The San Francisco call., 1898-04-20
PART

The success of the revolution in
 Texas in 1886, and the subsequent ad- | mission of the acquired territory as a
 State into the Union, engendered a l spirit of adventure, especially in the Southern States, Texas and California, 1 that broke out in full force at the close of the war with Mexico. On our coast | William Walker, the "grayeyed man of destiny" led flibustering expedi- tions, first into Lower California, and 1 afterward into Nicaragua, while Henry A. ,Crabb invaded Mexico with his party. Both met similar fate. Walker was captured and shot to death at Trujillo and Crabb at Cavorca.
 On the Atlantic side the island of | Cuba became an object of general inter- est, and so early as the commencement of the term of President Taylor some adventurous spirits, believing that its annexation would be of advantage to the United States, and that it's in habitantS only awaited an opportunity to throw off the Spanish yoke, prepared to make an armed descent on the isl and, but the President, in proclama
 
 our citizens against violating the neu- trality laws by engaging in such an en- terprise. The warning was disregarded and an armed expedition was secretly organized, under General NarcisO Lopez, a native of Venezuela At an early age he had Sympathized with the independence of the South American States, though he had served in the army of the King of Spain, from which he retired in 1922 with the rank of colonel. He had lived in Cuba, and when he landed in the United States in 1S49, represented that the people of the island were ripe for revolution, and that glory and emoluments awaited those who would go to their assistance. The first expedition that he organized sailed in 1850 in the little steamer Creole and effected landing at Car denas on May 19. The place was easily taken, but finding that the Cubans nor any of the Spanish troops were dis posed to join them, as had been repre- Sented, 1t was deemed best to re- embark within twentyfour hours after the landing. In going out of the har- Dor the Creole attempted to pass through an unfrequented channel and grounded. She lay there several hours, and while in that position Spanish man-of-war came by and looked in, but not seeing the Creole in the usual channel or in the harbor, supposed that she had gone out in the night, and inn mediately steered for Key West, natur- ally concluding that the Lopez com pany would make for that port. The Spanish war steamer reached Key West first, and not finding the Creole, left early the next morning. There are two entrances to the harbor of Key West-one called the southeast and the other the southwest, an island lying between them. The Spanish steamer, fortunately for the Creole adventurers, left Key West by the southeast chan nel, and after rounding the point of the island discovered the Creole making for the harbor by the other channel under a full head of steam. Then commenced a race which involved the lives of seV- eral hundred men.
 The Creole succeeded in reaching the channel before the Spanish steamer could bring her guns to bear, but she followed her into the harbor and the Creole would probably have been sunk but for the presence of the United States revenue cutter Marcy, which happened to be at Key West. The Gre ole was stopped by the health officer and while lying to the war steamer passed her with ports open, guns Shotted and the gunnerS ready with the matches. But as she took her position between the Creole and the wharf the revenue cutter ran up the American flag and placed herself so as to protect the Lopez steamer and beat to quarters. This demonstration un- doubtedly saved the filibusters. After the health officer left her the Creole made her way slowly to the wharf, and in three minutes after she touched every man that had been in her was on shore.
 On the 3d of August, 1851, Lopez sailed from New Orleans with a party of 4S0 men in the steamer Pampero, de- spite all the precautions that had been taken to prevent the departure of the expedition. The party landed without opposition on the night of the 11th at PlaytuS, twenty leagues from Havana. The main body of the force marched to Las PoZaS, an inland village, under the command of Lopez, leaving about 100 men under Colonel William s. Crit tenden in charge of the stores and un- necessary arms. AS on the occasion of the first expedition the expected up- rising of the Cuban people did not take place. The day after the landing Crittenden was attacked by the Span ish troops-a force too strong for him ana a1ter struggle withdrew rom the field, and finding that Lopez did not come to his rescue, resolved to return to the United States. They procured their small boats and had just got to sea when they were followed and cap- tured on the 18th by Spanish war steamer. They were taken to Havana, summarily tried, and on the 17th Crit tenden and fifty-two of his men were shot. The main body was dispersed on the 24th and their leader, Lopez, was executed on September 1. The prisoners who were not shot were transported to Spain and afterward pardoned.
 The news of the execution of the ffty-two Americans created most profound sentiment of sympathy and indignation in the United States, par ticularly in the South and in Califor- mia. Large meetings were held in the principal cities, at which inf1ammatory speeches were made and hostile reso- lutions passed. In New Orleans the public feeling against the Spaniards ran so high that very serious riot oc- cured, during which the Spanish Con- sul was obliged to seek safety in flight and the office of the Spanish news paper, La Union. was destroyed Large