Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-04-02

planted The Standard ofLibcrtv and Indcpen.
dence on RosE's Blur, opposite ST. Mary's
m East Florida. \ long way this from Angus.
tine, where they are appraised OF the scheme,
and arc prepared to give their revoluiioniznp.
friends warm reception
The above Intelligence has been :, c;rcula.
non tor 'he5c two days past in Savannah aud
l. believed to be correct. We have also heard
oc' several gentlemen as being at the head of
~ cN '2rbe&r tor ,hc present 10 give their
n"'nes 70 the pnb!ic. Farther particulars no
dc-at, wiii DC soc>i,cd IN tew lays1
NGW-iIAvEN, HIarch Is
James Madison, Esq. President OF the Uni
ted States, IA sue year Of orr Lord One Thou
5 ."d Eight hundred and Ten, announced To the
American people ana to uc world that Hoaa-
par ic'a Gcc.cls &: Hcrlin aal Milan we're revo-
tcd, an'l from ard after the first d.,y of Noyem.
f|r oi that yeSr ceased To have effect upon A.
he; ;c.n commerce. IS the head OF the natiCA
l'us soitan!y FromHlSa d the assertion. it was
tr-Tciiy repeated b. characters in subo,d,nat
stations, aad no. :, few democratic governors of
.t;..es 1--we aiianced themselves to this unhal-
l9"cd "ction. Scarce 4 single week has clap
sd from that period 10 this, which has not pro-
oIced testimony IN direct contradiction 20 the
ohicN dcolar.uio ion OF our executive and even
Bon;,parie himself contradictctl il, by announ-
cling PUblicl;, that those DEGREES were, & should
continue 60 DC the fundamental laws of his EN-
pare. Unfortunately, our columns are this day
made to teen with further and calamitous
proof, that the Gallo sovereign does not vainly
contradict the demagogIes who Inisrule our
degraded country. The several cases here pre-
scented, the reader u.ll no doubt obtain his Sc
rious consideration, aud induce himto enquire,
why arc we on 'he eve of war with England,
with scarce a mtIrmur 1T the atrocious deeds OF
France
With respect TO the gentlemen whose depo-
sitiOns are hereto annexed, it is sufficient to
remark that their veracity is unimpeach;ble,
and their statement (where they are known)
lvi. command entire confidence, without the
additional socmnities of an oath Captain
Chew is also we'll known in New York, from
which port lie has for several years commanded
ship IN the European trade.
Tue reader is particularly requested to bear
IN mIn.l the declaration, made in The documents
furnished by the French Commodore, that he
destroys such American vessels as he meets, in
pursuance Of his INSTRUCTIONS from, the
French Minister Of Marine and Colonies. This
will zone would suppose) do away at once all
possible attempts to palliate the wrongs of
Frarce B.. nev pagtizans in this country. And
q -a-s. ..Osuie ships received their INSTRUCT
SIS and sailed since the gracious reception
given to minister Barlow at the court of ST.
Cloud, 1t cicariy indicates the kind of atone
ment, for oug long endurance, which is to be
the result of his embassy.
DEPOSITION ofCabtaia Ciezs
Samuel Chew, of Newt Haven, in the State of
Connecticut, on oath declares and says, that,
rs supercargo ofthc brig Thames, of SAID port
OF New-iiaven, Eibu Hitchcock master, he sail
ell in said brig, from St. Ubes, on the 18th day
O january, 1912, with acargo of salt and fruit,
bound los New-liaven; that on the evening OF
he LII H.. 4 4
was taken possession or and taken in tow, by
three French vessels, viz. the frigate Arriante,
commanded By Commodore Fereticr, of n gums
and S25 men-the figate Andromache, com
msnicd by Captain Morris, Of ~ guns and 325
men-the sloOp OF war MlnaluiSe, commanded
by Captain C. NJ. 5.labar, of 10 guns and $50
men which vessels of var, this deponent
was informed by tie officers, sailed Fl. Nantz
on the 9Th day of JANUARY last, OH board the
said French vessels were the crews of the A
nerican ship Asia, OF Philadelphia, Thomas
Hewitt ster, an of the American Brig Gers
HON, jacob Smith master, belonging to Duxbu-
~, late from Bost,n, in the whole 81 in num-
Der. TIE officers ofthe French vessels inform
ed This deponent, that on the 18th January,
when in about lat Al, n. and long. 81, w. they
captured and burnt the said ship Asia, she be-
ing laden with cargo of corn and -four, and
bound from Philadelphia 10 Lisbon that on
the 2Sd January in about the lat. A. N and
long %, w. they captured and burnt said brig
Gershom, she being bound from Boston to o.
porto, with cargo Of corn -four and rice. On
the Sd February the commander OF the French
squadron released the Thames, together with
the captains and crews of the ship Asia, and
the brig Gershom above mentioned g a mum
Der, and sent them on board ,he brig Thames,
with puncheon of water and about $50 W.T. of
bred and h0tf a barrel of -four.
Previous to the release OF the Thames, the
French Commodore made very particular en-
quiry relative to the quantity Of provisions on
board the Thames, and sa1 inst j. was his O.
piaion, that with ~tAat he gave us, we had
sutiiciency 20 reach port in the United States,
and obliged Capt. Hitchcock 10 sign a writing
20 that effect The Commodore, when he re-.
leased the Thames, delivered TO Captain Hitch
cock the annexed document or writing, sub
scribcd with his own hand, and written in the
French language.-While the Thames was in
the custody OF tie Commodore, they took out
about twenty-five boxes If ORANGES for which
was paid nearly the first cost The commo.
dOre and commanders ofthe other vessels were
OH board OF tic Thames, and behaved with
great po'iteness. The commodore was asked
by this dep0lent, the reason of his burning the
American vessels. lie replied, that he had or
ders from his government TO burn vessels sail
ing TO or from an enemy's port. The officers
also informed, that the frigates were quite new.
and were never at sea before their present
eruize, and that they were launched az Nuntz
in the month of June last. Af,er parting. from
the frigates, we went with the Thames into the
first port which we could make, viz /: St. Bar.
tholomews in the West-Indes, where we arriv-
ed on the 10th Of February last, and landed the
Captains and crews ofthc ship Asia and the
brig Gershom, except FIVE, who returned with
as to- New-York, where we arrived on the 9TH
instant, (March) When the Thames was first
taken possession of by the commodore, the of.
ln haul Il