Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-05-31
From the National Journal.
avINDICATION OF GEN JACKsc


The anpo;utment ofa Committee at Nash
vile. whose avowed objec, is to watch over the
character of"Andrew Jackson" and rescue it
from every imputarion, is, certainly, To say the
least. one of the most n ,vel and extraordinary
e,ectioneerine inventions that ever came under
op- observation. Whether this cornmi,tee OF
puerdians be self constituted, or selected by
their ward himself, We know not; nor do we re.
gard the fact a. worthy OF inquiry: II IS suffi
Gent that the committee is composed OF the
Generals p~artisans and neighbours, who have
constant and free access to him, and who, there
fore, NAV be supposed 10 derive authority for
their statements from his swn lips. How far,
under circumstance so calculated to create a
prepossession in his favour, they may De expect
ed TO accomplish that portion OF their "prima-
nv object" ahich regards "the diss. mination OF
"TRurH,' may perhaps appear in the course OF
our examination of their first regular Bulletin,
Is issued on the 25th of Apr;3, in "Sindication OF
General jackson" from ceriaio enumerated
charees-tbe shortest catalogue oi them, by the
way, which we have ever seen-the first and
PRINCIPAL Of which is, his shaving caused the
execution cf six militia men"
With regard to this charge, the committee
So, sat "whh the exception OF the appoint
,s,s57 ,fihe pcesiden, Of The Court and Judge
A.socsh General Jackson had nothing 10
.al s,Hr ,te eroccediugs"-that che was not
y SOS 500 miles ~ the Court during the whole
lime Of its SESSION. and tia, "Karris, one Of
the principal rlng'eaders of the mu,'ny, after
conviction, acknowledged the justice oil his SEN
%tence." These constitute the only points OF
yindica,ian which the committee have though,
proper oallege Let us see now, how tar "thr
disss animation Of Truth viii be promoted by
This made Of viudicalion From a committee so
constituted, who volrn'eer to enhsh,en their
frllow-citizers upon grave and important mat
tiers OF history, we have q right 10 expect, not
only that what they say shall hr true, but that
they shall tell the whole truth, and no, place
their propositions in such a light before the
M bic. as that the na,.Hal c---~--rs' ue
false, though the premises be correct.
We are willing to admit. upon the faith Of
the Committee, thar General Jackson chad
nothing TO do with The proceedings" of the
Court-tha: he was al New Orleans, and that
the Cour, was held al Mobile. We are willing
to admit, though IT rests entirely on the asser-
ton Of the Committee, that one Of the ringlead-
ers Acknowledged the justice OF his sentence
Al these points may be true. But the infer
ence whichtheCommitee knew would be drawn
from these admitted facts, that the execution
Of the six militia men was not the work OF
Gen. Jackson, is false The sentence Of the
- Court that tried them, was approved bv Gener-
al Jackson-they could not haze been executed but
Bu his order lind abops all. has order directed their
execution ,cith:a four days after has arri,uia Mo-
bile. thus ai;o,cing 70 the poor sufferers no time for
repentance. no time to proride for their bereavsd
families. no time to admit Of an appealb a higher
tribunal than that ofths Military Chisfaia.
But this is not all. The order approving the
sentence of the Court Martial was dated on
the 99d January, just two weeks after the signal
victory obtained by General Jackson over the
British invaders Of New Orleans; at a moment
when the army, and the people within reach oil
the intelligence, were shouting hosanahs 10 his
pame-wh-ne every heart was elate with the
certainty Of s~afe;y-wben, if the whole body Of
militia had returned to their homes, no possi-
bic evil could have resulted TO the couptry-and
when. if ever, il might be supposed that the
most rigid disciplinarian, the most unbending
advocate Of militia, y subordination, would have
been softened 10 some show of humanity, 10
some relaxation of strict martial rule.
We have said that the sentence Of the Court
was approved by General Jackson. What was
the. sentence Of the Court? Two officers; and
aboau, iW hundred men, had been tried on the
same ttd'SNo. ~ N WIZ " uttJ
no less than The men. Ii was proved 10 the sa.
tisfaction Of the Court, that they had excited
the men TO mutiny, and that they had counived
at the acts of IL exhibited. And yetthe punish
ment OF one Of these officers, is a simple dis
missal from service with future disqualified
ton Of holding a commission and TIA, Of the
other was, in addition to his dismissal, TO have
his sword broken over his bead; while the poor
militia ~privates, the deluded victims Of these
yery officers, who acted under the honest con-
viction that they were right, and w'ose conduc'
up 10 the fatal day when they left their camp,
was proved to be exemplary These priva,es
were condemned to suffer the punishment Of
DEATH.
We coafess that, judging only from the state
ment whieh is furnished bv this guardian COM
mi,,ee Of General JscSson,w VI have never heard
before Of such an outrage upon humanity But
let US carry the investigation a little farther
than it has suited the purpose Of this Commit
tee to carry it.
In the year 1895, a Law vas passed by the
Congress Of United States, BY which the period
militia service was limied to three menths.