Literary Cadet And Rhode Island Statesman

CAPTAIN JOHN B. AMEDIE. -We are gratified to learn, that the President of the United States, in the exercise of the power delegated to him by the people, and the Constitution of the country, has thought proper to award a respite to Captain Amedie., and has said, that for the present the sentence of death pronounced upon the unhappy, misguided and deluded offender, shall not be carried into execution, from which circumstance we are lead to infer, and hope, that the culprit will ultimately receive a full pardon.

Relative to the fate of Captain Amedie, we have felt some solicitude, and we have expressed it:-and that solicitude was based on a firm conviction. that he did not merit the sentence of death, pronounced upon him by Mr. Chief Justice Marshall, although we are free to admit, that if we take the strict letter of a severe law for our guide, nothing could possibly save Captain Amedie from the ignominy of the gallows. But his case is a peculiar one, and demands the attentive consideration of those, in whose hands his life has been placed, by the laws of the country. It is not assumed, that Captain Amedie did not commit the crime for which he was indicted; on the contrary, the fact is readily admitted, though we must insist, that in perpetrating it, he was mainly influenced and led astray, by the villain Froding, who has escaped, swindled the underwriters out of an immense sum of money, and left the unfortunate Amedie, to answer for his crimes, and to receive a punishment, which he himself was entitled to, and which we hope, he will yet live receive

In a former number of this paper, we gave a concise history of the whole transaction. and as it has been copied and generally circulated by those papers which advocate the great cause of humanity, and will probably be well remembered, we deem it unnecessary to repeat it. Of Amedie, we know nothing personally, but from an attentive observance to all the matters of fact, connected with his case, we have made up our minds, that he does not merit the punishment of death; and we are proud to say, that that opinion is supported by those of hundreds of our cotemporaries. As Mr. Munroe was blamed for extending executive clemency too often to convicted pirates, we were fearful, at the onset, that Mr. Adams, fearful of incurring popular censure, would not listen to the solicitations of poor Amedie; but we are gratified that he has consulted justice and humanity, to the exclusion of public opinion, and for the moment saved from the gallows, an individual, who has been far more unfortunate than criminal.

Captain Amedie has a wife and an interesting young family, residing in the vicinity of Boston, who are waiting in breathless anxiety, for the final decision of the President: and it is hoped that they will soon have restored to them, the husband and father; and that the wretched man will once more taste of the sweets of connubial and domestic bliss, and "sin no more." Let the friends of humanity throughout the country, plead for the pardon of a wretched and misguided man, who though guilty, should not die.