Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1842-06-11

- ," IA va
sion, dated the 30th inst, and communicates
to him by a joint committee of both houses, te
which the General gives the following answer,
"Ibat just after the engagement between
the British and American armies had com
menced on the 2sth inst, when the enemy wa
advancing, and 1t was every instant expected
they would storm our lines |: as the General
was riding rapidly from right to the left Of his
line-he was accosted by Mf. n, one Of his
volunteer aids, who had Just returned from
New Orleans observing him TO be apparently
agitated, the General stopped, supposlng him
the bearer of some information of the enemy's
movements, asked him what was the matter
He replied that he was the bearer of a, mes.
sage from Governor Claiborne, that the assem-.
bly, were about TO give up the country 10 the
enemy. Being asked u ne mad any letter from
the Governor, be answeredxin the negative
lie was the ~intsrrogated as to the person
from whom he received the intelligence, he
said It was from a militia colonel the General
rnqnired where this militia colonel was, and
that he ought to be apprehended, and If the in,
formation was not true he ought to be shot
but that he, the General, did not believe 1t. 10
this Mr.. N. replied, that the colonel had re.
turnedto New Orleans, and had requested him,
| Mr.. ~, TO deliver the above message.
1.-THE General was In the act of pushing
forward along the line. when Mr.. ". called af
liter him and said, the Governor expects or
ders what 10 do The Geaerui replied that he
did not beiew TIE intelligence; but 10 desire the
Governor to make strict inquiry into the sub
Feet and if true, to blow them up. The Ge-
neral pursued his way, and Mr.. N. returned to
The city. After the action Mr.. n. returned,
and on the Generals stating to him the i'm
propriety of delivering such n message pub
licly in the presence Of The troops, as WeH az
the improbabikty Of the fnct, he excused him
selfby the great Importance of the intelligence,
and then, for the FIRST time, the General heard
the name Of Col. T., as Mr.. Ms author.
"The above statement the General gives as
a substantial one of the matter referred to in
the resolutions of the senate and house of re-
personalities and to this he adds. that he gave
no order 10 the Governor 10 interfere with the
legislature, except as above stated.
"ArppEw JACKSON,
tsMajor-Gen. commanding"
Immediately after reading the above letter
in the Senate, that b. use passed the follow
ing resolutions, which were sent down % the
lower house and there eoncurred ill.,.
"Resolved by the senate and house of re-
personalities, etc, that the governor of the
state shall be, and is hereby requested 10 in
form the general assembly in writing,
"lst. Ofthe manner in which he has ~receiv-
ed the intelligence, which has occasioned the
violent measures used against both houses of
said general assembly on the 18th Of December
last.
"2d. What message he, the Governor, had
sent to M~ajorsGeneral Jackson relative to that
intelligence, on the said day by Col. T.
"3d. What order he, the Governor, has re-
ceived in consequence OF said intelligence, on
the day aforesaid, from Major-Generai Jack
son; and in what manner and by whom the
said order was delivered to him.
eth, What order be, the Governor, has
given to the armed force WHICH was stationed
on the 2sth day of December last, at the go.
yernment house,"
1t was not until the 9th of February, 1915,
that Governor Claiborne found it convenient
to comply with the callof the legislature.
On that day he sent to the two houses a mes
sage, covering such documents as he had
been able to procure on the subject, but which
amounted only to a letter from General Jack
son, every way similar 10 the one above.
During this interval, nevertheless, the joint
committee Of the two houses had industrious
ly pursued their searching investigation.
They had, emphatieally, sifted out the whole
matter, and we're prepared to make one Of the
most lucid, logical and triumphant reports
ever submitted TO any legislative body on
earth. The report being too lengthy to APP
pear in a single number of our paper, and not
wishing TO divide it, we shall attempt to con-
dense it i'll such a manner as to expose all its
principal facts often emitting, of course,
the pungent and but too just remarks of that
able committee, on the conflicting testimony
and scandalous developments made before it.
The communications made By the Cover
nor to the Investigating committee, were in
complete and unsatisfactory. Accordingly, said
committee had recourse to other agents to
extort from the deep mystery in which they
appeared engulphed, the facts necessary to
exonerate triumphantly the general assembly
from the charge of treason, so indirectly yet
SO harshly preferred against them. Col. For
tier, jr, and bfigadier general Labatat were
cited to appear at the bar of the committee.
The former was the person who, according
to the answer Of the Governor of the state,
had transmitted to his .excellency the order
pretended to have been issued by Major Ge-
neral Andrew Jackson the latter was the per-
son to whom had been committed the execu-
ton of the said order.
"The committee already knew from the an
swer of Maior-General Jackson, that his voIun-
teer aid, Mr.. ~, protesting 10 be the bearer of
a message of the Governor Of this state, had
announced to him the strange tidings which
occasioned the arbitrary order IN question
but the committee learned from the deposition
of Col. FortIer that the same aid, protesting to
have been sent by General Jackson, to trans
nit his orders. 10 Governor Claiborne, had
charged the said Foftier with that commission;
that is, to order the Governor to have a strong
guard, to be stationed. at the door Of the house
of the legislature, and to employ the armed
force III hindering the members from meet
ing
"The committee saw then, on the one hand,
that General Jackson, as appears from his an
swer to the first resolution of both houses, had
given no order of that nature to his aid, Mr..
n, whilst, on the other hand, it appears evil
dent, to them that the Governor, according TO
his answer, above referred to, had sent no
message for General Jackson relative 10 that
transaction, either by Col. T. OF any other
person..
"Such glaring contradictions required some
explanation. To obtain this, the obvious
means was to examine Mr.. n, and the COM
mittee have accordingly caused him to appear
before them Immediately; but as, according
to the declaration of General Jackson, Mr.. T..
was the person from whom Mr.. n. had said ne
received the alleged message from the
Governor, the committee thought fit to exa-
mine Mr.. T. first, and to send for Mr.. N,
sConformabiy to this determination, the
committee caused a letter to be written by
their chairman, to Major-General Jackson, re-
him to order Col. T., then under his
command, to attend the committee. To this
letter, which was delivered te the General, to-