Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-04-22

accessories, though the band OF deter
mined conspirators had already in
creased from the original number Of
three TO the formidable number Of
twenty. It's possible that the name
of Mr. Wales might have been inserted
in the paper after Mr.. Spencer's con-
versation with him, as, from his being
an officer, his accession would be
Thought Of peculiar importance; but
more probably his name was pu. there
when the paper was first written. The
lexistance Of misunderstanding OF
some duration between the command
er and Mr.. Wales was notorious; and
it is not strange that the oonspirators,
Judging Of his feelings and principles
by their own, should have placed bis
name, even without consulting him, in
! the front rank of the conspiracy.
| | pass. over, at least for the present,
many other parts Of the evidence, ten
ding to show the existance Of the con-
spiracy, and the guilt of Mr. Spencer
and Small, and proceed at once to the
final scene just before the execution.
There Mr.. Spencer and Small with
their dying lips voluntarily confessed
their guilt in the presence ofthe officers
and crew, and acknowledged that their
punishment was just; Mr.. Spencer ad-
ding that he had attempted mutiny
on board the two national vessels in
which he had last sailed. and that his
piratical propensity was quite mania.
Surely no innocent man ever confessed
himself guilty of felony or other
heinous crime, unless the confession
was extorted from him by the rack or
some other instrument oftorture. To
condemn a man out of his own mouth,
is rule Of evidence which the Judge
Of all the earth has condescended to tell
US he will himself adopt in that great
day when Judgment will not be based
on any fallible proof.
The guilt of Cromwell is no less man
tifcst. The badness of his general char
acter and conduct, the sudden change
of his dcmeanor towards the appren-
tees, ceasing to treat them with harsh
ness as he had been wont, and affect
ing towards them popular manners, as
he found their adhesion to the conspira-
cy needed; his repeated and profane
declarations of deep hostility against
the commander and officers; his threat
to the carpenters mate little before
the discovery of the plot, when thrown
of his guard by sudden passions, that
his time waS shori; his intimacy with
Mr.. Spencer, receiving gifts from him
in money and other articles, and spen-
ding with him hour after hour almost
daily in deep and secret consultation,
an intimacy made more suspicious by
the difference in.the rank ofthe parties;
his being asked by Mr.. Spencer in pri-
vate conversation, whether he lddis-
guise tho brig so that she would not be
known, ana his saying that he could
easily do it; his advising Mr. Speneer,
in another private conversation, to have
the booms of the Somers cut away and
her launch thrown overheard, with a
view to render her more fit for pratt
cal service, in singular coincidence with
the subsequent declaration of Mr.. Spen-
Ger to Mr.. Wales, that he meant TO have
those things done; his being overheard
to say to Small that they would soon be
able 10 sec the Isle of Pines "a noted
rendezvous for piratesl, also in strange
coincidence with another statement by
MIR. Spencer to Mr.. Wales, he intend
ed to carry the brig thther; his with
drawing his money just before the dis
closure ofthe conspiracy, from the pet
~ officer in whose hands he had placed
il for safe custody, with no possible
motive but his wish to keep. il out OF
harms way when the work of destruc-
tion should ensue; his absence OF mind
for days before the arrest of Mr.. Spen-
Ger, seeming 10 be brooding over des-
pefate thought; his secret and repeated
conversation with'Small just after Mr..
Spencer's arrest and before his own,
betraying by his looks and deep emo
lion aud revengeful feelings; his will
iul disobediencc of a standing order of
the ship on the morning proceeding
his own arrest, and.which order hav.
ing been repeated to him by the first
lieutenant on discovering the default,
he again stubbornfy omitted 10. obey;
Small's declaration the day before his
execution, that if any one was lesgned