Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-09
CITY SERGEANT


The Hastings Court yesterday re elected the pre-
sent incumbent Capt. WrenJfor tioO Months. No
event OF the same magnitude, which has occurred
during our day, has excited the same degree OF sur
prise and Indignation in the City. At every corner
oi every street but voiee-and that Of urouali-
fed condemnation, was heard. The reelection IS
justly regarded as fixing a burning stain upon the
City, so far as the Court representing the CITY, can
inhct such q stain. But for the credit of the CITY
for the credit Of the humanity and christianity
of our citizens- must be stated that the election
has been made not only without their APPRECIATION.
bu. in despite of their indignant protestations. And
unless we greatly mistake the signs, there will be
old cracking Of whips, and a mighty uprising, be-
fore they will submit TO the stigma, and permit il TO
60 abroad TO the world, that they were nccessorie,
TO the perishing to death with cold poor human
being in jail.
The crcumstancesof the case are too recent and of
too general notorety 10 require repetition here
Enough, that man in Jail was found dead-that
a Jury Of twelve honest men, upon full inyestea-
ton, pronounced his death the result Of cold and
starvation, springlng from the nhumsn neglect Of
the City Sergeant. A committee Of the Court nr
forwards investigated the case, and substantially
confirmed the finding Of the Jury. How many
other poor creatures have persisted in the same way
Of whom no note has been made, can only be ascer
tainsd at the day Of general reckoning;-but the
Jury and the Committee both conquered, If we re-.
collect Alright, in representing the condition of the
jai and the keeping Of it to be such as to warrant
the suspicion that many others may have been
made TO travel the sumo desolate road for want Of
the common and necessary demands Of humanity.
The whole affair is shocking TO think Of
But the Court, INTENDED as palliative the biz
ter dose,) have only elected the Sergeant for Too
months, until Ofer the city election in April, that
the people may pass upon i'll This, so far from
being mitigation, is, in our estimation, an aggra-
vstion Of the offence. It implies full appreciation
Of the cruel negec', much il they had elect.
ed BIN for ten years. II also involves an insult 10
the humanity and christian feeling Of the commune
ty, in referring such gu ston 10 their deeision.-
IL is as much as 10 say-"We do not know but
hat-we suspect that you the citizens Of Richmond,
wish To applaud and reward an officer in your nav
FOR perishng TO death, by cold and hunger, n poor
being entrusted to his custody and supposed kind
tre,lment-by which freez ng and starvation, he pu,
money in his purse.p Such reference, coupled
with such a doubt, s a compliment TO the humanity
Of the city, which will doubtless be duly uppre-
GATED,
We suhjon tho vote. Some Of the Court, we
have heard, were influenced in tho vote they gave.
by dissemination TO wound the feelings of the
ssgoant-al Of them may have been governed by
the same motive. But it is for the People to deter.
mine whether HATS sufficient to justify the reproaeh
vbsb has been cas-, upon their humanity as men
and christians.
Fer Wp, d. WT6a-Riancis Wicker, John L.
Tsts, s. T. Pulliam, Edmund Bailey, Thomas
Msuro, Thomas Cowlesa and Aloxander Duvsl-7.
/ FER John ". FrgHsso4 William Lambert,
| (Neyor,) Simon Cullen, Richard d. SanKay and
| James EVaDs-4
Fsr WtninEisn 0oddis--P. ". Grubbs-I.