Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-06-10
TIE CHESAPEAKE rRtGArr.


Il would seem certain, from the letter
IcaPt. cambridge, and the iestmony OF Robe
: Knox, the pilot, that the United States frga,
chesapeake, capt. Lawrence, has been capture
/, by the British frigate Shannon, capt. Brook,
For our part We believe il upon the evidenc
! before us; and, indeed. those who doubt it,
OF whom there are eome-we apprehend ar
Influenced more by lHtriotic hopes than by III,
facts stated. five < to believe any thing a
bout IT, We ,nust belil e that she has been sub
dued by Us enemy pr every circumstance
set forth AEfse..laal heiRtu.sAsd, moreover
the absence of all int nati6H from capt. Law.
| he has been taken. Sc truth of the capture
once established, the Vplv proper enquiry is,
did sdpt. La.renee and Mis- cresS ITO their duty ,
We will not permit ourselves ono moment to
doubt that they did. Indeed, it would seem,
that the loss of the Chesapeake was occasioned
by some kind of explosion, the nature and ex.
tent (which are yet to be explained. When
! the nation are assured that our scamen did their
duty, Of which thereas no question, and that
their surrender was the eject Of an accidental
occurrence, the people will be satisfied we are
not TO expect ai,vays to be crowned with sue
cess: 1t is sufficient if we always deserve it.
fortuitous circumstances frequently determine
victories in battles, in defiance of the greatest
valor ants most consunmate skill. We are not
disposed in the least to whine about the affair;
and we trust there will be no effort to under
value the foe. 1t is the fortune of war TO beat
| and be beaten. IL American frigate had
been taken at the beginning OF the war, it
would have created no surprize; it would have
| been regarded as thing of course. Tho only
matter OF astonishment is, that we have beat
the British ut sea at all. Out ofsix fair naval
contests we have triumphed in FIVE fve to one
quite as much as the greatest human ability
can reasonably calculate upon; and especially
| IN case where we were reputed to be inferior
II we consider the thing with regard to profit
| and loss of ffigates, il is mere exchange of
the Chesapeake for the Macedonian so that,
! numerically speaking,G I've remain AS we did
| at the commencemcu<A of hostilities, with
great addition of nad<1caiS feputation.-
| No doubt some advant = V8s derived by
the adversary from the Vk'es{b< ske's enga~
gins immediately on icaving pof{Ga time when
IN the worst state for action Moreover, the
Chesapeake was, to capt. Lawyedce, new COM
mand her trim of sailing, peri>aps, unknown
to him the peculia quality, ~ 80 per onal tn.
| Tents, OF the inferior officers, Vuot within his
knowledge. These circumstances all have their
weight in a sea fight. However, we wish not
to extenuate II we have been fairly beaten,
| let US admit II. There is even benefit to he
drawn fr I'm the misfortune. Continued success
might have inspired our officers and men with
too much confidence. piscipline might have
relaxed, and we migIFt,hsse .sncewith "a greater
disaster, acconpanie led by tisgv<ee. To ensure
victory, our nerves must be, constantly strung
we must look up to improvements, instead of
standing still where We are. Cur naval achiev
ments will put the enemy upon many new in
| ventions and contrivances to vanquish and to
humiliate us, and We should be prepared for
| him. In truth we should not wonder at all II
| tarns out that tue Chesapeake has been taken
| by some new invention of fire works, terrific
| IN Its appearance but harmless in its effects
Tor the account statcs that the vessel appeared
on fire, and YET That size did not seem to bo
much damaged fthisstopld be the case it will
have been very 1ishonora5k in the English capt
tor where battle is fought1hpon special chal
lenge, it enters into the very spirit Of the con.
test that the nsIai method OF fighting shall be
adhered TO, unless the contrary is stipulated
| Where encounters happen from accidental
| meetings atsea, tue rule would be different -
there the parties would be left to a wider lati
| tudc OF ingcnuity.--ln duel upon private
quarrel, the man that should shoot his antagon
list, when the sgreement TO fight with
suords, would not onlvregarded as murderer
but be stamped coward; because the very
resort to the unexpected weapon would be an
uncquivocal demonstration of fear of the issue
ofthe conflict by the party using it, from the
usual and equal weapons previoualy understood
But whatever regret is felt for the loss Of
our frigate, it must be agreeably and amply
qualified by the news from Niagara. Vic
tory there appears to have been complete
1t seems as it fortune had determined to give
to our foe no unalloyed subject of congratu-
laton. When they received gen. Hull like
yielding prostitute intostheir arms, we
took the Guerrero wv hen Winchester was
captured at the blood confess, of Raisin, the
Java lowered the prideof the fue--and now
to us, the loss of theV Chesapeake rs more
! than balanced by th<capture of fort George
But to the United States. fortune has FIRE
/, quently dealt viii SogleAhand. Nothing
will atone to Britain forsour naval victories
/. The Macedonian WA an unbalanced a
+ chievement the Peaeock was another
: the taking Of York another the baf
fling Sir George Provost at Sackett's Har
: Dor another. In short, this war, main
I tanned for no object of ambition, but solcl,
' for personal rights, has hourished, general,
] speaking, beyond our expectations * from
present indications, the British are jus. abou
|, to feel the pressure Of our strength. Tn,
. addition Of a frigate is nothing 90 them.
, may serve like quack medicine, to exhili
{ rate them tor a moment, but the excite
j ment will soon wear off, and the pangs o
!, paval degeneracy will return by the new
: and fierce blows of our brave taFs.
|, BY last Nights Mails.
81 a. q