Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-10-15

sue some celebrated Order No. 2, like the
tollowing:' ~ =
John Beall will be shot on the recent of
this order on the fve>spot Piracy must be-
Killed dead, though L should have to be Gov.
ernor."
And this old moral>coward NIaior>tsen.
erai OF POPPY cock phrases had supposed that
! was ofilc'ai journalist enough to be appren,
tioe 10 his hanging propensities l allowed
him to hang the man himself, and the said
hanging under the circumstances [ have al.
ways looked upon as the sacrifice of youno
mans lie to feed an old and pitiless polie
hc'an's desire to do popular and dramatic
thing. Beall was also convicted of other of.
lenses on American soil, bu. the proof was of
the tiimsies, character. I saw the man die
and he died with silent gameness. saving
"This is murdern'
And whenever recall it all. 1 think of
old Dix setting up public opinion to shed
blood, and / say, That man is a fraud,'s
The New York Times. in leading editos
rial of the 25.h ult., attempts to parry these
damaging blows, and the internal evidence of
the article leads me to think i. was peuned
by John A. Dix himself. Among other
things the Times says Beall S'was convicted
of attempting to throw railroad train off the
track near Buffalo, for the purpose as is sup>
posed Of getting possession of The mot2s and
express property" I have italicized the last
two lines to call special attention to them
General Dix was furnished with complete
and unanswerable documentary evidence bv
Col. Martini Mr.. Lucas and Mr.. James II.
BRADY, to prove that the object of the expe,
dltlon commanded by Col. Martin. and in
which Captain Beall took part, was to stop
the train for the purpose of rescuug high
Confederate officers then on the cars as pris,
oners going to Fort Warren But to see
further how the lying Times attempts to
whlte'wash Gen. Dix, His (Bealps) journal.
which was found on him, showed him to be
not ''poor devil'' as alleged, but man of
education and gentlemauly instincts. sadly
perverted by the cause he served This
journal, calculated as it was to make an i'm
press'on In his favor, was sent by Gen. Dix
to the Court by which he was tried. in order"
(and here we have the lie direct,) ..in order
that he might have the full benefit of all that
could be said in his defence"
although" adds the Times. "Gen. Dix
had the power, as commander of a department
to direct the execution of the sentence. he
considered it due, ,"-(the father of lies never
coococted bigger one than this, Dix hnuino
r0nSidered 1t 8Ne to hang his victim on the
18th, which he was only prevented from doing
by direct orders from Lincoln to postpone the
bloody deed for one week )-''he considered
1t due to the Importance and delicacy OF the.
case to send the record to Judge Advocate
General Holt" (the bloodest hyena of the
18TH century, "to be laid before Mr. Lincoln,
with the order approving tho seuteuce.''-
Then the apoiogist of Dix, think it il Dix
himself, adds with another velvety insinua.
tion of falsehood, "every indulgence wns ex>
tended to Beall while preparing to NEE. his
fate" dismal dungeon lit by gas at mid.
day But enough. The hoary-headed poli>
tician does not to-day appeal to the Outraged
civilization and humanity of the age" but
whines through his palzied lips an apoogetic
defense of his atrocious crimes. John Beall
called it murder, and John A. Dix as he nesrs
his own grave seems to hear the echo of the
mourntul, terrible word, aud starts from it as
from the ghost of the murdered Virginian.
should not have introduced here this pain.
tui theme. knowing that many who have suT.
tered will feel that it is the sword of an old
attilction sent to their hearts again but as the
Northern and Western papers have revived
the discussion and are charging Dix with the
responsibility of the death of your former
gallant neighbor, have not felt at liberty to
omit writing to you on tho subject
Yours, &C.,