Daily American telegraph., 1852-01-01
from the New York SUM-
The Case OF Mr.. Thrasher.

live 70 tno case Ot MI. Jonn o. lnrasner, recent
ly laid before Congress, we cannot find the first
particle Of evidence of crime committed by Mr..
Thrasher against the Spanish government. Gen.
Concha's letter to Senior Calderon dc la Barca the
Spanish Minister at Washington, contains not
single fact proving reasonable acts the part Of
Mr.. Thrasher. Mr.. Webster, though he treats
Congress and the American people to an elabor-
ate disquistion on the allegiance and subjection
due from persons residing in foreign countries to
the governments and laws thereof, does not ad-
duce the slightest positive evidence that Mr..
Thrasher committed the treason for which he has
been tried and condemned, or that he has forfeited
his rights as an American citizen. Gen. Con-
cha's letter is evasve, while Mr. Webster's letter
is apologetical--a defence Of the proceedings of
the Spanish authorities, and of the unenergetic
policy OF the American government.
Gen. Concha does not claim that Mr.. Thrasher
was naturalized subject Of Spain. He indi-
rectly admits that he was obliged to cease the
publication of the "Faro Industrial" on the
ground of his not being a naturalized subject;
and the fact that Mr. Thrasher resided so long in
Cuba, without perfecting his naturalization, as
by law he should have done long ago, shows that
he was careful not TO dyest himself of his rights
as native-born citizen of the United States.
And what is the kind Of evidence which General
Concha desires Senior Calderon de la Barca to
present to the American government as a.justif-
cation of Mr.. Thrashers treatment and as
reason why the United States government should
not interfere? 1t is contained in the last para
graph of his letter. and reads thus:
81 think that what have said, together with
such other reflections as cannot fail to present
themselves to the enlightened mind of your excel
lency, will suffice, undoubtedly, to give ample
satisfaction to all the reclamations which the
government of the Union may address to you on
i ,ipIsp hat q.
the first case Of the kind that has occurred on
this island and thatit relates to an individual who
has been for q long time branded by public opin-
ion, as the instigator and promoter of conspra-
cies for the purpose Of overthrowing the order of
things, being notoriously known as the correspon-
dent Of flibuster journals published in the United
States, and for being connected with all those
who are disaffected towards the government.
Even his own countrymen acknowledge the JUS
tice of the sentence since his revolutionary sem
timents and tendencies were manifest to ALL"
Exactly Mr.. Thrasher's case is without
precedent, not only in Cuba, but in any country
in the world. For "a long time" Mr.. Thrasher
(" was branded by public opinion" (this means
by Catalan clique in Havana who sought his
ruin,) and that "public opinion has suficed to
consign him to eight years exile in Spain or
Africa, to mingle with the vilest of felons and
labor with galley slaves. Oh, but he was "no-
toriously known as the correspondent of the fill
buster journals published in the United States.''
OF course this notorious knowledge needed not to
be supported by proofs. 1t did not consort with
Spanish military law to doubt the accuracy of
that notorious knowledge. 1t was enough that
Mr.. Thrasher had become obnoxious to the "pub-
lie opinion of the Galatians of Havana to secure
his condemnation. But Mr.. Thrasher was held
in high esteem by the Creole Cubans, and that
also was crime enough The Creoles do not con-
slider the government of Cuba all it should be,
and the man or men they esteem must be traitor
This is Spanish logic-and logic with ven
geance
We have now General Concha's authority for
asserting that "disaffection towards the govern
ment, exists on the island and that disaffection
30 disturbs the government, that it immolates
Mr.. Thrasher to its fears. Now, there are two
" three Spaniards employed in publishing papers
n the United States and in every issue Of these
oapers the government, institutions, and people
,f this country are abused most yulgarly and
fiercely at times Ii the United States govern
ment should execute vengeance on these foreign
traitors, as vengeance has been executed upon
MIR. Thrasher, would it be received by the Span
sh government as a sufficient excuse, that these
men had "long been branded by public opinion
rs enemies to the constitution, laws and govern
ment Of the United States? Would the excuse
Justify the conduct of our government in the
eyes of other nations?
But Mr.. Thrasher never published line in the
. Faro Industrial" prejudicial to the government
If the Island of Cuba. He could not do it even
,ad he been disposed. And suppose he had writ
en letters to American journals, which has not
,een proved that would be no crime against
spain, unless proof Of their criminal character
md object was adduced. We have already stated
hat Mr.. Thrasher never corresponded with the
: Sum-" as he was charged by his judges But
says Gen. Concha, Mr.. Thrasher's own. country
men acknowledge the justice Of the sentence,
since his revolutionary sentiments and tendencies
were manifest to all" Yes, probably Mr. Owen,
and certainly the editor Of the aNew York Courier
and Enquirer" acknowledge, if not the justice, at
east the good policy of the sentance. These are
the only countrymen we know of-except, per-
haps, some few friends of the eadministration-who
the justice of the sentence. 1t may
appear to these " countrymen" that Mr.. Thrash
er's sentence was most just, because he did not
forswear all his republican-beg pardon-revolu-
tionary sentiments and tendencies the moment he
took up his temporary abode under despotic
government.
Whatever facility some Americans may display
in diyesting themselves of all such sentiments
and tendencies when they visit foreign countries,
MIR. Thrasher evidently cannot lay claim to such
Chameleon-like qualities. He seems TO have
clung not only to his American citizenship, but
to the sentiments of justice and humanity in
stilled into his mind from infancy to manhood
He loved his country and his countrymen. To
do them good was his delight. When he who
should have been foremost in relieving the dis
tresses and wants of unfortunate Americans held
back in churlish Indifference, Mr.. Tbrasher's
sympathy was active, warm and liberal Little
was he suspecting that his humanity towards his
countrymen was helping to strengthen that "pub.
lie opinion" which branded him as traitor and
secured his condemnation. Much as he knew Of
Spanish malice and injustice, he was not pre-
pared to find his natural sympathy made the evil