Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-06-16
GENERAL aiCKSON,S FINE


! The following is brief outline Of the re
marks Of Senator CONRAD ON the Bill for re
funding Gen. Jackson's Gne.
The gentlemen who advocated this bill. ba,
said that the object was merely to yindicat.
tire character of Gen. Jackson. The Question
then was one Of principle and, after a lapst
oil quarter of a century, Congress is called
on to reverse judgment of competent tri.
ounal, on the ground Of its illegally
Gentlemen did not agree on the causa e.,
which the fine was imposed. One says il was
inflicted because he declared martial law. nm
other, Tor refusing TO obey the writ of habcus
corpus; and, another, because he offered d
personal indIgnity to the Judge.
He did not profess to have any nersonal
knowledge of these facts. lie referred to ya.
rlous passages in the History OF Louisiana bv
Judge Martin to show that when General
jackson arrived Ill Louisiana he was induced.
oy the representations of persons who cnioycd
ms confidence, TO entertain suspicious of the
hdeiity Ola large portion of the inhabitants of
L"uisiana-particularly those of French ex
traction that, under the influence of this feel
ing, ne recommended to the Legislature, then
III session, that the habcas corpus act should be
snspended-which, however, they refused to
90 that Louallier, member from one of the
ihterior parishes, was one of those who warm
~ opposed Tins measure, as unnecessary. and
dangerous to the Liberties Of the citizens of the
State The battle was fought and won; and
Whatever might have been the suspicious of
General jackson before, they ought now to
have been dispelled-,hey were nobly refu,ed
at the cannon's mouth. II was q remarkable
iac.' [@ua one i,~ '.~'. r.isi. recurring toy
that, although Louisiana had been but recent
~ admitted into this great American family of
States; although the attachment of her citizens
to this Government had hardly yet time to ma
ture, and 10 acquire that strength it has since
attained; although her population was of "a We
ry heterogeneous character, and many of them
natives OF foreign countries; although placed
In the most dlscouraglng circumstances, there
was not AS far rs he knew one single in
stance OF treachery, cowardice, or even falter-
ing in the ranks.
The sequel is known. The enemy was de-
ieated' On the night of the 18th January they
decamped. On the 23d January solemn
thanksglvlngs were offered up for the deliver
arce OF The country from the imminent perils
that had environed it, On the 18th of Febru-
airy the enemy were at Mobile, $50 miles off:
On the 2Oih General Jackson received unofi-
ciai intelligence that Il treaty of peace had
been negotiated This intelligence was COM
munlcated by the commander of the enemy's
forces. But on the Odd it was confirmed from
another quarter No one doubted the fact al
though 1t might not have been prudent for the
commencement 10 have acted on it, and
disbanded his forces.
Among those who had borne an active par
IN the campaign, were a number of emiprant:
from France. Their own country was ther
at peace with Great Britain and thew wer,
not bound to take up arms against her in de-
| fence of the United States. But thew rushed
voluntarily To the conflict, and not only dis
played that martial spirit which is the charac
terlstic oil their nation, but many of them hav
ing served under Napoleon, possessed scien
tihc knowledge in which the United States
forces were deficient. The blood of French
men and Americans once more mingled in tn,
same stream against the enemies of this coun
try. After these rumors of peace had reache
New Orleans, anxious to return to ,hei
holmes and to thosecivil occupations OIL whc
many of them depended for their livelihood
many OF them prayed to be discharged, o.
} presenting the consular certificates of their Ma
e tional character. These discharges were a
first granted without difficulty but, as thci
Huihuer llCTedSeu, oeUeTdi jackson issued Il
: order that all those who presented such cert
: fcates, and claimed their discharge, shoul
: forthwith be sent TO Baton Rouge, s,na
y town On the Mississippi, about $50 miles abov
: New Orleans.
= II may well be imagined that such an orde
II Implying suspicious of their fidelity, wbic
they were not conscious of deserving-wa
n considered by these brave people as harsh an
n rigorous in the extreme, and MS poor relur
v for the signal services they had rendered I'll
J. country This was towards the end of Eel
,r ruary, or early in March. On the Sd of II
,r latter month, Mr.. Louallicr (the same indivi
at ual who, as member OF the Legislature
TO had so warmly opposed the suspension Of II
re habeaS corpus acD published AN article,
of which this act Of General Jackson was sever
ly commented on as unjust. cruel, illegal, al
a an unjustifiable exercise Of arbitrary power
lie General Jackson Immediately issned din ord
It, for his arrest and ordered him 10 be tried
"a court martial, for exciting mutlny; for lib
lie and as spy
a. He (Mr. O. would not undertake to d
b. cuss the question of the propriety Of Gene
I'll Jackson's arrest Of Louallier. The public
Id ton was certainly an indiscrcet one.
how could a court martial ,aks coopizance