The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-06-07 00:00:00

1,0 RI) Arno N. v.

[Frown the le.npabler.l

Several London. Journals, who loin; gossip better than
truth, and who care not how absurd and impertinent
s story la, provided it administer* to the rage of tattling
about eminent persona, have copied from a Dublin paper a
pretended statement of the canoe of the separation between
Lord and Lady Byron, with very minute particulate. The
writer of this fabrication njecta, with contiderable osten-
tation of liberality, the filthy ecaudals with which this
country once teemed reaper ing that event ; hut still
makes Mrs. Marilyn (the actress) the h 'mine of his tale.
lie relates bow that lady once called on Lord Byron upon
theatrical affairs---how she was shown into his library—
how :t shower of rain came on anti detained her there--
how Lord Byron would have seta her home in his carriage,
but was baffled by orders given to the aervaots from Lady
8., who by this time had worked herself into a jealous
passion—liow dinner-time calm-, and Lord 11. introduced
Mrs. Marilyn into the dining-room—what mutual re-
proachts were uttered--and how the affair coded by her
Ladyship's being whirled front the house, " fix evtr,.. in
the very carriage which ..ad late') prepared for Mrs.
Mardyn !
All this has so much the air of a " ,hnnestic talc" from
the Minerva past, that it multi hardly gain credit except
from the eager retailers of tattle. It might, however, be
easily supposed other* to have some ur foelatiou in truth—
to be aoseCw einhellielred version of a real occurrence ;
the more ro, as it would seem to he a liberal and moderate
account of an affair which some years ago was the subject
of general rumour, and (w. are ashamed to add) of very
extended crtslit.
For these reasons, it may he as well to state, that this
pretended narrative is, from begioring to end, a pure fic-
tion. We take this oppornmity foetid, upon the authority
of the illustrious Poet's nearest friends, that Lard Byron,
sn fire,,frorrs dear wegausintrd with Mrs. Mardrt, laver
spoke to her in his trholesitili%
This is one of the most curious and instructive examples
of the operation of scandal that we ever heard of. No
sooner was it known that Lord and Lady Byron had sepa-
rated, than the town rung with reports respecting the
cause. Considering the anibleimens of the event, the high
rank of his Lordship both in society and in literstaue, sal
the excessive routine-es of " the Crest" for mangling each
other's characters, this was natural enough. But then the
particulars invented! The rube hood and malice are really
astounding, which could connect with the unhappy affair
4 lady who had no MOM to do with it than the Queers of
the Sandwich Islam's:and of the slightest acquaintance be-
tween whom and the Noble Author there was not the
shadow of evidence. Vet never was a rumour more gene-
ral—never was one connected with more disgusting partku-
-1 rt, did; ring indeed from each other, but all alike odious
and improltable. The sensitive Poet, disgusted with the
restliuces with which the public swallowed this nauseous
trash, would not condescend to refute it. Mrs. M 441711
whose professional hopes wire on the point of being butted
for ever, explicitly contt.alicted it in the journals, anti de-
• elated what we just now repeated—v:s. that she had never
seen Lord Byron except In public, and had Deere once
spoken to him. 'l'ie scandal-mongere, however, would
not part with their precious morsel ; and the political bigots
and comtptionists, who then began to perceive that the
distinguished atal versatile genius concerned was a foe to
th it dark and dirty proceedings--drowned the voice of
truth by the din of their abuse. The illustrious Bard
going abroad, they had the field clear to themselves. The
calumny has continued currett ever since among that nu-
merous holly who take thinps on trust, and it now dies only
wth its object. We has.. heard persons in decent society—
iersons otherwise well informed and well disposed, repeat
this baseless slander as it' it was acknowledges! :natter of
fact! This little history may teach us two things :—first,
not to put faith in reports, however positive and general,'
of alleged tratisactioila in private families ; secondly, not,
to believe a man guilty. because he does not contradict a
gross imputation on his character, but to recoil. ct, that he,
may feel too great a scorn for the illiberal and scandal-loving
weakness of those who can credit things so odious against
hint.

Now ne are dolling with runners, we shall Five tbe
romp de gruel- to another, of a very shabby desaripueo. A
loud wlusper is going about. that 4.dy Byroo-basigrest
difficulty in getting paid her portion of the income which
was divided between Lord and lady Byron, according to
the am cot of mutual ftiends. The fact is, that the
peri • payments were wade to her Ladyship the same
day on which dey we; c received in behalf of her husband.

CAPTURE OF A BRITISH SHIP BY A
HATTIAN VESSEL.

(From a NeM7l7rk Paper.)
TM sapereargo of the Rainitow, Mr. Chisholm, who arrived in
ibis city on 31imilay evening. io an open boot, after thirteen days'
passage teom Port.au.Prince, furnishes the following paitieulars:
" The British sloop Itainh s, whkh sailed front this port on tie
11th January for Maracaibo, was tapiared on the 11th February, at,
uhout twenty mi!es to the soistitur.rd of Jaernel, by the Ilaytian
brig Joan Pierre Boyce, and carried into that purl. After (King
detained there for upwards of twenty days, she was towed into Port-
att.l'rince by the armed schooner 1.4 Selina, when she was finally
conniernued before two ollieera, who appeared to be the Judges, al.
.ffingli none of the tart ra commanding the above vc.s Is were
prefect, notwOstanding they were then to port. The only reason
they assigned fee contleionii.g the coma was, that site 11.13 too near
the land.
" The supercargo of the Rainbow (Mr. Chisholm), the navlga.
tnr, and crew, were st ri7, ly ill-pentad b the officers anal crew of
the Ilaytian 00V110(11011, and robbed otewseral ankles of wearing
sprawl. After being oriltred fronts Port ]'once, Mr. Chisholm
was obliged to give a Mil on London, ninety dollen, for the
purchase of an oven hoot, in ft hic4 he mad his crew sailed, and were
c mmelled to put into • small post called Petite Rif ?re, near Cape
lions Maria, for a supply of water, when the Commandant of
that pint ordered the whole of the boat's crew and the sapercargo
to prison, where they remained fir about tafelye hours. although
the President's (fagot was thew:admits), who said, ' he did not care
a d—n for it, foe any pirate might bay: such,' nor would he hare
discharged thsiwif they had nut aiiown hint a despatch from Pre-
sident Moyer toMte 11tIntird on this station.

•• After laing lib.sattat by the Otoosodsat., the crew of the
Rainbow regomort of hint to allaw them to bike la a supply of Ira-
'ter. rho acrid, ` that they shoula not have adtn a bucket-full.' _

•• It was rticanamAl by one of the public officers, that if they had
been from any other B h prlt t crept Kingston, Jamaica, the
e rnonstance noold not hsvc occurred.

• President Berri requested of Mr. Chisholm to notify, that ill
any British vessels were caught noir their shores, they would be
dealt with in a similar manner."

MANCHESTZR AND SALFORD YtOMANRY

CAVALRY.
(nom the AfinackeZrtiardien of fistuttlay.l

wEst INDIA sr,Arzar.

FACTS, VERIFIED UPON OATH.

IX CO AAAAA ICTION TU THE REPORT OF TX X WT. TIMMS
oorza. COIICEJINIXO Tut: ossinum..cosoirior or
TEE . IN JAMAICA, &C,-.--MOXIIAY.

On all 'Oleos a strict adherence to troth is essential,—
on subjects inYolvinginterests of deep moment it is impe-
riously nece ;—its
sary n nevereWel writer, whose express
office it is to " lead us into all truth," it is indispensable.
The,facts which are here vilified wren oath do certainly put
the Reverend l'homssrooper into an unpleisant straight on
the score of veracity. It was manifestly the duty of a per-
son in his station, if he undertook to report at all, to dis-
engage his subject from all those false mediums through
which the uninformed might View Ti, and tp enable all
concerned to come to a viund and well.duaifled conclusion.
Every one Is authorised to complain Aose judgment on
this important topic has been prejudiced and misinformed
by this Reverend Reporter and Mr. HriSza'r, the writer
of this pamphlet, is, beyond all others, interested in refut-
ing nll such erroneous ststeinents, inasmuch as they con-
cum peculiarly tilt slaves on the Georgia estate in Jamai-
ca, of which he is. the proprietor, and on which, therefore,
if abuses of any kind exist, his charsetw stands 'responsible.
We shall give hi* hn opportunity of speaking on this mat-
ter in person, by'quoting his preface:--
It has frequently been repreieattal to ant that I owed it to my
native island, Jamaica, to offer sane 'reply to the *aversions cast
upon its inhabitants in various publications, written by, se restive
upon the 'tinhorns, or, the Rev. Thnnias Cooper, and more aye-
artily in that part of the pamphlet entitled " Negro Slavery,"
wi.ieh he now acknowledges as " a series of statements, which he
uuthoriseel the Editor of that work to employ as he has-done." Mr.
Cooper resided inure than three years upon my estate, coped icor-
gilt, in Jamaica, having been sent thither by me, toe the purpose of
conveying religious and moral instruction to niy negroes a duty
for what he was recommended to me as well qualllsd, although I
knew that Ids creed was not that of the Church of England. Nei-
ther during his residence upon my estate, nor upon Ine visiting me
after hiaretum, did he, directly or indirectly, catanstutteate to me
those opinions asacerising the hash treatment and excessive labour
of my people, which he has stated to the public. He ifittlfilled 111 C.
indeed, soon after his arrival, that he intended to puWish sate se-
count of his mission ; and he commenced a narrative on that sub-
ject. by letters addressed to the Editor of the Moothro Repordory,l
to which 1 paid little attention. Nor was I aware os the true elsa-1
racier of his report until, at a subsequent period, without eel pre-
vious explanation of the nature or its contents, be sent me a copy of
the pamphlet above mentioned, which is now generally understood
to have been put together by 51r. Zachary Macaulay, *gentleman
conspicuous as an adversary tonne colonial interests.
I was sorry that Mr. Cooper should have committed himself into
the hands of persons, whose views he might instrumentally serve
without exactly comriehaiding their exteat ; but I took nu pub'ie
notice of the permits et, feeling confidant that those who knew aey
thing of Jamaica would ate that the picture thus presented was al-
together so unfaithful, and the general statements of Mr. Coo; cr ro
devoid of truth, that little credit would be given to his details.
For instance, when he roundly asserts, " that slaves have nothing
to gain, and nothing to lose; that they have no chant:arra: stake ;
that a good name is of no avail to them ; that their worth is eat.
mated by the strength of their bodies ; and that that the ;cravat
villain may be the most valuable slave," ete.; every one oho has
even a slight acquaintance with the colonies, sees at once that these
assertions arc untrue. Slaves becsinie rich, and arc protected in
their property ; they beasine respected fur their moral qualities,
and are valued and treated acconlin,„,ely. will here cite a tact, for
which I can vouch. Mr. W. E. Nembhard, with the late 111 r.
Adam Smith, gentlemen of the highest respectability, and resident
in the neighbourhood. were requested to value the whole of the
negroes upon an estate in the parish of Clarendon, adk-d Poem,
which were about to be sold to 111 r. Dawkins ; and Mr. Nembhard
assures me that a negro-driver. old, and almost past laboor, was
valued at 1500 dollars, (upwards of 3501. sterling,) merely on ac-
count of his excellent character, and the influence which lie might
thereby have upon the rem • which value must be at least three
times as much as that of the average of the remainder. This I
mention as a singular, but by no means a solitary, instance of valu-
ations upon& similar principle.
Understanding, however, that the diligent circulation of Mr.
Cooper's Report, uncontradicted as it stands, has made an impress.
kioll in districts of the country, whence petitions to Parliament on
the subject of Negro slavery have recently been presented ; and
having observed that, in the course of a correspondence, carried on
through the daily papers, betwixt him and my relation, Mr. Geo.
Ilibbert, Mr. Cooper deliberately asserts, that the Report given
under his authority in the pamphlet of Mr. Macaulay, was not
too highly coloured ; and that the particular facts which are there
brought forward, may be regarded asa fair specimen of what might
be found on estates in general ;" I have felt it my duty, indepen-
dently of any personal amsideration, to endeavour to refute so gross
a calumny ; and having lately received front Jamaica three state-
ments upon oath, which will be found mate: holy to coutradict Mr.
Cooper's Itepott, I now give them to the public.
In the corrispoodence of Mr. Cooper welt my relation, to which
I bare alluded. it Is freely granted that iwatances of severity in the
management of my negroes had occurred, during a part of the time
when Mr. Cooper resided on my estate; but lio knew, although he
was not forward to state it, that measures, to which lie was not in
the remotest degree instrumental, had been applied, calculated to
prevent a recurrence of any such abuses.
It will he seen by theaflidavits which I now produce, that m•
estate of Georgia does oil, as Mr. Macaulay and Mr. Cooper would
fain have it thought, present " the most favourable representstwo
of negro bondage ;" nor can I take credit for any kindness to my
negroes, which I have not known to be practised on other proper.
ties. Indeed I ant tame that there are iedulgenctis which other
planters eflhni to their people, and which I have not yet adopted ;
sines changes, calculated to do good, must not be rapid. I pro.
fess myself to be, like the rest of my countrymen, most anxious to
improve the condition of my slaves; I have a full conviction that
it is my interest to do so. Mr. Cooper has been pleased, in some
passages of his writings, to pay me compliments ; but born as 1
tun, a Creole, and having passed the twelve best years of my life in
Jamaica, if I ant possessed of any kindly recline towards my
slaves, I have learnt them in Jamaica, from the instructions of
planters resident there. and from many of those whose distressed
circumstances could little prompt them to make sacrifices. My
morals and habit., such as they are, have been formed in the midst
' of that society which Mr. Cooper represents to be, "as to its re-
, been and morals, as bad as possible—eminently profligate, and
where nineteen out of twenty white men are ruined as to their mo-
rals, before they have resided there a month !"
The sweeping calumny, which Mr. Cooper has tented agairst
the religious feelings of all the whites in Jamaica, has been pretty
well exposed ; and the names of others with whom Mr. Cooper was
acquainted, besides Mr. S. Vaughan, could be brought to Isis re.
collection, of whom he ought to be ashamed to assert, that they
, have no due sense of religion. They who are the most forward
to talk upon such subjects, are not unfrequently such as think the
least seriously about them.

The three iffidavps I now publish, has been made by gemlewon
totally incapable either of falsehood or emerepresentatton ; they
will ter found, so far as respects Ceorgia es:nte, at great variances
with Mr. l'onper's statement.. The deponents, it will be seen, un.
dertake only to refute what Mr. Cooper has reported upon 'natters
within their knowledge and direction; and the.e depositions have no
relation to any new assertions advanced by Mr. Cooper, in his let-
ten to Mr. (keep Ilibbert, or in his pamphlet recently published,
which productions had not reached Jamaica when three allidavlts
were made. The public, however, upon comparing what is he e
presentrel to them, with those parts of Mr. Cooper's report. to
which the depositions refer, will judge of Cue degree of credit due to
what Mr. f'ooper has stated concerning ostler properties, in cases
where he has not hitherto met with so dime: a contradiction.
I shall close these fe* remarks by saying, that it has been a great
satisfaction to me to find, that the hop': of producing improvement
in the moral condition of the mirrors is not h 0 groundleas, as Mr.
Cooper would wish the world to believe, while he is uxuunting for
the failure of hit own minion ; and that the affidavits which fol.