New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-23
Ex-ConsuI Owen.

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Ex-Consul Owen.
This gentleman has made anothere fort, |
through the columns of the Washington Union,
TO free himself from the stigma which he incurred
during his brief career as Consul at Havana,
but, we regret to say, that notwithstanding the
confidence he appears to feel, in having put the
finishing touch to his defence, his position before
the American people is now worse than 1t was
before. Mr.. Owen was drawn out on the last
occasion by some remarks made in the Union,
relative to the statement Of Mr.. j. S. Thrasher,
drawn up while he was in prison, but which did
not reach this country until d convenient time
after Gen. Goncha's letter had been received,
and Mr. Websters communication on the sub
iect written. The explanation which Mr.
Owen gives of this unfortunate circumstance, so
fur from clearing him of the charges of supine-
ness, and even willfuI neglect of the calls of
common humanity, will excite deeper indigna-
ton against him. The following is an extract
from Mr. Owens communication to the Union
6 In reply, please allow me to give you the
facts. The letter of Mr. Thrasher, appealing to
the Government and the people of the United
States, was written on the 21st Of November.
lie attempted to have it conveyed to me secretly
and without the knowledge of the prison police
1t was found by an officer on the person of the
negro to whom its delivery was intrusted, and
fell into the hands of the captain general. MIR.
Thrasher, learning what had happened, made a
second and successful effort in conveying to
me, in a similar way, copy of the letter.
| Immediately went to see him, and told him that
| | could not consent to receive from him commu-
nieations in writing in violation of the eondi-
tions upon which | and others, at my.interces-
sion. had been permitted to visit him. | told
/ him that would see the captain general upon
| the subject of the intercepted communication
and if he would allow its reception, | would
attend tohis request concerning it, This | sub
sequently did.
r" The captain-generald delivered the commun-
cation to me unopened, and forwarded it to the
Department of State on the ID of December
This was the first opportunity l had of sending
the original The copy | did not send, for the
reasons stated. All the papers pertaining to
the case with Mr.. Thrasher's grounds of defence
had been forwarded before"
/ We are at a loss to find any feature in the
above, on which the writer can congratulate
himself Mr. Thrasher is thrown into prison in
{, foreign land, his life in peril from the summary
action of a military tribunal He claims to be
Illegally detained, and draws up a protest
and statement to his Government, which the
representative of his country refuses to trans
init, because, forsooth the victim has violated
some prison rule in placing it in his hands.
Instead of at once writing himself, and laying
all the facts before his Government, he visits the
prisoner, after receiving his communications and
tells him that he cannot consent to receive any
thing in writing from him, under such circum-
stances Here is an explanation to be proud Of
Mr.. Owen received Mr.. Thrasher's statement on
the 23d of November, and on the Goth, the Pro-
metheus sailed from Havana for NewYork. Mr.
Webster's letter was not written unil the 18th Of
December, but up to that time, nothing but the
carefully prepared, one-sided letter of General
Concha, had been received at Washington on the
subject of Mr.. Thrasher's imprisonment After
alapse Of time, when Mr.. Owen could not but
be certain that the statement of Mr. Thrasher
would be of no avail. he transmits to Washing
ton the original document which had fallen into
the hands of the Captain General and had been
returned unopened. With a knowledge Of the
character of Spanish officials this latter cir
cnmstance appears strange. But the fact, whe-
Their the letter had been opened or not is of no
material Importance, but it strike us, that Mr..
owen in this explanation, has virtually admitted
one of the most serious charges against him
that of pusillanimity and a trucking intimacy
with the Spanish authorities. Theidea tina the
should stand upon technicahties as to the man
ner of receiving any information from Mr.
Yhrasher under the circumstances, is repulsive
| to every American feeling, and Mr.. Owen vii
never be able with such reasoning to agaiI
place himself in n favorable light before his
countrymen.
In reference to the letter received by tn,
Pieay,,ne over Mrs. T. P. Thrasher's signature
!. Mr.. Owen puts in general denial of the trutl
Of its statements, and reproduces the letter o
Mr.. Thrasher to him, prior to the departure o
the former for Spain. There is mystery abou
, this matter, which can only be cleared up b,
, Mr.. Thrasher himself, and we trust that he vii
h soon be at liberty to solve it, and more cleari,
place before the public the grounds upon which
Mr. Owen was recalled although we deem an,
. evidence he may be able to furnish entirel,
k superluous, as the administration is fully jus
c tilted by the facts already in it's possession
: furnished, indeed by Mr., Owens own attempt
. ut vmdication.
The MAlls,-The mail failed again yesterday from be
yond Charleston.
r The mail boats Wilmington and Gladiator, betwee
Wilmington and Charleston have been much damage
by the late rough weather that it has been found neces
sary lay them up for repairs The steamer Charleston
has been chartered to in this line for few days