Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-07-26

Your obedt. humble Servant
- &. COOPER, Private Secretary
Edmund Ward, Esq.
Editor of the Royal Gazette, Bcr,nudas..
BERMUDA, 18th April, 1915
STR--Permit me to acknowledge the receipt OF
your letter Of the 18th instant stating the great
surprise of His ESeellency the Governor and Com
mander in Chief, at paragraph which appeared
IN the last Royal Gazette, relative 10 Commodore
Decatur. 49,
beg SIR, you VIII inform hiS Excel.cncy the
Governor and Commander in Chief that while II
feel much rvsret that any production of nine
should have excited HIS Exceliency's displeasure,
it is increased BY the reflection that paragraph
chould have called Firth His Excellencys censure,
which was direct ed against anoffcer, whose con-
duct has been most unwarr2ntab!e and glaring'y
incorrect.
No person Sir, can be more fully impressed
han am with the conviction, that "the glorles
or the British Navy do not require tie aid of
false colouring :" nor can any one more severely
censure any wilful misrepresentation land altho'
the gallant conduct ofcapt. Hope, and his ships
company is firmly established" yet Tcannot
ceve any Improperly, in supporting their cha
racter against every attempt to njurc it hya VIM
dictive foe.
At this tir;e ITis Ezcellency requested me to
contradict the original paragraph, relative to the
concealmesrt ofthe men. Icertanly did think that
HIS Exc cheney thereby merely wished to render
Com. Oecatur's situation more agreeable; His
Excellency observed tn me 4" that he was prison.
e., that he had been dining about in company with
British officers the day before at one Eouse and
the day prev. Gus at another, and that he was TO
dine with his Ezceliency that day and wished
me to send up one Of the contradictory bills for
Com. Decatur's perIsal at His Excelency's table;
and was further induced 10 believe that such
was his Excelicncy's intention, as when I obscrv-
ed that the report came from 1t. Morgan OF the
Endymion who brought the Pres.tlen in, His Ex-
cellency rs1uestslme not o mention thatcircum-
stance, as it would occasion co'rrt-nartisl on
that officer. Most assuretly slr,I quilted Gov
eminent House with impression on my mind,
that had gwen circulation to a report, which
could not be traced to an authentic source, and
under that mpressionI issued the apology.
Ills Eyce!lency can better conceive thanI can
express, nav modification and surprise, when Sc
veral gcrtleraen informed me they would make
oath, that Lieutenant Morgan had not only Ie-
clared positively, that he found the men conceal
ell on board the President, but that he showed
them the place where he confined them in irons
My situation was thus rendered embarrassing
IN the extreme, and meeting an officer of high
rank, then here on his way to England, told HIM
the whole affair; need saw Sir, he was much
surprised at the circumstance, and as he never
understood that the report came from officers af
the Endymion, or indeed that there was any foun-
daton for II he concluded His ExceIlencv had
be II m;sinformed, and advised me to wait on him
ard have it explained.
lie however informed me the same day, tina,
ne had made enquiries and that numb or OF men
were found on board which were not supposed 20
have been there: but that it was the opinion Of
officers he bad convcrsed with, they were left
there through mistake. I Expressed inv gratifi-
cation OF the handsome conduct of the gentlemen
OF the navy, who had placed so char. table con-
struction upon the act of the Americans and
should never have agitated the uhect seain, had
il not been asserted in the Na;onai Intelligenccr
that 7 had contradicted an erroneous statement
which had published, Of the capture Of the
President
his Exeellency believe was fully satisfied with
tie Willingness expressed to contradict state
| ment which I was informed by his Excellency &
had enormously put forth & presume he view
| Ell With pleasure, the eagerness with which has
tened to atone for what, at the moment conce;v-
| ed 10 be" a wRnton insult offered 90 an enemy
who then being Under the protection the British
nag was entitled to peculiar marks ofdehcacy and
| attention.
Unjust repeat, Sir, that should never have a-i
lated TINS SUB ect OF the coaccalment of the men,
had rot my contradictory publication "a publ
cation 60 loose and dsjointed, that from its tenor
IT could rot be ascertsIned To what it REFERRED
| been misconstrued although I was always 81
/ I
if comraitted, should neither be pall!ated nor con
ceA!o,l.
now come TO that part Of your letter, sir,
which more Immediately rela e. 70 the publication
which appears to have called for his exceIiency's
interference nor can conceive how it contains
any reflection upon either capt Hope or the Br.-
itch nation, which requires contradiction rs the
onli part Of which alludes to that officer is j
declaration, "that If a m sappled del.cacy ofse7.
tifnent lmpelled capt. Hope to urge the step we
took, com. Decatur should have Justly apprecat
cd the noble principle upon VII ch-he acted"
should lament extremely Sir, lf supposed
for moment, that his excellency could conceive
would cast an aspsrson upon Com. Decatur N
bis absence, which would not do A" were ne pre-
! sent 70 defend himself" II must be admitted
that hs assertion in his last ocal letter relative
TO nlyselfls false ,--he does not make the least
reference 10 the statement published Of the
concealment i--but after having stated that " Z
considerable number fhs killed and wounded
was from the fire Of the Pomone - that the I'm
dynion hsd on board masters mate and so mer
belon2inato the saturn;" that his sword was &c
livered 10 capt Hayes, and politely returned
and that the British admit The President was
captured 81 tic squadron !" which he asserts
chad been differently stated in the BerInnds Ga.
zette, on his arrival there, which statement nc de
clares" tie editor was compelled 10 retract."
Now, Sir, permit me to ask If he could have
published an assertion more destitute Of fouudat