Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-09-12
A MOST EXTRAORDINARY DISCLOSURE

A MOST EXTRAORDINARY DISCLOSURE.
The National Inteiliaeucer Of the 9Th inst, Bays:
The E,cts di.closed in The suhioined testimony, on
oath. BY Col. pLEAsoaToE, Of Phiiadelphia, are 50
very extraordinary, that nothing short OF our know
ledge of the high character and personal worth OF
the deponent could have induced US 10 believe the
reality Of his narrative. As II IS, however, inc
facts which he relates may be safely pronounced
Tor strocity and di.aboIism Of spirit, without Prece-
dent or parallel.
From the Harrisburg Chronicle.
We most earnestly call the attention Of the PEG
pie of Pennsylvania to the horrible disclosures
made below. If a baser conspiracy was ever con.
templaied, We have yet to hear OF 1t. lhe person
giving this testimony is no partisani a man OF much
reputation and high standing, and was one d Grn
PATTgRsoS's principal officers, when that othcef
marched to Harrisburg 10 quell the rioters. Lei
the People read and reflect over these hurnd DIS
closures; let them pass judgment at the next eiee-
lien on a party, a leading member OF which would
Cor the sake Of aiding that patly IN its wicked Pnl-
poses, thus Contemplate the destruction OF human
life by the thousand.
A.. J. PLEAsosros appeared before the commit
tee, aud, being duly sworn according To law, aePo-
sed as follows:
Question Please TO state any conversation YOU
/ NHU WIN any fiFiSifi NbHHtAtNA WIN hNN '"N
urbances at Harrisburg or a member Of either
branch Of the Legislature in relation TO the inter-
ion Of the Committee Of Safety, or OF those who
acted with them. pfteaiipg up the railroad, or any
other act, 50 as TO prevent the troops under NeHe-
raj Pauci.on's command reaching Harrisburg.
Answer. / do not know what the detention Of tie
mi or those connected with them was; |
had no conversation With any one on the subject OF
he intention OF those persons; ! have no hao@l-
edge Of any thing done in Philadelphia, except such
az is derived from common rum0r. IL was cur
loutly reported every where in Philadelphia. before
the troops left for harrisburg, that they would be
prevented from marching, Or would be obstructed
n their progress to the State Capitol, and the means
10 accomplish this was said TO be the removal Of
some Of the rails on the railway. There was much
excitement 10 Philadelphia oh the reception Ct tie
Governors orders, and the ramors assumed the
complexion Of the political parties "ho originated
| hem. | had been informed by Gen. Patterson that
| The persons who were to have removed the rats
were prevented from so doing by the interference
IF some ofthe officers Of the volunteers themselves,
who represented 10 them the injury that would re-
suit 10 their friends from The execution OF such an
intention.
Question By Mr.. Bareioy. Please to stale whe-
Their you had any cohversauon WIKI any OF the Van
Buren, members Of either branch of the Legislature
az TO what the Van Buren party, or any portion ot
il, designed to do in order TO prevent the troops
under Gen. Patterson from reaching Harrif5uIg}
Aasrer. o. the Goth Of January last, | called
to see Col. M'Etwee, a member OF he House Of
representatives, from Bedford, on some public bu-
siness, at his lodgings, in the evening. He was
undr-ssed aud about to go to bed, but entered into
conversation with me on she subjsc' Of my business;
in The course Of which he referred 10 the character
of the volunteer troops from Philadelphia, who h q
been in service in the preceding month OF Deem
bee at this place. He spoke ven, favotably ofthem
and sac that II was rel fer than nat SO mapy Of
them ercre Democrats, as oAteTxiSe thcy icoatd ne
Ger haze Herd 10 hare reacted HarriS6arg. lie
then stated that on the announcement here that
the troops from Philadelphia would obey the order
of The Governor. aud would march for Harrisburg
Il vqs agreed by himself oaf tire or hcee others
nhom he did not aqme, to prerent tbeir 0rriUat al
ms place dtaH hazards, sapPo>lng at the moHlent
that, as the troops belonged 10 Philadelphia, they
were all Wings, and favorable to the SAFE Admin.
isttuion. To carry out This argument, be said II
was determined 10 fem0ve a Jep Of The ratks 0n the
raiiroad at tie most dangerous Pa9t 81 a, and also
to form a NINE nader htS e%p0Sed part, TO be tl-
Tel gith gunpotpde9, so that IN the confusion Ubtch
rould a1ise from the truth cfcars containing Me
troops being orertkroua by thas runniug cGhe
track, THE MINE MIGHT BE SPRUNG, AND THE
WHOLE BODY OF THEM BE BLowN INTO THE AIR
roGETHER! For MtS purpose, he himself had Pnr-
chased three barrfis Of gun pordeT, and sad that
he had paid forty dollars out q his oson PocketJor
tte purchase. To convince me that he vas serluus
in what he stated to have been their design, he fur
her said that lis associates therein were mon OF
tried courage, and, having been oiicers ofghc army
turing the last war, knew how to execute the pro
ject they had conceived.
This design was abandoned by them in conse-
quence Of information having been received suisse
queutiy to the purchase uf the gunpowder, that the
troops then on ihcir route from Philadelphia were
not oil of the sanse political parry, "a large portion
Of them belonging to the Democratic party, To
which Col. M'Elwee and his associates in this de-
sign also belonged. He lurther said that it was 10
this circumstance alone that the arrival of the troops
from Philadelphia at Harrisburg without injury or
loss was to be attributed. The design was aban
doned because il would have been impossible to
have separated the Democrats from the Wings in
is execution, and protected them from the danger
Of the explosion.
. n ATnN