The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1871-12-30
The Boy Butchery at Havan,

speak out, In audible tones, on fbSi
most Infamous act of brutality l fos
denouncing which in appro5yia I1l
terms, the conductor Of this io ,ps
nal was threatened with assas sio
ton. We refer to the slaugbier a.
| Havana, of the poor BOYS who 5o >
! the misfortune to be native sons % W
| Americans. -" VI
/ Dark as was every phase Of fin
dismal tragedy, investigation bno
! given to it a still darker bue onS
now it stands out from the bisto rH
OF our times the most conspicIor5
incident of human depravitv md
barbarism-the most cruel and NM
forgivhble act Of savage fury, on oI
which this or any other AGE SinCo
the dawn of Christianity has ~
bear the burden and disgrace, .'I
It has now been discovered that
even the pretext, utterly unsatis.
factory in its most exaggerafo5
sense, OF a dissertation of the tomb
of the Spanish bravo, who has bean
sought to be made d hero of BY fbo
numbering rabbIe, Is without thg
slightest foundation in fact. Tbe
tomb and urn were found unbnrt
and the remains were undisturbed
Even the priest who was a witness
of the boyish freak, out 81 which
this wretched fiction was manufac.
tured, testified to this fact, and in.
dignantly denounced the cruelty Of
the, action of the court martial.
II has been pretended that tho
Spanish authorities were driven by
the violence of the, mob into the
sanction of these proceedings that
the acting Governor and General
in command of the regular troops,
were held in duress and compelled
to execute this vengeance of the
volunteer rabblo. We are not so
well satisfied that any force or
menace, which would excuse any
honest and firm official for submit.
ting to an unlawful and disgraceful
demand of an excited mob, was
employed in this case. We do not
credit the pretence, an after
thought, OF duress. The letter Of
Valmasoda, written from his camp
fully approved the action which
had been taken by his subordf-
mates, and was we'll calculated to
stimulate and aggravate the pas
sions and brutal Instincts of The
mob. This letter connects the
Vioe-Royal Government OF Cuba
with this terrible tran saction. The
Spanish officials and the Govern.
mont of Madrid must therefore be
held responsible to the world for
the enormous crime against civil
zation. ag@ @~ u @~ .....
If it has been done in violation
Of the laws Of Spain and without
tho authority Of her government,
jhe only expiration which can salts
y the Judgment of mankind wilIbe
The punishment, a signal ven
yeance, promptly inflicted upon
tho perpetrators of this foul out.
age. IT, however, Spain has not
he will or tho power to vindiCate
Ter authority or her right to DO
recognized as q civilized power in
Cuba, then let her abandon her
to the nation which
viii restrain tho barbarism of her
abble, and punish their crimes
.gainst humanity and public law
The United States can never
tand by indifferent and inactive
7hen such scenes are enacted OIL
lost within sight Of her Shores
nd the European power in whose
ame they are done proclaims its
nbecility, or it's insonsibility.
The failure to punish tho boy
utchers ought to be accepted and
,eated by our Government asa
ritual surrender Of Spanish gu
lority over the Island. With
thor confirmatory evidences OF tho