The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-06-04
lGbe GnQulrer.
RICHMOND. JUNE A, 1911.
THE CLUB FOOT-AGAlN!t


| that the federal prints arc begixning 10 vinica,,
the conduct of Capt. Brigham What a crying
SIN mas Commodore Rodgers committed, y
gains, the rights of his Britannia Majesty
| Some of these prints, indeed, have commit
ed themselves by preciptate declarations.
| They have done justice to Rodgers-hut the,
had spoken before they had their cue Such are
the following -
From, the PAiadelnhia Gazette. A.
W We this say insert Commotlor Rod
gers's report of the recent affair with the
sioop OF war Little Belt. While every one
must regret the unnecessary effusion of hui
man blood. there can be hut one sentiment
as to the propristy ot the Commodore's con
duct. The sensibiiity with which he makes
his communication to the government is
hlchl. honorable to him as a man and an
oficer
FROM the ". York Commercial fdyerfiser
How Captain Bingham will answer to
ms government for his extraordinary con
DUCT we know not----but it is very evident.
irr IN the statement before US, that he has,
IN an unprovoked and wanton manner,
brought upon himself the distress and the
injury he has sustained.
The New-Y"rk Evening Post snd the Balti-
more Fed Republican, speak, however in a
very different tone. The first is evidently A.
frsid 10 speak out yet, but as far as it dares to
put ITS head on, of its shell, it cries out shame
upon Cam. Rodgers. The second comes out a t
once. with open implications upon our rulers
'or this attack.
Impossible Blu, yet it is so, sir And to
ma, nae the merits OF the cause, they fly to some
little nicely of naval etiquette, as their apology
.or wanting the feelings of Americans. They
initiate the policy Of the ink fish, that, closely
pursued, lets loose cloud of ink, to stain The
waters and screen itself from observation
Rodgers had no right to chace"--but who
'he \ 10 nj, fe
alter meridian" TO " Is past one SHE ohaced -
d'he conduct the British squadron on our
coasts naturally increased the desire of our Com.
modore to SPEAK her
But he ought 10 have answered frst-ror a
oeii'gei ent wishes TO conceal himselt-and the
neutral has no such intere SIT erefore the neu-
trai ought to disclose hersrlf."-Ac,ng as the
lush have lately done in the case of Diggio,
IKE piTates,impressing our seamen and concea-
ing the'r wn names and thus giving us no clue
to distinguish them from pirates, what right
nave they to profit by any punctilios of war -
But such IS not the rule of war-Whoev.r halls
hTst IS entitled to the first answer see the case
OF the Cons eilstion, Capt Murray, during our
qaaSi war with France, haling he M.gnanme,
BRITISH ship, and on receiving an evasive an
sWsr in FRENCH, friag into her and bring ing Ter
to her senses.-D SIDE, tho bellieerent
were not bound 20 answer hail, yet she had
20 right to ans wer by shot
Away with these niceit;es We nut it ON the
brotd ground of common 10 i,eress-mere espe
ciaiiy as H. had ho'sted his MN .far.-But what
snail we Say to the following threat from the
fe41H htPH1Hc0n---- menace 10 curse We b
u" InviIa,,3n TO TIN BRUSH to commit the out
rag =" and may it not be expected, hereaf-
,ef' instead ot Little Belts, Big Flga,es W Il
cIuize OFT 1ur co 81, and by mistake in the night,
tsn.y' our vessels t. b. French vessels sitting
under the oFoers OF III Great Napoleon ,"
TRUE BRITISH GROHNDs
Why no, place it., at once, On its true
footing
"WHEREAs G. Britain is the mistress of
the Seas; ana has for long lime past held
IN her hands the sovereignty of the Ocean;
s,"ce it can be tr ced from the days of the
Duke OF Sully. when an English Captain
hred into French vesse, charged too with
that ambassador, upon the ground that
ihe latter was bound to render to the
hHg Ut his master, rhe honors due to the SO
vere'gn ot the sea ;" assortment re-echoed
by Lord Cha ham during the war of 1757.
when he avewed IN he House of Peers that
' England should reserve to itself the ex-
elusive sovereignty OF the ocean," and con-
hrmed by the national song of @ reat Britain.
OF . Rule, Britannia Britannia, rule the
waves" a sentiment which led the British
m'eis ~ to instruct their marine on the LIST
o January, 1884, to compel every foreign
vessel, hat meets any of his maiesty's
shiPs In the British seas as fur as Cane
Finistere, to lower her h..g ard fo.,iadjpg
the ships of his Britannia majesty {" to
lower the Il e in the British seas, nor in TO.
reign seas -
4" .dnd zvherea8 this doctrine has lately
been asserted beth in theory by Mr.. Cob
bett and the late British minister. Mr.
Jack son, and in practice as we'll by The late
biockade6 OF the continent, the Orders in
Council, as by the conduct of the block
aiding Squadron on the coasts of the United
> ateS.
md avhercas it is clear both from these
precedents and from the reason of the
thing, that the sceptre OF the seas belong,
to II Britain; ii follows as clear concIo
sion that nothing IS to sail or the seas but
by her permissi n and on such conditions
a. she may please to prescribe hat the
Navy OF the u. ). has no pretensions to any
equality OF rights; that when chased. the
american irIgates are not to chase in their
turn; that they have no sort Of privilege
to hail; but when hailed IN their turn. thev
are TO render an immediate and submiss;ve
answer. on pain of being blown out of The
water without any resistance that i'm fact
the privileges of the neutral flag are nothing
and those oi the British flig are everv thi,S
and that the flag Of the o. sta es i, IN loS.'
er before that OF his Britannia Males
y;
Therefore, Commodore RODGERS has
been guilty OF contumacy and rebeiIiooN
deserves to be hung at the yard arm of his
f,.v -