The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-25

0uVO In Inc nfs place, tens the Ofes Inflicted Bieal
seventies upon the Americans and then when the Aaer
cans had egained the ascendeney they etaated these
seventies upon the British This report says that In
this state Of things apoHon OF the defenders oil Charles
ton were made close prisoners, and Major Wgg was one
Of them That IS The reports that Is the history OF The
case thus far.
Then, while they were thus prisoners, Colonel Hayne
was executed and MAJOR Wgg, being present. expressed
IN terms OF strong remonstIance the indignation which
every American would naturally feel at such outrage
That is what the report says. The British to ayenge
themselves upon him Tor this outbust oil patriotic lndlg-
nation on account OF this barbaIous murder OF Colonel
ayne then sent their forces TO his plantation and COM
mued this outrage upon his property These are the
facts OF the as gather them from the report find
that the execution OF Andre did not tTansplre until after
the surrender OF Charleston and therefore all this had
nothing TO do with the execution OF Major Andrs-not
the least in the world This spoaton OF The property OF
Major Wigg not inflicted him, together with his
hoslageshp, on account of Major Andres execution
that is, il he was hostage in fact OF by construction
but IT was an act OF revenge Tor the expression OF his IN
dignaton al the baIbaTous outrage committed upon
American officer. These the facts OF the case
Now. was MAJOR Wigg hostage, IN the common and
legal acceptaon OF that term AS defined by Grotius,
stated in This report Hostages are either such as freely
give themselves given by him that hath the sove
reign power 49, BY the sovereign power OF the State
or the government Now 1t Is not pretended that Ma
jor Wigg hostage according to either OF these
me hods for he neither gave himself up hostage, nor
was he 40 given up by the supreme power OF the Stale
But the British commander did in that case as has been
done in great many other caseshe said, We will meas
the treatment OF our prisoners by the conduct you
exhibit to youstha is, we have these prisoners and we
will hold them and II you exercise any barbarues upon
the British you may have may take prisoners, we Will
retaate upon these In this sense the British command
did force these men to become to some extent hos
tagesihat is he measured his whole conduct to the
prisoners in his possession by the treatment that the
British prisoners received at the hands Of the Americans
do not doubt in the least the worhlness OF Major
Wigg and his title to all the praise that has been bestow
ed upon him. | have doubt that he was highly
honorable patriot, and experienced the feelings OF pa
rot, and The Indignation OF patriot when he saw The
,,,h bait ,pHIcs NM hu
and he expressed those feelings and that indignation
without conceament For the expression OF those nau
raj feelings the British very meany and very dishonor
ably etaated by this outrage upon his private property.
For the loss thus sustained by Major Wlgg | would be
glad to make compensation, il could do so consistently
with any principle which we have ever before recognised
But would ask if every oil those 5000 who sur
rendered when Charleston capluated, at least every
one Of those who were confined in close custody might
not, if we sanction this principle by passing this bill, come
forward and ask you to give them compensation Tor IN
ures which they then sufered' II we pass this bill, II
seems TO ne tina, we must pay them all. MAJOR Wigg
Mas but one OF The 5000. He may have suffered more
than any OF the rest il is true but still he does not
within any principle that We have ever recognised
for 10 bring the within this principle the injuries he
suffered must have grown on. OF me hoslaseshlp IN
of that but caused by the resentment which the
British felt towards him for having expressed his indig
nation at their cruel and barbaous butchery OF Colonel
Hayne.
know il is an invidous and unpleasant task to say
a word against this bill But having pledged myself to
examine ibis case il 1t were postponed, have done So
and stated here the facts as understand them. Having
done So shall be content with whatever decision the
Senate may come 10.
Mr. BUTLER | do not object to the tone or the tenor
of the remarks of the honorable senator from New
Hampshire, Mr.. HALE will beg leave 10 correct the
honorable senator in or two historical particulars
The surrender OF Charleston certainly was IN May i7so
and the execution of Major Andre was in the October
following But it alter Andres eIecuton--recol
ect lhahat General Greene was sent TO the South and
when arrived there. be undertook to reclaim South
and n kuas ~
claim South Carolina that The British entirely changed the
condition of these prisoners, and made y much more
rigorous than it had been previously 10 the arrival Of
General Greene in South Carolina. And 1t after
Greene's arrival in 1851 that Colonel Hayne
culed, and il has always been understood and be-
sysd7a1d, paeed, think Is eoeaft1nne4 9g
in consequence OF the execution OF Major Andre. The
British were looking out for opportunity 10 make
eprlsa sanguinary retaliation Tor the execution of
Maj Andre. That opportunity was not afforded them until
after they had changed the coalition OF the prisoners who
were then on parole and had made them worse than hos
ages. Why, II were to describe 10 the honorable
from New Hampshire the condition OF those gentle
men, the place in which they put upon board these
prison shps his hearcoud not but respond 10 the honoa
BILE feelings which then prevailed OF the 5000 prisoners
who surrendered when Charleston captulaed there
but about SOL do not know the exact number but
believe there but about 5o-selected and put upon
these pson-shps, 10 1--we and sleep in the midst OF the
filth and The mlre oil those vessels. They selected
with view 10 their dong something that might give the
British pre,ext for retasung upon them tor Andres
execution They found II, aud found IT, too, in the
character OF of the most honorable who ever
lived-Coone Hayne. l. will do justice here TO the
gentleman who captured hm-an officer in the British
army-a Scotch officer, and who well known and re.
spected in the American army-Coonel Campbell more
familiarly known " Mad Archy Campbell" He said
that il be had foreseen that Colonel Hayne was 10 have
been executed the hand that had captured him should
have been off before 1t had performed that act That
was the man who captured Colonel Hayne; and think
he afterwards fell into The hands OF General Greene and
but for the circumstance that his character was well
known, and that he had high reputation in the Ameri-
can army, and had commended himself highly by his
course OF conduct TO their respect and admiration he
would have been executed Indeed the who were
then held prisoners by the British wrote Greene TO fol
low ont his own course, and they would be willing to
give their blood for the consequences But Greene af
ter he got him in his hands, would not realiae upon
him. as his character well known and respected
do not wish to correct the honorable senator from
New Hampshire in many historical particulars | will
say that where the report refers 10 the histories OF Ram
say and Garden il does that they refer speei
cally Haynes But in the history OF Ramsay. the
letter incorporated in this report is TO be found. And
there also that history the account of the surrender
of Charlie ston and the time when Hayne executed,
and the circumstances under which he executed and
the feelings which that excited very strongly
and graphically stated and it is understood there that the
execution OF Hsyne in consequence OF the execution
OF Major Andre. AT least that has generally been as.
sumed among whether II is so not In regard to
the number OF persons placed upon th prson-sbp and
carried to St Augustine, believe there about City
OF them. think, however, there were more than that
number placed upon the vessel Pack Horse. Blu, they
of mark and distinction, and | believe II was