The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-11

nave BEEN Iotk but when man 1cc1U&4 Vv1<u -
beas on his hsulders bad<< q The eon6aence q his
eoantry, he ought no longer cculzte On dying IN
| = feather bed.
Alter our eommifhoner had arrived at Tnpoli and
I had opened commune alton viii, Jofeph Bsihaw,
fthe command Of the fquadrou beiH transferred to
Captain Rodgers. fomc disagreement occurred which
broke Cd the intercourfe. AZ this criEs Capt Dent
arrived of TfiPo. icing dispatched BY the late Com
n,odore, with information to the aching Commodore
Of the reinforcement Of gun-boats and bomb kesctr
- having arrived in the Mediterranean fromthe u.
States, and with my letter Of 5th May, Rating
tnccefs agauR the euemys army in the eaftera PRO-
vince Captain Dent was ALTO authorized allure the
Commodore Of my determination to hold our petition
at Derne, until fomething definite fhouM be decided
! the acting Commodore Rodgers TO have diilinguiih-
ed himlelfs to have fer an example to all tributary
nations by ehaRi6ng the temer,y Of BarSary pirate
and to have rendered NOT Important feryce to his
country-Why he did not profit of the occaiion can
only be accounted for by prehmirg that he was diff
couraged by the conin,ioner of, peace, and by hin,
led under the impre Zion that it became his duty to
govern hneif by the po1hunons spinions of his pre-
deceiior. Knowing as every does, the patriot
i'm, perfonal energy, and landabe ambition of Cap
tain Rodgers it would be difficult conceive any
thsr reafon For his not eizng 70 great location
to have done 6gnal honor to his flag and have i'm
mortalized himfelf.
1 sus ninteu, az a tCls Tor reafors why Nlr- Lear
theie nigh grounds ater> having affected
70 much engagednefsfor exemplary msafares But
fthe negotiation was returned and peace purified
And on the 9th June, this comulioner Rates to ME
official information of the tranGaSion.
" The Bafhaw's demands" fays he, g were 100000
dollars Tor peace and ranfom, &c. which terms were
at once rejectedin toto" And "after folne dicufl-
on, he adds" propofed that mutual exchange Of
| Proners hosd take place, and as he had balance
( ofmore than two hundred in his power, would
give him 6o.OOo dollars for them (; but nor cent
| for peace," &c.
On thele terms, peace wa, de6nitively concluded
But this fatement, adopted in it's literal feue, is an
impottion on tie understanding of the public. 1t is
indeed, literally that balance of rioaeys of reaY
was in Jofeph Bathaw's power. But we had in cur
power, being actually in pof1eiion the capital Of
the largef province of his doninions containing be-
tween twelve and fifteen thoufand fouls. Could NOT
this have been exchanged for 200 prfoners of war !?
| Was the attempt made It is nanfeft the enemy
deipaired OF recovering it by force of arms And 70
tar from not giving eAatsy peace, as aerted by the
Ieonn'iuoner, we gave Kingdom for peace Tiipoki
was in our power; and with no very extraordinary
effor. might have been alto in hands. The en-
envy feit conviction of this and did not hefate to
acknowledge it In the prefence of the comrniioner
and the latter has fnce expreed TO me his own be-
lief IN the eaibility of the enerpriie but he advan-
ces at the fame time argument for concluding the
before us, that sused make peace 7vb man 4cbo
1eould baSe tie ability to keeP it, If parricide, fatr-
eide treaipn, Perdy to treaty, already experienced
and fytemarc piracy, be charaaari0ic guarantees of
good tat MIR. Lear has choen the fitte Of the two
brothers for his man of confidence. Their ability to
keep the peace is efs eGenal than ours to maintain
liz: Undoubtedly nothing but terror would bind Ell
ther OF them, nor any other Barbarian Chief to
faithful obiervance of treaty liquidation Our hego
tiator ought however have coniidered that Hamer
Bahaws was the popular caufe, and that this cause
is fail gaining ground in Barbary. 1t was the caufe
OF libertysof freedom-He ought to have conli1ered
that to cede the advantageous petition we held could
not but make the dere of peace appear ike too much
OF an object with US, and could not but leave an inn
preion Of weakness or want of fpirit on our charac
ter. IL would be hard to fufped our commifioner
OF intentional fraud on the United States in his gene
roty with yofcph Bahaw; but is harder to recon
cile his needless coneeions aud prodigaties to the
| tcft of patriotiini
| Although MIR. Lear would never admit that our
operations IN the eattern provinces had any influence
| on the dilpoitions of the enemy, and although he
made it condition Of his entering upon the negotiate
on chat the commodore ihould take meaures to COM
I, pei the evacuation OF Derne; yet in psroxfm of
candor he expreGes himlef thus in his letter above
quoted:-
| found that the heroic bravery of our few coup-
trymen at Derne, and the idea thatSwe had large
49, iuPPHSS DIT THAT place naQ made a
deep impreilion on the Baihaw I kept up. that idea
and endeavored from thence to make fome arrange.
ments favorable to his brother, who, although no,
found to be the man whom many had iuppofed wa:
yet entitled to Tome confederation from u.s. But
found this was impraaicable, and, if perfiaed in
would drive him to meafures which might prove ia.
tai to our countrymen in his power"
4 The reaions here aligned for the dee. ivsyslTor
4 made on the Balhaw are not hriaIy true. IL was
imPoible to conceal from the enemy our yeaforce a,
/ Derne. The late Govsrnnr had obtained exact infor-
NATION of it before he efcaped from his fanauary
and the enemy themfelves reconuoitred s alno dali
ly. Befdes this it impofIibe for US totally to
prevent COMMUNICATIONS between the town and The
camp. Is it probable tina, carlton of one Hundred
chraps on the coat, left totally dsqi,ie of Iab;e;
could OF idelf impress fnch deep approximations For
ihame, let us not admit this 70 mitch the more hum
litating our conditions of peace! No; it was dread
of the revolution, moved by Hanet Baiha@, being
brought to his capital through our afIiRanee, that
made the imPrG3ioa on the enemy.
Bot the apprehension infatuated by Mr. Lear tina,
e1deavoring to profit of this circumGanc in favor OF
the legitimate prince mgb p,eVe al our country
ssn in biz pore, betraysignorance, puan;mty or de-
hgn or it me,aees were ufed to impress fuch an APP
prehenon it hardly be admitted as fuicent rea-
fo for bartering the honor Of our country and de.
lerting the nterei ofan ally. For, if he had not al