Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-08-17
VIRCENIA ANGUS.
Ife M3pnEe- jdnGiS et sonveht discufc=.
Richmond, tgasf Il, 1876.


The Editor of the National Register, a week.
PAPER publ'shedal the Ci,y OF Washington,
his last number, thus introduces Conimodor
poricr's letter to William Cob5ctt, which W.
; copied rto the Argus of the 10th Inst.
ICAPr. PORTER AND THE QUARTERLY
REVIEW
In recording the following correspon.
dence, we cannot refrain iIum expressing
our astonisbment at 80 novel a projecting
on the part Of Captain Psrter. We confess
ourselves at a loss how to account for it,
exceptby surprising the cDmmudore's indig-
nation. aud not his reflection, was awake.
We did not suppose Tia the whole tribe OF
garulous Britishwriters, whose trade IS dcifa-
nation, and who riot in the spoils OF repu-
tation aud virtue, could have called from
our naval heroes one drop of ink--heroes,
who, by their skill, enterprise, aud prowess
have established on honest fame, at the ex-
jense of their foes a fame that wants no
lax or paper support. The shafts o! its ca
umniatcrs, like arrows hurled at the sun.
only rcbonnd upon the heads of the assail-
ants, whilst dignified silence is preserved
by the persons attacked. The English na-
tiop NOW stands hulnbed and chaerined
they feei their disgrace, and like some pet
fish old woman, they are DESTROYS 20 cover
their shame with multitude Of Wo,tls, and
ii they canbiipg into the dispute the pens
OF those whose words have inflicted the
ranking wound, they hatter the,nselve,
with the hope of victory. At the worst
they have nothing to lose.
We cannot but believe, that If Capt.
Porter had given the snbject little more
reflection, he wonid have considered it de-
serving has contempt. lie now possesses,
and long has done, the good opinion of all
the virtuous AMI good citizens of his own
country and the void and nothing he
can say in reply to the attacks of his wick
ed calumnators can increase il. The cir
cumstarces which gave rise to this CORES
rondence are these: In number of the
Quarterly, Review, edited by one Clifford,
who, it seems, is employed by the mem
bers OF the British governments. there an
reared a base and abusive attack On the
character OF commodore Porter. This az
ticle was considered too gross even TO be
noticed by the American editors, until
man who was NICE known In this country
by the appellation of Peter Porcupiae, and
who now. calls himself CoBBErT, voiun-
tered his services, and abused Oxford in
return, thereby preparing the way To intro
duce himself to captain POrter's notice, to
whom be addressed letter through the me-
dunn of his Political Register. and to which
| com. Porter has ccndcscended to reply"
| We perfectly coincide in opini IN with me Edi-
tor OF she Register, that the letter was most pro-
badly written by the Commodore, uadsr an ex-
citement produced by the h!iberal anglIaee OF
! Reviewers who could not avoid venting their
CFp tNlafs Orlsr Il.
val officer, who had rendered himself pecuIisrly
ohnox:ous.to Their government by the persever-
2nce and activity displayed by him in tles' rowing
/ her commerce ma remote region besides tie
I capture OF the Essex in neutral mort, after a
! sangunary combat, uneXampied i'm the annals of
naval warfare, where disgrace only, perched up
I'm the crests OF tie conquerors--and tire details
of this battle becoming known TO the world. by
the publication Oft the Commodore's Journal, was
| an Involvement 10 those Reviewers, TO display 10
the English people, our hero, in the garh OK one
| OF Their own buccaneers, in order to weakea the
impression which would be produced upon the
nnd OF every one, who would peruse his manly,
candid account OF his chvalrous cru:ze
We should suppose that our naval officers stood
in no need OF encomiu:ns from Cobbett, 10 rcn.
der their merit apparent 10 the eyes of all Eu-
| rcpe-on the contrary, we are inclined 70 think
| they would operate injuriousIy. His notorious
violations OF truth, in his description of this
country Immediately on his return from it to
England, would alone be sufficient for every en-
| lightened man, to receive with rnistrus, any Of
hs communications OF statements So long as
| CObbett hoped 60 receive that statue If rail
(which MIR. Wndham declared he had merited
for his services in ATnercS, he continued his -
buse OF this country and its political institutions
disappointed in his expections, he became the
lThersites of his country. His lbels obtained
him sresidence in Newgate, aud shut out from
the world he was enabled to think more accu
rately of political institutions. men and measure
The then discovered that America whose inha
bitanis he had libelleA ard whose institutions he
had rid culed, was The only free and heppy TO
Ivemment and that his beloved thinking people
lof England, were taxed nation.
HIS endeavours TO render himself popular in
America are too Flarng-andhis fulsome hatte-
ries Of the men whom lie had formerly attempt
led to stigmal &c, are despjcablein the extreme
and could be uttered only by Goblet,
We would not wish TO be understood as saying,
Goblet never tells truth, but whenever we Dc
ect man in an untruth, our reliance on his We
tacty rests a Sandy fuGndaton-We were dis
Iposed 10 lay before our readers such of his let.
tiers as we deemed Interesting. When his pro-
sails appeared for publishing bis Registerin Ills
country and he to edi: it residing in England, We
EXPIRE sed ourselves freely ana openly against e.
because we deemed il an insult 10 the mders,an-
ldings OF the people, and because we did not wish
20 have press in America, the vehicle for pro-
Navigating TO the world tissue Ofmisrepresent,
tons, which, the writer, having the fear ofNcw
gate before luis eyes, dared not publisi in his own
country.
OJTbe increasing i'll heslIi Of Mr. Girstdin,
has obliged him to suspend, for q time, his Ed.
tOrial labots. On his retUrn from the country he
will resume his duties with Increased activity.
Bosrox, August 8.