Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-04-14
LEY REQUEST.l

FROM Ne Itichhaond Enquirer.
At the request of several friends we with great plea
sure insert the following letter from Reed one of the un-
fortunate sailors lately respted by the President Our
readers will perceive that it has truth deeply impressed
upon its face and written as we are firmly convinced
without las he himself says fray of hope" for par
don.
The statement he aludes to and enclosed in the letter
to his father is the only statement confession he has
ever made and has, we learn, consistently maintained its
truth throughout the painful ordeal he has passed through
1t was published in the Republican of last MONTH Ac
i've exerons will be made for the pardon of this truly
most unfortunate man:
RICHMOND Va. April 4th 1852.
My dear and afectonate Father Il now redeem nv
promise sending you true and accurate statement Of
the unfortunate affair for which suffer death the
9th OF this month, which shall enclose in this my last
and farewell letter to you My kind and generous FREUD
and schoolmate M D, has been to Washington
and presented my petition together with several letters
of recommendation the President for consideration
and has returned without ray of hope for pardon
must he has acted most noby and generously in my
behalf but without effect and for his kindness he has m
heartfelt thanks, and which l hope, my dear father
and brothers, you will reward and remember. He
comes here often to see me- and in grief goes away
mined by the Judge of all the earth. In few days
the almost inevitable sentence of death will be put into
execution that will either raise the heights of
happiness sink the depths of misery and while
you read these lines will be grooming under the ag
ones OF despsr or enjoying the peace of the blessed
present disposition of my SOUL the great uncertainty
fear No words describe my appre tensions. Every
fear would perfectly overwhelm but for Gods decla
ration which says Though your sins be scarlet they
shall be made white snow anin his great goodness
and mercy in sending his only Jesus Christ this
wicked world to be crucied as an atonne sacrifice for
the redemption of lost mankind. never rightly mag
med my perilous situation until During nv mis-
spent life always had wrong apprehensons of my ma
ture and my good God, how have | employed myself
or what have been doing while the its and
the stars IN their courses have lent their beams perhaps
to 1shtme to the world of woe Oh! in what folly have
spent my time since have been here confined and in
what madness have spent the years have passed sea-
Truly have the wonderful works Of the Lord onthe
mighty deep Many time have been preserved from
sudden DEATH different shapes, which only served to
make the hardened. have often rejoced to
hea the sound from each masthead of there she blows
and would jump into the whale boat and laugh at al
dangers then rush fuousy and fearessly alongside o.
the monsrous whale and. with would
dart the harpoon lance whilst his flukes would be
oaming dancing over my head when almost touch
from him would have finished my existence. Scenes like
these have often met, and with foolish courage defy its
erors had thought of beyond the grave;
the great tribunal to which must have been
moned It'll this which makes death appear to now
terrible, or could still mock fear 1t giving
up my breath at which shrink it is the terrible hereaf
ter-the something beyond the grave-at which reco
lnever had just apprehension OF the solemnty of DEATH
until now, and the short space OF time which have
now got to hive, Is fear, far too short to make my
peace with an offended God but myself on his
absolute mercy through the atonng sacrifice of the Re-
deemer OF lost mankind. My dear father, you al
ready bent beneath the load of years and grief the
of anguish and sorrow for departed mother
have not yet been dried in family and must they
again start airesh by the of the untmey
aud undeserved death of your prodgal sonbut let my
blood be on their Skirts which have falsely and cruelty
my life away This Icansay with clear conscience
at my dying hour; and have done than any per-
would have done placed in the circumstances,
which you for yourself by my statement Brother
James and your joint letter of the 9th of March an
swered forthwith AS yet have received letters from
John Or Nicholas shall answer them as soon as re-