The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-08-24 00:00:00

INTERESIIIIfC TRL4t,

(ram me states• Casle.)

THE WRENCH CAPTAIN end THE AMERICAN CITIZEN.
Accor,liug to promise we this dwy presto* to our readers an
ace bowl or an interesting List winch has recently Islets
place, irlwals hart excited the wore stiento...u, in rouse-
anesiwe. at as having tired taken up 1.1 oe. litiverunicut,
with so the zest and prisestrunew which couta
be within. Iv the corruptwr aad co:mimetic...l the world.
A edStt occurred on Moodily, in the Court of
Quarter Sessions, which eaeit.J setae amusement,
amid cowsiderairie satisfaction. Italy, and SA itzer-
laud, and Iliellaud, and kee: tool, and Slams, liars
all, all falleu before the pouef of Napoleoii, and it is
now our turn to preserie *rich repast to the claw of
this devourer of empires. blow which was
aimed etas been iirrceited by the spirit and the 'terve
of au Antertain jury. Bonaparte has now an oc-
casion furnished to him, which should attord lulu
serious reflection ; and if his reasoning be cool and
correct, he wilt Dud that America is nut to be sub-
dued. while such feelings and sentiments, us the
discussion of Mouelay produced, glow in the bo-
soms of our countrymen.
In the fall of the year ISO,. a Swedish schooner,
with a eargo of considerable rarer, both owned by
a Swedish subject, and under the care of Mr. John
Neglee, an American Supercargo, salted from this
port for the Idle of Cuba. • In the voyage she was
captured by the privateer Dolphin, commanded by
Captain Broutrrd. This it the auto who owes the
vessel which lately entered the port of Philadelphia,
amid, grader the pretence of wautiug provisions amidre;:airs tura long wallas, was furuislied by our Ges
verwurent with those articles, which the 'oxbow
irw, s present oar owe eitizew from arryiag Is rani
either.

hen Captain Brouvartf captured the 'claimer.
the 11SUal scenes of outrage and atrocity weir com-
mitted, a trelt iu ti,,, age of ‘. the freedom cif
the sees; accompany all Fre.icli captures. Pistols,
and swords, and sa:,res, were ealithited to aim In the
fears of the crew, and to she* the power of t re.,ch-
taelh—The sctuto:ler Ail. then itluallerc.,l, and sent
to Baracoa, a port in the hitiall ul Cut.o. Wee a
new scene of plunder occurred, and b. f ire any pry
ceedings were instituted to procure the coodeni•
nation of the vesel, one-half a. toe ***,.inuts-
gled on shore, as well to ailed the real uratioli of it
in cake of an acquittal, as I. defraud tie Govern-
ment of the duties. An attempt was made by
Captain Brouvard, with the aid of ■ file of addle. It,
to seise and imprison the Supercargo, who, Indio;
his life in danger, applied to the “overnnr of tie
I,ort, who was a Spaniard, and who ha.uedistely
interfered to rescue rsir.llaglee fro tit- tangs of
the Frenclitaan. IE h from tit-
was then ordered
to the city of St. Do.niago, where she soon titter
arrived. Mt. Naglee, apprehensive of his life, if
he went in the schooner, took his pagadige in an-
other vtioel ; and at great expense, and with con-
dernhle difficulty, followed her, but not in sufficient
time to save his property. Before he an iced, his
vessel and cargo were delivered up to Brouvactl,
sod his only solicitude war to provide for his return
to him home.

Brouvard hail robbed him of a pair of pistols,
which it was his wish to reguin, and for that pur-
ls"' he all Pied to 11:m, hut without success. lle
wen made an amnia. ation to General Ferranti, who
comm.t.itled at the city of St. Domingo, and Brim-
yard we, entered by him to restore the pistols.
After some time they were returned to Mr. Naglee;
but the case in which they were contained was cut
cud defdrol—the locks of the pistols were broken,
and the I. arrds tilled with slush ! But, such as
they were, they were the remnant of his property ;
end he found himself now reduced, by the villainy
of Brouvard, limn a state of comfort to that of
beggary. lie smarted under a *ruse of his wrongs.
and when he was about to leave St. Domingo on his
return to Pailaidelphia, be seized an opportunity to
say to Bronvard, " I sin now in your power, and
must salmon to it; hut if I ever catch you in 1111%,
past of the United Suites, except (jhrist's church, I
will have my revenge."
Two years elapsed nod the time for revenge
arrived ; Brouvard entered the port of Philadelphia
a short time since, after having plundered an Ame-
rican vessel at sea, and occasioned the death of a
respectable passenger, Mr. Campbell, and three or
four of the crew. Herr hi. vessel was ordi red to be
repaired, and by the orders Vows Gameraaseid. an
unnecessary quantity •tt provisions was furnished
him, while, at the same time, and by the same orders,
the citiseus were prohibited from receiving from
their sister states even a barrel of flour! While the
schooner was repairing at the ship-yard, Broutard,
uecompanied by the French Vice-Coots:al and a
Freorliman, and dressed in his ninfortu, went- to
inspect (we They were met in the street by M.
Nazlee, who, addressing himself to Brouvard, sad
" How do you do, Sir Brouvard replied, " Very
well, Sir. I thank you."—" I supeose," said Mr.
"you do not remember me."—" Oh, oui,
tees bite," said Brouvard, and held out his hands as
if to greet him. Nagler instantly seised them in
his left nand, and proceeded to take his promised
revenge. He struck Brouvard several severe blows,
wheu th • Vice-Consul interfered. either as a
peace-maker, or as a partisan of Brouvard. His
own testimony was, that he interpoeeil in the for-
mer capacity, and laid a gentle hand upon each,
for the purpose of parting them ; and in this state-
ment he was streugthenod by the oath of the
Frenchman who accompanied him a:ad Brouvard.
The witnesses for Naglee, however, had another
story to tell—They swore that the Vice-Consul
seised Naglee alone violently by the collar. This
Lahr story, it is presumed, was the impression of
Mee. for darling himself attacked f behind,
he took the precaution of extending Brouvard on
the ground by one honest blow, and then turned to
dc•tend himself from his assailatit. Not mudi, how-
ever, was necessary for this purpore. he gave the
great Napoleon's Vice-Consul one blow in the sto-
mach, and the Vice-Consul fell.

" 0! What a fall was thaw, cowthipwar'
Having thus defearied himself from en scadink. he
proceeded to perform the promise which he had
made to Brourard at St. Dominos, which he exe-
cuted to his own satisfaction, and, we hope, to the
satisfaction of his countrymen. After Bronrard had
been beaten A second time, his epusielses eavertd
with dust. aoilhis tremendous cockade ilielmiously
thrown (tom his heotl, he recollected that he had a
dirk mid a word, which be bad, on s former occa.

hehl to the breast or Mr. Nagle., mil tristels.
at that time, answered his end. He theugia !lo
would try it again, and laid his hand e,, . his dirk.
Naglee seized a small piece of hoop-pore, and
threatened to use it, stoles* l.rouvard tostaitily
sheathed his dirk, The Captain thought " the
better !hart on' valour was discretion," mai goltetiy
obeyed ; and, as Naglee expressed it, in he, tea'.
tunny, " with the ice-Consul, immediate!, roa
stray to I, neighbourinf Brouva. d, how-
ever, was not satisfied with this mode of takiii4 re-
venge, and immediately proceeded to wipe away
the istaiii from his cockade. He. complained to
Monsieur, Tuireau—Turrcati comp:ained to the
Governinent—the Governmelit instructed Mr.
Dallas, the district Attorney, 2siti Mr. Dallas com-
plained to the Grand Jury for the musty of Phila-
delphia, who found two bill, of indictment against
Jobe, Naglet —one, fur assaulting and besting the
Vico-Consul—ale other, for aissaulthig and orating
Captain Brouvard. The charge, were alleged to
be " against the peace and dignity of the Coins
monwealth of Peilasylvania," and "iu detlaiice
cud co.it:svention of a treaty made 'hetiveen the
United States auJ Napoleon, Emperor of' France,
and Kiisg of Italyt" 4e.
Naglee confessed the charge of assaulting and
beating Captain Brouvard ins, in truth, it conld
nut well be denied), and submitted his story to
the Court. lie pleaded not g.iilty to the charge
of beating the V ice-Co:11ml, and this indictment
war vied on 31oaday by .nerve jurors, who are is-
deed Americans.

Mr. DALLAS, the I)istrict-Attorney, open..d the
prosecution, by declaring that it sorts ansiauted by
the orders of the Government. He spoke of the
might: poser of ilunapare—of the savage dila).
an ion of ertaiehnien in act* of retelittafii, and said
that if Nagler was acquitted, our citizens would be
at %lee mercy of the French *he.. they should assert
o:i the ocean. He said, that if there was a verdict
of acquittal, the French Emperor would not be
sativied with it, and he just auced, a, an example,
the decision in the affair of Pearce, in which our
tinvernment was not satistied with the acquittal of
Catrtaiu'ttliithy. He atteatuted to chew the pri-
vilege. of the ice-Cousul and Captain BiWIIV
ant: said they were protected from iiolaoce by th
law. of minims, awl treaty. lie said that the
Virest,:onsitl's stilt) was true, and that Naglee's
witnefses were in.t to be believed. lie concluded
bytteltilig toe July, that hehoped they woold give
since a verdict that ear Government tetrad hear no
more of it!"
Mr. BRADFORD then opened on the part of the
Defeat.: Ant, and gave a brief reeital of the acts of
provocetiori %ilk+ he bad sitlfered from brunet
at and idler the capture of Mr vesael. MA Hue-
alSiuts rodoweil, Ou the anitiesiiir, in a spifecii of
some length and great elogueuce. He spoke as an
A ineriran. feeling for the honour of his country.
lie adverted, in an animated strain to the terrors
which the District-Attorney had held out to influ-
ence the deci,ion of the Jury. fle said, he hoped
we were not yet prepared to offer wirse;ves up to
the ,rasai of the great Napoleon', and he trusted
•iur t.ourts of Law were yet independent. He ad-
mitted the privileges of Vice-Consul.., but War nut
prepared to admit a priviltge in them to assault an
American citizen. He said, he hoped the Jury
would give a verdict of acquittal, and there could
be no doubt, that whatever might be the dis-
aatisfactiaa of the French Emperor, our country
would sanctiou their verdict, and unite them to
meet the conn.queuces.
It is, however, imporrible to give. correct idea
of the genius and eloquence of My. Hopkinson's
spare)), or of th.• effect it produced on the audience.
We wish it had been preserved. We wish our
countrymen to see it. wish Napoleon himself
could have heard it. It was decisive upon the jury.
Mr. Dallas endeavoured i.e his conclusion to break
the force of it ; hot his atteni,it was vain. it war
add-eased to the feelings and to the understandings
—to the heads and hearts of Americans, and the re-
anß honourable to themselves and to their
country.
They acquitted Mr. Neglee, and ordered the
Fice-C'onsul So pay the costs Vibe prosecution.