The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-11

brought La Fayette, Kosciusko, De Kalb, and
host of others, to the aid of our fathers in their
revolutionary struggle; and the President marke
their devotion by proclamation which branded
them as pirates and deprived them of rights se-
cured to American citizens, by treaty, and AS
enemies of mankind, not only surrendered them
to Spanish cruelty, but to be slain by whomso-
ever might find them.
A gall mt band of these brave youths, dis D.
pointed in the hopes and expectations which had
induced them to land on tire Island Of Cuba,
abandoned the expedition, and started for the
United States They were csptured in open
boats, upon the open sea and without the trial
to which they were entitled AZ pirates, to an ig-
nominious death. That the intelligence of such
an outrage should have excited their friends in
New Orleans, to such demonstration as was
made, was but little, if at all, to be wondered at
And as it flu nished the cause 80 it supplied the
only explanation which the Spanish government
should have received. Lopez, citizen Of Cuba,
sought to free his country from the despo,ism
of Spain; and, whatever were his faults, he seal
ed his devotion to the cause of his country's lib
erty with his lfe's blood Kossutn, citizen Of
Hungary made a. like effort to free his country
from the despotism Of Austria; but, more for
tunate than Lopez, avoided the grave by becom
ing an exile. He then compared The course of
the President in reference to the two. Lopez.
arraigned after he had sunk into a patriots
grave, n martyr to his country liberty Kossuth
welcomed, and the guest of the President. The
crime of Lopez, if it consisted in the attempt to
raise men and money in the United States diff.
fered in nothing from the purpose which Kos
suh had avowed, whether the mind be directed
to the voluntary contributions 10 each ca Q, or
loan to be negotiated on the bonds Of the gov
a ~ t.I a. -
lowers of Lopez were pirates, and those who
advanced money for the expedition were worse
than those who participated in it, " hat will be
the character of such as advance money to the
Hungarian project, and of those adventurous
youths who may follow Kossuth back, to aid
him in his patriotic purpose and what will be
the position of the President, whose course will
probably have so mainly contributed to lead
each class to the line of conduct supposed
Before the blood of the gallant Crittenden
and his companions had been washed from the
pavement Of Havana the murder of those Amer
icans whose last words proclaimed their coun-
try's pride in refusing to kneel or turn their
backs, when about to be executed seems to
have been forgotte by the functionaries OF our
government, as an injury demanding redress !;
for the outrage is not even mentioned in maxi
ing application to Spain for mercy to those who,
in violation of treaty rights, were sentcnced and
sent convcts to Africa.
Tie noticed also the case Of Ihrasher, and
compared ii with the case of Mcleod, who in
vaded our territory, cnt out an American steam
err set it on fire. and turned it adrift, TO bear its
sleeping inmates to destruction over the Falls of
Niagara. He referred to the days of Gen. Jack
son, when the exclamation. | am citizen of
the United States" WIS as proud boast as
tbo yorIo in al, H., ( I
citizen" He spoke of the conduct of General
Taylor in relation to the American prisoners
captured at Cardenas, when he demanded that
they should bereguarly tried accordirg to treaty
stipuations, and directed the American consul
at Havana, to state that the Spanish government
would be held responsible for the blood of one
American citizen; and contrasted il with the
conduct of Mr.. Fillmore, in relation to the un.
fortunate youths who had been executed on the
plaza of Havana without The pretence that they
had received the trial 10 which they were clear
~ entitled. H. said there was no power-he
could imagine no influence, which could make
him the apologis;s of such acts; but connected
IA they are with others which more than sug.
gest the idea Of sectional prejudice, as having
given them their hue, he found IA an American,
as Southern man, and Democrat, 80 much
to reprobate, that he should feel himself degrad-
ed if he had been the eulogist of such an ad-
ministration.
He invoked the Democrats to Cancellation
and harmonious cooperation. No mans dsap-
pointments should be to him an obstruction no
mans prospects should be counted more than
dust in the balance no personal feeling should
be an obstacle to that re union which is neces.
sary to secure the countrys good, by securing
those measures which every Democrat believed
would best promote it,