Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-06-17
DARTMooR PRISON.

has proved so fatal to number of Ame-
rican seamen at Dartmoor prison, calls
for investigation. The manner inwhich
this subject has been noticed in the Go
yernment paper at Washington is unsatis-
factory. Although no direct charge of
delinquency ON the part of Mn. Beasley,
the agent of prisoners, is made, the insi-
nuations against this officer, inserted in
other journals, and alluded to in the Ma
tional Intelligencer, deeply affect Mr..
Beaseley's reputation. AS the Govern
ment Editor has access to the means of
indicating Mr.. Beaseley, if innocent,
the want ofthis yindication authorizes a
pretty strong inference to his disadyan-
tage, especially as Mr.. Beasely was APP
| pointed by the present administratoin,and
is moreover Virginian. Whether this
omission is to be ascribed to the delin-
! quency OF Mr.. Beasely, or has proceeded
from a knowledge Of neglect on the
| part of the administration, We are unable
to decide.
The Treaty Of Peace was ratified at
Washington on the 18th of February.
'Ehe Fayorite, the British ship which bro't
the treaty to this country, ard carried
back its exchanged ratification, arrived
in England on the 18Th Of March, and the
peace was proclaimed in London on the
18th of March.
The long detention Of the American
prisoners the Impotence with which
they would bear coaline nent after hear
ing of the conclusion Of peace; the i'm
| portance of their early return, as well to
| the public, as the commercial marine of
the country, are considerations which
could not have escaped the minds of
prcvident administration: The moment
that the treaty was ratified, prompt and
adequate measures should have been a
dopted to bring the prisoners home. Z.
very other nation is vigilantIy attentive
to this subject: Ships therefore should
have been dispatched from this country,
or orders sent to Mr.. Beasely, authorising
him to take up in England a sufficient
number Of vessels to bring the prisoners
home.
No ships were sent from this country,
and we ask whether seasonable orders
we're dispatched to Mr.. Beasly to take up
vesseis ia England? if such orders were
dispatched, and SIr. Beasly omitted to
execute them, he is state criminal, and
ought to BE bret to exemplary justice.
Nearly month had elapsed after the
arrival of the Favorite and the procIama-
ton of Peace, before the destructive oc-
currence took place at Dartmoor Prison.
At this late period no measures appear
to have been taken for the discharge of |
the prisoners who were not only igno-
rant when they should be released, but
were agitated by rumor that they were |
ourposely detained in order to be deli |
yered over to the American ships of war,
which, it was said, were expected in En-
gland for the purpose of receiving and |
employing them in the expedition to the
Mediterranean.
This want of information, which Mr..
Beasely, if apprised of the views of 90
vernment, ought to have removed, must |;
have excited extreme solicitude: and. |
when connected with the rumor, that has |!
been mentioned, in some sort excuses the
rash attempt, which is stated with what |
correctness we know not) to nave been !;
made by the Prisoners to rescue them !
selves from longer confinement. /
The administration or Mr.. Beasely J!
have been in fault. If the administra- |
ton omitted to take early measures for the
return of the prisoners, or if after all |
their apparent zeal for sailors rights,
they meditated the scheme which we do |
not believe the rumor of which appears
to have reached and distracted the pri-
soners, Mr.. Beaseiy must be deemed in
accent, for without instructions he could |
give no explanations to the prisoners: an |
agent for prisoners, be possessed no au-
thority to charter vessels to bring them |
home; unless instructed concerning the |
views Of the administration, he could not |
know that they would not send out Ame-
rcan ships for the prisoners-other ma
tens usually find public ships, men Of |
war of the first class, to bring home their
prisoners, and we confess ourselves who'll
ly at loss to conjecture a single motive.
which can have influenced Mr.. Beasely |
to have neglected to execute with prompt
ness any instructions that he may have
received.
If however the administration have