Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-21
rFrom t,,s Washiastonidn June 10.

IniS fiRpOltaiil couiihuhie"ti0i'C -
dav presented entire. 1t viii be reai
With interest: and no doubt, by many,
with great satisfaction. SD far RS the al.
fair was calculated to support the honor OF
our flag, SO far will every American feel
il a duty to rejoice on the occasion. Would
TO GoD it had been uniformly sustained
aud sustained too, as Napoleon says IL
ought to be, by our canncH.''
Had Commodore RoDGERs, instead OIL
Commodore BARRON, commanded the
Chesa penhe. neither the American rag
nor the hanOr Of an American soldier,
would now have been furnished. by "a bri-
fish I.icutenant's finding British deserters
concealed in the coai-hole of ali American
Fri..atet, Commodore RODGERS is sol
oje,. and brave one. Under his Fen
dant, the American name will lose no part
ofits lustrc. There can be no doubt, but
he will do his duty; lie will s. obey or
ders, if he b:'eah Oacnsrs.'
The poor fellows, who were uafortu-
nately sacrificed. the affair Was certainly
serious: and on their account, humanity
must si..h. But If the result be honorary
10 our government : il it be glorious
for our country if it should appease the
anc,.u spi..its, which have been long thirst
Ing to avenge, blood IS the murder OF
Pierce, and :. the attack Oh the Chesa-
peake": fin short, it teach either OF the
naughty and insulting belliserents 10 res
meet neutral rights and the American
name If such should be the happy re-
sult.--wlceyer may have been the VIC
TINS, on national principles, it cannot DE
regretted.
But-1ciH such be the result?
II this bloody rencountre were merely
as has been as ;rtct, 8. the mistake OF
NIGHT" what honor could rebound to the
G.oye.nment, which had no agency in pro-
Guc,le tie biunder
Ii it were the folly, or the fault, Of
CAPTAIN BINGHAM, II was indeed gre
yiuus one,-.. End tsrieuously, indeed hdtit"
BINGHAM :. dHS1csred it,
The american Fri;ggate was more than
twice a match for the British Sloop.--
What glory tl.en could g" The President
gain By siicncins :" the Little Ee't''9 A
French n,au might, indeed. III TINS case
have thought himself copered 1cith glory;
but Commodore RoDGERs, while lie tho't
himself impel!ed to the steps he pursued.
yet represents the affair as source Of
mach painful and mort flying regret, rather
than as a subject Of exuitation and tri-
umph.
Viii the spirit ofVengeance be appeas-
ed by the recent slaughter 1t is feared
not.--1he Tiger does not become Zero
cious till he has tasted Of blood. Those
who pant for war will not be satisfied by
the victims, who have fallen.
But will this chastiscmcnt of the
little Belt,'' (admitting it to have been
mer;:ed.) cause either Belligerent to res
pect us the more at can hardly be eX-
pected.--A Bull may be just fed in chas-
Using an impairment boy bat his equals
will fear and respect thcnl-as before.
But how comes Commodore RODGERS
commanding neutral ship to give
:. CHASE'' to ga ship OF war;" Oh the
high seas?
Why did we continue the CHASE from
$ % minutes past maredian' (i2ocicck)
till 20 minutes past eight
Ii the Commander of the +" Little Belt"
was SO anxious to keep ont Of his 7cay, as
to lead hin an eight hours chase, by what
Kind of rhetorical figure, does Commodore
RoDGERs, consider the attack a g pre-
iReditaied insult -
If "hc appeared. from his manoeuyres
to be anxious to proven, the Commodore
from taxing position within speaking
Distance how could he suppose that cap
tain Bingham was s. violating our neu-
tralijy. and insulting our tias''-ior the
sake OF seeking promotion y
Was not the rcncontre aroided, as long
as possible. by Captain BINGHAM?
is Il pretended, that captain BINGHAM
had previously insulted our flag. or given
us any cause of complaint?
Why does Commodore Rodgers con-
eiude this report to the government by
Hat u on,Iu.t -, fbsS