Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-10-11

spire more interest in the minds of his
judges, than when delivered from lis own
lips"
The Colonel rose and read his defence.
which appeared to be written in haste up-
on loose sheets Of paper. He protested
that he had never betrayed his honor. 4" If
the accusation" said he, " regarded only
my lite, he VINO has some tilocs led brave
men to the post Of death, would himself a.
gain face death ike a man of couri &c, and
would not occupy your attention with
the sentiments that nave directed my
conduct: but my honor is attacked as
well as my life, and l am the more
bound to defend it, as it belongs not exclu-
,sively to myself; am accountable for it
to wife, the model Of every virtue and
shall my son, in the same moment that
the Light of reason shall dawn upon his
mind, blush for his heritage 1 feel that
am able to resist the most terrible of
blows, IL can exclaim-my Honor is pre-
served.
may have been deceived, mised by
Illusions, by recollections, by false ideas of
honor It IS possible that my country may
have spoken chimerical language to my
heart
The accused declared that he had nci-
Their the intention, nor the possibility Of
denying public and notorious facts, but he
wished to justify himself against the accu-
sation of having been engaged in plot
which preceded the return of Bonaparte.
lie spoke OF the virtues ofthe King and de-
picted the enthusiasm Of the people in his
favor when he assembled the throne but,
he said that the faults of his ministers had
damped the public spirit. When he wished
to explain that gradual discomfort which
he would have argued III extenuation Of
his CRIME, the president observed to him,
that he must conine himself simply to
his defence, and not enter into political
discussions, which were foreign from
1t. 1t is not of political crime that
you are accused, sadie, but of a military
one.
. How do you expect" said Col. La
bedoyere, that l should combat notorious
IA IS, or disavow pubic actions I never
conceived such an idea and since you for
DID me to enter into an examination of the
political causes that determined the con-
duct which have to answer for before
you, renounce all further defence I will
contine myself to the acknowledgements
OF great error, and | confess it with
sorrow, when | view the deplorabIe state
OF my country My fault is, not to
have better understood the intentions of
the king"
Colonel Labedoyere made a tardy, vet
an affecting repatriation to the monarch,
which he terminated with the following
words
i have shed my blood for my country,
and am willing to believe that nv
death, preceded by my error, will be, of
some utility ; that my memory will not
be held in horror, and when my son shall
arrive at an age TO be lit tor the service
OF ms country, that mis- country will not
| "rrproach him with his name.''
| The firm and noble accent, the modest
and manly countenance, and the penetra-
ting tone of col. Labcdoyere, inspired all
| the auditors with one sentiment, which was
no doubt equally felt by tue Judges with
regret that SO many sine Qualities, which
| might have rendered the possessor the
| pride OF his Country and OF his family,
| should have Contributed but to make him
| the instrument ofan event that has cover
| ed France with the most frightful calam-
ity.
After long deliberation, the President
of the council returned into the audience
! chamber with the visible expression of
| grief, accompanied by the other judges,
| and pronounced against Col. Labedoyere,
the Sentence Of Death One of the mo-
tiyes OF the judgment was, that Col l..
had not awaited himself Of the delay of 8
days, allowed by the King to all the ac-
| complies of Bonaparle, within which term
they were suffered to return to their duty.
The Council Of IVar 7vas comhoSed Of
BERTHIER DE SAUvIGNY, AdJutant
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
VIoTTI, Chef de Battalion-Commissa-
~ Reporter
| MAzERoT DE MoNrDEsIR, Adjutant
Commandant.
DURAND, idem.
ST. JUST, Chef de Battalion.
CHEvALIER LANTIRY, Captain-Ad-
joint OF the Etat Major
VIsc0UNT GRENTER, idem.
GAUDRIoT, Officer OF Gendarmery-
Kings Attorney.
Vofe.-Col. LabedoycFc appealed from
| the judgment but the appeal was not
admitted-and the sentence was Carried
| into execution.
Nequ- York, Octo6er 1.
The French Government, it would ap-
pear from the following article, is carrying
iuto effect the decree of the King. which
denounced certain persons as traitors, and
ordered their immediate apprehension and
trial -
From the Official Gazette Of Paris,
Sunday, 2Oth august, 1915.
Colonel La Bodeyere has been con-
demned to die, by the second Council of
War, Of the first Military Division. This
decree was confirmed by the Council of
Revision, and the Colonel was accordingly