To George Washington from Henry Helmuth and William Hendel, 12 June 1795
From Henry Helmuth and William Hendel
Philadelphia June 12th 1795
Sir,
We, the Subscribers, have repeatedly visited the unhappy prisoners Mitchell and Vigol, and think it our duty to acquaint your Excellency, that Vigol has given us undoubted proofs of real insanity.1 The goodness of the President will doubtless see nothing of the Interfering officious character in this humble address; but look upon it as a token of humanity and feeling towards the unhappy prisoners. We are with consideration of great respect and Esteem your mo. obt & mos. hble servts
J. Henry Ch. Helmuth
William Hendel
LS, DLC: Pennsylvania Whiskey Rebellion Collection.
Justus Henry Christian Helmuth (1745–1825) was born in Helmstadt, Brunswick, Germany. He grew up in a Lutheran orphanage in Halle, Germany, and was ordained to that ministry in 1769. That same year Helmuth migrated to Pennsylvania to answer a ministerial call. He first served in Lancaster, Pa., and then in 1779 became pastor of St. Michael’s Lutheran congregation in Philadelphia, serving until 1820. Highly regarded, Helmuth served as senior minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania and adjoining states. He was a member of the American Philosophical Society and taught German at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving honorary degrees from that institution and the College of New Jersey. Helmuth also coestablished a private seminary in Philadelphia, published several theological works for Lutheran edification, and edited the first Lutheran newspaper in the United States.
John William Hendel (1740–1798) was born in Bad Duerkheim, Palatinate, Germany. He attended the University of Heidelberg and was ordained in 1764 by the Holland Synod at The Hague. The Synod sent Hendel to America, where he arrived in December of that year. He served at the German Reformed Church in Lancaster until 1769, and then worked with the Trinity (Tulpehocken) congregation before returning to Lancaster from 1782 to 1784. He helped found Franklin College at Lancaster, which opened in 1787. In that year Princeton University awarded Hendel an honorary doctor of divinity degree. Hendel moved to Philadelphia in 1794 to become pastor of the German Reformed congregation, and he died there during a yellow fever plague.
1. On this same day, William Lewis, one of the attorneys for Philip Vigol, wrote to Edmund Randolph that his appointment as counsel for Vigol “has I suppose, induced the Jury to send me the enclosed recommendations in order that they may be presented to the President” (DLC: Pennsylvania Whiskey Rebellion Collection).
Jury members who sat for Vigol’s trial composed two petitions, perhaps as early as 23 May, the day his trial ended, but no later than 5 June, the last day of the circuit court session. Six members signed each document. The petition that included the signature of foreman Cornelius Lynch explained that while the jurors “thought themselves obliged by their Oaths and Affirmations to give a verdict against the said Vigol, they cannot help thinking his case although within the letter of the Law to be a hard one, and his crime although great not to be such as in their opinion should forfeit his Life—That it appears to the jurors that the said Vigol was neither the Author nor promoter of the Conspiracy to suppress the Office of Inspection in Westmoreland and Fayette. That he came to the place where the Rioters met, without Shoes and without any intention to go to attack the Offices aforesaid and that he was at least partly induced to proceed by the solicitations of a Man who had been requested by one of the threatened Officers to bring along as many well disposed persons as he could—all which circumstances appeared in proof on the Trial—That it does not appear that during the whole period of the Insurrection, he the said Vigol, either before or after the act for which he is convicted did commit any other Act, or express any words tending to show a Criminal intention—That the jurors are well informed, that he is an Ignorant and harmless Man whose Existance can in no way be dangerous to Society and Goverment, whilst, should he forfeit his Life for his offence he will leave behind him a family consisting of a Wife and five small children, who have no other means of support but his daily labour and Industry—The jurors therefore beg leave to Express their earnest and unanimous wish that at present that the Strength of Goverment has been fully proved, and the arm of Justice exerted as far as conviction, the Mercy of the supreme Executive may be extended to that unfortunate Culprit—By what is generally conceived to be and, in the opinion of the jury is a valuable improvement of the penal laws of Pennsylvania Murder of the first degree alone is punished with Death and High Treason only with imprisonment and hard Labour—The Laws of the United States are not yet Arrived to an equal degree of perfection and the Constitution has left to you alone the power to correct the hardships of the Law, by granting a pardon—To you therefore we beg leave to recommend Philip Vigol as A proper Object for the exercise of that power” (DS, DLC: Pennsylvania Whiskey Rebellion Collection).
The second petition, signed by Benjamin Scull and five other jurors, was much briefer in content and recommended Vigol “as a proper Object of Mercy” (DS, DLC: Pennsylvania Whiskey Rebellion Collection).