Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-02-08

tons ofsailors made long ago in the street:
OF New-York, while drinking rum snt
smoking tobacco, are raked up in the vain
attempt TO prove what never existed We'll
was It for Phelps that bis foolish speech
never came to the ears Of Mckenzie until
after his discharge from the Somers! For
if il had, he never would again have opened
his eyes on his native country his life
would have been the penalty.
So far as it relates TO Spencer & Small
did suppose at first, when looking al
Wales and Ganesvoorl's statements that
some evidence existed of serious design
to take the vessel. But Mckenzie, in his
(everish anxiety to prove what was mad.
missible, has furnished a satisfactory er-
PLANTATION # the irhole mailer. wish be-
sides, 10 call attention to the motire Nc Kenzie
had in offering testimony that he must have
known was not legal - whether it was TO
subserve the cause Of truth, OF vile attempt
TO stab the reputation of young Spencer in
the dark, when he had no meals of defend
ing himself = and to injure, still farther if
possiole,th already lacerated feelings of his
parents. Mckenzie 10 his written state
ment offered to. prove in substance
"That Spencer while in Geneva College
related TO the children of The professor with
whom he lived, murderous stories and tales
OF blood = his favorite theme was piratical
exploits and the pleasures of a pirates life.
The book he read the olienest and present.
ed TO the Students library was the pirates
own Book Said he wished 10 live few
years OF merry life - as TO future state
rewards & punishments-he believed moth
ing in them. When about TO leave College
IN Stage coach, said he would one day be a
pirate" THAT he had muIinous projects
on the Potomac and John Adams = that he
showed statements 10 The officers on those
vessels how they could be taken. Talked
ms PROJECT over 10 many on the Potomac
how he intended TO take her - turn pirate
and what he then intended TO do" &c.
This evidence was objected to By the
Judge Advocate as not having the least
bearing on the case at issue. "McKenzie
replied that he should be satisfied if his
communication was allowed 10 be entered
on the records Of the court lciihom calling
any loitnesses."! That is, he would be sat
isfed if the court would let him place on
its records malignant thrust at the char
acter of a youth whom lie had wan.only
killed, without undertaking TO prove its truth!
But this statement Of Mckenzie, even if
true, unfortunately for him, proves TOO much
II proves that Spencer : lad Of, perhaps
from IL 10 16 years Of age, was, while al
school among his fellow children and com
panions, fond Of the marvellous : telling
and hearing wonderful stories. That hi:
favorile theme was piratical exploits arose
probably from the fact OF his having read
the incidents Of pirates life, before having
read the history of highway robber. Ha(
he, or any other youth, first seen and reat
paul Clifford or some similar work, thei
Jdrorite theme might have been differ
ent. These wild fantasies il seems haunted
him while on the John Adams and Potomac
! he showed officers and men his scheme,
and projects = how he was going TO raise
muliny and take the vessel-turn pirate an
J capture rich Indiamen! And all this b.
| impaired to them in confidence. But VIVA
did these officers do2 Did they seize au
iron him, and then take his programme
and watch his looks to find evidence Q
guilt2 Did they without trial, unheard, an
far away from single friend and home
allow him only ten minutes 10 live = an
then hang him at the yard arm2 Not at al
They treated il as mere boys whim-i
itself harmless. Any different treatmen
would have been ridiculous in the extreme
Now this is precisely the manner i
which he conducted himself while on III
Somers. He was not yet nineteen years {
age, and foil of the wild imaginings of boy
hood. The chimera Of his childhood sti
continued 10 haunt him. The paper col
tanning his project he carried about hin
showing 10 this man aud that - 10 foes 4:
well as friends, till il was worn and dirt
WHY should he tell midshipman Rogers, q
officer, that ne had such paper if he The
! there was any great Lar9 in il? Why d
he tell Wales, and show it in the presen'
Of many Of the crew. The secret us
o itself groves nothing; for BY bis own wr
e ten explanation on The paper, he knew n
o who was for or against. him. He hi
n placed Wales on the list as certain bef0
: he had ever spoken 10 him. Why, il
seriously medifated taking the brig, did
J. declare that he intended, when he arriv
3 at New York, 10 throw U? his commissi
d and purchase a vessel2-and invited Cro
: n -, LIZ, 2 Ss.,oro