Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-24

he does not allege that the crihe wa.
after Mei, term Of service had expired. ne sa!s
pape 26, they "went out under the impression mey
,yers 10 serve only three months" and that 'hey
procured respectable opinions OF militia ON
GERS to the same effect. luis shabby ar'ihee
to re pre- sent charge different from and s'ro'',
ger than it is made, in order to retute if'-aho
this arti6ce seems TO be here resorted 10
The testimony before the court martial no
doubt sustained the charge against Harris,
report OF whose case is appended TO the clrcu'
lar, and the prisoners defence proves as un-
uuestionably, that the fact was as stated by
Mr. Benton.
"The prisoner states, in his defence, that he
was totally unacquainled with the nature OF
militia seryice-tbat he had frequently heard
his officers say they knew OF no Law COMPEL
ing militia to remain longer than three months
and from the opinion of other men OF respecta.
blitv and information, conceived MS term o.
service had expired-returned his gun to MS
Captain, under that impre ssion took up the
receipt he had given for it, and departed from
Fort Jackson conscious of having discharged
his duty"
The charge is urged against the General as
proof that he was man OF blood. he execu'
ZION Of six militia men, whose offences were
committed under belief that their conduct
was lawful, is considered as wholly unnecessary
bv way Of example, and therefore could only
| proceed from a reprehensible recklessness OF
temper Although Gen Jackson did not name
all the officers Of the court that condemned
them, and was not present at their execution,
vet ne approved the sentence, and direc'ed II TO
be carried into fleet. He is, therefore, as much
responsible as if present Though legal, it
was cruel and bloody deed, for the perpetra-
,ion Of which the apology offered by the COM
mittee is far from satisfactory
In stating the case, upon which this apology
is founded, there is departure from The ialr-
ness and candor which the committee SO ear
nes,ly profess. They say:
"The mutinous party, headed by the SIX un'
fortunate men who were shot, left Col PiPkln
without competent garrison, in the mest oil
the Creek nation, which was then excited 10
hostility by British agents" sc.
The offence Of these men was committed sept.
30, 1914, being at the expiration fthree months
from the time :hey were drafted. 1t was com.
mitted at fort Jackson, almost two hundred
miles from the vicinity Of the English force,
and Sin the midst of the Greeks" who, IN au'
gust preceding, had oeen treated, by Gen. JACK.
son, as conquered people. AT the time OF
committing it, Gen. Jackson vas in the vicinity
of the sea-board, between fort Jackson and ths
British, SO that very little danger or exposure
could be the consequence Of the desertIon lhe
complexion given 10 the case, in the paragraph
quoted, is therefore not fair one. 1t suggests
rather than asserts, dangers which did not exist
The second charge is thus stated:
cit has been said that he renamed at nome
tsE easw nj he tsr IFS a%n
Tor his own servants, and the value Of his owl
fuel"
Here again the charge is not stated as 1t wa
made. The original suggestion was, that TIL
General presided al the Hermitage" with TIL
exception Of the time devoted to the Seminole
war: The real point of accusation was, that hi
charged for quarters, fuel, servants, and forage
, when living at home This is not denied. Ga
, readers know that the call of the committee fol
the ''accoun,s Of General Jackson against The
{ Government has been anticipated These &C
counts have been published, and fully sustain al
that was asserted. The enumeration of servi
ces which the committee have made, does no
mend the case, in any essential particular. hi;
survey Of the Southern coast, selection Of a slit
for an arsenal and location Of the military road
were services performed without additional
charges But the list Of Indian Treaties should
have been omitted, as they were paid for as Il
he was not otherwise in public employ. The
Objectionable charges for quarters, fuel, ser
wants and forage, when none was furnished OF
employed, remain unanswered And when the
I committee assert, that "from the time he en-
tered the service of his country, until the day o.
his resignation, his life was one continued scene
of active and laborlous duties" they ought Il
know that they exaggerate more than TRUE
can allow. During the years l9 and 90, he wa
only absent TO hold Indian Treaties, for which
5 he received separate and liberal compensa
: ton.
The third accusation is to me a new one:-
Gle left Congress short time previous t
] the enactment of the alien and sedition laws
meaning 10 insinuate that those a,cs NET his secre
appreciation"
! In refulation Of this charge, the committee
refer to the Journals for proof that he voice
J with 'Tazewell and Mason, in the Republican
ranks How are the people at large TO Obtain
, access to these journals! The best evidence
would have been few extracts, showing tn
:, propositions upon which Gen. Jackson did vote
, The fact is ndisputable, that at a time o
great interest and anxiety, Gen. Jackson OBJ
r tanned leave Of absence from the Senate. Tn
reason nave heard suggested for this course