The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-12-18
All About Cuba
be seen.


ing cllbs Of the country fully oreoped with acri-
r,onious discussion. The subject has crossed the
Atlantic, and The ponderols LonLou Times has
taken up the theme; and the gagged press OF
France is in ex>,aces 3, having found srOi jet
;hey may approach without fear OF the censor
ship. We propose 10 tshea bras eye ants Al
this question, with a view Of ascets hing PIE
eissly hoe 1t s.aads
The Crescent Ciiy,' As our readers are ware
is one q 4 liae OF Steamship tbs; ?'y between
New York and the l.thmus il Connection with
another line on the Pacific between Panama anu
California The liac is owned b. Geo Law L
Co, bat IN consideration Of receiving large bgnu.
from <hc general government, and that the linz
have the Job OF carrying the mail the steamers
are commanded By officers Of the L. ) Navy.
0us Of the officers Of the Company or the Ores
cent City is Purser Smith. Ga on, Of her rrgu I
lar tip, out abo.. the 9Th Of October While about
to cas-. anlhsr 10 the haibuE Of Havana as usual T
to leave and take on the mails, The steamer v,s +
hailed from shore with the question vhr her Pur I
ser Smith was on board, and The answer being al .
hrraiiye, size was directed not to land The rea ,
son sss gned for IL. uucourteou' oder was tina, .
Mr Smith was the author Of certain articles IN
New York paper in reference to Cuba, and that .
he was -uspes:el Q: assisting the d,saHecscd Gre
oles % tie island in corresponding with their
friends in tie l. s The order not being found,
ed on even tangible charge, was justly regard I
ed as an outrage and national INSULT aud as
such Was strongly protested agsjus, by CAPT Per /
ter then in command Of The Crescent Cry, What
! right It WAS Justly ask.l has Cuba ia dictate to
oaT steamships whom they shall or shall not EN-.
/ ploy II Purscr Smith has been guilty Of melt
( ns instruction IN lie island Of Csta De- is anne
naJls 10 the laws Of this country or Spsin. On tbs
charge being proved agaiEs; hiu. But PGTser
Smith ha, rights as well a. sny other citizen, AMI
10 demand hs dismissal RON employment when
nothing isproved against hin, would DO a mani.
feet violation Of these rights
Tho urgent call upon our government from all
/ part. Of the country 10 demand rsdfe,. f,r tie
outrage, va. answered by the p'e,len, by an
assurance ihit the proper representation. should
be made On the subject TO The go,.uuen; Of
Spain. and by directing Igdg. Corklrg our mi
mister 10 Mexico, to stop on rs way TO that cUuu
try at Havana aud enquire into lie fact, in refer
ence to lie Crescent City affair. It seems the
only result Of Judge c., mission was promise
from our government to the CaptSinGeneral O.!
Cuba ,la; Captsin Porter should be transferred
. ! Ill -.
should rot be allowed to return in any Of the mail
steamers 10 Cuba the President thus succu,L.
80 ...-i'es''y ~ .Hs -.s.uII.i=- OF CaUa, peck
sing Ut leAsi !or sll thai is known outside Of the
negotiation, with Spain, the ns;ioral insult, and
becoming party 10 tie wrJr; against Par.sr
Smith.
Meantime Hr. Smith pts,,., solemu'y bis in
nocence Of tie charges made ssains, him, aud VI
Law knowing him to be msn Of honor, AMI
good officer, refuse, to discharge him. The Cfs
cent City stars on another triP, and WHEN e.,
comes 10 land at tie island Of Cuba ID. Captain
General Is iudsGln; to End pur.rr Smith s,l. u4
board, agirnirg that he had the positive promise
of President Fillmore in lis pocket tia, plr.cr
Smith should De dismissed. A ~, Intervention
however Of cur consul, aud On hi. representation
iha., AS Mr. Smith vas an officer Of the COMPANY
The President had no power to d,mi, him, To-,
Cfe,een! City wa, permitted, OF both her cut
and return tip, to leave her mails, and al on
board were allowed to land except Pur.er Smith,
the Captain General declaring however, tina, ANY
future attempt to land with Purs.r Smith on board
would be me, by salute from Moro Castle.
Again 6 Law sieamer-,hs Ch.rokee-is abo.i
10 leave Nav York FOR the i.;hmus, when a uote
'.dies ed TO Nr. Law ly the po., IN ,i,fofy
Y. city, enguiins whe,hsr Pgi,er Smith would
sail IN board. The answer being in the ufIirma
tive, Mr. Law was informed that, in that ea... IT,.
President had directed that the mail should be
withheld from the Cherokee. Mr. Law. blood
wri up. however, aud he CneNtee sSnel with.
out The Eaails, intending 10 make her usual ,,op
pages, ~ II the mails were on beard. About the
.ins time Er Law also made ,unIry d.clsra.
ion, to Nj Maxwell, the Collector Of the port Of
New York to the effect that, il the Cherokee, in
attempting to land at Havana, should be fred
upon, size would at once be surrendered to the
Cuban authorities, whereupan the people OF the
United States would become 70 indignant that
they would commence war agains, Cuba. The
declarations are duly reported to the President,
on which that his fanc,ionary very unolheallr,
certainly, addresses ano,e 10 Mr.. Maxwell and at
Mr.. Law, giving the latter gentleman ZONE very
good advice about commencing a war on hi. own
hook, and the folly of setting himself up agains,
the government. There can be no question but
Mr.. Law, in attempting to force Parser Smith
INTO Havana against tie wish VI hi. government,
although abstracllv in the right, acted impra
IDENTIFY. lie should have submitted a, once. Rl,
ihe Pre,lden: hlmSelftasins the pain, to tell him
So ia another matter. |, objectionable whether
this extreme act Of presidential conj-.ccnsion wa,
not asgro"a burdcr a. that Of Mr. Law.
Bn, the warlike demonstrations u Mr.. La.
have happily net resulted in any thing very SER ,
Gus The Cherokee was allowed peacefully To ,
enter Havana, Mr. purser Smith having affirm
cd his innocence Of thecharss. alleged against him
10y an affidavit with which the Captain General
has expressed himself entirely satisfied
Thus peacefully ended the Creseen, Cit, diff .
Guilty but while that was yet pending. A new f,
cause ofcxcitement about Cuba made il. appcar y
ance which in importance infinitely overshadows
la Gt..t0l