Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-09-12


nor depart from the claims they have set up.
we feel the very inconvenient dilemma i'm
which 1T puts our ministers, and which they
nave solely to attribute to their own folly in
rot confirming the arrangement that Mr.
t1rskine so sensibly made. But it is now toe
late perhaps, to retrieve the error by conces-
SION, for 1t is impossible to submit to this in
sult.-iIorn. Car6n.
The American Government having made
such haste to publish Rodgers account of his
action with the Little Belt. as If they were
anxious to show their desire to shut the door
against all negotiation, explanation and adj
Justment, our government have felt it their
duty not to withhold capt. Bingham's account.
1T will be found that we published correct
sketch of it in the Courier of the 4th inst and
that the account given BY the American is a
ny thing but the true one. Captain Bingham
knew her tn be an American frigate bysher
Colours: Rodgers, therefore, must have
known that the Little Belt was but sloop.
and as onr colours were hoisted that she
wasa British sleep. But he came down up
on us with an evident hostile intention, at
tempting to lay his ship in poItion to rake
ours. He did not hail us first, as he asserted,
following up that impudent falsehocd with a
lecture upon the 'rules of polseness.'' We
haiied first and second time, receiving each
time only repetition CT cur question:
There was not a single gun fred by us OF.
ON either side. But the American the mo-
nent after we had hailed the second time,
poured broadside into our sloop, which of
course was Immediately returned, and an ac-
ton took place--not of FIVE minutes ONLY, as
the Buccaneer has stated, but of three quar-
tiers OF an hour. Is British guns against ~
american! and we never struck our colours !
ihis is placed beyond a doubt By the Bucca-
neer's question and Capt. Bingham's answer.
The next day the American sent boat on
board to express his regret " for the unfor-
tunate affair."" to tell direct lie that they did
not know our force to be so inferior, and t.
follow 1t up with another falsehood, that we
hred the frst gun.-This, Captain Bingham
says, was positively not the case; and if we
had not the sacred word of a British officer.
we still should have said how wholly impro-
bable 1t was, that sloop of war should COM
mence hostilties within pistol shot of a large
A gun frigate.
There is, however, one point of capt. Bling
hams letter in which we do not agree with
him. He says, "by the manner in which
he apologised, it appeared to me evident,
that had he fallen in with British frigate,
he would certainly have brought her to acti-
on. No, no; the man who could begin hos
dhties by attacking vessel of SO inferior
force would have shrunk from contest with
q ship OF equal force. However, we hope he
VIII fall in with British frigate, and bring
her to action.''
The American government having publish-
ed Rodgers's account and approved of his
conduct, thereby precluding all negotiation !:
captain Bingham's letter having placed it
beyond doubt that the hostile conduct of
the American was wholly unprovoked, and
that letter being coupled with admiral Saw
yer's previous Instructions, demonstrative of
the anxiety OF our government not to give the
least provocation or cause of offence to the
United States, there is but one cou, Sc left for
us to pursue. The blood of our murdered
countrymen must be revenged, and war must
ensue. The conduct of America leaves us
no alternative; and therefore it is idle If net
worse TO treat the subject as if it were ian
announcement dilemma which Minister'S ac-
cording to the opposition, shave solely To at
tribute to their own folly in not confirming
Mr.. Erskine's sensible arrangement."-Of
Mr.. Erskine's sensible arrangement we have
SO often expressed our opinion, that it were
unnecessary to repeat it. We have behaved
towards America with unexampled forbear-
ance, but that forbearaDce has produced in
science, and that insolence n,ust be punish
ed.-London Courier.
The very important dispatches from cant.
Bingham, are at length published which it is
to recommend to the public at
tention. They contradict the account given
oy the American commodore in every essen
tai particular, and in many they really dis
prove 1t. The American (evidenty most un-
truly denies that he understood the ship with
which he was engaged was so much inferior
20 his own in strength, tho he before allows
that he had reckoned her guns in her broad
SIDE as they were fired. Mark capt. Bing-
hams plain and intelligent narrative: at one
O'Clock in the day light he discovers his an
tagonist tobe frigate, and at half past he
could clearly discern the stars in his broad
pendant All this IS natural and credible e.
it must be observed. too. that
captain Bingham wrote his dispatch without
knowing the collateral circumstances which
commodore Rodgers might detail. The for
mer does not go out Of the way, for example,
TO assert that the latter must have known the
comparative strength Of the two vessels; he
merely describes appearances as they occur;
and points out as it were casually, the pre-
else moment at which he knew the strength
ct the American vessel. In consequence OF
this accuracy in subordinate particulars lin
which capt. Rodgers asserts what cannot nos
sibly De true) capt. Bingham comes with un-
lmpeached character to the main point--the
firing Of the first gun; or rather the asking