The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-04-15


eastward, under a press OF sail, with royal,
songallGnf, tot,n,asf, and io1oer siuddiag sails
set." IL IS evident, therefore, that at the time
tie Endymion ceased arm, SIZE was incapa-
cipated FOR action. the President having such
superior advantages in sails, spars, and rig
ging, that had Size been alone vita the En-
dyluiol, She would nave. been enabled
20 sail rouad her, and Chosan her position
& without any risk ofinjury 20 herself would
have sunk tho enemy o. Compelled him to
surrender. Noen.ng bat the Approach of the
other ships obliged eie Presst ut to abandon
the battered hull and SO sensible were the
officers of the Ponene or this, that they pub
liclv declared, that If they nad their due
they would DC paid ior the re-ega.are of the
Endy nlion.
Bne il the Endymion were really in better
tim alan the President, why did she suffer
her To sail off unmoestei, presenting her
stern for halt an hour, IL a situation to- be
completely raked' The Gazette ASSERTS that
the EudS guion did not FIRE, because the Pre-
sidene had struck--.and accuses the commo-\
dore of having attempted to escape after sur
render. Is It probable that a victorious ship
would suffer a vanqpished one, with royal,
topgallanr. topmast and lower studding-sails
set," quietly to sail away from her, without
pouring a broadsdc into her stern, or even
ordering her TO heavc tor A4
The true cause of the Endymion's ceasing
TO fire, has at Length come out. 1t is "A fact,
susceptible of Praof, that Capt. Hosie, finding
the fire of the President too hot for him,
hauled Off and or Tered his crew TO lie down,
assigning as reason, that as the rest oy the
squadron wcull soon be up, il was useless to
sacrifice any rsore lives. Seeing. however,
the President resume her Course, capt. Hope
esdeayored to get his men to quarters again,
but fund il iInpossiblc--three gcas fns 10
death BIZ tic officers in tie effort. 1t is true,
that after the President was out OF yunshot,
they turned out with great intrepidity, TO
bend new sails, and the editor of the Gazette
breaks out into expressions of admiration at
the cooicesS with which they performed this
hazardous duty. There is very little doubt
that, by this time, they were perfectly cool
ed but British writer's must be sadly at
loss 10 find cause of praise Of their sailors,
when they lana them, for having nerve G.
nough TO bend sail after the action was O.
It may seem an idle task, to take such no.
dee of The fsbrications of this hireiing printer.
He has already undergofe the only kind OF
punishment appropriate to animals Of his spe-
cies, having received the cl;astseEient Of dog,
from the cane of one OF our gallant young mid
shiprneG. But there is reason to believe that
his rnistatensnts have been insiiiously abet-
ted aird encouraged. If not, why is ne suf-
fered 10 rciterate them, without coatradic-
ton and that, too, when Bermuda swaTms
with British officers, who know their utter
iaIsty Are they ignorant that it is the duty
OF A generous foe, to protect the character, rs
well SO the person Or va1quished enemy |!
Or is there any British officer. whose am
btion Gescends so low, as to attempt TO fitch
away, by the ISLANDERS Of the pea what
Gould never acquire, by the valcr Of the
sword
1t may appear uncharitabie, but circum-
az u,-,l
that captain Hope has 2 sneaking inclination
to gain, by hook OF by Crock, the credit OF
capturing the President Why else, beside
permitting the before mentioned SANDERS to
have full circulation, has he sccepted a piece
osplate from number of citizens % st. Gcor-
ge's, presented to him as the exclusive cap
tor of the President These good folks, with.
out me litihg the least IRONY; complinented
him for his ereGt moiteSfy after the action
thcrcis little doub. that he could scarcely
speak of the affair without some blushing,
though there must have been q considerable
struggle between his di.Edence ard his vanity,
when lie consented to receive reward for an
action in which ne might thank his powerful
companions that he was lot eitlIer captured
Or sent to the bottom.
Since this notable piece of mummery, the
Endgmion has sailed for England with the
President, as her firize, evidently to keep up
the popular deception. 1t is unfortunate, how
ever, that there are so many champions claim
ing this victory, otherwise the statements of
the Bermuda printer, and tie present of the
, meeting at st. Georges might have produced
some impression at home. The officers of
fle POmone have published an account of the
action, which has been before no.i~ed, and
agrees with commodore Dccatur's ( ,cal let
ter, excepting that part which speaks of the
distance OK the other ships at the moment of
surrender. In this particular the Pomone,
who has also lurking notion of being con-
sdered the captor, states, that the Fenedos
was nat more than three miles OF. The fact
Is, that when the Pomone hailed upon the
Iarb0ard bow, the Tenedos hailed upon The
staeboard quarter, and the Majestic, race,
was close astern And another circumstance,
which clearly shows the relative situation of
tie vessels, is, that the boat of sle Tenedos
vas first on board, * there was DISPUTE on
the quartcr-decl, CT the President, as 20 which
snip she had surrendered. This dispute was
sub nitted 20 commodore Decatur, Hho in
formed the parties tIat lie had surrendered
10 the ships which surrounded him. Here,
therefore, we nave tbres ships claiming the
victory.
The editor Of the Bermuda Gazette be-
trays his ignorance Of nautical affairs in as
sorting that light shown in the rigging at
night is signal of surrender. ON the con