The National Register.
London, England, 1811-07-07 00:00:00

sight of his own interests. He found us too trou-
blesome guests in Spain and Portugal, and too
tenacious of the lan4 which we occupied. He per-
ceived that neither the experience, skill, nor tried
courage of his veterans, could resist the overpower,
ing gallantry of our men, and as he could not fulfil
his boast of driving them into the sea, he undertook
to drive them over it to the plains of America. For
that purpose he revoked his Berlin and Milan De-
crees, and putting at last into action the powerful
influence which his gold and intrigues purchased
among the patriots of the United States, caused
their Government to adopt measures which must
lead to a decided rupture with ours. Hostilities
once commenced in that quarter, he fancies that
tie necessity of defending our Transatlantic posses-
sions will compel us to recall our armies from the
Peninsula, the entire subjection of which would
then be no longer doubtful. So useful did he
think a diversion of this nature to the success of
his ambitious plans, that for several years all the
springs of his policy have been exerted to effect it.
Every art and means which could secretly or open-
ly prejudice the American mind against us was put
in practice. Threats and promises, hostile severity
and pacific leniency, reproaches and praise, the cap-
ture and unexpected release of its vessels were suc-
cessively adopted to aid the French party in the
United States, and scourge or bribe their Govein-
Pient into an open war with this country. In
the speech which we have already quoted, NAPO-
iteox has announced his complete triumph over the
American Executive, and the conduct of the lat-
ter in sending a frigate for the express purpose of
engaging one of ours, as well as the action between
the Pi esident and the Little Belt, are confirmations
tco strong to leave a doubt on any reflecting mind.
In the latter case, the Americans still contend, it.is
true, that the British Captain was the aggressor ;
but the official account has at last reached Govern.
molt from Halifax, and the following substance of
its contents will prove, that not only the President
bred the first shot, but that when she fell in with
the Little Belt she was prepared fur action with any
•
British ship she might chance to encounter :
tl ern seeing the frigate with an American broad pendant,
which we were convinced wanted to speak ns, Capt. BINGHAM,
With his (Y racers, Monett it would 1F better to speak her before
riborteued sail, and hove-to, some considerable time before
sn-set. The frigate inuriediattly shortened sail, and came
dor; n to u very slowly. Wehoiated the ensigrrand pendant to
let her know who we vvere4__. and on heaving-to, hoisted them
again., and kept theln up. When the. frigate was coming down
tii us, we distinctly saw the white stars in the broad pendant.
" When Captain BIN GUAM judged the frig4te within hail, he
bailed her twice very loudly, bat received no answer; abtrat
four or five niiruetes utter (Bh. lam. re.) when a little closer,
lie hailed. Ship a-hoy; was then repeated from the frigate.
Curtain 13. Wen hailed, • What ship is that ?' which Was abo
asaiii repeated. The frigate then immediately Commenced firing
a broadside, and muskets, front her tops and gangways : the
acticu continued with great vigour for 45 minutes, when the'
frigate c.oabed firing, and we tlkn did the same. She appeared
when she ceased firing to be on fire at the main hatchway. We
were' then asked what ship is that?' and immediately au*wcred •
by Captain 13. who immediately asking'. what ship is that r was
simmered the United States frigate Prvident.' I'he President
then asked .' have you struck your colours ?' Captain ad. bravely
answered No a..id said to the Officers who were near him,
he dM his colours.
observed the frigate about six
shortly after she bore up, and
sail, quite prepared for battle
ilea us, and said, • I wilt send
Captain B. answered, 6 very
who said that Commodore

ROOXIti was very sorry Such an accident /IA taken pace, and
that we had fired the first shot. Captain B. immediately con-
tradicted the Officer in the last statement, and said, he could
bring the whole of hip Officers to. their oaths that the frigate
fired the first;' and asked the Officer • if he thoue lit we should
"fire at a neutral frigate much more than doable her force: The
(Aker appeared perfectly convinced of hie being obliged to tell
Captain B. a falsehood."
Had not the President come down upon the Little
Belt perfectly ready for action, she could not after
Cartain BINCHIAItt had hailed her the second time,
have immediately commenced firing her broadside
and muskets from her tops and pniwa,-s, where '-
her men most have been purposely and previously
stationed, on perceiving that the Little Belt was 'a
British vessel of war. Another circumstance sets
the question completely at rest, with respect to the
priority of firing. The disparity of force was so
great and so evident that Captain BINZHIAM must
have been ins ine had he, knowing that the' act
must be d;sallowed by his country, wantonly courted
so unequal an engagement with the frigate of a
Neutral Power. Accordingly we find that Avhen
he American officer came on hoard the Little Belt,
the
pretended that we had fired the first shot,
Captain BINGHAM naturally, asked,_ him is if he
thought we should fire at a 'neutral frigate much
more_ than double our force r' Had, as the Ame-
ricans pretend, -Commodore ROGERS had no other
end in view, than to procure the restoration of some
American seamen said to have been impressed, he
would, in the first instance, have made the demand
in an amicable manner ; were it merely in order not
to endanger the lives of the men, whose release be
claimed, by firing- into the ship on which they were
compelled tel serve. But when he not only had an
opportunity of making the 4)4-pity, but was even
asked a question, which he only answered by a
general discharge of guns and musketry ; it be-
comes evident that his only intention was in com-
pliance with the wishes of France and -his own
Government to commit an act of hostility against
our navy, when he thought his superiority ensured
him success. When he found th.,:t notwithanding
the heaviness of his fire, our colours were not
lowered, be began to doubt the result of the con-
test with so undaunted an opponent, and sheltered
his wanton aggression under a plea which he knew'
to be false, but which enabled him to discontinue the
contest uithout having recourse to open flight.
The American official account abounds with
misrepresentations. They state, that the Little
Belt struck her colours, which, on the authority Of
all her Officers is known to be false. They also
swell her into a 28 gun higate, whilst she carries
. only eighteen ; ;Ind at the same time exult in an
action which, they say, is decisive of the teishcs
and the feelings of the nation." This open call for
war will not have been made in vain. A squadron,
consisting of four ships of the line and two frigatc\s,
has saile under the command of Sir JOSEPH
YORK E, WllO hoisted his flag on board the Vengeur.
Sir Josnell's instructions are to act with the utmost
decision and promptitude, nnless proper reparation
should be given. Should the American Govern-
meat, as It is more than probable, relying on the
promises at •France, i-efuse to make the most signal
reparation, we may therefore shortly expect to hear
that the whole American Navy has been swept
away from the scas.

that he did not intend to strike hi
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1.

ASSASSINATION OP BOONAPARTE!

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

_ It—Having been accidentally among the foremost of public
writers, p►erliaps the first of our writers, who ventured to mi.
madvert on the proposal for establishing an Anti-Corsican In-
stitution in this country, under the auspices of Mr. Goldsmith,
once in the pay of Frances I cannot refrain front offering, through
medium of your Journal, some observations on what has
recently passed on this important subject. The thing seems
worth some thought. lam therefore inclined to admit, with the
Courier of the 29th ult, although for reasons very different to
those maintained by the Editor of that paper, that" to the com-
ments on the Newspaper publication instigating the Assassina-
of Buonaparte, the public attention cannot be too often
led, or too deeply fixed." That publication, observes the
.ourier, " we have not seen ; but, taking it for granted that it is
tch as described, what then ?" I, however, Sir, have seen" that
gication," ostentatiously called the Antigallican Monitor, and
ye also attended to its lucubrations, week after week ; so that
iall not be under the necessity of " taking" them " for grant-
" but proceed, in due time, to answer the " what then" so
ingeniously put by the Courier of the 29th of June last.
The question first at issue, if a question it be, is—bath the
Antigallican Monitor, under the known direction of Mr. Gold-
ith, aimeclat instituting and rendering effectual an association
. the express purpose of Destroying Buonaparte ? Observe
what the Courier itself asserts on this topic. Speaking of the

itigallican Monitor, " to the comments on the newspaper

!blication," meaning the said journal, g‘ instigating the Ataassi-
nation of Buoncparte, the public attention," continues the
7ourier, '4 cannot be too often called, or too, deeply fixed."
Hence this very Courier admits the main fact! . •
Was assassination what Lewis Goldsmith in fact projected ?
The following passage from Vatel, adopted unblushingly by the
Itigallican Monitor, and as continually enforced by it, will put
meaning of the author of that paper beyond question.-.-" As

those Monsters, who, under the tale of Sovereigns, render
themselves the scourge add horror of the human race, they are
Ivage beasts, whom every brave man may justly exterminate
from the face of the cc:::1, .1" Now Buonaparte being constantly
stigmatised, by our Anti-Gallica:t-Anti•Corsican, as one of these
monster-sovereigns, it seems nut unwarrantable to conclude that
" importar object" of the Anti-Corsican Lstitution is, con-
:ming with its own phraseology, to" exterminate" Buonaparte
from the face of the tnrtit !"

Is it " a band of Writers and Printers" that can do all this ? If
why does Mr. G,,lismith, acknowledging several letters on
subject of the Anti-Corsican Institution, observe, in the
A.ntigallican Monitor of April 21st, titat " what is most parti-
cularly gratifying is to find that several of the ti are from those
to were formerly Members of our Reform Societies; for," he
" if these gentlemen mean to preserve their cor.istency of
character, they are, more than any ocher class of men,
llcd upon to join a standard raised against the most odious of
tyrants I Indeed," concludes Mr. Goldsmith, " we think it the
,unden duty of all, from Sir Franci.s ,rturdett down to the
:anest Member of the Corresponding Society, to join the glo-
)aus phalanx." So it may be. I shall not, therefore, stop to
ascertain how far the doctrine of political assassinatio i. is con-
genial to the feelings of some of those distempered demagogues
who were formerly Members of our Reform Societies ;" or how
these are called upon to adopt it, " if they mean to preserve
eir consistency of p al character." One cannot but smile,
'though serious, when gravely assured that it is merely by
teans of " a band of writers and printers," unaided by Chevaliers
Poignard, and " other means of ensuring success," that we
iy, " in a very short time, accomplish the tyrant's destruc-
ton !" What are " writers and printers" to him!
No, Sir; something more substantial is sought. The projec-

AL REGISTER.


417

tor of the Anti-Corsican Institution seems to have found it : he
describes himself, some weeks since, as " happy to announce to
its friends the attainment of a very important object towards
ultimate success,"—of, perchance, a subscription of 10,0001. and
of .500 i. towards carrying his designs into effect; whilst oe boasts
of the countenance of some of the Most illostrious c!taracti rs in
this kingdom, though not, we are convinced, in any official
situation, since Marquis Wellesley; as the Parliror env dry Re-
ports tell us, expressed, on the 24th of June, " in the name
of himself and of all his Majesty's Miniso.rs, their mat k,d
indignation of the sentiments conveyed in this oul,lication,"
speaking of the Anti-Gallican Monitor. Nor out,iit we to
doubt this. •' It is evident that Mr. Gottis:uith," sa-'s The
Scourge, " who certainly possesses talents fer superior to
those of a common newspaper Editor, would write en :Lily
side, and in any cause, that appears the most likely to reward
his services." Without, however, calling the author of tite
Crimes of Cabinets, as The Statesman terms it, " an assassin in
principle, and a spy and traitor in practice;" without asserting,
as The Scourge has done, that he " will write on any side and
in any cause ;" I yet 'certainly commend Earl Grey for repro-
bating any plan by which it was proposed to get rid of Buona-
parte by assassination, " the atrocity of which," in the language
reported of Marquis Wellesley, " Is only to be equalled by its
absurdity." Evident as is the g 4 atrocity," and probable as would
prove the " absurdity," of any Anti-Corsican scheme for effecting
the assassination of Buonaparte, these mingled charges of atro-
city and absurdity will, upon the most deliberate examirstion
of his paper, be found palpably chargeable on the Editor of the
Anti-Gallican Monitor and Projector of the Anti-Corsican So-
ciety, who declars that he " will not share the glory" which
awaits him who shall " accomplish the Tyrant's Downfall with
any one but such as are incorporated in the Anti-Corsican In-
stitntion !" Contending, first, that 66 in certain cases assapina.:
!ion is justifiable," and, next, that " such is the situation of Duo-
nap2rte,"—what can the Prjector of the Anti Cvrsican Institu-
tion mean, unless he means nothing, but that the assussinatioit
of Buonaparte is both justifiable and desirable ? litif; evil spreads.
Goldsmith is not alone in . his project. " The &wilt of Puma:-
parte would be the greatest blessing," (teeth.: es our Couricr,
" which, by any human event, could betel mankind ;" and that
he " would not cross the gutter to save Buonaparte from death',
by whatever means it. was coming upon him," though, it should
seem, the said Courier " would not advise the assassination of
any man." Excellent moralist !—Abet he might, but he 4• would
not advise," the base act hi question. Well, therefore, does the
Editor of The Scourge affirm, that 44 if the doctrine of risr.ass?"-
nation has not been openly defended, in certain contemporary
journals, it has been covertly recommended."
If, moreover, the Projector of the Anti-Corsican Society would
signify by the 46 dory of the deed" of " promoting the Tyrant's
downfall," and " the glorious act of accomplishiog the T'runt's
destruction," applying all this to Buonaparte, " this desirable
end being the principal object of this Society,"—if all this is to be
attained by " a band of writers and printers," leaving to Minis-
ters " other means of ensuring success," how happened it that
not the slightest intimation was given of this band of writers and
printers till, subsequently to the organization of his hlstitution,
Mr. Goldsmith was first publicly attacked, by him who now
holds the pen, for " instigating the assassimoion of Buonaparte ?"
how happened it, also, that, instead of then disavowing this
44 principal object of his Society," he attempted to reconcile it to
what he was pleased to style " the amiable prejudices" of Eng!.
lishmen ; sticking still to Vatel ; avoiding the least " disavowal
of such intention ;" and most assuredly not condescending to
state (what now he does state) that he " deprecates and abhors"
assassination " as much as the noble Earl (Grey) himself ?"
Whereas we find him at length constrained to admitthat " it is
congenial with that enlightened and liberal spirit which eves,
distinguishes the inhabitants .of this fr.e ecornitry to slew attest"
nation with horror;" why did he before endeavour to reconcile

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