Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-04-04

- REAL PIRACY,
EIlley bo5itUe, direct Orders OF BoNAPARTE, and By
French NATIONAL SHIPS.
While the friends ofwar, and the tools Of France arc
circulating colored statements Of private quaTes in dis
tant and between inferior subordinate Agents, the
true defenders ofNationa honor are compelled with
luctance 10 relate the following uhead of and unexam
pied acts of Piracy and wanton cruely just committed
under the positive orders Of Bonaparte.
By the ship Pocahontas which arrived yesterday In
this port, In - DAYS from Liverpool have the follow
ing distressing proofs Of the disposition Of BonaPae
harrass and annoy our Trade.
In longitude 10, west of Cape Clear the Pocahontas
boarded by two French trigates, the officers OF
which having seized the letters & og-book wanony de
sroyed them, and threw over sucn part OF the CorgO
they could come at.
They then put board the Pocahontas by force, the
crews amounting to AZ persons of the following ships
which had been taken and DESTROYED bv them, VIZ.
Ship WIHam, Rockwell from Liverpool for Savannah,
Ship Eliza, Dunbar, from, do for New-York
Ship BrHIHs, Smith, from do for Boston.
The ship Mars from the same pace, Tor Philadelphia,
having valuable cargo on board was sent in as prize
They declared they looking out for the ship Sal
ly Ceres and other valuable Liverpool traders bound ior
this port 1t is expected that our late Minister Mr.
BowdoIn and family will fall into the hands ofhese free
hooters.
The Pocahontas escapedthe same fe only by the ne
sessy the French were under Of setting rid OF their A
Enercan prisoners.
If such outrages had been committed by British cru-
sers the whole nation would have been reused
We complain OF British Courts Of Admiraty--we
eompain OF the right exercised by their officers de-
eide the qualifications of Seamen, and their
national character; but here behold Officers of French
Frgates undertake to Judge decide, condemn and deo
tr&y without trial.
Bonaparte's DEGREES are not to be decided upon by
Admiralty Courts sitting according the Laws OF Ma
tOns and governed by Evidence, but by the laws OF the
sword His execution Outstrips his lhreats-W hat he
cannot take he will desroyAnd yet this moment we
have Supplant, submissive minister Court, and
humble apoOgist for him in the person Of MIR Jefferson
Shade OF Washington Canst thou sleep undisJurb-
sd under this degradation Of thy Country!
The narrow, short sighted politicians who are de
voted to Jefferson he afraid Of Frances viii say per
haps these ouuages Justify the Embargo. But we can
these miserable supporters by considerations
selected from thousand which present themselves.
Ist. Subsequent events when could not nave been
foreseen can have effect in justyng measures pred
stated on other and concealed grounds
3D. But the fullest and most satisfactory answer IS,
that after all the French only make short flying cow
ardly plunderng exCursions-hey cannot keep the
on account of the superiority Of the British navyand Il
our merchants permitted to defend their ships d
ainst these prates the risk Of French capture would be
very trifing.
1t IS ascerained since the above, that Bonaparte has
seized seven American ships, which had entered Bor
deaux under the faith Of our existing treaties
The Bristol Packet, from London for n YORK, was
taken jan "a, seven days after sailing, by the french
figaes rhemis and Penelope scuttled inneddatety
The cargo Of the Bristol Packet valued at 10000
dollars.
the British and capt Nichols at Canton
appear altogether fault they sometimes have
been-Whe regret the unhappy catastrophe the story places Ve
ec this light capt Ms informed the British oc la
capt had committed pre under the British nag Inc brsn ON
Immediately attempted board capt Ms vessel ms
he implicitly believed their Il certainly might seem
He intended an investigation capt n VII"
does appear 6m have been informed te decuoh
h men(and therefore ud only have suspicion l sd
meantorered of and on her approach s '
into her
The officer and knocked overheard ms pig
auced ex2Sperstion-he British boarded with irritating cSss
an n who II would e ire =
was killed We noapologisJs for ,he British; on al .
~ particular conceive we cthhl o III
Is Tie devil h due, msIn-Ae0y0< Pf