Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-12

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offering mehace or insult to the British nag
declare, in the presence of my God, IS WIN,
out any foundation whatever; neither wouiu
the orders under which was acting author,
Use such course any more than they woulu
have justified my submitting to an insult from
a British or any other ship of war
Without further observations or comment
than is necessarily connected with the SUBJECT
the following are, therefore, my reasons lot
having chased that ship :-On the 10Th OF
Nay, being then at anchor off Annapolis,
got under way to proceed to my station at n
York, in consequence of an order from the
hon. the secretary of the navy to that effect !;
in which he acquainted me OF ais having issu-
ed this order owing to his being informed that
the trade of New-York had become interrupt
ed by British and French cruisers. At this
time discovered by the newspapers, that
British frgate, supposed to be the Guerrero,
had, in the vicinity of Sandy Hook, & during
my absence from that station, impressed out
of the American brig Sptfre, bound coast
wise, a young man by the name of Diggio, an
American, and apprentice to the master OF the
brig. On the 10th of May, at little past me-
ridian, being at the time in seventeen fathoms
water. about fourteen or fifteen leagues to the
northward and eastward of Cape Henry, and
about six leagues from the land to the south
ward of Chincoteak, sail was discovered to
the eastward standing towards us under
press of canvas, which soon made out by the
shape of her upper sails, as they became dis
tinguishable from our deck, to be man of
war. Not having heard of any other ship of
fho boEN
on our coast, concluded (and more particu-
larly from the direction in which she was dis.
covered) that it was her; and accordingly de-
terrnined to speak her, as we'll because con-
sidered it my duty to know the names * cha
racters, if possible, of all foreign cruisers ho-
vering on our coast, as from an impression, if
it turned out to be the vessel / had conceived,
that her consmander, from having learnt thro'
the medium of the newspapers the sensation
which the before mentioned outrage had pro-
duced throughout the United States, might be
induced, II he was not totally regardless of
American claims to justice, to mention that
ne had the young man in question on board,
and would deliver him up to me, and perhaps
at the same time assign some cause for such
gross violation OF the sovereign rights of the
American nation. At any rate, whether he
was disposed Or not, if could learn from him
that the man was on board, should have il
IN my power to represent the same to my GO
vernment, and thereby be the means of more
readily effecting his emancipation from vassal-
age, and the cruel necessity of fighting the
battles OF the very same country whose officer
had thus unlawfully enslaved him and in do
ing this, l consideredI was doing no more
than duty imposed on me by my situation,
felt regardless if in accom-
plishing it, further attempt should be made
to insult my country by offering violence to the
flag lying over my head-as l was then, am
now, and ever shall be prepared to repel any
such insult or injury to the very utternlost of
the force under my command and that too
without regard to the consequences resulting
therefrom.
These, gentlemen, were my motives for
having chased the ship which supposed to
be the frigate that impressed Dieeio, bur
which afterwards proved TO DE H. B. M. shin
Little Belt But even if had no such reason
to justify my chasing, maintain that the usage
Of nations, the treaty concluded in 1888, be-
.weenthe United States and Great Britain, a. |
well as the British precedents almost without
1umber, gave me that right; if it be admitted [
NAT our country possesses any comparative or
rights whatever.
Although l admit did chase the Little
Belt, | nevertheless deny that her comman-
Ter wished TO prevent my coming up with
him, otherwise he undoubtedly would not
rave kept away, and set his studding sail.
when he was several miles to windward of me.
'dded to this his conduct was unfriendlv to
Jay the least, as he declined showing his CO.
ors until after it was too dark to distinguish
What they were, although he must have per-
:eivcd as well from the courses steered. as
rom my colors (of which he undoubtedly saw
he pendant that l wished TO speak him.
indeed the several circumstances make it am.
'arent to me that he was ignorant of our force.
nd wished to procrastinate our meeting only
ntll after it should be dark.
JOHN RODGERS.
JAdsmsnt Of the Court.
The court OF inquiry, authorised and reouir-
Il hx,s, l. z