Star.
London, England, 1829-09-11 00:00:00

PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.

~.

PONTA DELGUDA,
ISLAND OF ST. MICHAEL, AUG. 11.
Ere this reaches England, you will hear of the long
projected expedition against Terceira having sailed from
this place. The troops collected here for the purpose,
amounting to fifteen hundred, were embarked on board
the blockading squadron and a few transports on the 25th
ult. and set sail the following day, since which time,

strange to relate, nothing whatever has been heard of their
operations, although the intended scene of action is not
more than seventy miles off. As the whole number of
troops destined for the attack did not exceed 3,000, and
nearly the whole of the common soldiers are known to
have gone with the greatest reluctance; its failure is
considered as inevitable. Had any thing been effected,
we must have beard of it immediately, and the general
impression now is, that the Miguelite foree has not been
even able to land. It is supposed by many, that there
was never any serious intention of attacking the Con-
stitutionalists, and that the object of embarking the
troops was merely to intimidate the patriots, while every
effort should be made to produce defection among the
garrison, by the offer of large bribes and an amnesty to
the soldiers. As to the Officers, it is ascertained that the
Commanders of the expedition have positive orders to put
the whole of them to death the instant the place surren-
ders. They are fully aware of this atrocious fact, and

determined to act accordingly. On a late occasion,
when a communication was opened between the squadron
and the Conde VILLA FLoa, the latter intimated that in
the event of a landing, the men under his command
" would neither give or take quarter."

The Officers who have been collected at Terceira
during the last year from different points, are formed into
a sacred battalion, and as may be imagined, not likely to
disgrace the cause they have espoused. In point of

numerical force, the Constitutionalists have a large supe-
riority ; all the accessible points of the Island are well
defended, while the fortress of Angra itself is repre-
sented as quite impregnable. Under all these circum-
stances, no apprehension is entertained ; on the contrary,
it is generally believed that the expedition will return to
Lisbon, without having effected any object except that of
exhausting the treasury of Don Mic v EL, and prevent-
ing further attempts in this quarter. With respect to
the feelings of the inhabitants in these islands, they are
decidedly in favour of the young Queen and the Consti-
tutional charter. Their not openly declaring them-
selves, arises from a fear of being exposed to the
fury of the faction at Lisbon ; for, with the ex-
ception of Terceira, none of the islands possess any
means of defence. Had the policy of Don PEDRO
admitted of his taking a more active part in the cause of
his daughter, the question would have been decided long
since ; as it is, there cannot be a doubt of the anxiety
entertained by all classes in the Azores to see the Usurper
put down ; and when the squadron withdraws, public
feeling will, there is every reason to believe, be no longer
concealed. Up to the arrival of the blockading ships
here, the vexations against the commeroe of all nations,
as well as our own, continued with unabated violence.
There are at this moment two English vessels and an
American detained in this Roadstead: the former have
been here for some weeks, and are still without any pros-
pect of release. When the facts attending the deten-
tion of these vessels are known, it will be found that
every kind of irregularity and injustice has been prac-
tised, both with regard to the mode of capture, and the
treatment experienced by the captains and crews. The
case of a large American ship, the Galatea, of New
Bedford, is of a most aggravated nature. This vessel
was proceeding on a whaling voyage, and the Master,
who knew nothing whatever of the blockade (indeed, it
had not been notified before his departure from America),
was steering towards Terceira, in order to procure some
supplies, as he had been accustomed to do for several
years. On being boarded by one of the squadron, the
officer apprized him of the blockade, on which he di-
rectly made sail in it different direction ; another ship
coming in sight, she brought him to, and took imme-
diate possession. Soon after reaching this anchorage,
ROCIIA, the Miguelite Admiral, wanted a vessel to send
to Lisbon with sick and invalided soliers. By a singular
assumption, the Galatea was chosen, and sailed a fort-
night ago in possession of a Portuguese crew. The
most extraordinary part of the story remains to be told.
It had been settled that the Master and his crew should
proceed in the vessel as matter of course ; but on the
evening before sailing, while the former was in the
act of going alongside, the boat, which was partly man-
ned by English seamen, was fired into, and two of the
people severely wounded. In order to justify this
unprovoked aggression, the officer in charge of
the Galatea, immediately attacked the American crew
who were on board, under pretence that they wished to
take her out of his hands, although there were only ten
or eleven unarmed men, whereas' there were above fifty
Portuguese, and the vessel was anchored under a large
battery. After knocking down, and violently beating
the poor Americans, a report was sent on shore to the
Governor, upon which the whole of the crew were taken
out, and thrown into the common prison, where they still
remain, every effort for their release having been treated
with contempt. Bad as some of the cases in which the
English flag has been concerned are, it must be confessed
that this affair of the Galatea is by far the most out-
rageous. Owing to the hurry of writing, I have given
but a very indistinct notion of the business, but I hope
to be able to forward the Captain's deposition by an early
opportunity. The representation of the American Consul
having gone by the circuitous route of Lisbon, sufficiently
accounts for no steps having been taken by the United
States Government. Whenever they reach the new
President, it is not difficult to divine the probable issue.
Those who know any thing of General iccKsoN, pre'
tend to say that his resentment will be fully equal to the
enormity of the offence ; and that, whatever other Go-

vernments may do, he will not recognise a person who
can thus trample on the most sacred rights of nations,
and deliberately persevere in every species of violence.

I am told that all the formalities used in cases of
blockade, have been omitted by the Officers of the
Usurper : it has also been an invariable plan to con-
duct the Captains of our merchant vessels before the
Admiral, and on these occasions they were expected to
kneel on presenting themselves—a ceremony which both
our Trans-Atlantic friend and the Master of the Vine
very properly refused to adopt. lam told the latter was
very roughly handled, for taking the liberty of telling
Admiral ROCIIA, that with all due deference, he consi-
dered his Excellency as neither more nor less than a
pirate of a higher order !
I should not omit informing yon, that the expe-
ditionary troops did not leave this, till they had emptied
the treasury of the island, and levied a forced loan of
80,000 dollars.

P.S. A vessel just arrived from Farll brings accounts
that the ships of the expedition have separated, and are
wandering about without having effected any thing. It
is not doubted by the people here that the separation is
intentional, and that when the troops were embarked,
they were determined not to attack the patriots. You
may therefore expect important news in my next. The
spies and partisans of the Usurper continue to report
that bells to be recognised by England.

FROM JONATHAN MARTIN TO ROB. P-.

The Loss be merciful to all,—a;l Mr. to you too,
'Tis said .acme folks must bare a falli—and muck I fear 'di too gun
Since ever, Sir, you bad a tail,—you neer wire in more peril,
You've missed your mark, Sir, and you shall,—be damned era
dubbed an Earl.

Why did you rat, and seize a plants,.--so salWry and so rousse—
'Twere better you bad swam and sunk,—eleau out of place kw-

gotten ;
For with the knaves you joined. you msg.—share in wide exe.

erasion.
Accused of treason to your tristi—and ruin of the nation.

Where are the fruits of all your cant,—now folks are more ac.
gestate-4 Sr,
The mask MU Off yourself mut grant„—you're bat a sorry saint,Sir,
Self-interest is your only aim—the place and dirty penny,
A Peerage, Sir, te rescue name—and bide the spinning jenny.
For this you joined Metternich', crew—that knot of despot sol-
diers,

And truckling to its marrow view, heap loads upon our shoulders;
For tbis you're art and part in all,—their plots againeour peace,—

Sir,

Intrigue in Spain and Portugal, and shale fresh chains o'er Greece

&r,
For this you yield the Dardaselles,—and smash the English shop,

Sir,
For this you laugh, while Great Nose sells,—poor Ireland's last
fond hope, Sir ;
For this you've joined the Jesuits,—and war 'salmi freedom's

cause, Sir,
Throw all your early friends in sits,—and palter with the laws, Sir.
For this, from his ill-fated doom, you scoen to set the farmer free,
Unmoved behold the silent loom,—and model a gene d'armerie ;
For this you are condemn's' to sigh,—where knaves wh• traffic
conscience yell,
And from the Drop bid us good bye,—for—Hem—go co, we
wish you weU.

FRENCH LITERATURE.

XEMOIRES D'UN PRETRE REGICIDE.

One of the Journals, in which MARAT preached Mur-
der and codavatioa, fell into my band the same day en which 1
learned my appointment u a Member of the Convention. Wm:
denounced to all France the choice of my Electors as a crime ; and
poured out against myself invective of the most disgusting nature.
—I determined at once to see him, and was directed to No. I, Rue
St. Honore. Arrived there, I had to ascend a dark and crooked

staircase to the fourth story, and knocked,—when a voice feeble
and Irresolute, resembling that of a woman, demanded my name :
A Deputy of the National Convention"—l replied. I then
beard the clank of several keys taken down from the wall; which,
being inserted and turned in several locks. at length the dsor
opened. "M. Pdaauvr?" I exclaimed—for the appellation of
Maas was not yet in vogue. The answer was, "lamhe !"
I saw a man scarcely more than four feet in height,—his head
co►ered with a dirty night-cap, his hair gathered together
bt ' a piece of packthread—a pocket-handkerchief tied round
his neck—his legs covered with ungartered worsted stockings—
exhaling from his whole body a fetid smell of impurity. His face
was bristled with a ruffian beard ; his eyelashes and eye-brows of a
fawn colour, and his head of enormous dimension.. I could scarce
believe my senses. Surely this could not be the man of &lint Sul-
pia thought I had mistaken, and reiterated M. MAaatt!—
" I am Maaat"—replied he in a tone of ill humour, while he
darted a terrible look—" What would you ?"—" I would converse
with you an instant".—" Enter."—The apartment occupied by this
hideous dwarf was worthyof such a host :—a bed in disorder covered
with filth,—a cabinet loaded to coe fusion with papers and inundated
with ink,—several wretched chairs—a wooden clock surmounted
with a little guillotine; in this behold the entire furniture of a man
before whom the whole capital trembled. When I first knocked,
MARA? was in conversation with a person of tall stature, of an ex-
pressive countenance,—ltis manners agreeable, and his elegant at-
tire singularly contrasting with the personage he was visiting. The
instant he perceived me he retired, to leave me free to particular
conversation. Mama offered me a chair, with the air of MC who
wishes to dismiss an intruder. I tranquilly accepted it, and nom.
menced the conversation.

The eyes of Maw.: sparkled like those of a hyena, ready to
spring upon his prey. I know not to what extremity his rage had
not precipitated this Thersites, if the glance of a poignard,—which
many of the Deputies at that time carried about their permits,—
bad not met his eye. I had involuntarily displayed it when unbut-
toning my coat, and the sight seemed to have paralyzed hint. The
master, suddenly discovering the pale and rapid changes of
blaaav's 'hap. without guessing the cause, approached us
with Politeness ; —with a look of benevolence, be interrupted
our convened= ; and offered me his hand, which I warmly
pressed. I then made my bow to Mum; who had ceased to ad-
dress me,—rentalting as if frozen with terror on his chair. The
stranger then conducted me to the landing place, where, with the
greatest politeness, be Wined me as I paired. " How can two
men so dissimilar comprehend each other ?—and what can they
have In common?"—l repeated to myself as I &wended the stair.
case. At the deer I beheld a mob of the people,—two of whom
had a kind of Utter on their shoulders, Intended to carry MALT
in triumph through the streets of Paris. Shortly after. I
heard the cries of " Long live /dams? !" resounding on every side ;
and immediately beheld the impure divinity,—who, plaiting him-
self in his palanquin, gave the order for his triumphant much.
Three days after, u I crossed the Rue de Greve, u a crimi-
nal was being attached to the pillory, I raised my eyes, when—
Judge of my astonlshment—l beheld to the executioner the stranger
I had seen in the home of Nous ! The hand which he had
grasped was seined with s sensation of tremour, as if in the access
Os fever.

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