Washington telegraph., 1848-02-23
MAJOR ANDRES DEFENCE.

4 'ieaR1iutnt nl tue newark bttll
Advertiser who seems 10 be fortunate
in the possession oil suudrY curious old pa.
pefs aud othet memorials, as well us Of
corresponding knowledge aud memory, has
furnished lof tho columns OF thai paper
document which we do MT remember 10
have ever seen bslnte-lhe defence reai
by Nalar andre before tho Court which
condemed hun 10 death as Il spy. We
have np Doubt that il will be read with in.
lcrcsl by many
81 eamc,p he said, "to hold eommuni.
cation with general officer Of The Amefi.
can army, bY the order ofmy own eomman.
der. entered The American lines by an
unqneslionable aalborily-When passed
from lhem il was by the sama authority.
! used no deception. hal heatl thai a
provincial officer bal repenled oilhe course
he bad aken, and lhat he ayowei thai be
never meant 10 90 50 iarns he had gone,
IA resisting The authority ol his King.
"ibc British commander was willing 10
eN'eul To him the Kings elemenes-lea.
bis baBntE IN hupes 10 allure others Ia la
Che ame. made no plans, | examined
no works. | auly received his eommrni-
cations, aud was on my way ta relurp 10
tho amy, AMI to make known all that
had learned from general officer in yoar
cama. Is Luis The alIicc aia spyl | never
shaa1 have acted IN that light, and what |
dhituni the nature ol a spy, haFo noted
neither your strength uuf your weakness.
litHefa he wrong IN the ifsnsaelian. is If
MINE The office ai a SPY a soldier has a
right IN rcl.lzs; but 10 caffY and isIeh CON.
muu.Ea'ionz With another army. ! never
beuHI aas criminal The Circumstances
when followed aliHr mY inefsiFw VIII
General Afaa.i, were MT in mY power "a
eauifal.. lie alone hadlbe management Of
them.
dts aiitba, rode IN ndisglise. | role
lar security Iaaag, as iaras wa abe.
bu, eIher lban criminal deeds induce one IL
do this. was NOT h1uullo wear nv uni.
l1fm NJ longer Than !, was cKpedirnl or
po.iliz. s65ra tue nams Of a spy: brand
ms uIsucc with s1me other tile, II il
change not ny punishment beseerh yoa.
Il Is h8l d,dfh | fear. am bouyed above
! il hYa consciousness Of having intended II
iiseHatge my duty ia an honorable manner.
"pIahs, il is said were found with me-
Thi, is true; but hey wera not minc.-
Yeti must tell you honestly that they would
have been communicated IL had not been
taken. They were sent hy General Ar.
mold 10 lac British commander and should
have delivered them. From the bottom Of
my heart ! spnrn the lhoughl Of attempting
to screen myself by criminaling another;
I hul SO lar as | am concerned, tho truth
shall be tod, whoever suffers. Il was The
allegiance Of General Arnold came out to
secure. Il was laif 10 presume that many
/ brave officer would be- glad at this time To
b. able 10 reimcr bis steps; at least We
have been SO informed. Shall |, who came
ou, 10 negotiate this only. be treated a.
one who came 10 spy out tho weakness OF a
camp liliose accounts are alike, have
to learn niy moral code anew.
"Grul.cmen. officers, be- It understood
that am me- supplicanl for mercy; that !
ak on,y from Omnippleuce-noI from hu.
mln beings. Justice is all | claim-lhal
/ Justice which is neither swaycd By preiu.
| dice, nor distorted by passion, bat that
+ which flows from honorable minds directed
+ by ,iHurus determinations. hear gem
t.emcni ibll my case is likcncd To that of
/ Clp,. Hale, in l171. have heard olhm
and hi. misiouunes. | wish that in all
that diguiies man, that adoms and rleyaies
human nature. could be named with that
accomplished but unfortunate officer. His
/ fate was waywirl. aud ultimately he was
rui or vet younger than | now am. lie
went oul knowing that be was assuming
the character Of spy. He took all is LA.
/ bitirs iulo his baud NJ the request Of bis
great commander. lie was ready to meet
what be assumed auIl all It's consequences.
/ Ills death the LAVE nations sanctioned. II
mny b., complimentary iJ compare me with
him, still Il would be unjust. He took bis
/ lilc IN his band when hc assumed the char.
uclrr aud Disguise. ia.sumed no disguise,
nor took upon myself any other character
than Ola British officer having business
to transact with an American officer
Ella fine, ask not even for Justice, Il
yol want a victim 10 the names OF those
/ fallen mlimcly, may as well be that victim
as another. have in the most undisguis.
ed manner given You every fact in tho case.
+ only rely on the proper construction Of
those facts. Let me be called anything
but spy. am nota spy. have exam
incd nothing. learned nothing, communca.
ted nothing but my attention to Arnold,
that be- might escape II he thought proper
so TO do. This was, as conceived my
duiy. hope the gallant officer who was
then unslspIcious Of bis general, will not
he condemned for the military error he
committed.
81 farther siale that Smith, who was the
medium ol communication, did not know