Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-01-10

s-v.-ss Sa,.rs.r.ssy Asssr

s<ve.sh aay-rhursasy Atcrnssn.
The following o the letter submitted TO the Court
yesterday morning. BY Commander Mackenzies--
May !, please the Court A. sll the mutnies record
have been provoked by injustice toward the or by
r- tyranny incspsciy the part Of commanding OH
csr.. concerns me TO show that mo such causes existed
on board the Somers. -
French revelation grew Of dcysiy bntlong eontin
I'd gsvsnec- which although the ringeade were eAeeu-
sd, afterwards solemny redresscd- ,
,mnte cruelty IL hor captain. and broke forth in
enee 81 of barba which oecasoned the death Of
Of his
The muny Of the Bounty grew likewise OF the bru-
t,ity a the captain both his officers and men, IL
directly provoked by outrageous insult Of his off,
The mutiny among the shipwrccked crew of the French
gse Medu-a ~as oceasioned by the ineapsciy and
c camne-s Of the commander aud his officers II therefore
professional honour that board the
and the other vessels have had the honor
and there has been cruelty, disregard for the per-
sonnl comfort for the feelings Of those under my CON-
mnnd. o the weakness ncapacity which might pro-
woke characterization, or give encouragement no
Of humanity.
This evidence rendered necessary by statement
having the rounds Of the newspapers as am informed
that cruel and oppressive board the Independence
rsf and acting commander OF the Faireld
has been said by the Court that has nothing to do with
what s stated the newspapersbut the press great
msnuactory u public opinion; the fabric which produces
Of various quality, but no American claim To be
indifferent IT, Public opinion has been let in up
this whole matter, and willing as am that my whole
conduc, should be laid before the world glad that the
Court this decision.
am prepared therefore TO that LIST lieut. OF the
Independence opposed to punishment myself, and
that all the punshmens in that ship inflicted by order
Of tho commodore himself until it became irksomc
him, and OF his motion he devolved the greater part OF
me; that commanding officer at the Dolphin
forced the law Of Congress which restricts the power
punish the commander alone, and requires il be in
aeed by his order and in his presence, time when the
practice OF oggng by ths LIST lieutenant, and the officer ct
the deck universal in the service continued to be
un the circular Of Mr. Secretary Pauding. requiring the
rigid observance OF the law of Congress tins subject
issued
lam prepared to prove tina, both in the Dolphin and in the
Fairfield attentive the rights, the comfort and the
happiness OF my crews and that they eminently
Derry cheerful and con,ented that both these vessels
in high order and efficient men-of-war
As my humanity may be impeached account, Of the
transactions which the Court has under consideration, am
prepared prove that when the Brazilian city of San Sal
vador entered by stoming by the imperial troops and
the insurgents within the expecting and deserving
quarters firing the city and resisting in every direction
got the Dolphin under from her anchorage the
British and French cruzers, and crossing the fire of OF
the batteries and imperial euizer that attacking it,
brought the Dolphin anchor under the walls OF the
opposite the residence of the American consul received
him board with his family, and gave refuge all who
fed board OF her from the sanguinary OF the
saiants, from the conagraon and its drunken and dcsPe
rate perpetrators.
also prepared prove that the termination
civil in the Oriental Republic when the Constitutional
Government overhrown and Rivera about
the city of Montevideo the head of horde OF feroc,us
Indians, gave refuge board the Dolphin hln
twenty individuals including several high officers of state,
who deeply compromised, abandoned the females
their family the exclusive Of cabin and convened
them 10 place OF safety.
That in like in the Fairfield / withdrew from
threatened death Buenos Ayes several individuals CON-
promised for political Offences and that did this without
oeing theiavoabe regard for myself and country
OF the authorities OF Buenos Ayres concaied by the ener
gec measures which had taken resist the attempt
the French admiral TO encroach neutral rights and
extend the rights OF beligerents beyond the limits assigned
TO them by the law OF nations.
These various facts prepared prove by witnesses
IN nf pnna h.I Axahp .o,
OF duty at distance from N Y it be the pleasures of
the Court, would he glad that these witnesses should be
now examined and suffered 10 depart.
(Signed) ALEX. SLIDELL MACKENZIE,
Commander u. s. ~
u. s. Ship North Carolina Jan. ), IS43.
Mdshipman Rogers the next witness called He
described the of Spencer &C. the other witnesses
had done, and then proceeded n follows:
Soon after, at O'Clock, | relieved by Mr. Thomp.
son. and then informed by the first lieutenant that he
with myself had orders to examine Spencers lockers We
did and IN found papers-one wrapped
in the other On there writing Greek characters
bat the words were English This was a list of his ACCOM-
pices, headed "certln," doubtful" and hose to be de-
tanned board AOiens pOteRs There also some ex
panatory paragraphs. These the first lieutenant took and
| deciphcrei them for the commander
THE witness then described the carrying away of the
neutrality-suspicious. mast, the aring of the Ocer- arrest
Of Cromwell, Small, and the other four the assembling of
the officers in council, &c. all of which We omit as the de-
tails have been several times published in our colunns
Mr.. Spencer a messmate OF mine in the sieerage.-
The day before his arrest he up while
ter good told him did know, but sup. |
posed il was very good one He then asked the
Of IT, told him could tell. Two three weeks pre-
yious TO his arrest he said he could tell fortunes
asked him if he could tellmne by examining nv hand
He said he could. Having examined my ha2d, he told !
me my death would DO violent and sudden onc-,hst
would die shortly-and that ! would die a gambler He
told the fortunes OF Thompson and Dclonde. don't re-
collect what their fortunes There was nothing said
Of the improbabiity of my arrival in port.
He in the habit Of speaking very disrespectuy of
the commander in the sieerage, but obsequous
his presence He said the commander should have another
49, as initial to spell his character AT another time short
y after leaving New York. 10 remark mine Mr.
spencer said he did know he that kind Of man
that he thought he id old granny.
observed his familiarity with Cromwell, Small Green
Mckee. and with most Of those whose subsequent
y found on the list He frequently conversing with
them when duty in his watch laughing and talking with
them in familiar than became an officer or
a gentleman.
This familiarity had attracted my attention previous to INV
knowledge Of the intended mutny, and made the ob.ef
Walton my messmaie. lie in my watch and was in
attentive 60 his duties frequently had give orders with
their being obeyed and often under the necessity
OF going forward To put my orders execution and
generally found him sanding by himself or talking with
Of the On the night OF the 9th durng the
nidwatch, the maintopgaan brace parted causing the
yard to swing forward the foecastle to di-coy
whether had been parted let by mistake and saw
FIR. Spencer standing the lee hencoop apparently in
conversation with the ook-out, apprentice
called the boy 10 haul in the brace, when Mr. Spencer
appeared 20 for the first time he Immediately got
down and TO his station the weathersde of the
forecaste relate this instance Of his familiarity 10
his interiors, and Of inatenton his duty He was mo-
and quarresome in his disposition much so that none
Of his had any thing do with him than
unavoidable, lie associated with the crew His
manner the same to the crew his messmates.
have heard munous expressions from Spencer previous
hs In going ashore in the boat M0nroys said
before the boats crew. that the commander id old
humbug, words TO that effect. The discipline Of the
when arrived at Madeira had been good; from
that up the execution the discipline was growing
wose' but the uos and regulations were enforced the
same manner at the commencement OF the cruise.
Afor leaving, there marked change in the manner
OF the crew for the worse and this marked change
grow up the time Of the execution The change
very psrcepbe. After the arrest the elder part Of The
collected together in knots they slow To obey
the ORDERS their looks suen Of the officers ar
preached them they would commence talking louder Of
something else. While the prisoners in irons OBJ
served Mckee standing forward looking very intensely
Mr. Spencer, endeavOnng catch his eye. Seeing me
commenced sky-larkng with OF the boys saw M
fgns saw the last four prisoners, and others who were
Inspected, always at hand bringing the meals 10 Spencer
Cromwell and Small I observed no other signs Of desire