Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-12-11
Er.ros: from TIE Norfolk Herald.

Er:rGE: from tie .for}olE HeTalc.
Under the Charleston head will be found
the particulars of a most horrid and bloody
riot began by fracas between some Ame-
rican sailors and French privsteersmen, III
which several of the former were killed c,
wounded, and ended by the burning OF the
two French privateers,L'Agile andVengeance,
by mob of sailors. What can We say On
this occasion? That the mob was guilty OF
a most atrocious crime in usurping the pow
er of the laws, and disturbing the harmony
so hahtHu subsisting between Us s France
We cannot say less. We may add that the
rioters deserve the fall vengeance OF the law.
But human nature IS frail; and our seatar-
ing citizens have had ample prOvocaton from
those fticar2ons, TO goad them on to the most
desperate revenge. Our happy country, that
seemed designed by heaven as an asylum tor
suffering and oppressed virtue, is now to
use the language OF the scripture, convert
ed into 81 den Of thieves
From The Richmond STANDARD.
From the above it will appear that the edi-
tor Of the Herald accuses the American sal
lors of a "most atcocious crime" In speak
ing of the fracas, he also saws that it "com-
menced between some American sailors and
French privateersmcn.' Had we seen no
other account of this affray, besides this ex-
tract from the Herald, We would suppose
that the American sailors we're the first ag-
gressors. But, from the latest accounts re-
ceiyed from Savannah, the statement given III
our last is confirmed with additional clrcum-
stances Of aggravaton on the part of the prl-
vateers men. These 20 the number OF sixty,
composed of Italians, Vehetians, Portuguese
& Frenchmen, perhaps the vlest miscreants
ofthe countries from whence they came, at
tackled with cutlasses, daggers and bludgeons
about twenty unarmed American sailors, In
the streets of Savannah whom they cut,
stabbed, beat and mangled in the most shock
ing manner, killed several, and wounded many
more. Not content with this, these lawless
villains on the next day commenced second
attack with FIRE arms, on a body OF the A
merican sailors, who, exasperated with these
repeated outrages, fought and vanQulsh-
cd the robbers and set IRE to their two
vessels. We are informed that 1t Is
common thing for the crews OF French
privatcers, when in our ports, to go arm
ed, in body, and breed riots withour citizens.
Yet the editor of the Herald calls the Ameri-
can sailors " the mob," and accuses them of a
=" mos, attrocious crime in usurping the power
of the laws, and disturbing the harmony 50
happily subsisting between us and France"
He also adds, I" the rioters, (meaning we sup
pose, the American sailors) deserve the full
vengeance of the law 20 Alas have we
come to this pass, when gang OF foreign
thieves shall parade our streets in arms, and
murder our honest, peaceable unoiending
citizens, and are we told that we must submit
to be thus cut off, at our own homes, & make
no resistance, for fear of " disturbing the har-
mony which so happily .ubsi.ts between us &
France" and for fear that Napoleon will be
displeascd if We do not suffer his bloody assas-
sins to come into our towns and cities, and
cut as many threats as they please?
If the American sailors had without any
previous proyocaiion, attacked and burnt the
privateers, we would join the Editor of the
Herald in his censure.-Had this been the
fact, the conduct of the Americans would not
be more culpable than that OF the privateers-
men was, in attacking them with arms, muir
dering some, and previously wounding others.
The privatcersmen are, In our opinion, res
ponsible for every thing that happened; and
we hope that they will suffer I" the full ven
geauce of the law" The Herald ought to
know that by our laws, the killing of any one
in self-defence, is not deemed an /" attrocious
erime,v nor an usurping of the power of
the laws" For our laws give every man the
right of killing in self defence, those who
seek to kill US. The editor in his ideas of
mob laws does not appear to us to be consist
ent.-He thought that if a mob had tarred
and feathered some men in Norfolk who had
been tried and acquitted Of the crime alledged
against them, and had taken them in the day
time as soon as they were discharged from
the hands of justice, such conduct would
have been " manly" and from the censure
he bestows on the American sailors at Savan-
nah, 1t appears that he would think much bet
ter of their conduct if they had suffered them.
selve. to be murdered without making any
manly resistance. Upon the same principle
if !. French army could reach US, and were