Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-07-13
LIEUTENANT KENNoN's TRIAL.
LIEUT.. KENNon's DEFENCE
Ir,af....y


Forget That the author q! this ANONYMOUS
ih'ec'i'e against the character and honor of
an officer, was, HIMSELF an officer, high in
rank aud public confidence, whose example
was, therefore, more Influential, and should
hh'c been moie circumspec; forget, too, for
the present., that, I'D the ordinary claims
which | had On him for fnrbearancc, was
snpcraddrd, the hitherto sacred title Of recent
SERVICE, under his Immediate command aboy.
all, forget tina, the hand that performed this
toriurinS anatomy of my character, but Il few
Short weeks before, al the last moment in
which we held either personal or professional
fntercourse, had been extended in Kindness 10
wards me, and had h. en- hut shortly hx fore
employed in indciing testimonial express
si'e of lis professional confidence and person
al esteem forget ali this, for il is calculated
10 disturb tile serenity of your Judgment and
ieelinS may award that acquittal, which wish
TO owe only oyour coolest delibera.ion. Too
a9on shall be compelled again to present
ms matter 10 your notice, when, after vim
dicatIng myself, shall turn on my pursuer.
Judge, then, sirs, Of this libel without anv
OF these as5raYaions, and as though lis au-
thor was yet unknown. What feelings should
have Inspired? Waat course should have
pursued Should | have acguiesced under
this harsh discipline, and kissed the rod of nv
Summoned 10 my aid the lessons of socism.
which leach an indifference they cannot com
Hnbicdie Or sought in the pure fountain of
Christian truth, the blessed waters which puri-
fy our fallen nature Of all its passions and its
resentm'Its? own, to you, even while px-
tol It's virtues, did not wish 10 lave my LAGER
ated body in The healing stream. Tiled by the
P:ecepts Of religion. | am self condemned.
though not reformed. Grant, however, has
ac9urscrd, IA tainely az 5ioci5m or religion
would have recommended. Had done moth
Ing towards either yindcaion or redress,
what would, what ought the world 10 have
Inferred? Gould any conclusions have been
drawn, but that conscious turpitude had clos
ed my lips, and blanched The purple current of
my heart Imagine, sirs, had thus, by my
silence, sealed my own dishonor, imagine that
among the many youthful, and generous, and
gallant spirits, yet destined, | hope, 10 give
new iostre To our naval renown, and again to
bear our star spaDsled banner triumphant over
every lake and over every ocean, destined TO
DO so u Their towering spirits be not dcbased
into servillty ;)imasine, sirs, one Of these, who
'eit my communion and opprobrium on the
service, hau brought me to a court martial fur
TIE very bdseness OF that silence itself; ina.
CINE. srs, you are now assembled To pronounce
upon that charge appeal tn your consc;o,,s
IL. thaGR
by whom should be most priced, that h;yh
tone Of feeling, which themselves have 90
much contributed To create an adorn. WIZ,
would be your sentence And If, On such
charge, your generous indignation, dsdanny
all Intercourse with one so vile, and base
would have casiIered me with gnominy, viii
you impute TO me rs crime, that did not
rnai0au the indifference for which you would
have punished me I did not acquiesce. |
took measures tO assert Dy fame. ] applied
To the editor Of The newspaper for the author
OF the libel To suspend public opinion, and
to give my calpnniator, himself, the opp0rtu-
pity 0f correcting the wrongs his Injustice had
dope mel published, in the Norfolk Herald, a
piece in the following Words
"To THE PUBLIC.
Ii was my Intention TO have replied. in This
paper, TO an anonymous publication which an
pesred few days since, against me, in te
Savannah Georgian; but circumstances have
determined me 10 defer il, 10 give the aulho-
an opportunity Of rccaotog, on seeing The obr
sefsaiiSus made on the subject, in The Herald.
Of Monday Last"
This publication, aggravated rs my feelings
now are by subsequent wrongs, now repre-
bend for loo much moderation but no one
will coodrno { for TOO much vislencc.
justification for ffis attack ON my feelings
and reputation, the Court will perceive there
was none, literary none. For by that fatality.
which has constrained my aecuser 10 rcfute.
by hs own evidence, bis own accusations, this
very prosecution proves the wsnton injustice