murders and atrocities of the
expedition the shoulders of one of the abest and
purest of our Chief Magistrates. These fibusters,
who originated the expedition by publishing lying
statements in relation to its prospects Of success,
audaciously engaged in the attempt to
heap on the head of President FILLMORE the guilt
which ought to press like a mountain on their own
heads.
These wretched editors throughout all this bust
ness have manifested recklessness of law and
truth utterly disgraceful to them. They have
openly and flagitously preached up a violation of
the laws of the land. They have uscd all their To-
gic to prove that bad cause was good one, and
all their mendacity to deceive their fellow citizens
into belief that the Cubans DESTROYS of their
aid Having respect for the national honor, and
without that law abiding sentiment that charac-
terizes all good citizens, they labored day by day
to dshonor the country and to produce an anarch-
cal feeling among the people And yet they pre-
tended that they were obeying that instructive love
of freedom which dwells in the hearts of all true
Americans. Who can think of them and not echo
the dying exclamation of Madame Roland, ooh
liberty, how many atrocities committed in thy
sacred name"
There is great truth which is more generally
recognised in this country than that liberty and
law inseparable. The liberties Of this country
would be unsafe for short day if they were not
protected by the sovereign Of law. Trample
law under foot and liberty will expire. Anarchy
and despotism always go together, and liberty
wit Iow IL 4 hon