Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-08-17

!
| tory obtained; we are wiling to celebrate the
anniversary ofihe day Of triumph; we;are pleas
ed to identify it with the name of Jackson; we
give to him and the day the honor due to them
may, the highest honor, the thanks OF CRATE
| ful country.
But there is one incident in the history Of
those days, that VIC cannot pass over III silence,
since The Nashville Committee Of General Jack
sons friends have verifedH to us in their zeal
10 defend him. We refer TO the execution oil
the six MALTA men, not fol deserton TO the
I enemy-not in the heat OF pursuit-but for
mistaking (if they did mistake) their term Of
| service; put to death in col dblood, months al
:e, the offence, and weeks after their ,rial and
conviction, (such as 1t was) when their execu>
ton, not meriled as punishment, was no, re-
ouired as an example The blood Of these
slaughtered men cries aloud, not for vengence,
but in the voice of warning against placing the
great concerns Of this nation under the control
of mind which determines SO hastily, and
with SO much indifference to the prayers Of
penience or the claims of humanity.
Nor does the case Of the mi,la-men stand
alone. Upon the same authority on which we
first heard that story, the whole truth OF which
has been confirmed by the Committee Of Com
|
!" short time before the execution Of these mi
g lila men, seren yegular soldiers wsre Shot near
s. Nashville, By bond of regutars scarcely su5i-
ceni 10 guardMe priS9qcys They were COMM
" ed in house and taken out and executed one
6 al a time, there being scarcely enough men for
6 the purpose of executing and guarding at the
same moment" Well is it added by this
writer, Jesse Benton, Esq brother to The no.
norabe Senator from Missouri Of that name)
that "Cantal puoishmenls in az army are de-
IS signed for example as well as for penaIry;" bat,
in this case, he adds, "it was an example OF hor-
&c ror to peaceful citizens no army 1oas there 10
witness the bloody tragedy"
! In these several incidents, as well as in his de-
claraton, in his letters to President Monroe,
that chad he commanded the Mili,aLy Depart
" ment where the Hartford Convention met, it
" it had been the last act Of his life, he should
have punished the principal leaders OF the
" party" We see the same rcCklcssness OF con-
sequences--the same ardor Of patriotism, ii The
reader chuseS, as impel!ed General Jackson to
| all The extra, agances Of which, if wished it,
| much longer record might be made. lie is
certain, he SAYS, in the same letter to MIR. Mon
ROE shat indepeGdeni coHt-nartial would have
" condemned them, (the Hartford Convention)
under the second section Of the act establish
80 ing rules and regulations FIR the government
g Of the army" Mdependeat, indeed, such
Court Martial would have been, OF all law or
authorily--aG Independent, to the full as Gen.
Jackson found himself in Florida, end wher-
ever he has been in uncontrolled command, but
not more so.
| To conclude with our OBJ ec,ions, for The pres
ent, TO the election Of Gen. Jackson TO the Pre-
siGency, we will barely aIlude to his published
objection to the lllustrious Madison, as a capdi-
date for the Presidency. 1t was not that that
eminent man was not qualified by his patriot
ism, his experience in legislation, his deeply
imbued Republican principles, his long service
IN the first trust under the illustrious Jefferson.
No: none of these. No, let us take his words:
81 ALWAYS believed that The mind Of aphilosopher
" could not drceH ON blood and carnage ,Cih any
coWDosure, Here sau argument, against 'le-
va,,ng to The Presidency who was confess
edlv one of the pures,, most enlightened, ard
most iliuslrious statesmen hiscountry has ever
known. Here we have the Generals estimate
! Of the qualfic alton for the Presidency. "Inat
Mr. NJ was one Of the best Of men, and
great civilian" says Gen J."l always thought
| Blu, what recommendation were the greatest
goodness, and the most eminent civil qualities,
for the Presidency, in the estimation OF Gene
raj Jackson? No; the dust in the balance.
The capacity TO " dwell OH blood and carnage
with composure" was, with him, the test of
merit. 1t is not so with US, nor, we trust, with
our readers.
We have thus frankly placed before our read
ers, as well the friends Of Gen Jackson as the
supporters of this Administration, the traits Of
history and of character which form, in our
minds, insupersble objections to the elevation
of General Jackson to the Chief Magstracy of
the Union Gladly would we have avoided the
task, if duty would have allowed. We have
been accused, however, by changelings in pol
itics, and mere weathercocks in the flaws Of
party, of acting from motives wholly foreign
to those which really actuate US. We respect
the fame of Jackson: we have hitherto respect
ed his feelings SO far as to abstain from discuss
ing even his public conduct we shall still, and
forever, we hope, refrain from any inquisition
into his personal concerns or his domestic az
| fairs: most sincerely we wish that he had been
content with his abundant fame and with the
or.t,,nd. Of The pponIe for h;C r,ili-