Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-11-30
From the N Y. Commercial Advertiser
MAJOR ANDRES DEFENCE.

tue possession OF sundry curious old pa
pers and other memorials of the past, as
well as OF corresponding knowledge and
memory, has furnished for the columns of
that paper document which we do not
remember to have seen before-the de-,
fence readily Maj. Andre before the court
which condemned him to death as a spy.
We have no doubt that it will be read with
lively interest by many:
81 came," he said, ''to hold a commu-
nieation with general officer OF the A
merican army by the order of my own
commander. | entered, the American
lines by an unquestionable authority.
used no deception. / had heard that a
provincial officer, had repented of The
course he had taken, and that he avowed
that he never meant to go so far as he
had gone in resisting the authority of his
King. ,bs Gn
The British commander was willing to
extend to himthe Kings clemency-yea,
his bounty, in hopes to allure others to do
the same. lmade no plans. Eexamined
no works. ! only received his communi.
cations, and was on my way to return TO
the army, and to make known all that |
had learned from general officer in your
camp. Is this the office of a spy?
never should have acted in that light, and
what have done is not in the nature Of
spy. have noted neither your strength
nor weakness. If there be wrong in the
transaction is it mine The office of
spy q soldier has right to refuse; but to
! .l<at,
other army never heard was criminal
The circumstances which followed after
my interview with Gen. Arnold were not
in my power to control. He alone had
the management of them:
1t is said that rode in disguise. I rode
for security incog, as far as was able, but
other than criminal deeds induce one to do
this. / was not bound to wear my uniform
any longer than it was expeddent or pc,
lite. | Scora the name of spy brand
my offence with some other title, if it
change not my punishment beseech you.
1t is not death lear. am buoycd above
it by consciousness Of having intended
to discharge my duty in an honorable
manner.
Plans, it is said, were found with me.
This is true but they we're not mine.-
Yeti must tell you honestly that they
would have been communicated if | had
not been taken. They were sent by Gen.
Arnold to the British commander, and |
should have delivered them. From the
bottom of my heart spurn the idea ofat-
tempting 20 screen myself by eliminating
h,,k I !
the truth shall be told, whoever suffers.
1t was the allegiance of Gen. Arnold
came out to secure. 1t was fair to pre-
sumo that many brave officer would be
glad at this time to be able to retrace his
steps, at least we have been so informed.
Shall /, who came out to negotiate this
allegiance only, be treated as one who
came to spy out the weakness of camp!
If these actions are alike, have to learn
my moral code anew.
Gentlemen officers, be it understood
that am no supplicant for mercy; that
ask only from Omnipotence--not from
human beings. Justice is all | claim
that justice which is neither swayed BY
prejudice. nor distorted by passion, but
that which flows from honorable minds
directed by yirtuous determinations |
to that of Capt. Hale, in 1875. have
heard of him and his misfortunes. Iwish
that in all that dignifes man, adorns and
elevates human nature, could be named
with that accomplished but unfortunate
officer. His fate was hayward. and un.
timely was he cut off, yet younger than |.
now am. He went out knowing that he
was assuming the character of a spy. He
was ready to meet what he assumed, and
allits consequences. His death the law
of nations sanctioned. Itmay be conpli.-
mentary to compare me with him, still it
would he unjust. He took his life in his
hand when he assumed the character and
the disguise. assumed no disguise, nor
took upon myself any other character than
that Of British officer who had business
to transact with an American officer. =
| In fine, / ask not even for justice if
you want victim to the names Of those
fallen untimely, may as we'll be that VIC
tim as another. have in the most IN.
disguised manner given you every fact in
the case. lean rely on the proper con-
struction of those facts. Let me. be called
any thing but d spy. I am not d spy. I
have exam, ned nothing, learned nothing,
communicated nothing. but my detention,
to Arnold, that he might escape if he.
thought proper SO 10 do. This was, as |
conceived my duty. hope the gallant
officer who was then unsuspicious of his
general will not be condemned for the
/ military error be committed. -" ''
| 1 farther state that Smith, who was the
medium of communication, did not know.
| any part Of otir conference, except that
that there was some necessity for secrecy.
He was counsel in various matters for