The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-01-10
GEN. JACKSON'S FINE.

HEsN. JhChoOIN . lINE.
The following letter we conceive to be of the
greatest importance at this juncturc, and al
though somewhat lengthy, we hasten to lay il
before our readers, TO the exclusion of other
matter
WAsH,voros Cry, January 9th, l6i3.
Hon. Henry A. WISE
Dean Sin: Yours of the ID inst duly re-
ceyed and is now before me and in order to enable
me TO give suitable reply, permit me to recaPitu-
late such parts requisite to clear view of the
subject. At the outset of your letter you state as
follows:
al lately presented to the House of Representa-.
tives the resolutions of the Legislature of Virginia,
requ sting me to my best efforts to procure from
Congress a remission the fine imposed upon Gene
raj Jackson at New Orleans, in 1915. 1t refer
red to the Committee of the Whole on the state of
the Union, and will come up in the course OF lew
weeks for discussion. My object in that discussion,
whenever IT comes up, is truth and justice alone.
General Jackson was fined for the Imprisonment OF
sundry persons under martial law, the ground, as
1t is alleged, that martial law unnecessarily pro-
claimed and especially that il was wantonly contin-
ued after all necessity for it had ceased, if it ever
existed in the defence of New Orleans
Snow, sir, you happen TO be here inWashingon at
great surveyor of Louisiana, who promised the mate
rials for Melcsh's map, by which the boundary OF
that State with Mexico was fixed, &c. And as a re-
sdent and actor in the city of New Orleans at the
time of the defence and impartial historian OF
events connected with General Jackson, (of whom
you have never been sycophant,) except Ss you
may be BIASED by the zeal of a dominant American
spirit; which believe you have ever cultivated, in
stead of endeavoring to suppress. Knowing you
thus, appeal TO you for an impartial history OF
events in detail, bearing,
"First upon the necessity Of martial law
Second, upon the necessity of its continuance ;
and
Third, upon the necessity of its application in the
cases for which he was fined"
How far may be able to respond to your wishes
will be seem Impressed from the moment of its
imposition with the injustice of &c the fine, and Of
its ingrattude also, shall state briefly my views of
the subject was at the courthouse door at the
moment when Judge Hall imposed the fine, and OBJ
served to Mr.. Davezac Casters and Col D'Arcet, of
the British army, standing with me, that " the Judge
in and seat, iohich his prisoner at the
bar saped from being British barrackn / must do
the British officer the justice TO say that, amongst
the many have heard express their disapprobation
Of the whole transaction, never heard another
terms severe. But to proceed
Upon the necessity Of martial law.
Let us glance upon the then condition Of all that
part Of the United States south and southwest
of Tennessee. The Mississippi territory, it stood
when the Of 1910 was TAKEN included
the entire space embraced by both the States of
Alabama and Mississippi, or about 80 900 square
miles, and contained aggregate population of
40,352, of whom 22,92i were white and II ,42s CO.
lored
10 1890 the joint population of Mississippi and
Alabama, had risen to 203 ,349 of whom IS 100 were
colored
BY the Census Of 1870 the total population Of the
Territory Of Orleans (now Louisiana) amounted to
1856, of whom 81 3l were white, and 40 245 were
colored. In 1890 the aggregate population Of Louis
lana had risen to 1853, 407, Of whom 70, 1867 were
white, and 1880 colored. The area Of Louisiana a
small fraction above 1000 square miles
The whole immense space west Of Georgia, and
south and southwest of Tennessee, comprisinp what
is now in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Ar
kansas, in 1910, contained by the Census of that wear
male white population above the age Of lG years
Mississippi Territory, now States Of Mis-
sssipp and Alabama, soos
Louisiana, then Territory Of Orleans, ~ soI
Arkansas, then District Of the Territory
Of Louisiana, (now Missouri State) oG1
Total white males above l6 years of age. n as
Add onc-fourth for increase in wear,
"o" ioio I" 1919, 4,464
iotai, supposed, 1915, q, 800
Adopting the increment as above, which. however
must premise Is too large, $ emigration to any
part OF the region under review did not TO any great
amount, take place until after the war. we would
have on space equal TO that Of the whole spanisb
peninsula, or that of France or above 200 900 square
miles, not quite $1,000 whine males including youth.
of l6, and aged men beyond the physical power q,
serving inwar
How were these twenty-three thousand situ.ted
Why in groups with wide wilderness spaces inter
vening. These spaces occupied by warlle and ex-
asperaled savages In their own domestic position
again, taken as whole the whites but little exce.d
ed IN numbers colore cast, and in Louisiana tho
latter outnumbered the former Under all these nm.
deniable circumstances, it would be difficult II M,
impossible, to conceive Of any country so unprepared
to meet an invading enemy. There we're, it is true
some regular troops in the State of Louisiana I'm,
with them included the white males CAPABLE of hear
ing arms on the space designated did not am con.
yinoed amount in 1915 10 10000 men
Were disposed 10 make discrimination nation.
ally OF the elements of the population stated, pos
sess no adequate element, nor do l. in fact, consider
any such distinction proper Contrary TO what is
otherwise supposed, there never existed but very