Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-01-19
NO. 79.---vOLUME XXXIX.

OF WINCH some are significant only TO naval men, and
o.ners can hafdy De made 10 appear paper they
o'a on the deck For instance, the refusal of three men
to muster. II this was, the officers believed, deli
oerate combination TO dsobey lawful order and carried
out It was Of itself mutny, and would forfeit the lives
OF The parties by martial law for know no other def
n't'on OF mutIny than would that act. Il is an
open defiance Of authority, and, connected with :hS
event OF the others. w"nld ace 20 lar make out the
required case. The suspected continuance TO carry
away the mast; the gathering of the men about the mast
head, away from their stations; their rushing aft 10 The
boom Brace and refusal to go forward when ordered;
Tue crowdIng into and blocking of the gang
ways; their neglect and disobedence of orders tha,
"ndIscribable something which Mir. Perry mentioned
in their looks and manner deno,ng defiance md prepa
ration for worse and above all the fact Of these demon.
STATIONS becoming stronger more apparent and moro
frequent they drew 10 port and the chances Of
escape for the guilty essening; all these mich,
make out which would satisfy a conscientious
humane ana brave man in taking life, when yet
reaoing tue articles IN the papers by his fire.
side, in the heart of city, surrounded by wachmeu
police, and posse conitatus, before whom he can
.swear the peace agains. suspected assaulter and
have him put into the 'tombs, might think the iudr.
ment not sustained by evidence OF sufficient dapper-
1.-THE officers morally certain Of outbreak which
confinement could prevent recolIect they could call
in no ala from abroad; there place for retreat
and no concessions would avail them. Must they then
wait tue onset and its chances? Perhaps so far as per
sonal danger to themselves concerned, Mr. Mac.
the risk of the contest or Gas would have been more
probable) of being taken by surprise and at dsadvan
tage rather than 10 take life beforehand but they had
also solemn duty as public oiders, at all hazards, 10
prevent this vessels becoming pirate in the hands OF
who would have the power and the will TO commit
the dreadful atrocities of which we can form nnv
imagination; and II, from any over humanity, fear
of the consequences OF execution 10 themselves pro-
fesslonaly, or before the public, or from too much
confidence in their own power, they had suffered the
rpn Yat IN n fln ATpl
had come TO our ears-not even the personal suernga
and death ofhese officers would have saved the. memo
~ from our reproaches.
"On shore life is rarely taken to prevent the commits
sion Of capital crime, although the law allows il
when necessary, because there be usually other
precautions and means Of defence Not 80 at sea- in
case like this
"From what heard there seems to have been A
strange msapprehension Of Mackenzie report in one
particular, aud which has in urcd him somewhat. II
has been said that he told Spencer that f he were taken
home, wealth and station al! powerful, and he might
escape death; and this is sometimes spoken Of as ono
of the reasons for the execution. | knew that this
could not be so, for would be murder and no better
and REQUIRED to the report, and found that the msap
prehenson quite evident Spencer said "this will
Kill my mother, or words TO that effect and afterwards
added that it would I'M his father. meaning, befors
the public. To this, Mackenzie replied, 10 make it.as
well for Spencer he could, ian Indifferent consola
ton TO be sure, bu; the best he could offer that il would
executed at for crime without his knowledge as
have had him succeed, or TO have had him brought
home for trial, had that been possible for the father
would naturally, by the instinct Of parent and from
knowledge Of The power of wealth and station endeayor
to screen his and thus inure himself II being at
the same time perfectly understood between them tina,
Mackenzie considered the execution forced upon HIN
by the subsequent acts Of the consprato,s
"Wth us, in Boston, have heard but one opinion;
but in New York. there have been misunter sand
ings and demonstrations, ~ think. You will not
suspect me Of nclnng in favor Of despotic use Of
power at sea; yet, assure you that having the
Somera and felt the deiencecss situation Of the oft
GERS; knowing that besides Mackenzie there was bot
commissioned officer beard aud tina, Of The
warrant officers: the eide: &c but young men and tho
younger but lads; knowing that there were marines
on board, and that OF the forward officers, upon
whom great reliance is usually and somewhat necessa.
rIly placed, implicated in the conspiracy; that
there chance for escape, of aid from abroad,
nor in concessions; and that the guilty persons whe-
Their arrested free, whether discovered secret,
would naturally make desperate effort before reaching
the land; and remembering the public duty the officers
had TO perform 10 the lives Of those committed TO
their charge and TO prevent at oil hazards the
of these hostes hnmani gen1is; am willing TO believe
that We shall all finally lie satisfied that the execution
was act Of solemn necessity. We lcok for the
naming evidence with anxious interest"