Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-04-29
nv. It was well known that there had

commander; that his government thro'
out the voyage, though firm, had been
uniformly paternal. But the discove-
ny Of the plot solved the mystery, and
demonstrated that the mutinous conspi-
racy had been the sole cause Of this
change of conduct and demeanor The
extent of the change clearly eyinced
the powerful and widespread, though
silent operation of the cause which pre-
duced it. The conclusion was newt
able, that the poison OF the. mutiny had
already pervaded large portion ofthe
ships company. According to Mr..
Spencer's statement, proved by the
.change in the conduct and demeanor
of the crew not to have been exaggera-
ted, he already numbered twenty-three
determined associates, comprising Of
course the eldest and strongest For
Mr.. Spencer had declared TO Mr. Wales
that he would have none of the "small
fry,"' as he termed the lesser boys: that
they were useless on board; and that
he would get rid of them when he came
into power, by making them "acalk
the plank" And yet the lesser
boys composed large portion Of
the crew The foundations of the mu-
tinous conspiracy had been laid deep,
and broad, and firm, for an officer Of
the brig had been the chief architect
He, though bound in duty and in hon.
or to use his best efforts to promote
the discipline and elevate the mental
and moral character of the crew, had
been for weeks sedulously employed in
sinking them to the lowest depths of
insubordination and crime, and to this
nefarious object had been devoting, but
too successfully, all the weight derived
from birth and official rank, and all the
influence of talents, manners, and ac-
quirements we'll fitted for the work Of
decentralization.
1t is well known that mutiny, I'M
less suppressed at its very outset, usual
ly increases as it goes on, in a fearfully
rapid ratio, especially when thus TO-
mented and impelled. Nevertheless,
the commander of the Somers proceed
ed with great caution. He first caused
Mr.. Spencer to be put in irons which
was done on the Goth of November.
This, so far from intimidating, only
irritated the mutinous spirit. The
next day Cromwell and Small were ar
rested. Still the mutinous spirit con-
tinued TO gather strength. Then four
other delinquents were added to the
number of the prisoners. And now
the cause of irritation was multiplied
seven-fold the Disseminated of the crew
had seven objects of supposed oppres-
sion before them; seven themes upon
which to appeal to their yet uncontami-
mated shipmates; seven common wrongs
to avenge. Besides, the unconfined
guilty feared that their own turn might
come next. The Court Marshal and
gallows at home haunted their morbed
imaginations. Seven Of their accom-
plices were in irons, either OF whom, by
turning States witness, might ensure
their own conviction. To arrive in
port was to come within the jaws OF
danger, probably of death. The words
Of the commander that the offenders
would be taken home for trial, were
perpetually sounding in their ears.
They became convinced that the pirates
black flag was now the surest protec
ton against the violated laws of their
country.
Never was a crew where malcon-
tents could have had fairer chance of
making proselytes. The crew of the
Somers were almost all apprentices;
many of them men in physical strength.
but all of them boys in mind. Their
youthful feelings were peculiarly open
TO sympathetic appeals; their undisci-
plined imaginations liable to be easily
beguiled by seductive pictures of the
freedom aud pleasure of the rover's
course. The season of youth, especial
ly of untutored youth, is proverbiallv
exposed to temptation. How impress
sive, then, must have been the mutt
nous appeals to the crew of the Somers,
carried home, as they were, by the
corrupting example ofthe chief conspi-
rator! Highly born and educated, he
had renounced hopes as brilliant and
dear as ever glittered before the eve,
or touched the heart, of an American
youth--the laurels of honest fame, aud
the sweet delights of domestic love-
his eountrv's nlaudifs and his parents'