The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-01-13
CONGRESS-.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
NAVAL EVpI OTIS

| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
NAVAL EXPLOITS.
The resolutions expressive of thu or tlse
House relative 10 ths most exploits OF OF.
| nc.rs OF the navy. having been read
Mr. Lowndcs said, that he should be iueNeu,ihle il
ne were long TO deta,p the mitiee from tue vote,
| he hoped the unanimous vote, which they were
prepared to give upon the resolutions. The ,icto-
ries to- Which they refer were indeed OF unequal
magnitude and importance but the least important
OF them, II il had been obtained 5y the subjects OF
any government on the continent OF Europe, woclti
e,been heard with admiration and rewarded with
nunificenee The action between the Enterprize
and Boxer, from which the public eye appears to
nave been withdrawn by the greater magnitude, and
the contessed's superior spientor OF more recent
vietory-t action hiss shewn coac!usively a
contest between siuge ships could shew, the supcri.
ority ct American officers and over these o.
the nation which the continued slice of century
had proveI to he superior to al, the rest of the
world IA navsl warfare. Although Lieut.. Burrows
was MORALLY wounded early in this action yet TIE
skill and ealllntry with which he commenced IT, lesve
no doubt that il he had been longer spared TO the
wishes aud wants OF his csanry, the sane brilliant
success which resulted would have been OBJ ained
| under his Sonmsnd While the ability with which
Lieut.. Micah continued sud completed the eontes
assures To him distinguished fame n; If hc had
carried the, ye,s into action. The loss of a com
mander indeed may fairy be considered rs rendering
victory wore honorable to successor because Il
must render it more diGicult. II may be expected
10 confuse though lido not depress nut the victory
which wss achieved In forty minutes, with dispar
ty IN the effect OF the fire OF which there other
examples IT. .Yalerican history, such a victory could
! ouy have been achieved nv men who did not for 4
| moment lcsc their confidence their cool intre
piditr.
OF the victory on Lake Erie fN!r l.. ssid) tina, i,
was more dit2ult To sneak. 1t imposs bic fli
MN to.speak in terms which could convey asy ale.
| quate conception ofthe importance of the victory
otthe unrivale Excellence of the oicers of the era
utude of;he country Tie documents referred e
the cor 'nittee sufficiently prove tat superiority
! sN,r ha e.
insured thrir victory---fu were not the approuri
| ate character OF military genius II refute the cIl
c"a"ons which rely the superiority of urce. MOI
WIS tte -7ictory obtained over unskilfu push
luminous enemy. The English officers were brave
| snh experienced, and the slaughter on board Their
vessels before they surrendered, sufficient,
attest the bravery of their seamen. They wei,
Skitu' oiheers, sub'ued by the ascendancy of still
| superior SNH. They we're brave foe who yie.det
to vet drawer.
mere was one characteristic OF this action [Nr
L. saudi which seemed to him 80 strongly to dis
tngush II, that he could not forbear TO ask the a,
] teRuon OF the committee to II fnr a few moments
H. Enew not an instance in naval or military histo
ry'm which the success of the contest appeared S,
OBVIOUSLY to result from the personal of the com
mander as in this. When the crew of Cant Per
rvs Vessel lay bleeding around him when his sh;,
WIS., ueteneeless hospital; if he had wante,I--no
courage, which in American officer forms n,
''stnction-but if he hsd wanted that fertility o
resource which extracts from disaster The means
success and e'ory-he did not say if he had surren
dered his sr2, but If he lad obstnately defende,
her " he had gone down wrapped in his fac; if IN
nau pursued any other conduct hut that which h
iuiu pursue his associates might have emu,ated hi
desperate courage. but they mus, have shared hi
tiae' he battle lost. Now examine any oher vic
tory, however brilliant Fin the battle o. the Nil
i'ord nelson had fallen even by the first fire, doe
any man believe that il would have affected tie re
SUIT o. the contest In the battle o. Trafas. + he d
ian, ana victory never for a moment fut,ers,
rom what was then their CLOS u .ery-,he British
mast. And net only in this view was the victor,
OF capt Ferry unr!vaIled, but in the inheritance q
ita immediate sequences, he knew none in IN,
mooerh history OF naya! warfare that could be CON
pared with II.
An important territory i'm ediate!y rescued from
the grssp Of English power-uppermost Canada con
qnered or prepared for conqu stan ocean secu
red from the intrusion of every for ign raga from
tier of Thousand miles relieved from the hostile,
ofthe moseireadfll foe tha, civilized man has ever
known Nay, further, Capt Perry and his gailan
associates have not Only gwen victory in one quar-
ter, 'ut shown us how to obtain it in another ye
more Important
How deep is now the impression On every mind
mar we want but ships 10 give our fleets on the
Atlantic the success which has attended our sinrls
v sseh We ntbut sAips-we want then bat time
never nan nation when first obliged to engage in
the defence oI naval rights by naval means-nevcr
nal such n.tion the advantages of ours. The ma.
val g'ory OF other ststes has risen by continued e
or,--hy $40" gradston That Of the u. S. almost
without dawnI has burst upon The world in al the
snnden spiendor OF a tropical day. To such men
We can do no honor All records Of the presen,
time must be lost-histors must be a fable or 2
"nnk-:or their fame is secure. To TIE naval char
actsr OF the country our votes do no honor -
out we may secure ourselves from the imputatior
o. 'nsensb'iiy to ITS merit-We can express our ad
mration aRi oar gratitude,
I Mr.. l.. concluded by saying that the resolution
respecting tie capture Of the Peacock. pronosed b,
the committee of the House, was the ,suaI ex
preston of appreciation which in similar instance
had never been omitted II was an Inadequate me
9opsl OF the inert oan officer who devoted his liz
tc the honor of his country