The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1843-04-13


- faree1 Is wend hnme his solitary say
an hecaae himself he disgraced nxsss-
tos III Mhai sonla lhen indeed have been
lie srzgedy Il he Somcrs. With WIKI
! harzi cf iadienaiion xoald he euuniEy
hare received his narraiises iios would
he AmeEir4n press. with is thousand
laagues. hare oseEn helmrd him viii e.
and iniegr0gzlogies Ike these:
!. Noa were srzsonshly urged 81 tie una
nimo0s voice or your Hnssy ol6eefs. 10
save sheir lises. he lives d your faithful
seamea. and The honor If sour country.
by lie iimF4y execution ol those malelae-
tnrs. Who deserved ID die. and where i'm
mediate drash Was impefi0usly demanded
by Inc exigenries of the case. Why did
yoa moi heed the counsel. the earnest
counsel IL your associates in authority =
yOur constitutional adrisers-wiih whose
opinion yenr own mo eonrnrred! You
dill not. because ron dared moi. You
fsllered ii The path of known and seknaw-
lodged duty. because Won wanted moral
courage 10 tread il. On yoa, IN The jndg-
ment Of conscience. desolres The respon-
sibiliiy az those murders which yon might
and ought 10 have prerraied. On you
rccoils The disgrace cf thai nag which ne
yer sustained blot until Il was commit.
ted to your charge"
TO finish the picture. permit me 70 al
mp another part of The canvass. Suppose
that the Somers. now turned pirate, while
cruising or our coast. had been permitted
By heaven. in IN evil hour, 10 capture
some vessel plying between this and Eu-
rope. freighled with The talent and the
beauty of The land. The men oil murder
ell. and The females, including perhaps
lie new made wife. and nlaidens just
blooming into womanhoOd. are forced 10
become fhe brides If pirates. A uniyer-
sal shrek of agony bursts from the Anne
rican people throughout Ill their vast do
mains; and the waiting is echoed back
from the whole civilized world. And
where then could The commander of The
Somers have hidden his head, branded. as
il would have haer, hy mark Of infamy
as indelible IS that stamped on the FORE
hend DC Cain.
The case of the S0mers NAV firm an
epoch in our naval history. should the
course Of the commander be approved by
his country, mntinies in our ships Of war
will probably hereafter be Of rare occur
renee. But should this Court, or the
high Tribunal Of public opinion, pronounce
sentence Of condemnation, on the course
which he felt himself bound to pursue, il
is respectfully YET solemnly submitted
that the sentence will be the signal for the
general prevalence OF INSTRUMENTATION in
our navy. The means and subjects Of
mniinons excitement are always al hand.
Filled with men Of mixed national cha
ractcr; crowded with spirits as turbulent
a tile rivment on which they dwell. lie
ships berth deck eser abonnds in mate
rials Of combustion, which single spark
my ignite. The commander must quench
the flame, even ifii is sometimes done by
The sacrifice &c life. lie must suppress a
mn,iny in his lille empire by the appli-
cation Of all needlul force. No degree ol
force is supcriluous or unlawful. that il
necessary fpr the suppression. Effeciu
al suppression is the only point a, which
he can righifally stop. lie must move
To that point with a cautious, not with :
faltering step. lie must employ gentle
means, IL they will reach The evil; If not
he must resort to severcr measures, and
If need be, even to the seyerest. lie may
give such time to mild expedicn,s as The
safety OF the ship will allow; not a mo.
ment longer. ~... =.
Ba, i Iii. countrJ's reproach is 10 BE-
The need ol his falhlulness. other com.
m ndels will tsks arnirg from his ex
ample. They will suffer that rage Of mn
Tiny 10 pursue lis fearful course, ratIel
than arrest il BY The ssse sacrifice Of ,heiI
own character. They will risk the chance
Of being rl,sen down al sea by the wea-
pons of the mutineers, leaving 10 them
;hs choice Of lime, place. and mode q
attack, ra her Than incur the certain fats
VI PCtt5aHhg ~ HuhC w uC hdgsEis ~
calulnuy. They love their country; ful
their native land they would cheerfully
die; but they cannot. even fur thai belo'
we'd country, willingly lose for ever ,lieil
own mostprecious character. The love o
character is mol tie least oil motives hicl
have induced them 10 relipquish tlirl
peaceful lesrths. and make their home OF
The unquiei seas. And 10 sacrifice then
good name" lie immediate jewels d
their souls '--eren an the altar of publ,
veal. requires subIimity Of patriptisn
beyond the fight of preliminary mrn.
/ Discipline IS The first and tie secont
and third yIr.ue in the naval code. |
vas discipline. perhaps even more thar
courage. which. during our late war viii
Engisnj. enabled our l,,tIe navy II work
its miracles on the lakes and upon .ht
ocean. or those glorious achievements
The commander nl the Snmers may SPEAK
without egotism, for he was not then %
age 10 participate in their dangers or ihei,
fame. The electric shock then comma