Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1842-09-06

memorial, IN the shape of round .ruOI
0 addressed 10 Sir John franklin, in Jul
. 1910, setting forth that fellows guilty
y the fOulest and most revolving crime
were our OVCrseers-thgt many of 4
had to work long and hard barcfoOleC
with wretchod food, and worn out gai
ments, toiling whether it raiIed or whell
er we were in a burning sun, with II
place to dry ourselves when wet an
weary, till the bell called US to be lock
ed up in our prisons at night. Sir JOhl
was incensed. he mustered US, called u
mutineers, ordered us TO be dressed il
magpe clothng--one leg and arm black
the other yellOw-with military guas,
to shoot us down if disobedient. W.
were then sent 10 the worst station OF
the island, at Green Po..d. There how,
ever we found friend in the Hon. Capt
Ersklnei son 10 Lord Chancellor Erskins
and brother to the Ambassador from
England, who had married an American
lady. THIS noble youth won The alIec.
items Of us all by listening to our con
plants when cruelty used, and doing jus
tice on the felons who had malreated US.
His heart was full OF kindness aud hu
mainly, but his conduct gave offence as
being at variance with the policy Sir John
Franklin had been directed to pursue,
and the station was soon broken up.
On the 18th of last February, those Of
the captives not ordered to Port Arthur,
were to have tickets by which they would
be enabled to labor for their living, each
man having certain township far in the
interior, beyond which if he dared to go,
severe punishment would follow.
Thess townships extend perhaps ten
miles by five, and contain on the Average,
perhaps thirty landowners, who will unite
10 pay the poor captive just what they
please, as he can 60 nowhere else; and if
he demand a settlement, they may assert
that he was saucy; and, any Two of them
being magistrates, can send him TO the
chain gang for year, or otherwise co.
cree him. Redress is thag not to be
thought OI. If / we're now a Van Die
mans Land ''reIief captive" ! would
gladly exchange for slavery in Virginia,
as far preferable.
Chandler and White are the exception
10 these remarks. They are much re-
spected, and have been allowed to set up
a blacksmith and wheelright's shop, John
Grant, of Toronto, being their hired ssss
tant.
1t is impossible for me fulIy to describe
the state of society in Van Dieman's
Land. Nne.tenths Of the people are
Some of their crimes are SO
revolving that forbear TO name them;
and as for the London prostitutes, they
are there in thousands and infinitely
worse than the worst oflhe men. Virtue
itself would soon be mlaminated IN such
a polluted atmosphere.-There are no
but money is plentiful, and
Van Demam's Land is the most remalka
BILE place for drunkenness ever saw
The American and Canadian prisoners
established temperance societies, at
which some Of onr ab!est men Iectured,
and very few Of The English convicts
joined us.
The law is administered in very sum
mary and severe manner. Sir Geofge !
Arthur would sometimes sign eleven
dealh warrants in a morning, and see them
executed too lis severity was no doubt
The reason why he was sent next to Can
ada, and is probably the reason Of his pro-
motion to the government of Bombay.
In April, lS4l, Governor Franklin
caused the American capives to be as.
sembIed, and made speech to them.
think the piih of it was to this effect
He had received letter from SeCreta.
ry Lord John Russell, saying that our
release rested entirely with the Governor
General of Canada, who If he could ar
rive at the conclusion that our return
would not endanger tho public safety, |
and prove the signal for renewed troubles
eli the frontier, might permit us TO return
home, but then so far as the condition
Of Canada was yet known 70 the Govern.
ment Of England, our return was Consid.
cred highly dangerous; that there was
but little probability we should ever be
permitted TO leave the island; and that his
were not to alloy any of us a
free pardon. He added, that as Ameri-
can vessels visited LauncesloWn and Ho-
bart Town; he would keep US all in the |
even after our first two years ex
pired; that we might hope to be taken off
by the sympalbynt American seaman,bu'
that ifsuch should arise, the British aud
American governments being on the best
possible terms, we should be demanded
of the United States authorities, given up.
brought back, and receive a most exem.
plary punishment. AS for Linus Wilson
Miller, he would keep him in the coal
mines, if he retained that government, toI
the last hour of his life, as warning and
example to others.
My object is to state plain facts, leav-
ing TO better Informed men the task Of
applying them; but may venture to re.
mark, that it would surely be better for