Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-01-23

DESCRIPTION or the SOMERS. BY r. II
DANA.-rhs New York Evening Post Of Friday.
publishes = hong letter from Richard Dana. Jr. vi
B,sIon. author of"Two Years before the MasI." To
a friend ia tho city. giving account Of his vi.s
to the Court Of Inquiry. There 10 a genessl desire
Zoe precise infornstrn a. to The msass which the
officers OF the SJren po,sssssd. OF eeu6nias the |
insIssders Of The nntiny. in secure manner ~
not oaly to keep them from all nnuncation with
their sdhsrsnts. bat To preysnt any successful nj.
tempt To rescue them. On this point Mr. Dana, who
70 ssirsnssr 10 the officers aud crew. rives the FOL,
loving information;
From the North Carolina 4 went to the Somer.;
and hersl u,usi say. that no one ought 20 form an
"pnio1 upon the issue Of this conspiracy with. ,ut
first seeing the S0nsu. You havs been on board
man Of war. add you have. dou biless. (s.I find
others nave) formed your notion Of the sias Of
thing, IN the Snner-, by what YOU have seen be
lure In the ships Of the line. frigaes or sloops ,.i
war which you have visited. there 10 great appear
anee OF protection. defence and inposng aaIhsr,ty
Connected with the sitter end ol the ship There IL
q poop dee'. . cabin built above the main deck.
with doors and windows looking E,r~ard, q Murine
with bayonet and loaded muskeI. at the door ano,I-
er 81 The ganrway. and others on guard at yariou.
par" OF The shi clear roumy decks. n ptenry Of
o heefs sboui and the quarter. of oi-er. furnished
with areas. and well guarded. But you nnsi m Ike
revolution in all 'ur ideas upon Ihrse particulars.
!" Judge OF The Soneu. You would hardly bAlieve
your eyes II You were here tn See az the scene of
ms dreaatul conspiracy little brig with low boil
warks, asinge narrow deck. Hush fore and AFT md
hoihing ic make the offcers' quarters but long
trunk house. or companion. raised few feet fr,m
The deck, TO let light and la below such as you
may ave seen VA oar smaller packets which ely r.
long the ses-board. You feel ns though half
nl1fa
decks, and thoo~n OVERHEARD all that opposed hem
before AID could come from below And in com.
ing on deck (Which seemed To me more fearful than
any hing ere IN the officers eIndiion) tho officers
would have 10 tome up tho steps aud through The
''h1l companion scuItles. at which a couple Of men
could easily have cut them dawn, or shot them "A
they appeared. Tue officers' s.art.r. and m.
cabin arc on tie sane with the berth deck of
the crew. separated only by bulkheaIs, and there
was nos marine on board To keep guarl at The
doors iE the gangways oser the spirit 70 I'm
powder magazine. ur arm chest. All these rI,ces
and Others of hardly infernr Importance have Ia
be guarded by the nfE;ers Ihemsolvss or entrusted
iosnch "i the petty officers I'd men az they cinld
place confidence in. We were nat permitted 10 90
below. but could easily believe that allowing
sAtcient between docks for the Accommodation of
Ulcers and men. the hold might he so occupied b.
stores. ammunition. ballast. aud the numer,u, Ia
cessaries OF ship Of var in actual service as 10
leave no place where half j Il n c1ns2irators
could De sitcly coahIed apart from the crew even
u retaining them Ga bolrI At all had been . ssibIe
In short. no ono Al ell acquainted with n,uiicnl
matters can zee ths SIucTs without being made
feeling awsre Of the defencel Of tho..
lew officers. dealing with a crew of nineiy pers,n,
VI whom s0ne were known TO be con piraturs
"hils OF the rest. they hardly knew upon " HON
10 rc!y foI active aud efficient aid in limo of dan
ger.
Indeed. would 60 IA iher, and say that one
must either have been sea- or be willing receive
snmeihing OF faiih for those wao have 10 Judge
ariy OF Tins case The difficulty in the pu hc mini
~ 70 De sAiiEsed that there snch state OF thuxs
on board sfter the ,uld rem Ter IL all bn,
certain Ia men ofrcasunabl= Ermness and dscre,ion
that the arrested persons could not he taken inlo
port IN irons For this must be mlde ouI or the
execution ~ns nhlusi6lble. DO MT mean To give
you an opinion nppn which am willing 10 be held
Tor the fact are not y all IN; but shuuld mol al all
be snrprI>ed II the llrts and denominations which
"ii'hed Mackenzie and his officers sh ,uId have
ess euici upon the general observer snd reader on
shore. Tue crew were Idsr VINE fear aher the
arrest. and would be careful at u d any over
act or commit themselves Al nil. until they we're
ready 10 attempt the rescue. They would conceal
sVery sign until III, m1ment Of iho outbreak MI
the officers had waited for Ina, evidence they would
HaVe waited jus, to- long for their own safety and
Tor the prevention Of dreadful crimes on The ah,Ie
ocean They were obliged ~ jghze from var civ |
oi sIai circum iancss OF hich. some y<nicanI
only TO naval mon. and others can hardly be made
nm pa er as they did the deck Foo instance th-
refusal Of three men 10 muster. II this wa. us the
ohcers believed. 4 deliberate Combination 10 Jis
obey lawful order and carried out il was Of itself
mutin!. and would forfeit tho lives Of the partr.
by the martial law; for know no other definition Of
mntiny than would coSerIhat acl.
II 10 an open defiance Of authority. and ronnsc |
led With the event Of the Others. would alone Rn
Tar to make oui the required case. The suspected
conlriNanee TO carry away tho mast; the gathering
0t the ncn abonI tbs masthead away from Their
s'at:onsi their rushing a IN the boz h-brace and TO-
fusa 10 go forward whom ordered; The or ,yyJng IN
70 ana blocking up OF the narrow gangways; their
neglect and dIs'bedIence Of orders; that inde,erba
bio sem ihiIg" which Mr. Perry mentioned in their
books and manner, denOtinR defiance aud prepara.
ton ior WOrsei and above ALL the fact Of theye de-
monsrhiions becoming stronger more apparent and
more frequent as they drew nearer Ca pori and the
ehaHces OF escape for the guilty were lesseninR;
all these might make outa case which would satisfy
conscientious. humane and brave man in taking
life, when yet landsmnn. reading the article. m
the papers by his IRE sido, in the heart of city:
surrounded BY Waichnsn. . pOlire, and posse Co.
miatus. before when he can swear the pears"
against susPect' a'sauer, and hav. him put into
tho "Iombs. might think the judgment rot sustain.
I'd by evidences Of sufficient danger
1.-The officers wefs morally esrain OF an u;brsak |
which no confinement could prevent, recolleci they
could call IN no aid from sbroad there was M place
for retrest. aud no Concessions would avail them
Most they then wait the onset and ITS chances
Perhaps % far ~ personal danger - themselves was
concerned, Mr. Mackenzie and his officers would
have been willing TO run the risk Of the cOnIe.t or
(as would have been Probsble) OF being taken
~ surprise and at disadvantage. Falher than 10 /
take life beforehand but They had alec q solemn do.
" public officers al oil hazards 10 prevent this
vessels bscoming pirais IN the hands Vf men WIN