Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-08-10
POLITICAL.


origin of the following letters. In late
number of the British Quarterly Review,
there appeared "A basely abusive attack on
the character of Commodore PORTER, the
accomplish hero of the Essex This ar
ticle we did not notice, nor did we COPY the
comments that had been made on it, be-
cause it appeared to US unworthy even of
castigation. Mr.. Cobbett, the celebrated
British writer, has. through the medium of
his Register. addressed the Commodore on
this subject, in an article which we have
taken the liberty to insert below, as being
the groundwork of the letter in reply to
it. We are pleased at tbs opportunity of
spreading Capt. Porter's letter before the
public eve.
[ From CO66ett's Register Of .4hrH 27.1
TO COMMODORE DAVID PORTER.
OF THE UNITED sTATEs' NAVY.
Botley, 27M .AhrR, 1916.
SIR,
In the last Quarterly Review but
one, there was very base attack uDon
your character and conduct. In order to
convince you. that you ought not to sup.
pose that all my countrymen approved of
such vile publications, / inserted in No. IL
of this volume, letter to the author or ed
itor OF that work, whose name is JTillfqD,
Clifford. ] there gave an account of this
literary hero; but in my statement of what
he received out of our taxes. was, find i,
guilty OF an omission, which now proceed
to correct. said that he had been re-
warded with sinecure Of more than 30Ol
under the title OF Clerk of'the FOREIGN Is
treats, and that he was ComEiissioue, of
the Lottery. But now find that he has
another place that is, the place of Pau
master ofthe Band of Gentlemen Pensio,,-
eys, at 30ol. year. A most suitable Office.
you will say, for the whipper-in of a set
of hired Reviewers What particular
Band of pensioners this may be, do not
know. Perhaps the whole Band NAV be
Reviewers if so, sir, leave you to guess
what chance the journal of your celebra-
ted cruize stood in their hands
gave an account in No. / of the con-
duct OF this writer in inc cases of Peter
Pindar and Anthony Pasquin, and also of
the conduct and character OF the Judge
Kenyon. In short, ! Showed what the
business of Reviewing really was, in Eng
lan'. But, sir, must again beg of YOU
and your countrymen and all foreigners, to
keep your eye steadily fixed upon this fact,
that writers like Mr.. Clifford are in this
Country absolutely in fay of the govern
ment that is to say, they live upon the
taxes, and OF course assist i'm producing
paupersm and misery. This is not the
case in yorr country. There a writer. if
he get rich, or if he live by the pen, must
receive his income from the people who
voluntarily buy his works. There he neeo
care little about his readers--his H0t, ers
are the only persons that he need care for.
or that he does care for. This writer must
have known very well how base it was IN
him to assault your character, in the man
ger that he did what shameful prosti-
tuition OF talent he was guilty of but his
mind had for many years been made ND to
that, and had been scar. against all re-
flsctions Of this sort.
You will naturally ask, how we can to-
lerats, how we can endure, how we can
submit to see our money raised from us IN
taxes, and Gained with our sweat and al.
most with or very blood Won will nat,,-
raliy ask, how We can submit 70 see our
money gwen TO a man like this, while we
see nary two millions Of paupers over
sW 81 we lfnel 1T indeed, he had ever in
n ~ ''ne rendered any sort OF service to
tnS country nthe had served, at any time
.. MS HHs IN q q army. the navy. or in a
ny o'"Sr oran1i OF public business, there
o'snt De somesxcuse forthe heaping o.
mes sums oi1noney on him but, to give
! D ior. RcigrM,e ,,1 -, 49,