The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-06-19

Wahd III the law but here, rs has beFu proved,
no crime had been commrtcd--nn violated law
demanded the shedding Of bood--the good Of
the service required not the exsmple of such snal
mary sengeanee-peace had spread her gentle
influence over the land disposing even the >'efu.
est hearts to mercy--and yet without examining
tho nature Of ~ justification which these unfor-
tunate men gave of their conduct. for ii II had
been examined they must have been dischargei)
Gen. jackson ordered them to speedy ekecu-
ton. aud sent them 10 eternity with all then
imperfactions their head"
The publication of the subinined Letter has
grown ont Of this transaction. IL. authenticity
is doubted by the Combination presses. AS ii lis
| authenticity was a matter Of the smallest me.
ment. Il it be fabrication, il onl, proves that
lis fabficatnrs are base men, and nothing more
No one ever doubted that there arc uupriac.pled
men in favor Of Mr.. Adams as well as of Gen.
Jackson. and therefore il il should turn out not
to be genuine, all that he doue will be 10 as
sign its author conspicuous place among the
slanderers aud liars of the day--such as the he.
no OF the East Room, et al. Genuine or not il
does not affect Gen. Jacksons conduct NJ all.
| If genuine il only proves that he was as deaf 10
the applications of his victims as he was ignorant
Of the acquisitions of the law. II not genuine,
| he is not therefore cleanseJ of the awful nds-
creton which he committcd--not the less awful
because it was ignoranhy done. criminal nj
the bar is not allowed to p'ad ignorance Of the
law in mitigation of punishment, because IT IS
every mans duty TO know what the law is. How
must that man, then, be ccnsurcd, whose duty II
is TO decide upon the life and death of his fellow
men, aud who fails TO make himself acquainted
with the laws by which they are TO be Judged
Aud what must we think Of the cause which Is
sought TO be sustained, not by denial or justi6-
cation of the act alleged but by nsinualions a
gainsi the authen ticy Of a letter winch has moi
the remot ST bearing on the fact The sly MI
litiamen shot by lhcr comrades, and Gen.
Jackson had IT done. Tins Is true whether the
letter IS a fabrication or not and t Is all about
which the American people ought 10 enquire III
making up their verdict But we believe the
letter 10 be what II purportS to be, or should
not publish II and we shall inform our readers
that II is not ii such snail turn out To be the fact
Jar reasons ior believing it TO be genuine, are
these LIST. because it is not only signed by the
namc Of one OF the executed men, but the name
OF tine Captain of MS company is specially men.
toned. winch would have been avoided If the
letter had been forged: ID. because ii bears the
evidence about it OF having been written in mo-
mcnt Of strong mental excitement, by man
alternately operated upon by agony and hope,
and in Il style which no fabricator would have
adopted, because II is little calculated To reach
the heart aud excite the feelings OF the multitude
aud 3dly. because the tact Of the illegal execu-
ton OF the SIX mllitanen having been fastened
On Gen. Jackson, the publication OF this letter
makes the act neither more clear more obi
Gus, while, the contrary, ii 1t turn out TO be n
forgery, it will be (however absurdly) turned 10
his advantage. We think these reasons are SUI
fcieni to justify the publication of the letter, not
wlthstandlng the contrary opinion of the Rich
mond Enquirer. If it should prove to be for.
gerry the Enquirer will doubtless call on the De-
mocratic Press for its authors name, notwitll.
standing IFS superldtivc " notions Of editorial
confidence" We shall certainly join them IN
the call and We agree beforehand thai he
deserves as infamous "A celebrity the author
OF the letter on the East room
We beg leave to say, once more, that General
jackson, even if the suLjoined letter be forged,
has no right to use that crime to his advantage
II does not restore to their homes and their Ia
miles the SIX unfortunate men who fell victims
to his inhumanity or his ignorance. Then resi-
will not be broken by the loud ciamors of his
friends, nor even by his own deep modification
and bitter regret If these men had fallen IN
then country's cause, covered with honorable
wounds their friends would not have repin-
cd for no fate is more enyI'ble than thus TO
tall. But TO be cut down, by ones own com
rades-bandaged and pinioned like ielons--
kneeimg on their collins to receive the traitors
DOOM when they had committed no crime--and
/ with the sweet consolation, in their last hour, Of
/ leaving 10 their families the rich inheritance of
/ their infamy WHO does not shuddcr at such an
end People of Virginia will you entruSt the
guardianship of your rights and liberties to
man thus wiIfully ignorant or maciousy crimi-
nall II you do, you must not be surprised 10
see misrule and disorder succeed wise and
harmonious administration.
From the Democratic Pres.
rThe following Letter has come into our hands.
We present II to our readers "a we received il.
1t is unquestlonably such an one, as might nata-
rally have been w'iien BY the wrctched Hairs.
during the war ofthe Revolution, there we're
thousands of our Militia men v no lcitthe Camp,
many OF them IN the face of the enemy, and re-
turned home before the expiration oi the time
for which they had been drafted yet IN all that
perilous time, during that seven years war, the
great, the gallant, the gem rous and tde good
WASHINGTON never hadan American Militia man
shot Ills noble heart rccoicd from such wan
ton barbarily. There are. Notwithstanding
men guilty OF the gross injustice OF comparing
General Jackson with General Washington