Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1807-07-20
NORFOLK, JULY =.
TO TIE MINOR.


4 SIR,
IN pursuance of your request, this da,
went down TO the British squadron, lying II
Hampton Roads, for the purpose OF deliver
! ing the letter with which | was charged, t.
capt. Douglas on arriving alongside his
ship, the Bellona, was invited on board,
/ received by capt. Douglas himself at the
gang-way, and conducted TO his cabin,
/ where / found assembled all the captains
of the squadron. | Immediately informed
him that you had Yesterday received a Z. tier
! from hiRn, the ans wer to which had been
requested to deliver, and placed It IN his
hands. He read the letter very attcntIvely,
and then handed it to capt. Hardy, from
whom 1t passed TO the other captains III sue
1cessiOn. When they had all peTused 1T,
cart Douglas observed TO me, " presume,
sir, you are acquainted with the contents o.
this etter !" told him | was perfectly SO.
He then stated that his letter must have
been misapprehended, that it contained no
expression Of menace which he recoiiected,
and that II certainly was not his intention
to use language which could be construed
ito convey such ideas he referred to capt.
Hardy, saying, that Ehe had shewn him the
letter previously 70 its being sent, and ire
quested his opinion as TO its sentiments
capt Hardy cOncurred with capt Douglas
in the opinion and objects Of tie cornmuHi-
cation then remarked to them the partI-
CUR expressions in the letter, which con-
sidered as tie language of threat, and adj
yerted to tie circumstance OF the words
" Immediately annulled, oeing underscor-
cd. He salt that this underscoring must
have been dine by his clerk, without direc-
ton, and hac escaped bis observation but
again assured me, upon his honor, that it
any expression in the letter wore the sp.
pearance Of threat, it was not intended TO
be 50 understood,
Captain Douglas mel II adverted 10 the con-
clusion Of the letter, in which the alteIna-
tive of peace war is left to himseh-Hc
said upon this subject, thathe had no orders
to commit anyact Of hostility, and that there
was no man fiom whose intention or wishes
such an objeet was more remote. That he
was anxious ID preserve the relations OF am
ity which had existed between tho two
governments, and that no act Of his should
tend TO interrIpt their harmony, unless nc
was ordered by his supcriorS 70 perform
Snch acts, in which case, as an officer, lie
nrIst do his duty He repeated, however,
that he had az present no Such orders, nor
did he expect . receive such. He stated
that he had il N charge generally, to guard
his flag, and those under its protection from
insult Or assault Of any kind, and that this
IN all situations he must unquestlOnabiy do.
But that any further measure lie was not
at present authorized, nor was it his lntcn-
ton TO take. here stated 70 him the ma
ny insulting MANAGES, which had been com
munic4ted in Norfolk, as coming frcIh fin
He positively tened ever having uttered
any such-dcclared IL they had been used
by any Of ms officers, that they were IN
authorized, and disapproved Of BY him, re-
marking at the same time, that hc hoped All
who knew him, would do him the Justice &c
believe, that he was not in the habit Of US
ing the language of threat--He here too
again referred to all the officers TO say, if
they had ever heard him at any time, even
while speaking confidentIally to them, utter
such expressions, and they united n declsr.
ing that they had not.
A desultory conversation then took place
between capt. Douglas, the other captains,
and myself, which continued nearly an hour,
in the course Of which many remarks were
made, which had no reference TO the sub
ject Of your letter, or were III any way con
nected with it these, sir, | have already
communicated to yourself, and to all my fcl-
low citizens, with whom | have converscd
upon this subject but as they are not con-
neCted with the subject Of your letter, |
presume II would be unnecessary again to
detail them here. In the course Of this con-
versation, described TO them, as well as
was able, the sentiments which universally
prevailed, thre' the country at this time, the
cause from whence it proceeded, and the
effects i would produce, provided any ef-
fo1t on their part should be made to oppose
the public resolve, as to intercourse or sup
plies. leXplicitly declared, that we had as
yet received 10 authority from our govern
ment to proceed to acts of aggression, but
that we were authorized, and were prepar-
ed for defence, and for the protection ofour-
selves and our property to prove which,
placed IN the hands Of capt. Douglas, an ex-
tract OF letter Of gov. Cabell, to brigadicr
general Matthews, which | had made for
that purpose concluded b. warning him
again not to send any Of his officers or peo-
pie on shore, for that if he did, the arm Of
the civil authority, did not believe, would
be able to protect them from the vengeance
of an enraged people that this might lead
10 consequences which might possibly be
yet averted, and if he was sincere in the
sentiments he had expressed, he would be
anxious 70 prevent such results. capt.
Douglas, and all the captains, declared that
they were aware of the present state of
the public feelings, and deplored the cir
cumstance which had excited it; that they
did not intend to expose any Of their people
to the resentment of ours, which they could
( conceive was highly inAamed that as to
supplies, they did not want any at present,
but when they did, they should not att empt
to procure them in any way which would
excite the opposition Of the citizens Of this
country.