Daily American telegraph., 1852-04-28
WASHINGTON, April 28, 1852.

BARTON HACKNEY,
PETER MAGRuDER
WAsHlNeToS, April 28, 1852.
The following is the communication above re.
ferred to. 1t was brought to us on Saturday last
but too late for that days issue:
For the Daily American Telez17tph.l
MEssas. EDITORS In your paper of Friday
we are favored with the petition addressed by
four reverend gentlemen Of this city to the Presi
dent Of the United States for a communication Of
the sentence of William Wells.
Reluctant as am TO disturb that unfortunate
mans feelings in his unhappy condition. or to
add one pang to the many his friends already
doubtless suffer by any allusion to his case, l
nevertheless feel, rs one of the twelve whose un-
pleasant duty it was to investigate and rendera
verdict in the case, that should suffer great in.
justice to be done that jury were l not to notice,
in this formal manner, certain remarks in the pc
tition Of these reverend gentlemen, which l con
ceive land nm not alone in my belef) amount
to an imputation upon them The remarks
to which | refer are these: Having exam
ined the testimony, and conSclentiousiy believing
that this is not case Of murder with NAL
ice afore thought, we respectfully ASK" &c. This
remark, taken in connexion with one follow
ing: There may have been Mt the time Of the
trial desire to have Wells hanged" &c-I
say, taken in connection, leave the inference ire
sistiblens to the meaning Of these gentlemen; and
that is, that the jury, in the absence of evidence
sufficient, partaking of the feeling which per-
vaded the community-which feeling cried for
the blood of Wells--found him guilty without evi-
dence
Now, in the name OF that jury, l call upon the
community to decide which of these two tribunals
was most competent to judge as to the guilt or
innocence of this man - this self-constituted
tribunal of four clergymen, for whom and whose
holy calling no one entertains greater respect
than he who now addresses you, but who, with
due Difference TO their learning md piety is not
willing TO ascribe to them more honesty of pun
pose, more humanity, or more common sense
than many other four men Of less pretension in
the community; or the jury of teelpe men, of his
own selection, who, upon their solemn oaths, with
the advantage of having the witnesses of the deed
all before them oath, and of observing the
manner in which those, witnesses detailed their
evidence, and then of hearing the law defining
murder ably expounded by counsel on both sides
in order TO enable them to apply it TO the evi-
dence and the better TO judge whether or not
the evidence made out the charge, and who were
so carefully guarded the whole time, and shut
out from the world, as that they could have NJ
idea of the existing feeling in the community with
regard TO the prisoner 80 as to be influenced by
it, if such thing were possible, which, ask, O
these tribunals was most competent to decide the
question?
If these worthy divines have based their opin-
ION upon any additional evidence that has been
obtained sace the trial, las learn has been DONE
connected with the subsequent declarations Of the
prisoner which, of course, were not before the
jury, it would have been but fair if they had so
stated, and thereby have spared, at least, this
implied mputation.
we'll remember the anxious and serious ap-
pearance of these twelve men, who, while in their
confinement, would often be seen silently reyolv-
ing the case in their minds and trying TO convince
themselves that there existed sufficient doubt OF
malice to allow them to acquit the prisoner.
we'll remember, too, the reluctance with which
they left their room when, after having spent
only one or two hours, with indictment in hand,
and then. upon putting the question, eveyy man
responded, Guilty.
And may remark. that il was no slight graf
ifcation to the jury To find that upon every turn
they were greeted with :" well done and finally,
10 be supported in their verdict by the able and
human. Judge, who, in his pathetic remarks ac-
compauyng the sentence, pronounced it q cor
rect verdict
As one of these twelve men, | rejoice that the
sentence of the unfortunate Wells has been com.
muted, and repeatedly remarked, during the pen
dency of the application, that / hoped the Pres-
dent might be enabled so to view the case as to
feel justified in granting the petition-in which,
no doubt, have the concurrence Of the whole
jury.
Messrs Editors beg pardon for having said
80 much about this unpleasant affair. do not
desire controversy with any--especially do | not
desire it with these holy men of God, who, /
think, exhibited but little consistency, at least,
while they are censuring vice and crime contin
uRlly from their pulpits, are at the same time
by such acts rs this, indirectly encouraging crime
Of the darkest die. But my object is TO repe
what | conceive to be an imputation unjust and
uncaled for which shall ever do, whether cast
by peasant, peer, or priest
ONE or THE jury.
I'VE here repeat what we stated on Monday,
that we were authorized to say that the ministers
alluded TO had no thought Of casting any censHre
upon hs jHrv. v.--Ep. Tel.
GREAT DAMAGES FOR 4 DASsEusE.--It will be
that about year ago Mile Baron,
a dauseuse in one Of the theatres at New Orleans
recovered judgment in the district court there
against the manager Mr.. Thos. Placide, awarding
her $500 damages for breach of contract in dis
missing her from employment because she re-
fused 70 dance IN parlor dance in parlor dress
with the tgurautes of the theatre in the comedy
Of the Serious Family y"---the Court holding that
she was dismissed without just cause. Mr..
Placide appealed to the supreme court of Lou
siana, and that Court reviewed the case on the
18th instant, affirming the judgment for Mile
Baron, and decreeing its amendment by increas-
ing the amount of damages to $500. Appeals
under the Louisiana code are somewhat dan
gerous proceedings at least Mr.. Plscide must
begin to think SO.