Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-09-01

that this would be io7ccring me dignity of
his o.oa;rtdi station. The affair IF our Re-
ycaue Cater alone attracts his notice.
The following is the paragraph to which
capr. Skene alMdes. 1t originally appear
ed in this paper, but from its nature could
not obtain insertion in any other haher IN
th.s city
"Havins done 7rith the merchant vessels,
they turned their Gftnio7 70 The United
States Revenue Gutter, commanded by carr.
Br7vSter. SIZE 7vas az the Hook zvth her co.
| tors hoisted. rs If resoived 10 aid Insult 70
injury the Leaader fired at the Gutter! The
shot fell SHIRT and rather astern. Uhattper
might haze been the consequence cant. B,-e1p-
sfer 7vas determined neither 10 heave TOO mar
after his course"
This statement had from the lips of
, capt. Brewster himself, who added tina, the
commander of the Leander could not but
| know that it was the United Stctes Reye.
me Gutter at which he fred. Capt. Skene
says that she appeared to carry large.
French pendant without any ensign" The
| fsct other being the ReDenue Gutter proves
that her pendant was not French, however,
she nigh, have appeared to him, and capt.
! Brewster asserts that her ensign zcas hoist-
ed.--From wha, has been communicated
to me it appears that capt. Skene fred at
the Pcuenue Gutter by way of adding insult
to injury.
August 90.
In MIR. Lang's paper of che Dist inst there Is
an attempt made bv capt. Skcne sf the British
ship of i.eander 70 apologize for his firing at
| the United States Revenue Gutter Vigilanr,
With what propriety The officers Of thar ship
could judge this curter TO be French privatcerI
am ~ loss to conclude. FOR neither carry the
guns, the sails, nor the appearance Of u cruiser.
neither does Our pendant carry any complexion
OF 4 French one. Ours (Which was then fyng)
has thirteen white stars in bluc field, sixteen
! stripes vertical, alternately red and white with
a common Fly IT the end: this could certainly he
seen as far was necdfu to fire shot to bring
! US to.
The watch on board the skip must have kent
a very bad look out in not observing as pass our
OF the Hook along shore, within the ship, and
anchor plain sight, with our main sail CONSTANT
~ hoisted the whole day and never so far eff the
ship but we saw and observed ali her transa 6tions.
Except about half an hour in the for, and in thai
time no vessel could come in sight and be so near
! them as we were.l we plainly saw the schoo-
ner Bursee that she had long side of her with
our naked eye What right had she to FIRE, man,
and arm her boats to board lie vessel. admitting
| she was, at the distance of half league from
,he dry beach of Sandy Hook, and in not more
than four fathon1s water.
The same gentleman in note to col. Barclay.
says " since il is certainly the reverse of our
wishes TO give any just foundation for complaint.
men of sense ought to consider our situation and
| the nature of our duty cody, before they com.
plain violently"
II would have been impossible 10 have made
this paragraph, if capt Skene hadrehetied upon
the treatment that the officer of this same reve
nue. cutter received from the officer Of the Cam
brain while on board the ship Pitt, at anchor in
our harbour. Wasnot that treatment just ground
tor cool complaint and is it not lust ground
Tor complaint when fired IT within half league
OF our own shore and harbor IL it is cruel and
UNJUST TO put the worst construction upon the pre-
sent conduct of the officers of those cruising
ships, IS it not en-fod more cruel and unjust &c,
deprive our citizens of ,heir liberty and property
while IN our own territory by sending them into
a foreign court 10 be tried, il they shall hold
their own or give 1t others, then pay all COSTS is
clear
The Puplic conduit of all those cruisers ougbt
70 be made fully known and truth fairly brought
forwzrd-for tins reason give it as my full be-
lief thai the officers of those ships know full
well this cutter, her station, and business.
From the very clear description given of the
Revenue cutters pendant. it is evident that CAM
Skene must have found II difficult TO make the
mistake he mentions. In conversation >esrer-
day with an officer of the Gutter he states tha,
although the pendant was always flying. the en-
sign was not hoistod until accer tho ieander had
fred.
The ship SEifs, belonging to Gouverneur and
kembe, bound 20 Amsterdam, sailed from this
port few days since BY way of byo.ect;qg our
commerce. she was boarded ard detained AZ the
Hook, by the Leander, several hours She wa.
at length suffered to proceed on her VOYAGE. we
are Informed on condition that she would S,ut in
to Embden, instead of Amsterdam, the oria;naI
port ofdestination Now really this is very findl
Ii is clearly evincve that. in the end, as CAPTAIN
Skene says, these British armed ships will be our
" hrms5t friends {"
| The repeated aggressions our commerce
are continued in the usual manner, by the BRITISH,
ships at the Hook. Yesterday morning abort
six o'clock, we are informed, the ship Rebecca
OF this port, after voyage of two years. was
fred at and brought toe by the Canbrian fri.
gate, and six men impressed from her not more
than two leagues from the HOOK and the ship
detained about two hours.
Mt about II A. M. schooner hove in sight
close under the highlands The Cambrain made
lsIgnal 20 the Leander. which was answered. and
they both hauled their WIND and stood for no.