Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-08-28
a few days since, 7 take this opportu.

teW DAYS s11e, ! take this ODDortu.
nlty OF giving you detailed acc0un; OF
Il, with foil permission 10 publish II 1T
he. columns OF your useiu Fdrrago---
you see proper 10 ID SO L. the ealy
J4rt OF last week, vas Accidentally
EASING one o ysur cross streets, WHEN
encOun.e. "a pro - -siun oi negro
ncn, moving oh ia perf:ctiy gtoj o.
Ter, with sorrowlai aHl dJWncd,
lDoks They WIRE he'd by a stout ~
gro, whose ~napsack was VIII storc,I
It'll WHIT took to be- .llu or wheat
Upon tins sack sto)d two hun he's OF
rods, disposed ~ 10 u1ta,tef,h nan
Ger. Each o. tn: prtv4tcs vas armed
with what IS generally styled tough
hickory; instead, however, OF carry
,ng these arms at u shoulder, or 'rah.
or some other military position, eaci.
one was seen, attimcs, to hfandish nis
weapon, as IT IN the act q! try ng It's
metal upon some convenient tree or
post I'nls exercise, have reason to
believe, was not performed voluntarl
" The rear was brought up by u
" bite gcnilrma armed with the mur
derous weapon, commonly called cow
sklu' HIS part of the exercise was
performed i'll an extremely awkward
manner. His eyes were fixed on the
ground, very unsoldier-Ilke--his pace
irregular; and his whole department
betrayed SYMPTOMS of shame aud con
fusion. From these circumstances,
inferred, that he had either been lately
pI omoed, or was acting rs substitute
for some one better skilled in the ser
vice. Tee latter of these supppsitions
! found, on INQUIRY, 10 be correct. AT
ter traycrslng the town twice or thrice
in tins manner, exhibiting themselves
almost IN every street and alley, they
at length arrived at that "terror of evil
dorss," which stands in front of our
court house Here the scene changes
WHAT | before took for sport and IA
muscment, was here turned to some
thing OF a more serious and shocking
nature. Humanity shudders at the
spectacle here exhibited. Ths poor
negro captain was tucked up ard cru
ely dashed by his fellow servants for
| speak no longer by allegory) Why
the comman ler-in chief wa, not pre-
sent, ! have not been abb. certainly to
ascertain Shame would be good ex-
cuse. In Justice to the officer, from
whom o. gina ed the orders for exeru-
ting these heroic deeds, | shall not for
get tc inform YOU that the slave, thus
logged, had stolen the provision which
he carried on his back. Thus / have
given youa plain, minute statement of
this transaction without opinion or
comment. | leave tito you aud your
,readers to decide, whether it deserves
an illumination. or tar barrel set 81
fire, with an eflisy in ii? I ,ball here
conclude by submitting few que
ries t. those whom it may concern:
Was the punishment npportioned to
the crime, according to the principles
OF pjy and humanity? j. il Just to
make one slave inf ct punishment on
another for comes committcd against
the master? Was permission obtained
f ON The proper authority for using the
puolic whipping posi- Ifnot, was il,
not u,IaN fnt to use it in this manner?
Whe,her was tIE. spectacle most DIS
gracetu TO thu owner, the slave, or the
people Of Martinshurg? What i'm
preston woali it have made upon the
mind of an Enslishman or Northern
er, passing by at the tlme? In fire,
was it not gross insult offered to our
town, which deserves both the notice
and cen>ure Of the public? We APP
peal to those noble, generous, and hu-
name principles, which should govern
every free and enlightened American
in the decision Of these questions. The
T people # our town should he interest
cd in this matter. for more signal in
su't twas never offered them. \ Mere
overir is disgrace 10 our state. which
a whole years Boosting of Virginia
hospitality will not be able to eflace
AN EYE WITNEss