Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-03-06
Governor whiacornb and the Pardon
ing Power.

''6rst official act returning to this place, was to
pardon the Catholic Priest who confined in the
peniteutary" And be invites the editor TO make his
"orrn comments" on what he calls "ths outrageous
abuse Of the pardoning power"
Accordingly in the next days. Examiner, Chat of
the 18th Feb) the editor gives string Of comments
and denuncatons-but without any Jacts-in which
he takes 1t for granted that the accused is guilty of
the crime But "a guilty conscience needs no accu-
SER" The editor evidently fears that the truth may
come in due season and upset his attempt to "manu-
facture political capital" He says, "we may expect
an article attempting to justify tie course of he Gov
ernor, but thinks it will be hard for his ingenious
ness to present solitary rational excuse" Now,
righteousness means candor, fairness, want of dis
stimulation, which, with due Difference, think no
ought to object to. Now it is not necessary to
invoke the Governors ingenuity, saying nothing Of
righteousness in this matter 1t is sufficient 10 ap
peal to facts, and let Others speak in his behalf.
We think the editor would have shown his 80 ingen-
uousness rather better if he had called for the facts
and had heard the excuse" as he calls it, before
passing judgment.
To enable us to exhibit little more candor or Gin
genuousness," have first called and examined the
petitions forwarded for the pardon Of the accused
They are far more numerously signed than in any
former case in this State. From Vanderburg county,
where the crime charged to have been committed,
the names of more than 500 citizens appended.
Among the latter the of Charlie l. Battell,
Doctor A. Trafon, r. NJ. Evans, H. p DeBruler,
John Ingle Jr., Elisha s. Babcock, Charles Babcock,
Geo. F. Lyon, Thomas Perry, Joseph Wheeler, Jr.,
w. Thruston, Oliver Ladd, p. Hornbrook, William
Carpenter, Samuel Cox. E. III. Fairchd, Seth Fair
child John S. McCracken, d. Miller, ]. Laughlin,
B. ]. Herd John Lukens, James Scantlin, Doctor w.
Trafton, Solomon Butler, David McNall, John R.
Wilcox, ]. B. Rappeye, James Cawson, c. ]. Ohm
stead, Jesse J. Lamb, c. w. NJ Chadd and others,
all WHIGS and 1--WE beleve) none of them Catholics,
some of them indeed members of various Protestant
persuasions, and consisting Of farmers merchants,
lawyers, and mechanics Of good standing and cbarac-
ter These citizens say in their petition that,
siderng all circumstances of time place. and persons
and also other euents that hare trdnspirea since the
beginning Of the affair, the accused is believed
by ENTIRELY INNOCENT tchaterer may hare been
opinion at other times, particularly during the sur
prise Of Ike first ercitement'
Another petition from the same county consisted of
about 200 citizens, exclusively ProteStdnts.
Among the rest, the Hon. w. Brown Butler, for
merly member of the Legislature, well known as
correct honorable man, a Catholic, and DECIDED
LEADING WIG says Z" In common with the GREAT
of citizens heartily desire to see him
at liberty more" g Had the time of trial
and conviction believed him guilty. circumstances hare
since transPired that would go very far towards
changing that belief" This being an open letter on
official business and accompanying other petitions,
we have felt at liberty to quote it. The Hon. Samuel
Hall Of Princeton, late Whtg Lieutenant Governor
of this State, writes that he was present at the
second trial lin his town. =" disnterested spec
tator-" heard all the evidence on the part Of the
State and says IS am fully satisfied in my own
mind, that the accused is not guilty of the offence
alleged against him and that if this statement
will be of any service to Mr.. Weinzephfin,'' any
of his friends are at liberty to use it in any way"
We ask the editor of the Examiner in the name of
all 1" nervousness if these petitioners, mostly
living in the county where the offence is charged to
have been committed, and many of them present at
one the other of the trials or the the examination
and generally acquainted with the parties and wit
nesses, had not better opportunity of knowing the
facts and of forming fair and candid judgment upon
them, than the editor or his correspondent!
But this is not all Among the petitioners are
found, John Hurst w. C. Graham, j. R. Graham and
w. E. Niblack of Dubois county Gen. Allen D.
Thorn; Hon. John Ewing, N Smith, S. Almy, and
Isaac Muss, Shift. of Knox county, Thos. Wilkerson,
S. c. Bramwell, Hiram Willis, James Treasure Doc
tor John F. Shields and John F. Heaton Of Jennings
county WIN B. Griffin and John F. Jones of Bar
tholomew ;-Thomas Brown and E. S. Terry of Davi-
ess, John A. Breckenridge, Esq. of Warrick, ALL
WINGS again, but who are too honorable and consci-
entious to suffer political prejudice interfere with
their sense of justice.
1t is but seldom that the officers of the Penitentary
recommend prisoner for pardon. But in this case,
the superintendent and clerk "a Whig) state, in a
letter of the 18th of November last that the deport-
ment of the accused since his confinement, his anna
BILE and gentle manners and above all the eridence
produced before them recently, (Which would be laid
before the Governor) had satisfied them of his inno-
cence and induced them, contrary to their usual Gus
tom to ask for consideration justly calling for
pardon.
We cannot exhaust all the petitions in this notice
but we will close by adding some names of citizens
Of Vigo, who ask for a pardon because as they say
they believe the accused both legally and morally
innocent. In the long list found, d. s. Danald-
son. the present editor and John and Thomas Bowling
late editors of leading Wing paper there, Hon R.
w. Thompson, late member of Congress, Judge E
d. Huntington, Charles Groverman, T. ]. Bourne,
c. Warren, G. w. Langworthy, ]. g. Warren, Sal.
Wright, George Bourne, Thomas Dodson IAN orange
man. we believe) C. H. Bailey, jr., William Ray.
John p Usher, w. D. Griswold James Hook, b
Rooth John n Watson Probate Judpe G. w Ball