The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-07-11
Norfolk, July 5, 1907.
SIR,

SIR,
In purfuance of your requeft, this day went
down to the Britfh fquadron, lying in Ham ,to,
Roads, for the purpofc of delivering the letter
with which ] was charged to capt. Douglas ::
on arriving along fide his flip, the Bello1a. 7
was invited on board, received by capt. Doug.
las himfelf at the gang-way, and conducted to
his cabin, where found Attended all the CAP
tains of the iquadron. Immediately informed
him that you had yeflerday received letter
from him, the anfwer to which bad been re.
quefted to deliver, and placed it in his hands
he read the letter very attentively, and then
handed it to capt. Hardy, from whom it pafJed
to the other captains in fuccefIion. When thev
had all perufed it, capt. Douglas obferved to
me, "1 prefume, fir, you are acquainted with
the contents of this letter - told him I was
perfectly 70. He then ftated that his letter muft
have been mlfappreheDd, that it contained no
expreiiion OF menace which he rccolleaed, and
that it certainly was not his intention to pG.
language which could be confirmed to convey
fuch ideas he referred to capt. HsrdY. Gv;f,5.
that he had ihewn him the letter preyiouGv r.
its being fcnt, and had requefted his opinion "a
to its fentiments; capt. Hardy concurred with
capt. Douglas in the opinion and objects of the
com munication. then remarked to them The
particular expeditions in the letter, which con.
lidered as the language of threat, and adyerted
to the circumstance of the words "immediate-
ly annulled," being underlcored. He faid that
this underfcorng mutt have been done bv his
clerk, without his direction, and had ercaped
his obfervation but again afIured me, upon
his honour, that il any exprelIion in the letter
wore the appearance OF threat, it was not in
tended TO be 70 underltood.
Captain Douglas next advertcd to the con.
cluiion of the letter, in which the alternative of
10 1afs RI
this fubjeet, that he had no orders to commit
any aet of hofility, and that there was no man
from Whole intention or wfhes fuch an obieS
was more remote. That he was anxious tn
preferve the relations of amity, which had ex-
ifled between the two governments, and that
no act of his Mould tend to interrupt their har
mony, unlefs he was ordered by his fnperiors
to perform fuch acts, in which cafe, as an off.
Ger, he NUT do his duty. He repeated, how
ever, that he had at prefent no fuCh orders, nor
did he expect to receive fuch. He Aated that
he had it in charge generally, to guard his flag,
and tbofe under its protection from infult or az.
fault Of any kind, and that this in all ilnations
he mutt unqueaionably do. But that any fur
Their meafure be was not at prefent authorized,
nor was it his intention to take. here ftated
to him the many infulting menaces, which had
been communicated in Norfolk, as coming from
him. He pohtively denied ever having uttered
any fuch-declared if they had been uled by
any of his officers, that they were unauthorized,
and difapProved of by him, remarking at the
fame time, that he hoped all who knew him
would do him the juGice to believe, that he
was not in the habit OF ufng the language oil
threat-IIe here too again referred to ali the
officers to fay, it they had ever heard him at
any time, even while fpeaking conidentinlly to
them, utter fuch exprenions, aud they united
in declaring that they had not.
a defutory coOvsrfation then took place be-
tween capt. Douglas, the other captains, and
myfrlf which continued nearly an hour, in the
courie of which many remarks were made,
which had 10 reference to the fubie6t of your
letter, or were in any way connected with il
thsie, hr, | have already communicated to