The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-03-24
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som upon the supposition of his innocence
been involved by his tescherous friend in unonpded
suspicious and alaeous proofs Just about consgn him
would call loudest for vengeance against his
whose forgiveness to I've instantly eagerly sought
by tears snd prayers the only expaon that could be
madeto him Mr.. Spencer opened not his lips He asked
not forgiveness. from Cromwell though they calmly met
faceto face and paused they met almost touching
other in their way to the execution, because he well
knew that Cromwell instead Of being his victim, had
been his promPter in guilt To his willing associate in
crime, he had no apology to make: from him. no pardon
the OF Mr. Spencer and the execution the
mutinous indications were unceasng. Yet were they
deep rather than loud The fire beneath the surface which
the earthquake for the hour ofthe sxpo
sion its papsble and awful demonstrations. In this
instance especially the mutiny had now been taught by
heess the fame covered but suppressed gave
less and sure signs that the time Of Its bursting forth
near at hand The general disobsdience when
hrst announced and the de6nance with which they
were obeyed when peremptoriy repeat
ed-he frequent gathering of the older and stronger Of
the crew in groups Tor consultation their
stealing away at the approach officer else chang
ing the discourse to Indifferent subject and raising
their voices to the ordinary keythe carrying awry OF
the main topg aant mast the sudden and violent jerk
OF the weather royal brace by small who had just
side of Cromwell evidently by de,gn with the intent
throw board the boy The royal ard that con
fusion and chance for the outbreak might thence ensue
the simultaneous mastering OF the chief conspirators at
the main topmast head that occasion, watching the
moment action which point also directed the
fixed and anxious gaze OF Mr. Spencerthe refusal the
an at first when ordered there aid in send
ing up the top gallant mast and then the tumultu
rushing thher by nearly all the crew, stamping with
their feet an outrage made more suspicious by its hap
conduct the following evening when the were
called aft to the main sail sheet with the further cir
the rushing aft continued even after
thesrew had been distinctly ordered forward
the repeated missing muster without byhose
of the shipthe mysterious removal of the handsrike'
beavers and holystones to make them accessible
the consprators at the moment of need and the sharpen
ing of the African knife and batteaxe-the seai,hy
gances Of the conspraors towards the places in the
ana Storage where the ofncers of duty kept
-
that he would like to the African knife into the hands
of Mr. Spencer and that the knife would have to do
great deal Of slaughterthe raising Of handspke in
threatening manner by the same conspstor against an
efforts of those named in the Greek paper steal aft un
der pretence OF call OF duty as to he the r
them and the frequent of ant gances
betw the prisoners and hemthe sullenness mo-
roseness OF the crewther whsperings-the s, dous ex
pressions which occasionally overheard-the nso
lent and menacing tone assumed by them-ther ominous
expressions dspeasure at the prisoners being kept in
rons-are among the numberless circumstances which
collectively force the nteg ent and experienced
server the full conviction that the mutiny was rapidly
maturing for its final outbreak Add these the and
portentous looks Of the crew, which, like the lowering
sky presagng tornado seaman's eye could detect and
appreciate but which sesmans tongue cannot adequate
ly describe The suennos and moroseness the violent
and menacpg demeanor and the portenous locks OF the
crew between the arrest OF MIR Spencer and the
ton, not the creations Of fancy. Every officer and
many of the seamen have sworn to their existence All
these witnesses would league together deceive you;
and they could not have been deceived They
are nautical men, we'll acquainted With the usual
ners demeanor and looks Of seamen, and eye.wit
nesses Of what they state They observed tho omnous
appearances from hour to hour and from day day. and
watched with their fearful progress That wit
ness might be mistaken in sucha not very unlike
lythat number Of witnesses should be mistaken. 10
against all probability To reject their united evidence
fabulous imaginative would be to destroy that faith
which from his social relations is boundo place
the testimony OF his fellow men. q.
To enable the Court the better to Judge of the necessity Of
the execution, permit to bring the to another
the unconnsd malconens had risen and released the pri
that the mutiny had rumphed and the brig been
turned into piracaI cruiser that the faithful OF the OFF,
and had all massacred xcept the
der alone; that from refinement in cruelty the pirates
had spared his wretched e and him shore that
he might be forced to wend home his solitary way, and
become himself the disgraced narrator OF what would
then indeed have been the tragedy Of the somer' With
ceived his narrative How would the American press
with its thousand tongues have ovsrWhemea him with
seasonably urged by the unanimous voice Of your rusy
officers to their lives, the lives Of faithful
men and the honor of your country by the timely
cuton of these maleactors, who deserved to de and
whose immediate death imperously demanded by the
exisencies OF the case Why did not heed the
sell the earnest counsel OF your associates in authority
your constitutional adviserswih whose opinion your
too concurred You did not, because you dared
You faltered in the path OF known and acknowledged
DUTY because you wanted moral courage to tread it. On
YOU in the Judgment Of conscience devoves the respon
sbilty Of those murders which might and ought
have prevented. On you recols the disgrace Of that
flag which never sustained blot until IL committed
to your charge" To finish the picture, permit fill
up another part of the Suppose that the somers
turned pirate, while cruising eR coast had been
permitted by heaven, in evil hour to capture
sci plying between this and Europe freighed with the
talent and beauty of the land. The all murder
ed and the females Including perhaps the made wife
and maidens just blooming into womsnhood, forced
to become the brides of pirates. universal shrek of
agony bursts from the American people throughout all
their domains; and the walng echoed back from
the whole cvilised world And where then could tho
commander of the ssmers have hidden his head branded
as would have been, by mark of nfamy ndelibe
that stamped on the forehead CANT The case
Somcrs may form epoch in naval history. Should
the course Of the Commander be approved his Coun
try, mutines in ships Of will probably hereafter
be of rare occurrence But should this Court the high
tribunal oipubc opinion sentence Of condem-
nation the which felt himself bound persue
1t Is respectfully yet soemnly submitted that the
will be the signal for the general prevalence of msubord
nation in our navy The and subjects Of munous
excitement are always at hand Filled with
ed national character; crowded with spirits turbulent
the element which they dwell the ships brh-deck
abounds in materials OF combustion which single
spark may ignite. The commander must quench the
fame if it sometimes done by the sacrifice Of life.
He must suppress nutny in his little empire by the ap-
plication OF oil needul force No degree Of force
perfuous unlawful that necessary for the suppress
Efectua suppression the only point which he
can rghtfuly stop. He must move to that point with
gentle means If they will evil not he must
resort to severer measures and need be to the
safety of the ship will allow not moment longer But
il his Countrys Reprosch is to be the need Of his faith
example They will suffer the rage of mutiny to nursue
its fearful course rather than by the sacr
hcs coxr VIII rsn ne &
leaving to them the choice of time place. and mode
OF attack rather than incur the certain fate OF Pershng
at home by the daggers Of calumny They love their
country for their land they would cheerfuly e
but they for that beloved country willingly
lose TOR their most precious character lac
love of character is the least of the motives which
have inneuced them to renquish their pesce,i hesrths
and their home the unquiet seas And 10 sacff
ace their good name-be immedis. jewelof their souls
even on tho altar of public veal requires submity OF
patriotism beyond the flight of ordinary men,
Discipline the first and second and third virtue in the
naval code II was discipline, perhaps more than
courage which, during our last war with England era-
bled little navy 70 work it. miracles on the lakes and
commander of the somers may speak without egotism,
for he then of age to participate in their
gers their fame. The electric shock then communica-
astounded world can never be forgotten for
hahn saed m m na0fh