Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-03-15
PUBLISHED BIZ
PHILIP DU-vAL & Co.
From Cob6en's Weekly Register, Dec. TO-
AMERICAN BRAVERY.


bic interest, allow me to make sonie desul-
tory remarks upon It, which may have a,
beneficial. influence ON some, at least, OF
your readers Whether the advantage is
or Is y y in our favor, at ti;is ssage q sbs
e;cstesf, IL IL uDtny purpose O es-pr:, ne.
But the gatisntry displayed by the Re. rb>
iicans in particular cases, appears TO sur
pass any thing on record in the history of
mankind, il the accounts can be relied on.
General Drummond's report of his action
with their land forces cannot be questioned,
and the resolute onset on that occasion,
cannot be read without shiverius kind OF
astonishment, which leaves little power of
analysing the feelings of the mind, struck,
eghast, trans6xe6, aud recoiling. But the
account which you gave of the naval action
at Fayal, exceeds that and every thing
which man has'eyer heard Of ard 1 am,
own, led TO doubt the correctness of the
statement. Whether oar force was en-.
ployed regularly or not, must be left to fu
cure elucidatinn. I believe. from the cha.
racrsr of our naval officers, it will - found
that no impeach of them will finally be
proved. kut, taking the account which
you have Published to be. in other respects,
exact, must confess that no parallel trans
eetion has ever come to my knowledse.-
What to admire most, the deliberate con
duct, or the desperate vaior of these men,
becomes 3 question of difficulty. The CON.
Snander frst makes enquiry of The Portu.
guese authorities as to his safety-he then
sbstains from hostility till he is actually at
tacked, and the aggression becomes un-
DOUBTED. Now, having repulsed the assail-
ants, he rows his tiny vessel under the peu.
trail fort, that his station may be no prob.
lem. When called upon there to act, he
and his brave crew, seemingly we'll prepar-
ad for the worst, dealS destruction on the
enemy vim almost supernatural good for
tune and success AS Tong az resistance
could be made, with hope OF glory, Tor there
could have been none OF final safety, they
remain at their post, to encounter, after
every struggle; a ship Of superior force.
which could not want a superabundance OF
hands for offence and cefence--and beat her
of. Not seeing any good from proloaging
. con EST, ia which they DESTROY more than
twice heir owr humber. they -sgAer their
scocE- aes ru-s.vt lsfiv. s.i4l -. ~,
pursued and ilemRn0ed. tia Sgoigs. Win
their small numbers, to brave danger 10 the
last. end cceupy position on land, deter
mined TO render as dear as possible tkeir
eventual fall before such superior force
Thisiaet determination is the essence of he.
roisnn /; 1t drives one wild with admiration.
But the features of the contest which
throw the most brilliant lustre, on il, are
the imposing force that surrounded the un /.
daunted Republicans, and the high qualities
of the enemy whom they had to encounter
A prIvateer. sir ; yes, a privateer of or
~ guns, no matter which. sees at anchor by
Its side. an English -, au English frigate,
and an English brig Of war, 6. even the last
of superior force and yet it ressts -
VAyo,,Id any man have eNparfaI NJ tbet
would not have scutticd their canoe, on the
slightest appearance of hostility, taken to
their boats, and made the best Of their way
60 land, which they would have been fully
Justified in doing : Tell me, when the Eng
lish have ever met with an enemy such as
the Americans had TO tug With in fhent.--
When, where Unless in this war and
the Republicans are at last allowed to be
antagonists worthy of us. But an observa-
tion forces itself on me at this place, and
do not study method. How inconsistent
with the national honor, and how contra :
dictory in themselves, >are our words and
actions with respect to the Americans -
At one moment it woald seem that they are
cowardsy, base aud cruel--but even our
ss'eds 11en, at the same moment, speak of
their humanity as so extraordinary, as to
indicate an inclination to place themselves
snder our protection while our prints,
with the siilest reluctance, are forced TO
give such sccopnts Of their noble daring.
as alone can justify our forces when zDorst-
ed by them This reluctance call silly,
because it is even more silly than il is envi-
GUS and grudging for unless they ysdmit the
superior galantgy of the victor, what is the
conquered N the pame Of Brittle h reDoWn .
Ard yet I cannot think it less silly to give
such uneouiyocal MARKS of acknowledge
nent OF the galIsntfy Of cur foe as we nave
done, in the waywardness of the mixed ad
n1iration aud scofhng with which we have
loaded him. Such conduct may have an
ill effect upon the morals of our gallant sea-
men end soldiers, and make them suspect
that success is equiyocaI, than which mo-
thing can be more Injurious to H. There.
fore, cannot say that / think CO. Broke
should have been made Baronet, or that
he should have accepted the distinction, for
IL is proclaiming, that to capture avs Ame
rlcan ship ofeqnaI or nearly equal force, is
some great achievement. Perhaps the en-
envy may have nerited this compliment ;
for, surely, It is no compliment 20 any one
else without their having their full share oi
IL; yet, Il is not always right to blazon to
our force how much we rate the skill aud
sourage Of our antagonists, though it is both
cowafdly and III policy to deny that he pos-
sesSes them, after meeting Us in a way 10
conten, the most ambitious OF fame. But |
aun tired Of these Inconsistencies and con
sradicttcpe and shall 90 on with NJ r.