Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-03-29

The Si1 Miiitiamen.-Our readers have been
informed OF the charge of cruelty and murder
winch has been made against Gen. Jackson for
having approved the sentence of the Court martial
which condemned these men to DEATH They al
so Know by what means, it has been attempted to
sustain it.
FIRST, letter purporting to have been written
by one OF the descrters (Harris) to Gen Jackson.
but now known to have been forged by John Bnns
i-Pathetically imploring pardon in consideration
Oh the alleged deluson under which he had acted
published and extensively circulated, in English
and German, in pamphlets and newspapers. In
u snort time the forgery was clearly exposed,
'has several respectable administration Editors
even, who had given it publicity, were constraiu-
ed to declare that they had been deceived,-ap
the least candid could say nothing in defence of
Its Perpetrator, but, that he had only fabricated
such letter as Harris might naturally have writ.
.S". men came the positive assertions of the
National lnteligencer that the proceedings of the
Sourt Martial which condemned these men, had
oeen returned to Tennessee by order of the
then PRESIDENT" Mr.. Madison, who, it was in
ttnated, would not even permit to remain in the
war department, the record of the slaughter. in
cold blood Of Militia men, whose only crime at
worst, was mistake Of their duty After this
imputed disapprobation OF Mr. Madison-tlis al
ieged horror with which these scenes of blood
and. carnage" inspired him-had produced its
| intended ettect, and when moreover. it had be-
come somewhat unsafe, from the chance Of dctcc-
ton, to persist in the Misrepresentation, il WAS
thought advisable to correct it. And accor-
oihSiy we were then informed that these proceed
ings mad Just been found in the War department,
whence they had never been removed Lastly
came the resolution Of Mr. Sloane requesting the
Secretary at War to communicate to CONGRESS all
the documents in his office relating to the call in
ID service, the charges against, and the trial and
execution oil these men;-and the communica-
l'on oil the Secretary, by which the documents
| transmitted were SO arranged-wiether by him
sen or his clerk, we care not-as to conduce to
the lalse Impression, that the men who were OK
ecuted had only been called into service for three
| months The Military Committee to whom the
documents communicated were referred. detected
corrected, and exposed the unairncss of the clas-
sIhCaton which had been made and thus pre-
vented the injustice which would otherwise have
| been done.
With every impartial man, the character of the
efforts which have been used to establish this
charge, is alone sufficient to demonstrate its fu-
UNITY Forgery, falsehood and shuflled docu-
Inehts are not resorted to- in the cause of truth
But we do not rest the defence of Gen Jackson
on this Presumptive evidence only 1t is more
over sustained by a body Of proof so strong and
SO convincing, that he who resists it, must be en-
do"ed with less intelligence more prejudice,
than commonly falls to the lot of man.
A few weeks since, we published tho report of
tire Committee on Military affairs, in relation to
this subject, i'll which the views taken of this
transaction, ais-. the law and evidence bv which
they are sustained, entirely exculpate Gen
jackson, that with those who examined it. it must
have been matter of surprise, that charge so
absurd and rdicuously false, should ever have
been exhibited. We will not recaptuIate the ar
guments urged, or the evidence adduced by the
COMMITTEE AS however their Report has been
ifeeiy attacked, we will, rather TO meet the OBJ
Jections which have been made to it. than be-
we conceive it at all necessary to thesvind-
cation OF Gen. Jackson, with due Difference. suq-
gest the opinion that the Committee have not
placed his Justification the strong ground,
which in justice, it should rest upon. For the
purpose OF putting end to farther caviling on
the subject, they have gone into an enquiry as to
inc right OF the Governor of Tennessee to order
Out the Militia for six months Now although
they concluslvey establish that he possessed this
right we conceive that the proof of that PROPOSE
tion was In no manner necessary to the defence
OF Gen. Jackson. 1t is admitted on all hands,
that Gov. Bount ordered Gen Jackson TO cali
these soldiers into service for six months-he
even declared IN his order that he acted in obedi-
ence to instructions from tic War Department.
IL IS conceded that in conformity to this order.
Hen jackson did call the division to which these
| men belonged into service for six months and
II the Secretary at War, or the Governor of Ten
| heSSee exceeded his powers, surely Gen. Jack
son is not responsible for the usurpatiops Of eli
Their 1t was his duty to obey the commands of
his superlors-he had no right to question their
iegallty,-stlll less to act as if they were illegal.
And IT injury has resulted to any, from the errors
committed by them, they must bear the blame
not he who only obeyed, as he was bound to do.
the orders which were given so him, and nforced
the laws which had been shamefuly violated. To
deny this, were to advance the mons,rous doc
trnc' that IN military operations, every subordn-
ate has the right to dispute the commands Of his
SuPerlors, and obey them or not as he may please
But IT may be said. that although he is fully
JUSTIFIED IN law, yet the case was a proper one for
the exercise OF his respiting power WHY was if
so we are answered, because the Gov. of Ten
neSsee exceeded his authority in calling them out
Tor SIX months. Admitting that he did, which no
candid man can believe, Gen. Jackson. as we
nave SAID, was bound to presume that he did not
and to act accordingly. Their claim to pardon
'nen, could only have rested on the extenuatno
circumstances, which attended their transp, cssion
DID any such exist? None whatever. So from il.
their ofienccs-the highest known to military law
were aggravated by every circumstance which
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