The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1873-11-26
TILE LOPEZ AFFAIR.

I From the Eincinnufi Times Ncp. TN
/ During the present excitement .over Gin.
bapaffairs, suchfrequent reference has been
trnaae 70 tile Lopez expedition. during The
Eternls II Presidents Taylor aud Fillmore.
as to make further and more accurate infor-
nation on the subjcct desirable. The case
differs 70 materially, from the one now at
issue, in sits dipleu,stic and international
sspects. that the outlines of It's history are
slIflst il necessary TO show the error Of any
coiuparisun sidall stA8gasssya ssA41 g
Lopez WAS y .natiyecf " enczuela. and hal
risen 70 considerable distinction ia The
Spanish army during the war of inaepen,
dence in that colony, finslly attaining the
rank u Major General Atthe ci.ss uf The
war be returned to Spain. taking prominent
part inihe troubles uf Isabella searly reign.
and subsequently, married wealthy Cuban
lady aud settled on the island, holding Of
hce under Captain 0eueral Valdez.
The fever of revolution which broke ont
all over the Eastern Continent ins Is4s,
comlpupicated itself 70 Lopez, and awaken
ed the idea of d revolution in Cuba which
should sever the island from Spanish rule.
His projects we're speedily discovered. and
Lopez fed to the United States. carrying
with him all bis available wealth.. Dsing
this country as base Of operations. he
planned two further expedItiuns---une m
1880. and the last IN August. 1851. In
the FIRST he succeeded in landing on Cuban
soil 1T the head Of five hundred men, bat
was.aitacksd by q snall body Of men. de-
fcated. and forced 10 re-enhurk. The sx-
pedition met with no active sympathy ofany
Importance on the island.
ln the attempt of 1851. lapding was a.
gain effected on the western extremity OF
the island. ut the town of Alorille. I.eav-
ing Colonel Critienden with u fnrce of 209
men to garrison the town. Lopez proceeded
inward. expecting 10 waken the fires If re-
violation throughout the island. In this he
was s,dly disappointed, and after success
fully rrpeIIng IN attack Of the Spanish for
ces ~ Los Pszas lie son2ht refuge 10 The
mountains. where he was soon captured aud,
taken TO Havana. In the meantime. Gol.
Crirtenden and his men had been oyerpow-
cred at Morillo. and all shot.
The course oi our government in the mat-
ter had been pronpt. aud strictly in accor-
dance with international obligations. The
absence Of any revelation IN Cuba gave to
the expedition purely pralisal color. and
being posted ~ TO is preparation 10 New
0rlea,s. President Fillmore issued pro-
clamaiion in April. 1851. warning It's ORR
ginators Of their breach Of Law and its con-
sequences. AT the tine OF the capture and
the arrest diplomatic measures we're resort
ed 10 TO mitigate. in as far as possible, the
punishment vi the Americans concerned.
though il was understood that the extreme
penalty was fully deserved by the law Of
nations Thvse sent prisoners 70 Spain
we're finally brought home az the expense of
our nation.
Tie sympathy Of the South. particularly.
and Of the country generally. was Of course
with any measure likely TO bring about the
Independence and future annexation Of Gu
ba, aud there was at the time much excite
Inent over Iopez's anil Crittepden's execu-
tim. Bot there vas NJ room TO dispute
the Justice Of the sentence. and no thought
ofprciext ofgoyernment interference. That
case no more resembles the present one
than legal execution resembles murder.