Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1842-07-19
INDIANA STATE SENTINEL
LETTER FROM GENERAL JACKSON.
Iilnnllanl. June 9. l54!


D,Ap SrR 7 have received your letter OF the
18th Of MAY lasi and, since. have also received
the Globe containing the speech Of Senator Con
-ad. OF Louisiana. on the bisi TO refund TO tic
fne &c imposed by Iudgo Hail. who - 81 led by
Mr.. Conrad the upright Judge.
lie feeling aud sentiment displayed by llr. Con
rad 10 he speech truly astonish me. They are tho
very opposite Of those entertained by the patriots
who werc engaged IN the defence of New Orleans
not enc Of whom considered Judge Hall ne perform
ing the part of good citizen n the proceedings
winch he instituted against me. They such a.
A5ner L. Duncan. E1q..-under whosc patronage
Mr.. Conrad was raised. aud who. with the charac
ter u = stin.ushed lurst, combined that OF the
'earless soldler aud the good man--wond have
been ashamed % agow. Although az that time
Sir. Conrad youth no cannot have forgotten
ths leading facts cf the case and the lessons be
learned from MS patron should have taught him to
distrast the motives OF these Who IN such emer
Sency that - New Orleans obtained applause
from those alone who were InInlcs 10 their cOun-
tfy.
II Of the deepest regret to me, that
Mr.. Conrad has disturbed the sleeping aches OF the
Judge, for the purpose of throwing unjust impu-
tatIon Iny character. The fault must be has, II
dong truth and justice viii compel the pub
IL to diseredt lis statements.
W hat the prominent facts ,
After intelligence had been received Of the GIN
barkmept Of the British troops at Plymouth IN En-
gland and that their object was the invasion of
New Orleans and whilst | was engaged with all
oxertlons III repellIng their advance. which was
then N possession Of PensacOa--it being necessary
for To clear my lett flank Of the enemy before
could proceed to New Orleans TO meet them there
several committees from New Orleans waited up
on me at Mobile, the committee OF safety and the
committee Of vigilance all giving SIM Iar IN
formation 10 TINT communicated by Gov Clai5orne's
letters which were appended 10 my defence, and
produced before Judge Hall, under his rule to APP
mo- nd IA he ATT zho not
Issue for contempt. which you have published in
the Globe aud which I refer. Having expelled
the British from Pensacola and made the necessary
arrangements for the defence Of Mobile. FASTENED
To New Orleans, and reached there the morning
81 the lst OF December-commenclng then my ar
rangemcnis for the defence OF that country. When
] arrived there, every thing was dependency and
alarm al the approach OF such Ovcrwhe lining
force. The traitors cause were emboldcned.
There were no arms-nOt even ftnts-in the arse
nal and the for defence were IN all respects
deficient. had nothing to depend upon but the
hope of accusing the citizens TO that high feeling
oil patriotism winch would make them : one man
IN union aud energy. call made on the Lou
isiana militia IN mass plans were formed To pre-
vent traitors aud spies from communicating with
the enemy.
Soon after my arrival, | was made acquainted
" th Judge Hall. who appeared willing TO AID IN
the means of defence. lie present my inter-
views had with the committees OF vigilance and
safety. The Legislature was in session, aud had
passed a law laying an embargo all vessels; thus
enabling Comod1re Patterson 10 Impress the sea
men To man his hota. The Judge had opened
the lals, aud liberated the prisoners charged with
piracy &c. without bail. and had adjourned the 7
court The subject discussed whether, in adj
ditIou 20 these measures, real necessity did not
exist tur the declaration of martial law IN New Or
leans, which had now become my camp. The
Judge present when the question decided
IN the Affirmative, and, by his gestures he appear
ed to approve the decision, But as the Legislature
had assumed the power to pass the embargo law,
acting upon the necessity OF the case, appealed Ia
u to exert the same power IN suspendIng the writ
OF babeas corpus during the INVASION. This OPP
posed by l.oualiier, and by those who wished to
surrender the city TO the enemy. The application
failed. Events, however, soon made u apparent
that without the declaration of martial law, the
ty could not be- defended and took the rcspons
bllIty upon myself of making the declaration IN
time To profit by the additional power 1t gave to
the military arrangements ior the defence and the
morning decl1red II, Judge Hall my office
and heard II read. II then he claimed, .N0tc
The country may he sdred tcttt0Wt n, a los.
Application was then made To the Legislature To
aalpurn IN order that all might lon n the defence.
This refused by the melorty-th Republican
members voting for it. request then made
by the Governor 10 adjourn To Baton Rouge. THIS
also reiused-thc Republicans voting for II.
The enemy had attacked and DESTROYED our gun
boats which gave new alarm Ia some, and fresh
encoura cement To traitors. IL gave noble resou
ton To the true patriot.
One of the details of the order declaring martial
law was. that the 'lamps be put out at o'clock,
and all founc the streets after that should BE-
pretended, and carried 10 the provost guard for
animation Tins rule proved announcement 10 the
Judge. who was bachelor, and spent his evenings
with the ladies'. lie applied through the marshal
10 be exempted from this rule which | resisted
until IL repeated by the mayor and aldermen,
and other gentlemen ct high standing, when II
granted with great reluctance. Under tins order,
he passed my scutrnels IN the ught-hed to the up.
per country and did not eurn until after the bat
tie of the 9Th. On his return. he received ith
great GOODNESS ~ all hls republican friends, and par
tcularly by the LADIES', because he had left them,
aud the city exposed II the attacks OF Infatuated
scldIery. when he ought 10 have remained, and, by
hrs example. stimulated noble defence. This
cepton mortified the Judge. lie was thrown INTO
a lit o: dis patton. and INTO the hands of Blanc.
1ouallIer, n Co., who made tool Of him 10 bring
about conflict between the civil and military pow
under the expectation of exciting the brave Lon
IslsnlanS To some violent ac', or OF suhectng 10
the mputation of military tyranny. Mr.. Conrad
well knows what difficulty had in restraining the
people from committing violence the Judge
lou1lher, Blanc. y e..
About the time of the Judges return to the city.
EQUALIZER published hs inil,mmatory address to the
people, intended 10 create mu,Iny my camp. and
the desertion Of my troops from their posts OF de-
fence. lie was arrested for exciting mutlny, and
spy for GIVING intelligence to the enemy, not
a MIR. Conrad asserts IN his speech-tor libel. f
liIt. before The arrest was made. he secreied HIM
self until hc had arranged with Judge Hall for the
appearance OF a writ of habtGs corpus. Ihls beng
aonc he made his appearance at the coffee house
the 9TH OF March. when he was arrested. On he
ft.lf ~ ri T.