Winchester gazette. [volume] (Winchester, Va.) 18??-1826, 1822-04-13
FROM THE RICHMOND EsauiREk.
CASE OF COMMODORE BARRON.

CASE OF COMMODORE BARRON.
We have received from Washington a
pamphlet OF Ill pages, containing ''Procse-
d,ngs OF Cour. OF E"eni'y held at the
Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N York, upon capt.
James Barron, oil The U. s. Navy."-Iti.
introduced by the following note:
NAVY DEPARTMENT, Mar. IS.
The following proceeding. are published
at The request of Captain Barron aud this
request W Juld have been complied with at
any time here ,otore, had i, been made. They
have been Withheld from the pubic for no
other reason than an impression that pub.
LEGATION without the consent Of Captain Bar
ron, would he improper, uotil final deci.
sion made in his case.
The warrant tor converting the court, af.
ter specifying the alleged Conversation with
Mr.. Lyon at Psrnambuco as one of the
charges against Com. Barron, states the o.
Their charge TO be that " at the expiration of
the said term Of suspension of the saio ].
Barron, to wit, on the 9Th day of February,
1913, the Uni!ed States being war with
Gr.a, Britain, he, the said James Barron,
was in foreign country, and continued to
absent himself from the United States, on
til the conclusion ofthe war, and for long
time thereafter, contrary to his duty as an
officer OF the navy OF the United States
"A vsi,e,y OF testimony is adduced on both
these allegations much more on the last
than ON the hrst-afier which, the court
make out 4" statement of the circum
stances OF the case, from which, as well from
the testimony from which it is drawn, 1t
sufficiently appears, thai no blame can at.
tsch te Com. Barron for not returning to
the U. s. during the war with g. B.-'The
period subsequent TO this epoch, is dispatched
IN the following brief paragraph, being the
last one IN the 6. Statement"
No evidence hes been produced to the
cour; to show what deteised CapsAin Barron
IN Europe, after the ratification Of the treaty
of psace bstweeu the United States and
Great Britain in 1915.
ga ths next day it appears the court met,
pursuant to adjournment: proceeded fur.
ther to deliberate upon The case, and efter
mature consideration thereof pronounced the
following.
OPINION.
The court is Of opinion, thst the CONVEX.
sation. alleged to have taken place between
Captain James Barron, and Mr.. Lyon, the
Brush consul at Psrnsmhuco, in the year
1909. has not been proved.
And The court lie further of opinion, that
although the evidence produced by Captain
sire to return 20 the United States at Ger.
tain periods, and the difficulty OF accom-
piisbiug his wishes, yet the court is o. opini.
on, that the evidence OF nis inability to re-.
turn sooner than re actually DID, is no.
satisfactory and it is therefore the opinion
of the court, that his absence from the u.
nited States, without the permission OF the
government, wat contrary to his duty as an
| officer of the Navy of the United States"
Here the matter rests.-lt does not ap-
| pear, that the President has passed defDitiye.
/ ly upon this opnlOp-either oissented from
1t, or called a new court to try Com. Barron,
for breach of his 6. duty"
The Statement Of the coart, we shall try
to publish IN our next-tht OPINION itseifis
Vsgue and equivoca'. II the periods are GER
tain, when he wished to return to the u
S. but could not, why did they not slecis,
teen WHY did they not say q. once,
p, omptiy and frankly, that it was during the
war witt G. Britain, he wss unable TO re-
turn :? 1t was that period, during which
his voluntary absence would have been so
reprehsn5ible. 1t was that delay which
Com. Decatur selected "a one of the great
charges against him. They ought to have
di-ting uished that period, as the warrsEt of
the Secretary of The Navy had done, from
his subsequent absence-And when thew
came to his last period. they ought TO have
Sho1on that under al! the circumstances of
the case his absence was Sc contrary 10 his
duty as an officer, in the Navy of the U. S %
He had applied by letter from Copenha,
gen To he called unto service but his appii.
cation had been passed by in silence, thst
bOrdeTed on fcUrD.
Even admitting him to nave been thus far
guilty of breach of duty, yet is it 20
great and objectionable sin as TO doom him
for ever 10 punishment from active employ.
ment !? Mr.. Monroe is too just InsH to let
things remain in their present situation.
At all events, some dsfnItive step ought to
be taken in the case.
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