Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-10-04
For The Virginian.
TIE ROUND ISLAND EXPEDITION.
NUMBER Two.

II" "c hS'"'""
- THE ROUND ISLAND EXPEDITION.
NUMBER TWO.
The officer. commanding the Naval forces of Round
Island, has been uujustly assailed by certain newspapers
of New Orleans and other places, for attempting ~ de-
feat the military expedition known to be fitting out In
our waters, 10 invade and make war upon a nation at
peace and amiiy with our own. Language most scurril-
ums and denunciatory has been applied to that officer, be-
cause he has faithfully employed the force under his com
mand in preventing the departure OF the lawless band
from Round Island, upon an expedition which would
have heen in violation Of our treaty obligations oil neutral
ity. The most exaggerated statements have gone forth
from certain journals in New Orleans, to induce he pub
lie to believe that the navy has wan'only and audaclous.
ly intertered with the private rights OF our c'hzens' ana
trampled upon the laws Of a sovereign State Of this u
Mon. One newspaper has been mendaclous enough 10
ascribe the murder or murders on Round Island to the
embargo, laid upon provisions intended for their consump-
ton, when The Editor well knew, at the time OF making
the charge, that not a single pound OF provisions hd ever
been turned away from the island 1t Is true That In the
.ssummons, 'issued by Commender Randolph TO the peo-
pe on Round Island, an embargo on provisions was
threatened, but it is not true that the threat was ever en-
forced.
Before the summons was enforced, that officer was in
duced 10 doubt the legality and prophieiy Of cutting oil
supplies, intended for the Round Island band, and he at
once forbid its enforcement; and, mole than that, hearing
that their commissnriat had either been delinquent,o r was
unable to provide food for the band and tina. they Were
starving, Commander Randnlp h immediately ordered
Two DAYS meat ana DTeau 10 De sent 10 HNih VIZ
kcllonner FIrt-whlch was accordingly none.
All This was known to the New Orleans Delta, Tor; ac-
cording to his own admission, he keeps a reporter con-
stan,ly on Round Island. But, to return to the eXpedI-
ton. The really discreet and respectable portion OF our
citrzens-the men of cool |, ads and sound principles,
cannot surely blame the navy for ,hespart which 1t has
taken in endea voring TO break up and dispense the found
Island rabble. These people should never be allowed ..
leave our waters %upontheir lawless, bucaneering eXpeci. In
They are ready to 90 any where. and do almost anything.
Thar IF carc ha u a N a shark uI cllValIV among Them ,
two thirds of their rank and file are not Americans
many Of Them pauper foreigners-and not a few OF them,
it is believed are reckless desperadoes, who could be hired
to do anything.
How preposterons TO compare such a band with The
heroes, who assisted us in achieving our independence
And yet this comparison has been made by a n. Orleans
Editor.
All good men would be glad t., know that Cuba had
emancipated herself from Spanish tyranny and oppres-
sion, but who would not blush t., c"niIibaiel III bringing a
bout so desirable an end even, in the manner indicated by
the New Orleans Delta To permit a military expe-.
diion to leave our waters, and especially one COMPOSED Oh
sucl, materials as the Round Island adventures, would
be an iudelible stigma upon our cnuntrys tscu'cheoh.-
What patrio, would be willing to have his country re-
presented by such an assembiage2 Who,but Interested
editors of newspapers would have the eflron'ery 10 say
that The Round islanders are not a band OF 'cdgrdn'sf
In The opinion of all rejecting persons II would be"a
burning, an eternal shame, GO quote the Delta's words
TO allow an expedition SO gotten up. and composed OF
such materials, to leave our coast. 1t would be an en-
terprize for purposes of raplneand plumber. Nho doupts
this ? Will the inscriptions Delta pretend mat MS
Round Island friends could not be hired to imarch inlo
Yucatan to assist the Indians in massacrelng the Spanish
ropulation-although some of this very band Oh H'und
Island with their Colonel at their head, were once h'fed
10 butcher the poor oppressed and enslaved Indians ana
did butcher them in a manner TOO meIclless ana horrible
to relate 2
Shame upon such a Hessian expedition and worse
shame upon the hired persons who counteoauce and
uphold Them The bucaneer exploits of A'son and
Drake were chivalric compared with what Is now III ag'-
taton.
The navy, doubtless, was sent to Round Island TO de-
feat the expedition by a recourse to all lawful and proper
means. Ills idle TO say that the "sovereign State OF MIS-
~sissippi.' with her sparse seaboard population us ahnn-
dainty able to enforce her own laws" Before ac''ng al
all in the matter Abe commander OF the raVal squadron
mingled with the inhabitants Of Pascagoula and convers-
ed with them freely about affairs on Round Island, aud
they all united in declaring that they were a iawitss as
semblage-that they had resisted the civil authorizes III
one instance and that the civil officers were AFRAID TO
complain of them? And what greater confirmation could
be given of the truth Of tiese statements than what &C
CURED two-days afterwards? A man was killed IN a
bra,ci on Round Isiand-was buried without an inquest,
and another was dangerously wounded by the salce lndi-
vidual. The slayer was instantly seized by an officer of
the navy, taken to Pascagoula to be delivered up to the
civil magistrates. but no one ,could act, and The murder
er was allowed in open day to take The mail steamer to
the city Of New Orleans!
What becomes now of The Delta's grandiloquence 2
evidently intended for a powerful appeal to the sovereign
State Of Mississippi TO avenge herself, seeing that her
soil has been desecrated, her laws trampled under foot,
and her citizens molesled in their honest callings
What next may we expect from this Proteus of the
Delta Successfully newspaper critic. wit, ''juriscon-
suit" mounting patriot. champion of State rights, bag
ranis' ii shts, and all sorts of rights-and who. lastly.
absolutely overwhelns us with rhetorical hourshes and
Bmkeia apos.rophes.
Eye Gods upon what meat doth this our Cesar feed,
That he has grown SO great !"
TRUTH.