Virginia Argus — Richmond, Va., 1810-07-24 00:00:00, page 2

imiomia 3Gt0tt£.
RICHMOND,
TUESDAY.'July 24, 1810.
We understand that information has
been received at Washington City,* of
a rencontre between the U. S. armed
schooner Vixen, lieut. Trippe, bound
from Philadelphia to New Orleans, &
a British armed brig, on the Bahama
banks. The affair did not proceed to
nn actual engagement; but one ot two.
shots from the British vessel (which
was vastly superior in force to the
Vixen,) struck the boom of the Ame
rican schooner, and a splinter, occasi
oned by the shot, wounded a son of
Mr. Rodney (attorney-general of the
U. S.) who was a passenger on board.
Lieut. Trippe beat to quarters, and
was prepared for battle, aa-wns also
the British brig, which slipped her ca
ble and ranged for fight. Before firing,
Licur. Trippe demanded, and it is said
* obtained, a written explanatory apolo
gy from the British officer, the tenor
of which we have not learnt. We have
>;ot heard the . particulars of the trans*
action with sufficient precision co ena
ble us to make up an opinion on the
subject ; but it seems the shots Were
fired from the British vessel as a sig
nalfor the Vixen to heave too. By
the next mail our readers may, proba
bly have an account of the business in
detail. At present, we can say that
lieur. Trippe’s reputation for courage
is most unquestionable, having beha
ved iu the Medi eiranean with great
heroism. The intelligence was receiv
ed at Washington by the bomb-ketch
Vesuvius, -capt. Porter, arrived there
from N. Orleans.
The circumstances of every day tend •
to shew the necessity of a naval force, •
sufficient at least to make ourselves re
spected on our own coasts.
DIED—On Saturday night last,
PETER TINSLEY, Esq. clerk of
the Superior Chancery District Court,
. held ia Richmond.
COMMUNICATION.
The Fourth of July was celebrated
at Franklin court-house in a manner
i*t ouce impressive and grand. The 1
company av»» composed chiefly of!
young men—and without an exception
were decided and firm republicans.— '
Having met about 1 o’clock, the com
pany proceeded to the choice of offi
cers lor the day—when Nadil. H. ,
Claiborne w a appointed President, .
and Moses F. Cooi;, Vice President.
At two o’clock a large party of Udies
who had been invited from trisand
the nciptloouTiny counties, sat: aown
to tm elegant D.NNKH pr« vided bv
Mr. Dennis lor the occasion. Having
dined, Urey were conducted to sr*ats
prepared fc? them round the room, on |
raised platforms, which they occupied
while the gentlemen dined and crar;k
their ^Toasts—When he lair sex were
toasted, the gentlemen rose and bow
ed to the ladies, whi h they as polite
ly returned. Majors Hale and Tate,
and captains Jones and Curtin, sup r
intended the military, and cannot be i
too much commanded lor the part
they took in contributing to the amuse
ments of the day. The .following
Toasts were drank.
t. I he day wc celebrate—6 guns.
' 2. The Temple of Liberty—The
Heavens for its arch, and the earth
for its base—3 guns.
3. The people of Caraccas—There
is nothing in this life more precarious
than despotism, nothing more certain
than the triumphs of virtue—3 guns.
4. James Madison-Firmness in
public life, and mildneos in private,
are the traiui cf a great and good man
—6 guns.
5. The memory of General Geotge
Washington—His fortitude and love
of count?}, has illustrated his name,
and done honor to America—G guns.
6. 1 homas Jefferson-The author
of our declaration of independence—
0 guns.
7. The memory of Doctor Frank
lin ; the evidences of his greatness
arc, that philosopher* esteemed, re
pul Means loved, and tyrants hated
him—6 guns.
8* .The Freedom tSf the Press and
of Speech—The bulwarks of civil and
religious liberty—6 guns.
S. A well regulwed Militia, trained
to arms—they are the nati n d and •
•afe defence of a free people—0 guns.;
LUi'J'.NHAGLIN JAbKbUiN'5
EFFIGY,
Was burnt amidst a large concourse
of people at Albany on Friday even
ing last, opposite the door of Grego
ry’s tavern, where Jackson put up.—
The friends of Jackson assent bled and
endeavored to put an end to the sport.
A riot ensued in consequence, & some
of the Jacksonites came off with bloody
noses.
After the affray two persons were
arrrsted and sent to jail on the ground
of being concerned in burning the ef
figy. Pub. Adv.
We understand that a British ship
of War has lately been discovered on
Lake-Onta'ia, 44 miles E*st of the
Fort, about 20 feet below the surface
of the water, which was lost 30 years
Hgo. This vessel was going across the
Lake from Niagara to Kingston, on
she opposite shore, and had several
British Officers,and others, as passen
ger* when she sunk. Mcr. Adv.
We are informed a sloop has lately
• ailed from C'»nnecticut-river, for the
Wrat I .dies, 33 years old. This ves
sel has I teen rignlarly employed in car
rying stork to .he West-Indies, during
he abovV period, and is now a good
staunch vessel j and what is more re
markable, has never incurred an aver
age loss. ib.
A large and extensive woollen ma*
table—tall, majestic and flourishing,
the leaves at the top exhibiting the ap
pearance of the American flag, while
just by, was the representation of des
potism in a tree, small, shrivelled and
sickly. The company met as brothers
and friends, and parted in the same
way.
We are informed (says the National
i intelligencer) that the sloop of war the
; Hornet will sail from New York be
tween the 25th and the last of this
month, for France and England ; and
that her commander will take charge
erf mercantile and other letters for Eu.
rope.
It is stated ir. Kline’s Weekly Ga
zette, that CoU Simond’s regiment of
the U. Sf. army, who have been for
some time at Carlisle Barracks, have
received marching orders, and are to
proceed to the westward.
M. Thierry, Editor of a paper prin*
ted in New Orleans, has been punished
by an imprisonment of ten days and a
fine of 50 dollars, for contempt of court
iu questioning the correctness of a de
cision of the court in the case of Mr.
Neugent, who has been imprisoned for
a libel on one of the judges, and for
affirming in this publication that the
court had trampled on the*rights of the
public. Nat. Intel.
THE PRIVATEER,
So much spoken of, to the Eastward,
is said by one to be his Britannic ma
jesty V. schooner Marlboro’—-by others,
it is supposed to be the Thistle or
Shamrock p. ivateer. The Boston Pat
riot oh-erves, “ we have thut long
wished tor desideratum, British protec
tion, at the very entrance of our har
bour. Whig.
10. The right of »_ffVage—All free
citizens should exercise it, who bear
arms or pay tuxes—6 guns.
11. ‘Domestic manufactories—Ex
clusive privileges flour from tyranny,
and in a free country should not be aL
lowed—3 guns. „
•12, The Navy of the United States
—that nation, well merits the tridant
of the seas, whose banks are defended
by justice— 3 guns.
'13. Genl. Arm-trong, our minister
at the French court—he has American
feelings, and -we will honor him—6
guns.
If. Commerce and navigation—
that nation deserves a state ot vassal,
age that consents to pay turnpike on
the ocean—6 guns.
'10. The Congress of the United
States—may they hereafter discover
by their conduct that energy that be
comes freemen-;—6 guns.
16. The memory of the Irish patri
ot Emmett—his talents and his corn*
rage do honor to a brave and enlight
ened people, while his melancholy fare
throws a sickly shade over the British^
govern ment—6 guns.
17. The Fair Sex—Tho* last nam.
ed, the first in our hearts—3 cheers.
in the evening a HALL took place,
and was graced by the attendance of a
number*of beautiful ladies, elegantly
dressed. The utmost .harmony pre
vailed throughout. The supper -pro.
vided by Mr. Dennis is thought to
have been as splendid as any ever pre.
pared for a public feast in Virginia.
The whole earth may well be said to
have administered to its embellish
ment. What struck the imagination
forcibly was the representation of the
Tree of Liberty in the middle of the
nufactory is established in the LouhN,
itna Territory on a liberal ptau. . j
From the Boston Exchange CofTe'e
" Iiou»e Book*.
A Privateer art cur Coasts.
“ Mr. John Wilson, pilot, informs u* that
on Tuesday last, the 6&rae schooner whi-'li
brought to the ship Race Horse brought
to an American ship, which appeared to
be bound to Boston, about 4 Uagues to the
North of Cape Cod tigbt. The ship im.
mediately took in her steering sails and
handed down her colours, and necred a.
way to the N» R by the wind.—Tnat the
pilot boat Regulator boarded the priva eer,
who informed, that they had taken a french j
merchant ship a few days previous, loa.
ded with cotten aad tobacco. The priva.
teer mounted 12 guns and had a sharp
stem—but few men were on deck, being
mostly, as the pilot thought* below. The
privateer also informed, that she was in
search of a French lugger, which they
were Informed was on George’s bank—
but iup|*osed -the lugger had steered to
wards Portland, and »tue privateers were
n search of her,
ittoRE of thITprivateer.
A letter <**c*ived by Mr Gilbert at
the Exchange Coffee House, yester
day, from his correspondent in Salem,
says
44 Capt. Williams who arrived here
this day, informs that on Wednesday,
at noon, in sight of Cape Ann, he was
boarded from a small English priva
teer and treated with civility. An
American was in co. concerning which
capt W. made inquiries of the board
ing officer, but received only evasive
answers. He afterwards hailed her,
and received no ankwer,* but apasoen*
gerctepped over the side and chalked
the word ** Taken.*’ as nerceived rh™*
a glass. She appeared to be about 300
tons, had a red bottom, varaished
sides woman head, air port between
the main chains ; could not read her
name, which appeared to be a long one ;
men, women and children passengers.
Captain Williams supposed a prize
master was on board, to carry her to
Halifax. Bost. Paper.
Philadelphia, July 20.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman at
Carlisle, to his friend in this city, da
ted July 16.
** Dear Sir,
tv I am to acquaint yon that on
,my arrival at this place from Philadel
phia, orders were received by Col. Si.
monels from the war department to
hold the trOops composing the 6th Re
giment avjfhis place, in readiness to
march,, they would be soon ordered
off.
M This order was succeeded by ano
ther, directing them to repair to Pitts
burg with the least possible delay, and
there wait further orders—another or
der has been received ordering the
dragoons and ride companies quarter
ed here, to accompany the other troopsj
and Col. Simonds instructed to en
trust such officers as were best calcu
lated for the recruiting service to re
cruit as many men here and on the
march, apd at Pittsburg, as possible.”
Baltimore, July 17.
Captain Worthington from Cadiz
states, that the French were every day
expected to bombard that city ^having
made pegular approaches to^pis it;
and that necessaries of life are ex.
ceeuitigly wanted by the poorer class
of people. Beef 3 1—fish 50 cents—
fowls 3 2—vegetables not to be had.
30,000 French had lately arrived in
the ueigbboihood of Cadiz.
Ev. Post.
Washington City, July 18.
The Secretary ot the Treasury left
the city yesterday on a visit to the
state of New York.
The Secretary of War also left this
city yestefday for the Northward.
The correspondence between Mr.
Canning and Mr. Erskine laid before
the House of Lords of Great Britain,
and printed by their order, contains
four letters from Mr. Erskine wliich do
not appear to have been published in
pny English or American news-paper.
They are now published from a print
ed copy lately put into our han is, all
the other papers contained in that col
lection having already appeared in the
papers.
Nat. Intel.
(No. 8)
Dispatch from the Honorable David
Erskine to Mr Secretary Canning,
dated Washington, 2d December
1808.
Snt,
The government and Congress have
been quite nt a loss how to act in the
present extraordinary and embarrass
ing situation of thrir public affairs,
zul they Inve not yet determined upon
the measures which they mean to pur*
sue \ l.ut I think thacl may venture to
assure you that the course of conduct
recommended by the committee of the
House cf Representatives, to which'
was referred the Documents mention* [
ed in the President's Message to Con«
gres/ will/ in scbsniMce, at "lo^st, be
adopted Fcrtf the present, with certain
amendments, so as. to give some
ti tie previotis to its going into opera
tion.
It is not, however, deni-d by those
even wh«» have introduced this mea
sure that it is only of a temporary
nature, and that the U. S* may be dri
ven to adopt a more deckled course
of conduct against the belligerents
before the present Congress clo ies, or
at any rate soon after the meeting of
the new Legislature, in consequence
of the feelings and sentiments, of the
Eastern division of the United States,
which has almost universally express
ed a disapprobation of the continuance
of the Embargo, Sc has begun to shew
symptoms of a determination not to
endure it much longer.
The government and party in pow
er unequivocally express their resolu
tion not to remove the Embargo, ex
cept by substituting war measures a
gainst both belligerent"., unless either
or both should relax their restrictions
upon neutral commerce. *
Upon this subject some important
communications have been made io
me by Mr. Madison, and several of
the members ot this government,
which I will accordingly lay before,
you, as I confidently believe they were
delivered from an unfeigned desire
that they might produce the effect pf
leading if po&sible to some adjustment
of their differences with G. Britain,
so as to enable the government and
the nation to extricare themselves
F--_ »l,« .. _• _ i*
• twin ins- VV'VUI. TV* T ui*
lemma in which they are involved.
Mr. Madison expressed his firm
conviction that When the documents
referred to in the President’s Message
should be seen by his majesty’s go
vernment, and the Correspondences
between their minister in France with
the French minister respecting the de
crees of Berlin and Milan, should be
deliberately considered ; particularly
the strong remonstrance of Mr. Arm*
strong to the French government of
the 12th Nov. 1807, that it v/onld be
acknowledged that the United States
had exerted all the efforts which re
monstrances could have been supposed
to be capable of producing, and that
in failure of any effect from them, in
persuading the French government to
withdraw their unjust restrictions up
on neutral commerce, recourse might
have been had by the United Scales
to measures of more activity and de
cision against France ; but that in tfjfc
mean time Great Britain had i&su. d
her Orders in Council, before it was
known whether the United States
would asquiesce in the aggressions of
France, and thereby rendered it im
possible to distinguish between the
conduct of the two belligerents, who
had equally committed aggressions a
gainst the United States.
He went also into al! the arguments
upon that subject which are detailed
in his correspondences with the Ame
rican ministers in London and Paris,
as published in the documents referred
to in the President’s Message, but
which I do not now repeat, as my ob
ject is merely to inform you of the re
sult of his observations, which was,
that as the world must be convinced
that America had in vain taken all the
means in her power to obtain from G.
Britain and France a just attention to
her rights as a neutral power, by re
presentations and remonstrances, that
she would be.fully justified in having
IVI llt/9UIUILO Vt Jill CIUICI IJCI*
ligcrent, and that she-only hesitated to
do so, from the difficulty of contend
ing with both ; but that she must be
driven even to endeavour to maintain
her rights against the two greatest
power* in the Worid, unless either of
them should relax their restrictions
up’on neutral commerce, in wh’ch case
the United States would at once side
with that power against the other
which might continue its aggressions.
Mr. Madison observed to me that it
must be evident that the United States
would enter upon measures of hosti
lity with great Reluctance, as he ac
knowledged that they are not at all
prepared for war, much less with a
power so irresistibly strong as Great
Britain, and that nothing would be
thought to be too great a sacrifice to
the preservation of peace, except their
Independence and their honor. He
said that he did not believe that any
Americans would be found willing to
submit to (what he firmedJ the en
croachments upon the liberty of the
rights of the United States by the bel
ligerents, and therefore the alterna
tives were Embargo or War. He con
fessed that the people of this country
were beginning to think the former
alternative too passive, and would
perhaps soon prefer the latter as even
less injurious to the interest anti more
congenial with the spirit of a free peo
ple. .
He declared to me that every opini
on which he entertained respecting the
best interests of his country led him to n
, wish that a good understanding should
j take place between Great Britain and
the United States, and that he thought
that the obvious advantages which
would thereby result to both countries
were a sufficient pledge of the sincerity
of his sentiments.,
The reasons which induce me to
believe that the views and Jeter min a-,
tioasofthis government, as described!
*> me by Mr. Madisbn, are their real
sentiments, and that they will pursue
that course of conduct which they have
marked out, arise from a mature con
sideration of the actual state of the af
fairs off this country, the particular
situation of the government ind ruling
party, and from certain private but
important coihmunications which hare
been made to me by some of the mem
bers of thp administration, who are
sincerely desirous of a conciliation with
G. Britain.
It is evident from every thing which
has lately taken place'in this country,
that the people-at large are desirous of
having the Embargo removed ; but it
is also to be collected from the result
of the clecttons throughout the United
States/ that the present ruling party
have a decided majority of the people
wi'h them, and as they have pledged
thenrtaelves not to repeal it, while the
restrictions upon their neutral rights
continue in force by both belligerents,
without substituting war measures, and
'as they themselves acknowledge “that
f the ultima, e and onlj effectual mode
I of resisting such'warfare, if persisted
in, is* war,” and ijjht a permanent
suspension of convperce, would not
propeTTy be resis but submis
sion I cannot thrffsfore conceive that
it would be possible them to retract
their declarations, and indeed, they
would not have^the power of continu
ing the Embargo more than six months,
and of course, therefore, they must
j ubsthute war measures when it should
be withdrawn, unless flicy were to a
handori all the principles they have
laid down, and to change all the re
solutions which they have so unequi
vocally expressed*
It is true that they might possibly do
so, il they found themselves pressed
: by the number and strength of their
opponents, or by a change in the opi
nious ot their Majority amoiig9t the
people; hut,it is,plain from the decisi
on i-.? the Housevof JfPepresentatives in
Congress, upon.WlQr res lotions pro
posed by the committee appointed to
consider the subjewof their Foreign
relations, which V/ere carried by a ma
jority of eighiy-four to seventy-one,
that they have Dot lost any ground in
the present Congress; and the result of
the elections for member:*'of Congress,
proves, that although they 1 ave lost
some votes in the Eastern states that
they will have a great majority o it of
the whole number of the next Con
tfl^br these reasons I conclude that
tw ^’t-rnjr.ent party could carry a
lortg with them the support of the peo
ple in theffmeasures which they might
resolve^to take, otid I have already
explained, why I believe they will a
doptthe course of conduct which I have
described in the foregoing part of this
dispatch, arising out of the state of
the country and their own particular
situation, and I will therefore proceed
to explain my private reasons for feel
ing confirmed in their opinions, and
will have the honor of laying before
you some important communications
which were made to me by some of
IMC lliciliucrs Ui UI4a Jg-JVC i (1IIICIU, UllUI*
ficially, but with a desire that they
might produce a favorable effect to*
wards a conciliation v/:th Great Bri
tain. I beg leave to refer you to my
next number in which they are detail
ed*
I have the honor to he, with
the highest respect. Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
D.M. ERSK.INE.
(Nh,' 9.)
Dispafeh from the honorable David
kraftin* to Mr. Secretary Canning,
<1 :r%4 Washington, 4th Doc.
V S.v, J •'
In thfijsmirse of severabprivate in
terviews which I bad with Mr Galla
tin the Secret, ry of the Treasury, and
with Mr. Smith, Secretary of the Na
vy, I have collected from them that
their sentiments coincide with those
of Mr. M idison, which l have detail
ed at some length In the preceding
number of my ai-ipatchcs, respecting
the proper course of conduct which
ought to be pursued by the United
States, in their present situation, al
though they had differed as to the t
propriety of laying on the Kmbsrg*,
as a measure of defence, and had
thought thjt it would have been bet
ter to have resorted to measures of a
more decided nature at first, but that *
now they had no other means left, but
to continue it for a chart time larger,