230 NARRATIVE OF THE MUTINY, &c. 



But when to this greatest of military crimes are added acts of 

 open rebellion against a state or government, the union of both 

 constitutes an offence far more heinous than any that military 

 law has singly provided for. The Governor, therefore, when, on 

 the morning of the 24th, lie compelled a body of rebels and 

 mutineers, consisting of 75 men, to surrender at discretion, might 

 have been fully justified if he had ordered the whole of them to 

 be instantly hanged. But as he had received information that 

 many had been seduced, or forced, by a few factious and incorri- 

 gible drunkards, he refrained from punishment, and so dreadful 

 an effusion of human blood. Nine only of the ring leaders were 

 selected and tried according to the forms prescribed by military 

 law. The whole were found guilty ; but still to manifest his dis- 

 position to mercy, only six were ordered for execution. 



" It gave the Governor some degree of consolation, in the late 

 unhappy state of affairs, and disorganization of the St. Helena 

 infantry, to be informed, that these awful examples have been 

 admitted as perfectly just and necessary. The unhappy sufferers 

 declared, that he did no more than his duty, and that they 

 deserved their fate. The dispositions manifested since those ex- 

 ecutions, being symptoms of returning obedience, he most ear- 

 nestly hopes, that on duly reflecting upon the enormities that have 

 been committed, even the disaffected of the regiment, which he 

 believes to be few, will soon be brought to a sense of their errors. 



" The Governor has also reason to hope that the measures he has 

 adopted, must have by this time, convinced the minds of all con- 

 cerned in the late dangerous proceedings, that any attempt to 

 intimidate him to swerve from his public duties, or to seize his 

 person, can never avail ; and he thinks it proper on this occasion, 

 again to apprize those factious and malicious persons who may 

 yet remain, that, under such despicable leaders, in so bad a 



