Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

VfpTeSHt0t1rSS:
co ngratulate and our common country,
upon The favorable auspices upon viii h you
meet for your first session. Our country is at
peace with al the world. The agitation which
tor time threatened to disturb the fraternai
relations which made us one peoples fast sub.
siding, and year of general prosperity and
health has crowned the nation with unusual
blessings None can look upon the dangers
which are passed or forward to the bright pros
poets before ns, without fee! ing thrill! of graf
,fication, at the same time that must be i'm
pressed with a grateful sense Of our profound
obligation to Benefcent Providence, whose
paternal care is SO manifest in the happiness of
this. highly favored land.
Since the close of the last Congress, certain
Cubans and other foreigners, resident in the
United States, who were more or less concerned
in the previous invasion of Cuba, instead of
being discouraged bv its failure, have again
abused the hospitality of this country by ma
King il the scene Of another military exp dition
againstthe possessions of her Catholic Majesty,
in which they were countenanced, aidod and
joined by citizens of The United States. On re-
c.iving intelligence that sncl, designs were en-
tertainedl POST no time in issuing such !nst.uc-
tons to the proper officers of the UniteI Sts.,es
seemed to be called for by the occas ON. by
the proclamation, copy of witch :. herewith
sab:n'tted. l also warnei these who might be
IN danger OF being '-,veigIs.d into this scheme
OF its un'awfll nature and of the penalties
which they would incur. For some time there
was reason TO hope, that these measures had
sutlced to prevontan such attempt; this hope,
however, proved to be deiusivc Very early on
the morning of the Sd Augusta steamer called
the Pampero, departed from New Orleans for
Cuba, having ON board upwards of four hur-
dred armed men it'll evident intention to make
warupon the authorities of Cuba. This cxpe-
dit, was set on fnot in palpable violation of
the laws Of the United States: its leader was a
Spaniard, and several of the chief officers, and
some others engaged in it were foreigners The
persons composing it however, were mostly cI-
tizens of the United States Before the expedi
ton sat out. and probably before it was organ
lied, a slight insurrectOnary movement which
appears to have been soon suppressed, had Ia
ken place in the eastern quarter OF Cuba The
importance of this movement was unfortunate
]y so much exaggerated in the accounts pub
lished in lhis country, that these adventures
seem to have been led to believe thar the Creole
population of the island. not on y desired to
throw off the authority of the mother country,
but had resolved upon that step and had begun
awell concerted enterprise for e!fccting it, The
persons engaged in the expedition were gene.
rally younS and i'll informed The steamer
which they embarked left New Orleans steal
thlly and withou, aclearance, After touching
at Kew West, she proceeded to Cuba, and in
the night between the ith and 18th of August,
landed the persons on board at Playras within
about twenty leagues of Havana. The main
body o: these invaders proceeded to and took
possession of an inland village, six leagues dis
tant, leaving the others to fol ow, in charge of
the baggage, as as the means of traiispor-
tation could be obtained. The latter having
taken up their line of march 10 connect them
selves with the main body, and having procee-
ded about four leagues into the country, were
attacked Oh the morn ng of the 18th. b" a body
Of Spanish troop. and bloody conflict ensued,
al. l. al. AZ.
embarkation, where abont fifty of them obtain
cd boats aud rc-embarked therein they were,
however, intercepted among the Ke, $ near me
shore, by a Spanis.. steamer cruising on the
coast, captured aud carried to HAVANA and
after being examined before Il military court
were sentenced to br publicly executed, and
the sentence was carried into effect on the 10Th
OF August. On receiving information of what
had occurred, Commander Foxhal A Parker
was Instructed to proceed to HAVANA in the
steam frigate Saranack, and enquire into the
charges against those executed the circumstan.
ceS under which they We're taken, and whatev-
er REFER ed TO their trial aud sentence Copies
oithc instructions from. The Department of S. ate
and OF his letters 10 that Department, are here.
with submitted. According to the record of
phe examination, the prisoners all admitted the
offence charged against them, of being hostile
invaders OF the island AT the time of the trial
and execution, The main body of the invaders
was still IN the field maxim. war upon the
Spanish authorities and Spanish ,ub,ccEs; after
the lapse of some days. being overcome by the
Spanish troops, they dispersed GA the Oath
August. Lopez, their leader, was captured
some days after and executed on he LIST Sep
tember; many OF his remaining followers were
Killed or died of hunger and fatigue, and the
rest were made prisoners Ofthese, none APP
pear to have been tried or executed; several of
these We're Pardoned. upon the application of
haIr f-ian l,tl,
hundred and sixty in nuluber, were sent to
SPAN Of the final disposition made Of them,
We have no official inflammation
Such Is the melancholy result of this illegal
and Inflated expedition, Those thoughloss
young men have been induced, by faisc and
fraudulent representations, to vi".nte the laws
OF their country through rash and upfounded
expectations OF Assisting 10 accomplish noliti
cal revolutions IN cher States, and have lost
Their lives in the undertaking. Too severe
judgment eau scarcely be passed by the ndig-
nahl sense OF the community upon those who,
beng better Informed than themselves, have
yet jed away the ardor of youth and ill direct
ed love OF political lii erty. The correspon-
dehce between this Government and that Of
Spain. relating to this transaction. is herewith
communicated Although these offenders
against the laws have forfeited The protection
of their country,yet the Government NAY so far
AS is consistent with its obligations TO other
countries and its fixed purpose to maintain and
cnforce The laws, entertain srmpathies for their
unottendlng families and friends a, well As a
feeling of compa,sfou for themselves Accor-
dinghy, no proper effort hu> been spared and
none will be spared, 10 procure the release of
such citizens OF ia, United Ssajes engaged in
The unlawful enterprise, a, are now IN coufnc-
taent Ia SPAN; but 1t Is to bv hoped THAI such
ihtcrpositlen with The Government of hat coun-
try may not be considered atfurding any
ground of expectation that the Government of
the United States will hereafter feel Itself UNI
der any ob tgation of duty 10 intcrcede for the
alteration or pardon OF such persons are ila-
grant OF. ndcrs against The law of nations and
The avs of the United States. These laws
must he executed if We desire to maintain our
respectability among the nations of the earth.
1t behooves us t" enforce. steadily and stcrnly
he neutrality acts passed by Con sress, and to
follow, as far u may be- the violation Of these
acts with coudign punishment But what gives
q peculiar crimina ily to ghis invasion of Cuba
Is that, under he lead of Spanish subjects, and
with the aid Of citizens of the United Safes, il
had 1t, origin IN motives Of cWpidity Money
wa advanced by individuals probably in con-
.lderable amounts, to purchase uban Bonds
as they have been called-issued by Lopez-
sold, doubtless at a very large discount, and
for the payment of which the public lands and
public property oil Cuba, of whatever Kind and
The fisca resources of the people and govern
ment Of that Island. from whatever source to
&c derioed, we're p cdyed--as well as the good
faith of the government expected to be estab-
iishea. All this means of rayment, it Is evil
dent, were only TO be Obtained bv a process of
hluotl>hed. war md revolution None will de-
nv. that those who set on foot military cxpedi-