Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-01-03


GERS, without even the form Of court,
without the obligation Of an oath, and up-
on this ex-parte secret information, united
in the opinion that the safety Of the YES
sci required that the prisoners should be
put to death! How far this recommenda
lion was influenced BY the acts or the
fears Of Mr.. Mackenzie, does not appear.
4lh. That on the LIST Of December,
when every thing and person on board
the vessel were perfectly quiet, after four
days'of entire security, the three persons
we're, by the order of Mackenzie, hung at
the yaFd.arm at midday.
The allegation in some of the papers,
that it was proved TO have been the inten.
tion Of the mutineers to execute their
project on arriving at ST. Thomas, is
wholly destitute Of any evidence. And
had it been their design, it was effectual-
ly justified, so far as these prisoners were
concerned, by their confinement. At 81.
Thomas, any of the crew might have been
left. and the power Of the officers Of the
vessel strengthened to any exte nj that
was necessary.
The statement in the Inielligencer,
copied apparently from the New York
American, that Spencer violated an en-.
gagement formerly made to resign, seems
TO have keen deemed necessary to preiu-
dice the public mind against him, that
those who slew him might have q more
favorable hearing. Il is true, he did re.
sign, aud the Secretary OF the Navy, on
the Recommendation Of his commanding
officer, considering The nature and cir
cnmStances Of the offence (inebriation)
restored his warrant with q strong admo
milton; and this was done without the so
licita tien Of any Of his friends. His age
is represented in the same paper to have
been over 20. Had he lived he would
have been nineteen the 26thJanuary next.
As TO the probability that such mere
bSy,-utteTly uuacquainted with naviga-
tion,-brought Hp ia lAe in terror, would
seriously end deayOr 10 seduce 10 mulin,
an old seaman who had arrived at the
rank Of bOaiswain's mate, and who is rep
resented to have been employed hereto
fore on board SLAYER. or to have been q
pirate--an Impartial tribunal. before which
both sides will he heard. will determine.
The idea Of The mutineers cruising of
Sandy Hook TO intercept the packets
seems 10 have been thrown 10 for the spe.
cial benefit OF the merchants of New
York. The papers, such as they are, con
tain no such information.
The only account we have, given By
Spencer himself, is, that Il pGs ell a Joke
If It shall appear TO have been the mere
romance of aheedless boy, amusing him.
self, it is true, in q dangerous manner
but still devoid Of such mVrderous designs
as are imputed, and ifthe execution Of him
and two Seamen (agains. one Of whom, al
least, there is not yet particle of eVi.
dence) should prove 10 have been the re.
suit Of unmanly fear, or Of despotic TEN.
per, and wholly unnecessary at the time to
repress or prevent a muIiny--if all this
can appear, il cannot be doubted that the
laws will be vindicated. The laws oil
Congress prescribing the Navy Fegula'
tiOns, forbid the taking Of human life,
even by the sentence Of a conrt martial
before which all parties are heard, with.
out the sanction Of the President Of the
United States, or, it without the United
States, Of the commander of the feet OF
squadron. This is believed to be the first
instance in our history in which the law
has been violated-the first in which pri.
soners-nOt Of the enemy, but Of our own
citizens, have been put to death in cold
blood.
These remarks are made, not to excite
prejudice, but to repel the attempt to ere
ale it, and to enable the American people
to see what mighty principles are involved
in this unheard~Of proceeding. Let jus.
tiCe be done: let it not be denied because
one Of the victims was connected with a
high funct!onary of Government, nor be-
cause another is unknown, and has not a
friend or relation on the face Of the earth.
And let not wanton appEObrium be heaped
upon the memory Of the dead to justify
the bloody deeds of the living. 8.