Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-08-13
MISOEt.IAN Y.
EXECUTION OF ANDRE.

captive. The wise and the brave had
sal in Judgment upon him. His case had
been tho subject of high and deliberate
and affecting consideration. The cir
cumstanccs of his capturc-his unquall-
fed confessions earnest, though dig
nifcd rcquesis-had been matureIy, but
stcrnly weighed. The nobleness of his
nature, the lofty disinterestcdncss OF his
demeanor, the winning amcnliy ol his
1 manners, thc importance OF his rank,
were all appreciated "a they should be,
by soldiers tried soldiers-when sitting
under the severe sanctions OF a war c0un-
Gil. When they issued from that coun-
| Gil the desoute doom of the prisoner was
irrcvocably fixed lie was to die. Be-
| fore another sun should 90 down, his ties
1 on earth were TO be severed. Meanwhile
! the subject of this melancholy decision
was awaiting the result with all the calm
and elevated feelings of generous and
! undauntcd soldier. lie was ignorant Of
what nigh, be the issue; but his knowl-
edge Of the rules Of war led him so far to
anticipate it, that he had in some degree
become roconciled to his probable doom,
! from the very hopelessness OF escaping
| from it, The agitation consequent upon
| the suddenncss of his arrest, had subsld-
| ed; and though his saddened mind re-
| verted again and again. 10 the scenes and
| associations we have seen HIM cling to
from the beginning, yet there was less
( poignancy in his rccollections, and less
ucu;eness in the trials Of his high and
masculine sensibilitcs: the thought OF
death was n vain thought to him. He
| was prepared to meet it in every honor
orable shape in which n soldier expects
| and hopes sometime TO meet 1t. 1t was
the stigma upon his fame-the memory
he should leave with man, that preyed
upon his soul. 1t was this that paled his
| cheek, and dswed his brow-it was this
made his heart beat till he could hear It
| in his solitude. If sometimes his sad
giistcning eye rested.again on that prcc-
| ious gem which before had absorbed, as
it seemed, his very life. the kindest and
bravest heart would spare him there, if
a tear was seen to drop upon it: and the
thought, possibly, Of sacred and devoted
| passion of long and holy love, with all
it's desolate bcreavements, would accom-
pany it as it fell, and hallow it forever.
There was yet ono consolation that
bore up the prisoner, even when he though
upon the memory he should bequeath to
the world and to posterity. lie hoped
and trusted that he should meet an hon
orable death, and that his country would
! never blush at his epitaph. lie had ask
| ed-he had besought, with n bursting
| heart, that If he must die, he might die
like man ofhonor. He had addressed
tho American chieflain, in proud petit
ion, for this last, little boon of the con-
demned soldier. lie had addressed him
in all the beautiful eloquence OF his lofty
mind, urged by heart almost breaking
in the intensity Of its emotions. Need 1t
be said that he reused all the sympathies
Of bosom kndlng with godllke Purpos-
es, and alive to every heavenly charity
that can sanctily our naturel Can it be
said that the heart he appealed to, would
not have bid him God speed, even with
n fathers blessing, to the arms of his
country and his home, did that heart beat
alone for himself, or did the fate Of tho
victim involve Only the single destiny of
that great and devoted being9 But there
were stern duties arrayed against the
kind spir, of forbearunce and forgiveness
The voice Of his suffering land was i'm
porous with him who guarded her in
council, and led her in battle. That
voice now called for justice, and demand
ed that the crisis should not be forgotten.
1t was the cry Of Liberty, and the sacri-
fee must not be withheld; it was the
summons of justice, aud his death must
accord with the crime Of which the pris-
oncr stood convicted. During the days
of his confinement, not a murmur escap-
cd the captive in the presence OF his
guard. A dignifed composure distln-
guished his dcportment-and the sercn-
ity of his mind was depicted in the tran
guilty Of his countenance. The last
hours Of his solitude were employed in
those holy Offices which friendship claims
otus when the sands Of life arc running
low. There were few words to be
said-a few prayers to be uttered for
those who were now dreaming Of him on
his path to glory. There were few
sad, sacred words to be breathod to a
fond mother-to sisters that loved him
to some, perhaps, for whose sake alone
life was yet desirable, and to whose bo-
som he would now, as last duty to him
self, commit the reputation that was
dearer to him than the air Of heaven.
1t was in the midst Of this latest and
holiest occupation, that the prisoner was
interrupted by the entrance Of the guard
officer. He came to announce the hour
of execution. The young soldier look
| I'D LIN hnsfIlv from his nannr His exna