Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-02-09
WHOLE NO. 10.

Judge, for the preservation Of order. to
punish for contempt. he thought it was
necessary Tor general to exercise 4 con-
troll over his cannon. to imprison traitors.
and 10 arrest spies. to intercept commune
Gallons with the enemy. II this was me-
cessary. all This was legal. ad
But the ground on which he placed tho
delence-and he deniedlhat General Jack.
son did any act which was not justified by
rightful and legal au,hority--was as high
and as sacred as that Of selfdefence. Gen.
Jackson did not exercise any unnecessary
arbitrary authority. He did not suspend
the civil law. nor close The civil tribunals.
any farther than was necessary for the car
rying out Of the military defence Of the
coun,ry.-To this exten. be did DO il.
should do It. In other respects, tie clalI
law, and the courts were in full force.
True, General Jackson would not allow.
them to communicate with the enemy;
but they could not surrender nought to the
enemy he deprived them Of the power to
commit treason; but he deprived them Of
| no power that an honest man would desire
to exercise. He imposed no restraint that
any man devoted to the country would re.
greet; and the men who ins,iga.ed the
proceedings against General Jackson were
the men who skulked in the hour Of dan>
ger.
But he wished to call the attention Of the
committee to the conduct of General Jack
son after hosiilities had ceased. He wished
the committee 10 direct their attention. to
that closing scene, which showed the true
character and purposes Of the man. Whilst
| the British forces were on our borders
whilst danger continued to exist-whilst
treason remained in his camp-whils. there
was no necessity to use exertion-he stood
firm and undaunted, erect and ready to
take any responsibility. and defy any res
traint to face any authority or enemy, Ell
Their civil, foreign. or military. But the
| moment the official news arrived that
peace was declared the moment the enc
my retrea,ed-the moment that danger
| ceased, and the necessity for the rigid ex~
ercise of his military authority ceased-he
submitted to the civil tribunals he went
| into the court, and there stood erect and
calm, preserved that order which the Judge
himself could not preserve, and there sub
mil,ed TO punishment. Did not this fact
OF iisolf show that he never iniended IN
violate the constitution or the law! Did
| it not demonstrate the sacred reverence
and regard that he felt for the supremacy
of the law ?-!f he were the despot he had
been represented to be-if he were the ar
! bi,rary desperate he was represented
would he whilst surrounded 6y a victori-
Gus army; whilst surrounded by the whole
grateful population Of the city (; yes, whilst
| cheered on by the smiles and appreciation
Of the ladies themselves. have submitted
quietly to the exercise Of that authority of
the court! No, the desperate would not
have done this the lawless man, the arbi-
trary man, would never have done this;
nothing but the wise, the discreet. the
patriotic statesman and general could SO
suddenly have changed from the military
hero to the humble citizen. and have SUBJ
mit,ed 10 the penalties Of the law. Then.
in view cf these facts, he asked the House,
what pre,ext there was for voting against
this bill Oh! it was said, it had the ef-
feet of accusation against Judge Hall.
Now. il there was any objection TO that
bill, it was, that it did not contain clause
condemning and branding that Judge as he
deserved, No,hing-nothing but General
Jackson, and his reverence for justice,
protected that Judge from the decree Of
Judge Lynch. II Judge Hall had lived
in any other country than this. and under
any other Constitution than ours. his life
would have paid the forfeit for his deeds.
But he (M:. d. did no. wish to comment
on the conduct Of that judge He had .
proper regard for the memory Of that judge
and for the feelings of his friends. (if he
had ANY, and he could not but believe
tina. there was great improperly on the
part Of friend Of that judge in inserting
his name in this bill, and thereby reviving
his memory. The name Of Judge Hall
| had been thrust before them, aud they
were driven to look at his conduc. and
character in all their horrid deformity; and
We, were they to be told. as they had been,
that they had. hyena like. dragged them
| from the grave? He (Mr. d. regretted
that they had been dragged from the grave.
and that the memory Of Judge Hall was
destined to such an immortality as was
secured to it now.
L,r..-We have known some persons in
the world, who, gliding quietly through life.
have Aoa.ed on upon The stream of time, like
boat on the waters Of bread and tranquil
river. carried on by the unruffled tide Of pros
peri.y, and lighted to their journeys end by
the cloudless sun of happiness. And We have
met with others whose star seemed TO rise IN
clouds to hold it. course through storms, aud
10 set in blacker darkness than that which gave
il birth. Blu, long continued JOY loses It's first
zes,. and uninterrupted sorrow its FIRST poig-