The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-10-14
CUBA AND REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS

country intended to aid revolutionary move
ments in that island, is notorious Its policy,
of course, is to foster such movements, TO mag
Nifty them, to excite the public mind both here
and in Cuba, and to exhibit the conduct of the
authorities there in the worst light And it
may be fairly presumed that its secret agents
are disposed, in the furtherance of its schemes,
to take advantage of the facilities of commercial
and social intercourse between Havana and the
principal seaports in our country.
Nearly all the arrivals lately have brought
news of discomfort instructions revolutionary
attempts, on one side, and the most arbitrary
and severe measures of repression on the other.
Lately there have been demonstrations Of
hostility towards certain American vessels, and
the sympathizing press among us, without in
curing whether such vessels had not given
provocation to the Spanish authorities, has de-
nounced such hostility in the fercest terms
calling upon our Government for retaliation
The ship Cornelia," says the New York Tn
btne, "was arrested and searched in the har-
Dor of Havana, ON the charge of having
passenger on board, without passport. The
man was sought for, and not found but in his
stead another, who was provided with pass
port was seized, dragged from the protection
of the American flag, and cast into prison
More than this the letter-bag of the ship was
broken open and ransacked and those letters
which the police suspected of evil, were taken
from, N, ttarS poxu stand fhis iS in tolar-
able. A more decided outrage could not be
committed upon our flag; and we wait impa-
tently for further explanations from the other
party"
Is it not probable that the provocation was
great Might not this vessel have carried
some agents or missiles to the revoutionists of
| Cuba, from the revolutionary organization in
this country The Spanish authorities have
no right to violate our flag but that flag ought
not to be abused for the purposes of propaganda
ism. We do not say it was in this case but
before suffering ourselves to be carried away
by passion, let us wait till we hear both sides
Another alleged outrage is, the exclusion of
the Crescent City, Captain Porter, from Ha-
vana The statement, as transmitted by tele-
graph from New Orleans, is as follows:
Nelc Orleans, October Capt. Porter, of
the steamer Crescent City the arrival of which
here was telegraphed to you yesterday, has
made statement of the proceedings at Havana,
in regard to the refusal of the Captain General
of Cuba to permit his vessel to enter the har-
bor or land either passengers or mail. He
hot tha itu haA ua
vana, she was met by the boarding officers at
the mouth of the harbor, who motiOned that
she should not enter which Capt Porter dis
regarded and proceeded to the anchorage. The
boarding officers then came on board the steam
err, and finding the name of Mr.. Smith, the
Purser, on the ships articles, handed Captain
Porter an order from the Captain General that
he should leave the port Immediately.
"This order Capt Porter refused to obey be-
fore landing his passengers and the mails, and
sent protest to the Captain General but he
refused to receive any communication except
through the United States Consul. This gen.
tleman, however, was absent and in the mean
time the order to leave the port was repeated.
To the officer who brought this order, Capt.
Porter said, Then you refuse to receive either
the mails or the passengersp The boarding
officer replied, No communication of any kind
can he allowed
"The steamer then put to sea at o'clock in
Wy Capt PPorter's protest is an able and man
ly document"
Another statement is, that the order was, not
to enter the harbor, while Mr. Smith, the Pur-
ser, was on board
Doubtless this was a high handed measure
our Government ought to ascertain the reasons.
and do justice to all concerned Suppose it
should appear that the Government of Cuba is
on the brink of precipice and it needed but
the entrance of the Crescent City to overturn
it, is its exclusion, in view of such state of
things, crime! Would our Government in
similar circumstances, have been half 80 leni-
ent Every established Government is author
lied, by the law of selfpreservation, to take
necessary measures to save itself from ruin.
We are not an admirer of Spanish institu-
tions or Spanish justice. The Government of
Cuba is despotism and whenever the People
shall so decide and undertake, intelligcntly
and honestly, to put it down, they shall have
our God-speed. But, let the People act for
themselves-it is not for us to 90 providing
about the world, disturbing the peace of ma
tons, and stirring up rebellion and violence.
The organization in this country, formed with
view to revOlutiOnize Cuba and secure its an
nexation to the United States, ought to be de-
nounced by every good citizen. According to
credible accounts, it is more formidable than
the people generally seem to believe. awe
have reason to believe" says the New York
Tribune that the organization which contem-
plates the liberation of Cuba, by means chiefly
of military aid from this country, is in much
more forward state than is generally supposed.
Enlstments have taken place in most, if not
ALL of the large towns, from New York to Gin
cinnati and ST. Louis, in the West, and to
Charleston and New Orleans, in the South
Moving with secrecy, and guarding the fea-
lures of the scheme as far as possible from
publicity, this conspiracy promises itself to
avoid the errors and failure of its predecessors
With all needful funds it is supplied from Cuba
itself and from the contributions of sympathi-
zers here. At the same time, the leaders mean
to hazard nothing by hasty and immature &C.
ton, unless unexpected circumstances should
expedite the crisis"
A Geographic despatch also states that
man named McEwen has been arrested, and
held to bail in the sum of $4,000, by Judge
Mclean, on the charge of being concerned in |
getting up an expedition against Cuba, in Gin
cinnati.
In view of these things, while we contend for
the resnect due our flag and renel asaaulAs |