Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-07-08
PH1LApELpu1A, June "a.
CRNM rE

FROM TIE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.
The Norfolk letter zvriter finding that his
letter. from an -fniericon officer, gained Gre
dit for short time, has been induced to inn
pose another, from an officer of Ills Britannia
majesty, upon the public. Although the name
OF captain Bingham has been employed upon
this occasion, vet there are such gross blum
ders throughout the whole, that no one who
has given it an attentive perasal, can say
that 1t is the production OF captain Bingham,
unless they believe he WIS drunk not only
when he held the pen, but during the en-
gagement described. It would appear that
the absurdities in the letter, were put there,
merely for the purpose of trying to what
length the public viii carry their belief.
E'his letter has given US the first intination
cf the frigate President having been on FIRE,
and altho' she has teen at New-York to re-
pair her mast, yet no marx of fire was dis
cernable (; the answer too of the vessel being
&c Tie United STATES .frigote" is improbable,
and we would here remark, that throughout
TIE whole Of this letter, the author has not IL
a single instance given the name of our YES
sci correctly, icf. at first he calls her "a The
UNited States fiigate," and secondly " The
President Of the United States" The Bri-
fish vessel too is termed the Little Beit in
stead Of the "Leele BeIt'' her proper name.
II is uncommon, also, when a British sailor
has acted, as the spurious letter would make
US believe Bingham lad, TO find him making
apologies for his como I; their Communica-
tons are generally pk n narrative; the fol-
lowing sentence therefore, must also make
US doubt, - Nor is it probable, that q slcoD of
var within rsistnI shst ,,s Iersse 10 fu,, fri
gate, should cAplmcnCe hostihtieS." The let
ter .is has l.sased an encomiym on the valor
of Commodore Rodgers, which cannot be ex-
pecteG from British captain for 1t assures
ms, that "it appeared evident that had he
(Commadore Rodgers> fallen in with a Bri-
tsh fiigute, he would certainly have brought
her to action"
We come now to passage OF the letter,
which bears, too strongly the hand Of bur-
Iesqne, 10 permit US fora moment to consider
1t as genuine. ''I cannot speak in too high
terms Of the officers and men have the no.
neT to command for their steady and active
conduct throughout the cohoie effhiS business,
who had much to do, as a gale IF zh1d came
on the second night after" Itthcn proceeds
to recommend to the l.. {. OF the Admiralty,
the first lieutenant for stoffh7g the cracks du-
ring the gale, it then mentions the conduct of
the officers (which was so good that it was
impossible fer him to discriminate" Is this
the language Of a British captains
We shall remark but another sentence not
inferior to the latter for the purpose cfaquiz.
beg leave to enclose LIST OF the 80 men
Killed. and z0onndtd; most OF them Diortally /
fear.'' The 80 !ncn are joined together, and
il is feared that most of them are morally
killed, and wounded perhaps there is not q
rnong the list one who was worthy of becom-
ing iagmortci, o. probably It's intended to con-
vey the idea, that those who were killed,
were immor;ally killed, and those who were
GROUNDED we're Dtortaity killed.
KNICKERBOCKER.