Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-04-12


mark on this occasion, that having care
fully read the proceedings ofthe court Of
lnqairy, and also those Of the court mar
tlal, as farsas published, we can See no
erEteace Of Tie necessltq of the e2ecation
at Spencer, Small aud Cromwell. The
patriotic tt4ster of Mr.. Perry, which ex-
cites The admiration ofsome OF the Amer.
lean newspapers, is not credtabEe 10 aim
as an offlccr or man. ..,
From the Liverpool Standard, of Jan. 80.
The United Service Gazette contains a
very able and useful article, (which we
shall endeaVor 10 give tomOrrow,) upon
the late shocking case of Lynchtns in the
AMERICAN navy. The Case TO which we
allude, IS that Of Capt Siidel Mackenzie,
who, upon pfetence of mntiny, hanged
one of his midshipmen and two of his pet
" officers without trial, and upon sus.
pclons wholly unsupported by proof
THIS monstrous cruelty would beNincredl-
bic upon almost any testimony but that Of
the murderer himself; but our readers
nave seen Capt. Mackenzle's own stale
ment-have even seen his confession, that
principal reason with him for hanging
MIR. Midshipman Spencer, Zone of the un.
fortunate ycilms. was the conviction that
Spencer could not be put TO death If
brought home to be legally Iied and also
the postscript, requesting for his own
(Captain Mackenzie'S )nephewthe vacancy
IN the midShipman's berth, which he (lhe
caplaiu) had made hv the halter that
srrangled Spencer. How the American
authorities may dispose Of Capt. Siidell
Mackenzie, we are yet unable TO say !;
but that the Murderer can anticipate less
than to 6pd his own neck eucrced by
/ Spencer's halter, proves an extremely IN
wholesome state of feeling in@the Ameri.
can navy. Lynch law is. bad enough in
tthe back woods; out when it tudS lis
way among the responsible servants 5ofthe
state, we may pronounce the near ap
rroach of anarchy. The particulars Of
/ Mackenzie's case are too we'll treated by
our excellent weekly contemporary 10 al
| low that we allude tothem very infinitely.
To us it is plain that The wretch2d mur-
derer committed his crime under the in
naence of the most abject, the most fetid
cowardice. ..<:=. 49, H.. s..-*. ~. : -.
If ever there was any purpose Of mu-
tiny. which may Be doubtful, it was per-
fcclly in his power to Illustrate it, BY rum
ming The vessel into any of the neighbor
ing ports 1severaI British and other ports
being within a few hours sail OF him j
4for be does not pretend that even for a
single moment be lost the command oithe
hin and crew. Indeed, the fact that he
hanged his three I've believe innocent)
shipmates By the hands Of has creto, il
! proof beyond dispute that he had complete
command of The ship! And why did he
bang them mo mutiny had exploded :
no blow had been struck. An intention
only was suspected, and suspected upon
very doubtful evidence, and for this suS.
peeled intention these young men were
laketf from the irons. in which they had
been three days fastened, Zone would think
tolerable security for their good behavior, J
and, upon ten minutes notice that they
must prepare for death, a0ithout trial
hanged at the yafdarm.*
E We know no; what NAV be thought Of
such active proceedings among the free
anu enIighltn ned citizens of the "mode
Iepubllc;" bat with US, in oar WrelcheJ
slate Of slavery. under Honarchial in<tru
tons, such summary exercise OF soVer
pigu authority would not be borne
Mackenzie, were he's British officer
: ask pardon OF our gallant navy for tht
f odIous ypotheSlS-wcuid as certainly b.
hanged. as Governor Wall was hanret
for the third part of his offence, for Wal
comdliled only one muder, and with NOR,
fEprovotation. With us to kiila mutlneer
save fagraAti dcticto. which comes into
the category of defensive homocide, i
clearly mutder, and would certainly b
:. punished as such, and even the siightes
V corporal punishment may not be inflic,e
: without The authority of a court MARTA
which gives as fair a trial aG.any tribunal
Ii may be that The crews Of the vessel i
the American States navy are such ute
: scoundre!s as TO stand In need Of a cod
more rigorous than that by which 1t |
found possible 10 govern BRUSH sailors
but il IS very certain that men never IN
prove in any quality of war under such
:, code, and surely the States must be WIS
!. enough 10 be aware of this. II Macken
yes conduct is supported by law, the k,s
must be changed, or the American nav
: is doomed, if as We suspect that IN III
i idocy Of his poltrooney he violated III
!. law, thea the service can be saved In NJ
other way than by hangngup the coward
y butcher"
So says The Liverpool Standard, the Ga
zelte and Boston Courier, and SO far a
:. i.soant Of Justification for the execution Q
81 The pa of Mckenzie is concerned Thin
!. The time is not distant when Inc Who'll
community will respond to ihe sentiment
contained 10 those papers BY one unite'
hearty and universal AMEN.