The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-12-12
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Fsllop Citi.ensof the Senate
and oCthc House Of Rcprcsen!al,res: |

and ofthc House Of Representatives,:
congra,ulate you and our cImr.on c"n-
sti,uency upon the favorable auspices Under
which you meet for your first session. Onr
country is at peace with all the world. TN"
agitation which. for n time. threatened I"
disturb the fra,ernal relntions which max"
US one people. is fast subsiding; and year
of general prosperity and health hos crown
ed the nation with unusual blessings. None
can took back to the dnngers which nr"
passed, or forward to the bright prospect
before us, without feeling q thrill Of grnt'-
ficaliOn. a, the same time that ne must b'
Impressed with n ratpfu' sense "' our pros
s.ound ohlgations 10 ben!icen' Providence,
.whase pal"rnal care is :" monl'"S' IN me
isppness Of this highly favored Iand.
Since the close Of the last Congress, Ger
>tain Cubans and other foreigners resident IN
the United Sta 'es, who were more or. 'esS
concerned in the previous invasion oE CGha,
instead of being discouraged BY its fal'nTo.
have again abused the hospitality o' THIS
country. by making il the scene OF the
e0ninment of another military expedition
against that possession of her Catholic ma
jesty, in which they were corn'enrncoh.
aided and joined by citizens of the United
States. On receiving intelligence that such
designs were entertained, lost no time IN
issuing such instructions to the proper DIN"
GERS of the United States as seemed to he
called for bv the Cccasnn. Bv tho proch,
.nation. n copy of which is herewith SUBJ
mitted, also warned those who might be IN
danger Of beng inveiglcG into this scheme
of its unla wful character. and "f the penal
ties which they would incur. For some time
ttere wns reason TO hope that these niens'
ures had sulliced to prevent any such at
tempt. This hope, however. proved to b"
deiusive. Very early in the morning ol the
third of August, a s'ram'r called the PAM
per0, departed from New Orleans for G. lhn. e..
having oa board upwards OF four hundred
armed men, with evident intentions To make
war upon the authorities of the island. Thrs
EXPEDITION was set on fno' 10 pelp1h'c vl"-
iI.liun OF the laws Of the United States. It's
leader wns a Spa niard. mad several ot tn"
chief officers and some Others engaged IN
it. were foreigners. The persons comnos-
ing it. however, were mostly ckiAens OF me
United States.
Before the expedition SGT ont, and prnbn-
Aly before it was organized, slight msnr-
recllonary movement. which appears 10
i,ave been sooE suppressed. had taken place
in the eastern quarters df Cuba. The i'm.
po,tance of this movement was unfortunate.
4y so much exaggerated IN ike accounts OF
it published in this country. ihat these od'
ventUrces seem to hnvc been led I" believe
-lhst .Li Creole p"pula'inn oi the i>'ann h"'
onIv desired to throw off the authority OF
the mother country, bu, had resolved upon
that s,ep, and had begun Il well concerted
enterprise for efrc,ing it. The persons en-
r,ced in the expedition were generally
vouop and III informed. Tie steamer IN
which they cmhnrkcd left New Orleans
s,eallhily and without n clearance. AMER
touching nt Key West, she proceeded to tn"
coast Of Cuba. and, IN the night b''wee"
the nth and l2lh Of August. landed the
persons on board at PIaytas, within sboC'
twenty leagues Of Havana.
The main body proceeded to. ana took
possesson Of nm inland village, SIX leagues
distant. leayine Gthers to ii,llow in charge
of the baggage, ns soon as the means o'
,ranspor,nt,on could be ob,nned. The la''
ter. having taken up their line Of march ~
connect themselves with The main body. an"
having proceeded nbont four leagues 'nt"
the comniry, were attacked on the morning
of the 18Th, BY body Of Spanish E"ops'
and bloody conflict ensucd, after winch
thev re,reatcd to the place at dlsemba, ka.
tion, where about fifty Of them Obtained
boats nd re embarked therein. They were.
however, intercepted among the keys near
the shoe by a Spanish steamer cruising on
the coast, captured and carried TO Havana
and. after being examined before military
court, were sentenced TO be publicly eXecn>
Ted. and the sentence was carried into elect
on the l6 h Of August. .,
On receiving information OF what ma
occurred, C"mmodore FoXhnll a. ParRer
wos instructed to proceed in the steam frl"
pate Saranac to Havana, and inquire INTO
the charges against the persons executed
tho circumstances under which thev were
taken. and whatsoever referred to their tri-
nj and sentence. Copies Of the instructions
from the Department OF State TO MN. ana
of his letters to that Department, are here
with submitted.
According to the record Of the exnmlna-
tion. the prisoners all admitted the olf'rces
CHARGED against them, of beng hos'ie IN
v,de-, of the island. At the time of their
,,;,I and execution the main body of the m
v,dsrs vas still r the field, making war
upon the Spanish authorities and Spanish
subjects. After the lapse of some days. oe-
inc overcome by the Spanish troops, they
distressed on the Oath of August; Lopez.
their leader. was captured some days after.
and executed on the lst of Sep'ems'r.-
Manv of his remaining followers were XII
led or died of hunger and fatigue, and the
rest were made prisoners. or these. none
arro,r 10 have been tried or executed Sc.
syeral Of them were pardoned upon app''ca-
,;on Of their friends anG others. and the rest.
.bout one hundred and sixty in number
were sent to Spain. or the ina disposition
made of these We have co official inform"
Iion. r a., ;I,,,
Such is the melancholy result OF TINS ',ie'
coI and ,ll.fa,ej expedition. Thus, thought
less Young men have been induced oy 'n'se
And fraudulent representations. TO vI"la'e
the law of their country. through rash ava
uufonnded expectations of nss'sl,ns TO &c.
complish political revolution ~ o'he' o'a'e> t
and have lost their lives in the underlas-
ing. Too severe judgment can na'd'y DC
Aassed, by the indignant sense o' the com
L.ts.