The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-01-07

fell shot 10 death, from behind the protection Of
these masks and disgusee, in the middle OF the day,
~ engaged in the discharge Of his Official duty Sur
rounded by some two hundred AMI forty disguissd
and armed men and q body Of spectators, and with
the sheriff and two sssssanfs, within : few fest Of
this day no one Of the actual perpetrators Of the
bloody deed has been identified.
The investigations before tho CORNERS jury were
protracted and searching slmost beyond example,
laid before me, and left no doubt upon my mind,
that the crisis had arrived contemplated by the le
glsature, in the provisions OF the nineteenth section
Of the "Act to enforeithe laws and preserve order
and application haying been made, by all the officers
named the section, on the twenfy-seventh day of
August, / declared, by proclamation, the county
OF Delaware to be In state of insurrection,
within the provisions and meaning of that law.
which viii give to the Legislature the grounds upon
which II was issued.
The necessary orders were Immediately given, to
call into the service Of the State three hundred men,
hundred to one hundred and Fifty Of whom were to
serve az mounted men, when the service should call
for such force. st ss
The annual report Of the Adjutant General here
in relation to this force and its organization and it,
and the annual report OF the Comptroller, will give
the plan adopted to subsis the men and the horses,
and the entire expense to the State for the pay and
No instance OF resistance was experienced in the
whole course of the service Of this force although
was assiduousy employed to aid in the execution Of
civil as well as criminal process, and IN the general
execution OF the law; the collection OF the rents IN ar
reartb sing prominent part of the duty PERFORMED.
The arrests made by the sheriff and his officers,
with the aid, first Of the civil, and subsequently OF
the military posse, were very, numerous, reaching
considerably beyond one hundred Some thirty emily
OF these, however, were persons charged with being
present at or parties to, the murder, the residue be-
ing in custody Tor minor offences, growing out of
the previous disturbances in that county An impress
sioA has prevailed to some extent at least that per-
sons implicated in the transaction, out OF which this
murder proceeded were, by the Court of Oyer and
Terminer, merely punished by the imposition OF a
fine. This is a mistake. All Of those SO punished
were charged with, and plead guilty Offences pre-
vioueIy committed, and no one implicated in the
murder, who was sentenced at all, received less
punishment than imprisonment for seven years in
charge Of granddaughter in the lower degrees, were
liberated upon rccognizances, and not sentenced at
all, the sentences having been suspended This mis-
take is corrected, to prevent Misrepresentation to
the proceedings Of that court and to do justice to
It's members.
About ninety persons, supposed to be identified as
present at the time, armed and disguised, and en-
gagged in resisting the sheriff, were indicted tor muir
der OF this number, little moro than one-third
Jail in the manner already well known to the public,
except the two men convicted and sentenced to be
executed. The residue of the persons SO indicted
are at large, having hitherto evaded the service OF
process, together with the still larger number not
yet identified. Among these, are supposed to be
most, or all Of the principal leaders, and OF those
who actually fired upon the lamented Steele, on that
fatal occasion.
der have been, by me, COMMITTED for the punishment
OF imprisonment in the State prison tor the terms OF
their natural lives. The grounds Of my interference
were set forth in letter to the sheriff, copy OF
which is herewith transmitted
As soon as II was supposed time had been allow
ed to restore reasonable degree OF calmness to
the public mind, the Adutant- General was directed
to visit Delaware, and make inquiries and examin-
clamaIlon declaring the county to be in state OF
lnsurecton, and the final discharge OF the military
force In the service OF the State.
Upon consultation, in this way, with the public
authorities, civil and military. and with various
prominent citizens of the county, the conclusion
was formed that the time had arrived, when these
steps would probably be consistent with the public
security, and might be calculated to allay irritation
and promote the restoration of harmony and quiet
to this distracted society. Accordingly, the pro-
clamation Of the 9Th Of August was revoked, by a
proclamation dated on the 18th Of December, to
take effect after the 22nd Of that month, copy OF
which is herewith transmitted. The necessary or
ders were, simultaneously, issued tor the discharge
OF the military force, on the same day.
II is due to the officers and men OF the battalion
TO say, that the order and energy, the willing ODE
dience and prompt and unpretending execution OF
duty, which have signalized their entire service,
and discretion Of the officers, and the steady fidelity
of the men, prove that the latter were well COM
manded, and the former well served and demon
strate that the peace of the State and the execution
OF Its laws both safe in the patriotic hands OF its
citizen soldIery.
No indications OF disposition to interrupt the
peace Of this county have reached me, since these
transactions.
Tha or;r,or - 49,, v.A c..~.a,I,, .rta~..,o.d
that the scenes Of violence and armed resistance to
the laws have terminated that the DISCUSSES have
been permanently discarded and, that, hereafter,
legal and constitutional modes of redress for the
tempted.
Indications Of disposition to keep up the excite
ment, and even the nsurrectionary proceedings,
continue to be manifested in individual cases ; but
1t Is to be hoped that such indications confined
to those who have made il their vocation to kindle
these disturbances and whose only interest in them
has been the personal advantages to themselves from
their existence. Hitherto the confiding tenants
have listened to such advisers not seeing, nor sus-
pecting the selfish impulses Of interest and ambition,
which prompted counsel so apparently periodically
given, until severe experience has shown them
the disastrous results Of their misplaced conf
dence. Upon some, who were industrious, quiet,
and thrifty farmers, 1t has brought ignominious
punishment, and perpetual incarceration, in the
company Of telons. Others, who held like
standing, II has banished from their families
tce they were taught to spurn for the sake OF follow
ing these false guides upon what was represented
by them as a shorter and surer road to redress Of
their alleged grievances To all it has brought loss
Of properly; angry and embIttercd feuds, in the
place Of peaceful social relations, and anxiety, ap
prshension and disirust to poison the happiness OF
the domestic Preside These some OF the fruits
which have been realized from following designing
and selfish councillors; and when these tenants
shall attempt to resort to the legal and constitutional
modes Of redress, which they now propose, they
will find that there too these pretended friends have
least acted the part of friends to them; and that
these appeals, even if right and proper in them
selves, have received nothing but prejudice from
such interference.
In my former communication TO the Legislature
upon this subject, stated that considered myself
precuded from discussing, or considering, the
real merits Of the differences existing between the
landlords and the tenants by the violent and crm-
ter, and in their namc and apparently by their ap-
probation; and who had changed the issue to one