Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-03-28
REMoNSTRANCE OF AMERICAN
CITIZENS AT HAVANA.

CITIZENS AT HAVANA.
The U. s. Mail steam ship Crescent City ar.
rived at New York the 18th, having left IA.
vana on the l4th. The government authorities
were still in possesian the Black Waryior.
The following is the remonstrance of tho
American citizens in Havana against the se;z.
ure of the Black Warrior:
To the Hon. YIN. /. MarcY Secretayv of
Stdte:-The undersigned visters of the Island
of Cuba, OF residents Of Havana and citizens of
the United States, most respectfully but earn.
estly ask the attention of the Executive of opr
country to the unexpected interruption of our
intercourse with home by the late treatmen.
OF the Spanish authorities towards the Amer.
lean steamer Black Warrior, OH her toucbinc ~
the port of Havana during her passage from
Mobile to New York.
This steamer has been regularly PASSING al.
ternately from the port of New York to the
port of Mobile, touching OF Havana to land and
receive passengers from either of the above
ports, for the last eighteen months, and durino
that time she has made thirtysix trips, and on
each trip she has been visited by the officers of
the Spanish Government as she entered the
harbor, and without breaking bulk, and with
out landing, or intending to land, any cargo or
other thing beside passengers, she has been
allowed to depart from the harbor upon the
payment of the dues required to be paid as
steamer in transtu and in ballast. amounting
on each arrival, to about ninety dollars. That
the steamers manifest has invariably been
made as in ballast, as nothing was Intended e.
be landed in Havana; and the steamer has
thus been entered and discharged, enjoying
from Government and its officers such favors
md IL, al r
tons allow to passenger steamers. That such
facilities have been granted without objection,
aud received with becoming acknowledgment,
and with belief that they would be couti ucco55,
and no commercial regulations dis urbed, while
the citizens of both counties woull be benefit
ted. That this transit intercourse was unknown
at the time the friendly treaty was made BY the
two governments; and forms subject more
contemplated by that treaty, AMI which rests
upon law which a kind regard for the spirit
of that treaty indicates, and the usage which
has become fixed by practice and assent for
period sufficient to establish custom, which
could not have an article in the treaty. because
the whole subject has been created since the
treaty was ratified. That the intercourse be-
tween the two counties has become so estab-
lished, and the steamers which regularly per-
form their trips so available to the undersigned
ami Others OF their cOuntrymen for the purpose
OF business. health or pleasure, that they did
not contemplate change of policy on the part
OF the Spanish authorities at Cuba, except
such as should be made in the spiritof the treaty
which made the two governments friendly ma
tons, and certainly that they would suffer no
interruption in their pursuits and no embarrass-
ments IN their commercial relations, until a no
tice of change of policy should be given
Bat the underSi gned are informed by J. ID. Bull
lock, the commander of the steamer, while the
course of the commander has been uniformly
the same i'll entering and departing the POI, of
Havana, that on the last arrival from Mobile
the conduct of the Spanish authorit; es has been
changed towards him and the Steamer, without
notice and without provocation, and that the
steamer has been defined in the port, taken
possession OF by TIL government officials, and
most OF her caro- discharged.
1hat some of the undersigned were passen-
gers on our way from Mobile to New York,
sore on board as passengers from this port,
and some sending home letters and informa
ton: but that our purposes have been all frus-
trated, and we obliged to abandon the objccts,
we were pursuing. That in our judgment this
sudden interruption to our intercourse. WHICH
has become important and of lor star ,,ing
demands the prompt interference of or Govern,
ment. and an explanation and redress from
Her Catholic Majesty tie Qncen of Spain: and
therefore, while we are dveers in her domin-
IONS we earnestly yet most respectfully ask the
goVernmert, under whose protection we left our
own country, to demand such explanation and
re- ,ress as shall be satisfactory to great and
! honorable nation.
havana de Cuba, March 4th, 1854.
Signed by all the American residents in
Havana