Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-07
TRIAL OF CAPTAIN LITTLE.


Mr. Ofis's dtfcnee ofeabt. Lnte, agninf'
b ./undy charges brought BY fbe Offers
and creqU Of tbe French Corvette Ber-
,eeo~, referred 10 IN ar paper IF -yaRsf-
dy.]
Mr.. Proficient 0n0 Gentlemen eftbe CART,
Upon view OF the evidence exhibited
by the Protectors of capt. little, am
unable to difcern the leaf foundation for
impeaching his conduit as an officer or as
man. | therefore di(penfe with the e..,
animation of any witneGes in his favor ex
cept thGic who have been adduced 10 inva-
lidate the teftimony of
whole manifold contradictions would alone
deprive him of all credit. 1t would be-
tray want of confidence in the candcr
and diicernment of the court, to occupy
their time In the examination c. witneAes
TO refute charges, which are entirely an
supported and an undue anxiety III be-
half of capt. Little, to prefume thas any
other publication of his proceedings can
be neceGary, bat what is already e,,abliih-
ed by the witneiIes for the prctecuton.
From theie considerations, though ilrroun-
ded by credible perions, who were fpe6ia-
tors of all his traniaetions in relation 20
the Berceau and her crew, which were all
public and undiguiied, he cheerlully for
bears to call them into court, and reRs his
defence upon the utter deficiency Of the G.
violence produced againa him. Nor ihouia
l, upon an ordinary location, deem it In
cumbent upon council to make any remarks
In excuipation of defendant sgainlt whom
no accufa,ion is fupported by fiadow of
proof. But when the mott audacious prac.
tices have been employed to ruin the repu-
tation of brave officer, who, like your
ielves, was engaged in our revolutionary
conflict, and was diRinguifhed as man
without fear and without reproach when
efforts are made to tear from his brow his
Taft and mott verdart laurel, by men,
whole patriosifm is manifeaed only by the
malignant ardor, which precipita,es them
into projects, to debale tie character of
their own country, its fleets ard officers,
and to crafty the pride, the pailions, and
even the freaks of another nation; when
continued Tor nearly twelve months, rhrGe
men have at length 70 far deceived the adj
minlitratlon, as 70 attract its attention TO
their wicked calumnies, it cannot be ex-
retted thatl fhou!o fit down in Glence and
luppreis all illufon to thele circumstances,
and without fome few comments upon the
nature Of the charges and Of the evidence
adduced again!t capt. Little.
An attentive perafal Of thefe charges
fhews, that they are all comprizsd in one;
that Of lnal-treaSment of his priioners. 1t
might indeed feem, upon cufory view,
IS it has been intimated, that the charges
contain fomething more, viz. an a,leg ation
OF actual embezzement by capt. Little of
certain OF the prize goods, zoitb an hteut
to aefrand tbe GoVe,nmeat; but l NUT
Unfit that no fuch chargeis even fyeci6el
by the government. The diRintt:on is
obvious between fecret taking of goods
from an individual with an intent to de-
fraud the United States, O., The eabturiug
rrezo, and the public Geizure of property
without any deiign of converting it to
ones own uie. The firf is an offence pro-
hibited by law; the laa is nc offence in
itfelf; but if accompanied by cruel and
inhuman mode of proceeding, the cruelty
and intumanity may deferve cenfure, while
the act is intriniically right and juai-
fable.
AS government, therefore, may profe-
cute for every fraud or embezzlement of
prize goods 70 it may forbear to>profe-
cute, when the fraud appears to be dubious
or OF triaing and Insignificant nature.
In the prelent inaance, it does thus for
bear to proiecute tor any dirctt injury fuf-
tanned by itfelf. 1t lends its authority to
profecute complaint, exhibited by indi-