Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-10-06

spared. II ~ impossible 10 detest ana pay NOM
age To the snme person. We cannot revere IN
man the priest, while we hate the tyrant-tbe
sanetity of the despot
The man who Sawed off the Figure-head
/, is within the recollection os many persons
That during the administration of General Jack
son. much excitement was caused by ''the hgurc.
head affair" A full length statue, in wood, of
the venerable President had been put upon the
old ship Constitution, ard in the dead of night II
was removed. Several mouths ago, acorrespon'
dent of one of the newspapers furnished the foi-
lowing statement in relation TO the subject;
few days since, in company with friend, l
called ON the venerable Mnhlon Dickerson, Mt
his residence, near Dover, Morris county. New
Jersey, nnd after politely showing us over his
grounds and iron mines, he took us through his
extensive library, and while giving us detail of
bis books and the history of many ot them, he nj.
~ nughingly told US the story OF the ilgure mead
which was looking down on us from the upper
shelf He said:
"You know Mt the time this occurred, was
Secretary Of the Navy. and that Government had
offered n reward for the apprehension oi the per-
petrator of tho outrage Well, one day was
aitinr in the Office when II soilor walked in with
a bundle in his hand and asked If was the Sec
rotary of the Navy. He went on Ia any;
~ ou offered u reward for tho one that cut oil
the figure hend of Gen. jackson I"
YES"
II am the man.
And untying his budget, placed before me the
beaa wns amazed aud puzzled to divine what
it could mean. asked him who helped him to do
it,
"Nobody."
"lIow did you do 7"
II rowed out alone climbed up in tina chains,
and sawed 1t off | attempted to saw it otf through
tho neck at first, but the saw struck abolt, and
had to saw il through the MOUTH
allow did you manage to escape peihg seen
by the watch !"
"uumph! swear there wasn't any light, nora
man on deck
"Who got you to do this ~
"Nobody, and nobody knowsit."
"Why did you do III don't you like General
jackson !"
"Yer, am jackson man, and have no 90,
lection to his bust being on Old lronsldes' but !
don't believe in II tohoie length figure head, and II
You put il back again'd--n me i'll don't saw II OH
agnin.'
.,n consultation with the President, the ques.
tion eame up what shall we do with this man
Tho old General said, as there didn't appear to DO
any political motive in the act, ana the man nao
voluntarily surrendered and as his story imph,
Gated the officers of the CONSTITUTIONS VINO haa
sworn before the investigation committee that the
| liohts were burning, and watch set, way we had
better let the man 90, and hush up"
$50" said Gov ID .'when left Washington
threw the head into my trunk, and brought II
home and that's the history of the affair OF tho
figure head"
We may add that Captain Dewey performed
the feat of saving off the figure head; and some
wears ago. when he resided in this city, related TO
the writer hereof all the circumstances attending
the occurrence The night was dark, and rainy
and he therefore truly supposed not only mat
the ..watch" would not be ON "the look out, put
that no damage to the ship, from any outsider
was anticipated by the officers in command So
he approached. while it lay off Boston h"rbor;;
making use of muiiled oars to prope' the sina'i
boat which carried him to the gallant vessel
An anecdoto of the Captain may here DO ap
propriately introduced. A Mechanics Association
! having been formed, in Boston, he came forward
to attach himself member; but objection was
made ON tho ground that he was not mechanic
He Immediately made speech, in his peculiarly
happy vein, insisting that he had the necessary
qualification, being mechanic. What trader
nskcd black smith. IA great national toood sa'e-
er,p replied the Captain, Every one present un-
dersood the alluson, Ito tho saving OFT OF the
figure. hean and so he was admitted to member
ship without n dissenting voice. ce.--Wdshingfon
| Sentinel.