The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-03-31
THE VlRGE.NIAN.
LNNCnnlRG, MARcn 81. lsss.

4 flf Or htftTatt7l ~ e ldN bCinip Oilf read
crs to-day The eyldenee gwen on the fllal oil the
Six 4llliiiamcn AT aiobhe in lsl4, which rssult- /
ed, we eon>c,cntronsly believe. IN sentences dis
graceful alike 10 the good sense and the human.
ny OF thosc who passed and of tim vim saoe
toned them. The whole glst of the crime al
lodged against these men Wis, iha,, on the "Ah |
oeutember they forcibly leh camp tor tnelr
homes and the questions then arise. 10 deter !
mine wat should have been lheir punishment
lst wee they NOT justified IN So dong, whether
the law was on then side OF not by the copstruc-
ton given to II, not only bv themselves, but by
officers big in command 2ndly. was not
their r1iuntHrV return To duty IN itself evidence
of Their original belief in the legality aud pro
priets OF leaving camp, aud a sufficient atone.
mcni likewis" Ion an act which had bern produc
tive Of no injury to the service And 3rdly,
whether The state OF things, AT the time icquu ed
such Il bloody retrbuton either as a punish.
ment Ton the offenders, ~ as am example to dctcl
others
] II IS neither our wish o. intention 10 create on
thlssnhlrcta Sehly sympathy: \ we hayew ltness.
ed with 10 huh disgust the efforts made by inn
dicIous paitildns 10 give TO some OF IFS features
false aspect, aud 10 others an Ell ~ 10 excite
I the Indignation af"eal, minds by doegreI verses
which none but children would read, and bv DIS.
| iribnimg printed sheets backened with collins
] anu blllfl NOtit tffltfN, winch none bur Ounces
could be influenced by. Inc case requires no
embellishments Place the facts Ia their naked
! form. before the people aud We need not fem
that their decision will uof be m accordance " nh
the dictates offs und Judgment and humanity.
IirSt, then, weren't tleSe m,n iastihsbll in
! leaving camp Every detachment OF TennrS-
see ml.Iiia which had served previously To
tins, and there lad been many drafted do
| rug the Indian wars ON the Tennessee aud
! Georgia frontiers, had uniformly returned
| home at the expiration of three months.
except when some emergency required a LONGER
/ stay, and then only such Of them remained as
chose voluntarily 10 surrender, What even then
Generals conceded 10 be, ihelr ris4i 10 rrtuln
And, indeed, ly ,eterringt 10 Gov Blount's lcl-
ter 10 Gen. Jackson. touching this yory noint. il
will be seen than il WAS matter oi serious d :.
| Cussslon between Them, and that he Governor
expressly admits that, under a law OF the y tate.
! they could not he made to serve langpr than
three months. True, early IN 1914 law had
passed Congress. Vestrg a discretionary puwpr
| IN the President OF the United States 10 Order
militia 10 be drafted tor " a term not erceediuq
six months and this law vas in force nj rb,.
time when these six men dnScrtcd-bui in the
FIRST place, the President did not interfere in the
DRAFT by which they we've called info service and
thcI fore could not have dvailcd himself Of this
exercise II in the second place. it was very ryi-
dcut that his Law had never been PROMULGATED
10 the troops, aud they were justidable ~ beev-
ing that there was none such in existeucr--& III
the thnd place, the law does not rtgpirG
them Ia serve SIX month its language being for
a term " mol ercee5uig SIT months" and there
fore. rs the President had moi exercised thepow-
er given him by the law TO extend their term Of
service to It's utmost limit the soldiers were not
only erre"f5ie Ia returning home, but the act
UGs strictly ie6d. Aud the court martIaluhich
condemned them and Gen. Jackson who appro.
we'd otlhe condemnation, under the law Of April
Is, lsl4, were guilty of the incxcusable deed o.
executing SIX men, through ignoraaae we pre-.
sumo OF the tcrms OF the law which il was allie.
ged they had iniringed. Really, this is worse
tuan the Second section for il that case,
the Generals ignorance vas happily limited IN
It's scope by his inability 10 perform his iricptioH
We deliberately ask the people. whether they
| will entrust the administration OF the Constltu-
ton and laws of tins country TO him who has
twice manifested his inability to construe the
plain expression of laws with which his duties
should have rendered him peculiarly conversant7
They will surely pause and reflect on the conSe
gueuces
Secondly, 90 the supposition even that the act
was Illegal, did not the voluntary return Of these
~
criminal intent, and amply atone tor their tenn
porary alteration from duty On This point
we cannot see d" loop on which 10 hang u
doubt Believing themselves uniusty detained
in camp, from their families aud friends, aud
this belief iosered lfnot created by their supe-
nor officers, what wonder that they rcyolted
that they left camp, and, IN so doing, commit
ted a few rlfing acts characterization Had
they not so done, they would have been unwor.
thy of the name of Americans True, if any
danger had been near, aud their patriotism had
been appealed to not to desert the sert ice their
country at so critical period, they would nave
deserved 10 have been universally cxccratrd,
and mark should have been put on them, TO
distinguish them as reCrsants II they had refus-
ed but, when they were attempted To be forci-
6iy detained, when no danger required their
stay. they could not do otherwise than resist
what they deemed an ACT Of oppression, unne-
ICcsSarily reSOTted TO. Bur, when cooler reHee-
ton came, and they met with men who advised
them 10 return, they did not hesitate. They did
return, doubtless under the impression that
their conduct wond be regarded as it really
was, a slight departure from miltar, discipline
and that their punishment would be- proportion
ed 10 Their offence. But they were deceived
Immediately Imprisoned, they were never re
leased, but 90 to the bar-not of jusiicc--hut OF
sangulnary cruelty and TO the place 81 bufrhe
n. Let the render turn 10 the evidence, aud
ask himself if he can see any thing therein con-
tanned OF u character sufficiently henouS to jus.
tiy this scene of blood If he cannot let him
pronounce such verdict as justice demands up
on those who were pdrtcpaors in it. That
verdict surely Will NOT be, "ici MS eieeaie one ef
Hem 10 the highest QDce N the worid"
IbUdig. Then execution was neither required
At thai particular moment, bv the offence nor rs
an example 10 deter others from the commits
sion Of like conduct. When Gen. Jackson app
proved the sentence Of the court martial. he
knew that peace mad been concluded Lyen.
therefore, had these men perpeh ated offences
s'ill more henous aud aggravated tdan those
charged upon them they should have been par-
GoHed. Ae all know we'll the character of mil.
tjamen. Unused 70 the restraints Of camp.