Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-06-18
EPoM THE NORFOLK q EDGE "a.
COMMODORE BARRoN'S Defence
IcoNrINuED.


The guns OF the Chesapeake were load.
3 ed before she sailed; this which Is always Z
done on board our ships before sai'lpg'
cap,aio Goydoo now persuadrs himself was
done ia consequence Of a menace 20 take
men from us by force; but can = DC ina 6.
oined, thst captain Gordon, It his expec.
lstion Of attack was really then so strong
as he cow supposes i 10 have oeeu' woo 'N
have gooe 70 sea, expecting an engagement
!, the capes. wishoni having ever once nad
his men trained 10 the exercise OF tbs guos
ADD without any inquiries as 10 int ssase u
the magazine Aud if he had dee med y
M dusy 10 attend 70 these matters, would
hs Dot. on my coming on board, nave tho =
it his dusv TO apprlse me OF the tue ssase
of he crew, before we sailed. and his mo-
lives for 1oadiag his guns? The leutsnanSs
too. would they bsvs pursued the conduct
which they did, if sheir expectations OF 40
rngsgs meut had bsen SO strong as they
nuv (I have no doub. conscientioussy AND
supnghgly} suppose them 70 have Deen
Would they uot have examined their oiv'-
sions. removed unnecessary lumber, and
have made all the preliminary preparedness
.shors of actually going TO quarters ana
If they deemed II improper 10 do so. with.
out orders, would oct their zeal aGd acsi-
vity a. least have inducrd them 30 DC 90
deck, whenthe British officer lett the ship,
shat they might instantly on his departure
have received the orders, which shey sup'
posed too long suspended, and the more
readily prepare for battle. Instead OF 'a's
the most of them were 10 ths gun room,
when The orders were given to 60 TO qaar'
tiers Their cauduct can only be explained
By supposing that The impressions then ex
issing on Their MODS were not the same
which they now eolertsin, after mech re.
fecs,on, adciiooal Information, aud ire.
qosns change of opinions.
One more remark on the evldeacc. and
Ihavs done. Numerous facts are stated,
bosh in the specifications, and the evidence,
az indicative offthe probability Of an en-
gsgemepe. Now this probability results,
elner from the combination OF these facts,
or from their separate & individual force.
# il be the general result of their comb'.
nation, By what means does it haPpen, that
these gentlemen should Zach have attained
the sane resuls, though each of them has
excluded some one or other of these faces
from his combination? tt the probability IS
Inferred, from the separate force of these
facts, is il not equally strange, that the
same facts which one of them mentions as
an iDdicagion of hostility, is admitted by
Others 10 have excited no suspicion. This
moral phenomenon admits but one soiu
.ion; passions are 10 Hnstaphys sizes, VIVA,
fever is in ply sizes they are both diseas-
es; tbe MUD may be jaundiced, as well as
the BODY.
proceed, sira, TO the defence Of ny
conduct, Outing the period when the Leo.
pard's officers was 90 board the Chess-
peake.
admit that no preparations were made
for battle 10 this iotervaI ii remains for
me TO explain, and justify my motives. Ii
has been my misfortune 80 suffer by mis-.
representation in many parts of this uufor-
innate affair, aud 10 none, more than 10
iha. which is Immediately connected with
this part of my defence. Tthas bsen said,
that wha,eyer doubts might have existed,
aniecedent to the rrceips OF capt. Hsmph.
rey's letter, thar it ought TO have sconvinced
me, that All engagement was inevitable,
unless was preparedso surrender the men
who were If erwards taken OUT, Howe.
yer excusablS my conducs may be, i, is
said, shas, on that instant, preparation for
battle ought 10 have been made. II Lcoald
have foreseen events, wish the same GER
ssinty which you can now look back upon
ahem II undoubtedly would have been mn