Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-01-18
Jan. IS, 1S43.
THE MURDER ON BOARD THE BRIG
SOMERS.

sOMERs.
The popular and leading newspapers
Of the day are teeming. and some OF them
literally filled, with the particulars OF the
mutiny on the above mentioned vessel
These papers state that most horrible
murder was about to be committed by the
mutineers on the crew. Now, if in their
laudabe attempts to be accurate, they had
gone a little farther and asserted that mur.
der soas actually committeeman By the
mutineers, but on the m utineers-not legal
murder as some call it, but illegal MUIR
der, it is barely possible they would have
approached nearer the rigion Of PROBABLE
ity, il not Of truth.
II any one objects 10 the caption have
chosen for this article let them show its
incorrectness and select me better, and l
will most willingly adopt it. But if, on
the coptrary, murder as well as an attempt
to mutiny took place on that brig, then
principle requires that | should adhere TO
the truth Of my caption.
will not undertake to say how far
PREJUDICE, instead of any real or well
grounded far for the safety Of his vessel,
influenced the conduct Of Alex. S Mack
enzie in destroying the lives Of three
human beings, with most benignant and
mcrciful grant Of ten minutes in which
to prepare for eternity - but will let his
report TO the Navy Department and to the
Naval Court Of Inquiry speak for itself
on this point. II is not denied that Philip
Spencer was somewhat reckless youth
of bad habits and bad assocales-but ii
it is denied, once for all, that boy only
between Is and 10 years of age, even CT
his character, can not be reformed BY kind
treatment - BY friendly aad wholesome
advice-by parting confidence, and thus
creating proper selfrespect. Whether
this was the course pursued by command
or Mackenzie towards his midsbpman
Spencer - whether be acted as friend
aud flther of the boy, as he ought to have
done, remains to be shown from his own
account Of the transaction Here are his
words at the commencement OF the report:
After Midshipman Spencer had been
received on board he TMackenZiel heard
that Spencer hid been sent hone from
the b. I'll squadron for inloxicalion; hG,
he wished TO get rid Of him, that he con
sidered him base young man, and being
the son of an honorable father be thought
him more bIse than those who have nc
f,miIies 10 disgrace by their conduct. He
wished TO have nothing to do with base
mess, an thought il should have nothing
10 DO with the Navy"
Do we not here discover, on the part 0
Mackenzie, on attempt to proposes tn
court (belore whom he was to be tried) i,
Lis favor and 10 nstil into their mind
the same prejudice against young Spence
that he himself had imbibed! And al
this too. before any evidence was submit
ted, and when it was impossible for III
accused Spencer TO be present and rept
the charge. For he lay "Geep in th
bosom Of The ocean buried" by the unau
lhorized act Of the very man who no
had the assurance TO rise up, and hea
nfmy on the memory Of the dead in a
erparte lria 4 OF his own creation Wh
had the charge Of intoxcaion again
Spencer. while belonging to The Braz
squadron. (whether true or false, } to
with the guilt or innocence Of Mackenz
in hanging him, while on the Somers, 4
an alleged muliny? The only evident
Of baseness' he brings 10 the above char!
Is ntoxication-and If this renders m;
base, perhaps Mackenzie himself, or ev'
some Of the members of the court W.
try him, and multitudes Of young m
like Spencer have been very base at sor
Period during their lives. But the on
evidence Of iatorication even, that Mac
enzie brings, is hearsay. Il He heard Spe
Ger had been sent home for intoxicatior
One question Of morals, contained in !
above quotation, leave for Macken
or his friends 10 settle or explain-that
how i, could increase Spencer's bascn
because he belonged to family or hi
pened u be the .son of an honora
fdther"2
Listen once more to Mackenzie's rep
have emphasized some Of his expr,