Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-22
WEDNESDAY MORNING, lIlr22.
.RUMORS OF WARS. /"


received orders to seize by force the man
lately impressed by British frigate, if he
could not be otherwise obtained, has created
considerable speculation. When it was first
mentioned, we attached not the smallest Gre
ditto 1t, although we gave it currency on the
authority of the Wig. We could not per.
suade ourselves that Mr.. Madison would issue
such an order. In the name of Heaven,
where would be the use of written constitu.
ton, vcstipg the power Of declaring war in
Congress alone, if the President of the Uni
ted States can commence hostilites whenever
it may suit his own whims, without even the
knowledge of the National Council? The Bri.
fish monarch has no higher authority 1t was
expressly delegated by the American people
solely to their representatives, and was never
intended to be confded to any one man whate-
yer. For this :eason, we could not believe
that Mr. Madison would assume unauthorized
power of such alarming magnitude, involving
the dearest interests of the nation, ard the
lives Of many of his tellow-citizens. Yet, not
withstanding Ill this, the account has reached
us through such a variety OF channels, and
bears such an appearance OF probability, that
we car scarcely venture to question its cor
rectness A very short time will determine
the point for the present, we must content
ourselves with publishing the different state
nents that we have received leaving every
reader 10 draw his own conclusions.
Fran :3e Baltimore Federat Republican Of
4'Ionday
We are correctly informed, that letter
is in town from one Of the members of the
Executive, stating that Rogers has lsoai:ive ar
GERS 20 s.Qrct for Tie British lfriyate, Gcn@na
the IMPRESSED n,e'. SIZE ia$ on board, ana y ~
tfi.sed % take them 6yforce.
/ "Tke above may be relied upon"
From :he save j4Qter.
&C Various uncertain statements Of a firing,
said to have been heard OF the Capes o.
Thursday evening, were circulated Yesterday,
but they arc not credited
From ire .WorfoK Herald IF Friday last.
Captain Neil, arrived hert yesterday, in
forms, that on "Wednesday nc fell in with the
frigate President, commodore Rogers, in pur-
salt 81, the British fGgatc which late-
~ impressed some Americans on our coast.
The English frigatc, VIC understand, mounts
SO guns"
| Extract of letter from a gentleman lii Nor
folk, to merchant OF this town, dated 18th
May, 1871.
"The public mind is much agitated in this
place this morning, owing to an engagement
having taken place between two frigatcs on
the 18th instant, at night, about ten leagues
to the southwark of our Capes. 1t is not
known what they were, but it is conjectured
% have been between the President and Bri.
fish frigate."
Extract Of another letter from Norfolk, da-
ted 2oth instant.
We have areport (prety straight) that the
President, Capt. Rogers, has had an engage.
ment with all English ss..--We expect every
moment pardculars---Decatur goes to seste
day to look out for squalls
The information contained in the suisse
quent paragraph, from thu New-York COM
mercial Advertiser, is, we are told, believed
to be authentic at Washington
+" Oar ofaas rrith England.--We have just
I
which states, that the Prince Regent had de-
tcrmined not to send Mr.. Foster to this coun-
try and that the British council were about
to issue orders prohibiting American produce
in any other than British vessels. We UNDER
stand that very intelligent passenger con-
firms the contents of this letter; and adds,
that Mr.. Pinkney had excited much disgust IN
London BY, refusing to attend the FIRST levee
held by the Prince as Regent of the Empne.
Mr.. Pinkney was the only foreign minister
Il ont