Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-12-01

Rifblnoro Uailn tUbi9.
nosnAY nossrNo, pEcEMuER 1. is.s.


y F,cr, an. New Yot Courier I'd Ensah,r.
rsrSo. Of tAe hri-Rent Observation-Disclosures was
N. day appointed ur the execution OF the two men van
N,,.Lu,sk and UConner, convicted cf participation IN
,h. ,.sder q Dsp.ty Sheriff STEER OF Delaware county
vbe in the discharge Of his daty ,won officer OF n'
law They saved from this fate by the io"fPS'"
~ t. OF Executive .emeney. In message over three columns
length which seem. have been finished Just IN 'ne
,o,f.e, is object Gov wRGur sets forth the eonsidea-
,ions wh.eh induced hum TO commute "'l' se""
toirpy;,onmerf for life In the hs part OF hs u''"-
,.o, ne p,..ou tho following Just aud Impressive man.
p.r the enoruiy Of the oneo OF which these men nave
f-,e teen convicted -,
"a most eos deliberate and cruel murder committed,
in the upen dsy the mds, OF vast coneease OF the
ei,iren of TIN. State; beyond tive or s. there
wa. no, man his hand or his voice 'gnst he
bloody decd while hundreds active and en'V paul
sa.,o,s directly OF remotely the dreadful crime These
eizens Of our assembled with arms IN their hshos
mo, 10 defend institutions but to beat them down
nv force, no, to sustsin the Constitution and the la"
hr, to both. The offence, and the only osnee
their victim had exeried himself upon former
ec,,iou. and was himself, public oicer
Of the State perform the public duty spptoPaey as
,ened to him. and thus discharge himself from the obi
ysuon II the solemn upon hs conscience IL Is not
sru asserted that the assault upon steele was
OF invited 10y FIRE from himself upon inc dis
su,,ed men, as the testimony upon the risl OF oConner
p.uvey establishes the fact that his pistol was not dts
charged at oil upon that occasion The offence against
the law mud i,- officers which moved this body OF citizens
and bloody resistance against thenl IN nun was
that they be compelled TO fulfill their own 'oun-
.ry contracts and pay debts. which they had aekno"
edged themselves, by the most solemn legal ooisauons'
In h. armed resistance laws thus induced,
the aged, the middle aged and the yonng' inc
,rauea,aI and the obscure they carried their resis
murder. These are the simple lacs VI hsVr'
undisputed and undispuiatie'
The Governor that after the closest and most
careful OF the whole testimony, and OF all the
legal points involved, he convinced that the nas ana
convictions regular and in conformity to the law
,hut they legally guilty Of the murder OF Steele;
verdcs OF the Jufes are therefore fully su'
,siped by the and the facts. The novel character OF
cases. and the public feeling which demands closer
lnquiry the OF the Transaction induce
him. much against his will, beyond these simple and
undeniabe and TO take enlarged view OF the
10 The case of Van stsonburg, the Governor cir
emnstcnces ta strongly favored the belief that he
was one Of no actually fired Seee but other
feet. presented which, IN his view, leave this point
doubt, and hr conviction rests therefore on the broad
ground hs having been preecn', armed and disguised
and engaged in the commission OF the felony, and there
lore legally guilty the murder. lie thus stands
great number Of persons present under The same
circupstancer; and tho Governor thnks 'thee no more
reason visiting upon him che extreme severity Of pun
upon oi the Others wdo we're permit
;ed TO rIead 10 and receive lighter pun
irLment' And the following reasons arc given 10y the
Governor for distinguishing him iavcrahly even among
ale is represented young man, only about
twenty-five years Of almost without education scarce
Iy able 10 read able write all; in force aud
activity o,cloct below medioesiy; entey and
destitute real personal OF any description, be
You'd moderate appaIe and obtaining hrs
living by working for wages by The month"
These facts convince the Governor tina; he could not
have e,eed any material influence, beyond his single
.onal Cooperation, this instruction, but that he
rr,Jv the tool of others The Jurors moreover by whom
he found guilly. peloaed a OF
sentence on the ground that they not believe MIN to
have been ring leader" aud eight OF the
that they believe him have his gun upon
Steele but that they found him guilty under the Law laid
down by the Judge in his charge.
r.-. &c the oi O'COnGor the Governor
''rhs testimony appears TO be much stronger, and
10 deyelops facts and circumstances going much trtb. 10
show p5ecNistng uiutderous design his heart
esst cuntenment with, and appreciation Of that fatal
esul after it had been produced than that in the case Of
Nan S,eonburgh."
Yet eleven Of his Jurors pc,ioncd for comulani
tauon Of his sentence the ground dat "le proof
anH he Of those
fouGd him guilty under ibe express charge Of
the Judge that a the tho ground AIMED and
disguised. numbering 2i0 guilty of felony,
of iIe mgTJeI:"snd that they believe HIM
To- have had no numerous nienion But for tbs yery
strong comnuncator the JurO the Governor lie
mott favorable upon the
cnrc. byt ne a no, feel a, liberty t Isny 10 This state
snen though without ooth" eud calculated $50
teTaly modify the influence his action OF their veI
standing and claims favor between UCOnnsr and Van
Seenbure5, is thus stated
Tbe personal standing and claims to favor
fenden ore very ieroni from those Of Van SteenblSh-
lie isoder by four has fair education; nie!-
hiswd aud experienced beyond the OF young
his years and his and condition
OF life. lie has held leading situations among the DIS
gued men. and elected n chief by small band u
them whom liz that he led to the place OF the sale,
the very morning Of murder. Yet does not appear
that he 0eled as chef the ground that he has
been disguise, previous this the
sage OF the law making crime TO appear disguised aud
armed"
Co-dering the i've cases together the Governor feels
bo1nd thai the defendants among those
who fred Upon steeoand that their gull; consists in hav
if There thoss ~ho dd tire aud who did lead,
mand and control hlgrant proceeding The public
feeling SAID 10 be almost universal that these who
did bear relation, should be executed,
wh'e those who did are allowed TO UNPUBLISHED. The
Governor acknowledge that sympathy for these the
immediate scene OF the e1cdemen which led To the muir
der was TO have been eGpeciedbul PROCESSES have
been Influenced mainly by Ie public opinion "H those
eoIntes where there hos been but opinion and
voice in rel1on these disturbances; where all
20 the Law hiss been vewed with unqualified dsayor; and
where this murder been universally looked upon
most aggravated oaenee IA whole calendar Of crime"
The County Judges have stated though
felt bound abstain from joining petitions for cIcineney
they should cheeriui!y in the
sentences, should be mode The Governor
believe that there still dspOsiriun
resist hI law, AID that the If clemoncy tins
will be sought be made the foundation
resistance; but he hopes such Efforts will be confined
and that the many who have been mised by
gogues already enough the unmixcd evil
Of their nawu satisfy them ihst neither wealth,
nor security, to be found IN that direction" And
should this reasonable hope be disappointed and the
mutation Of these be made encouragement
farther crimes, the Governor "ihe public we'll
those entrusted with tho 81 the laws, will
sOlsd by the reflection that lenient tried and
pursued before severity is adopted
the only alternative" The Governor robukes 10 the
following strong and admirable passage, the attempt Of
demsgugues end diBog1nzors represent this murder
political and criminal Transaction:
-" have been urged 10 find ground FOR committing
sentences, IN the consideration thai the offences po
cal and therefore entitled n a different und
treatment, Than ordinary offences Of similar Rrodes. To
my mind this confederation presents B,cliorniod
Of this murder II could IN my classification. call Tins
insuuccion, commenced aud prosecuted col,
lection Of admitted debts, rebellion, attempt royou
lion OF the State government should find, fear, much
10 add tho crino Of the catalogue
already made than to discover ground for indulgence
In ils polite 81 cEstscior"
Bot believing that the Communication Of their sentence
viii be beneficial the cause Of law and order than
their CGCcutou the Governor bv
Imprisonment for lie.
The Message though. ike oil Gov. wnairs public dooa
uuren tfy LAM