Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-10-24

y
| brethren OF La Plata. 1t will inspire conf
! deuce in all WHO are engaged in tle contest, il
VIII animate every Patriot with new zeal,
twill bestow respectabiity upon the cause
! IA iheir OwneNeS, which will cheeriuliy unite
al heait> in support of their independence.
Sueh MAS the feeling which the leco guitiVn OF
! our indsreidence produced. As the natural
head al amorica. IL will instantly increase our
importance in the eyes OF the w0fid.-S pain may
be inducHd AT last To put stop TO the horn ri
eiiuN.on OF human blood, and reuonDce an uu-
dertNkng Ia hich she never can prevail. An
understanding with the Patriot governments
oil south America, will also enable us To make
such arrangements, as may put stop To many
practices ana abuses, in which our character
asa nation as deeply interested"
TO THE EDITOR OF TIE ENQUIRER.
SiR-i perceive by the last number OF the
Teeaiy Register, that the Editor has icpublls,-
ed the communication made by me TO The En-
qufer, relative 10 COninOuores PORTER ana
iiLLHAR, together with Commodore Porter'S
explanation extracted from the National Iute-
ligencer. accompanied by some structures from
MIR. Niles himself. 4 bIs latter gentleman, with
an ingenuity peculiar 10 hlmSeit aud an ardor
for which hts useful and PATRIOTS lab0rs have
been distinguished, attempts 10 reconcile the
apparently conflicting declarations OF the Com
mOdorc, 10y adopting AN alternative winch
think, upon COO, reflection, his mature and i'm
partial Judgment would diSdNUw. Nay, am
sure that the chvair1us aud h. gh-minded Por-
ter himself would not be willing to adopt the
couseQ an their full extent, to which his
explanation might lead. But let me be more
distinct III stating the proposition and infer
J ence winch understand 10 be admitted by
hm-CommOdore Hillyar has been guilty ct a
base violation of every principle OF honor and
generosity, aud mOreoN CT antOnly and treach-
erousl> mbrucd his HANDS az Uiood but Com.
Hiil>ar among the most honorable of British
naval officers. Now, what is the syiIOgiStic con-
Cusion but that even the very Desi OF the i.rit-
sh naval officers are base, treacherOuS and cru
lllS 1A.rnH
GRAFTON that Com. Porter was marked cat as
| the peculiar object OF British Indignation and
outrage-a distinction which agree with Tie
| Weekly Register was honorable 10 h!m-and
| had This sweeping anatbenia been huileu III
his adveIsaries before the termuatIon OF the
| war, when the remembrance OF his wrongs
was fresh, 1t might readily have been placed
| to the account Of a noble and eXaSperated
spirit.--But | hope the Commodore wIn
! pardon me, If at tins late period, when the
| passions kinded by the late wdt have In
| degree subsidized aud men have leisure to sur.
| vey past events with an appropriated eye,
| | cannot agree with him To involve in imlI,-
| eliminate ccnsuIe and repi obatiOn--a partlcn-
| lar class OF meu, commencing with tae really
| generous and humane and passing through ev-
! cry shade and graduation OF guilt TO the vile AID
| diShon0rable-Nay, | doubt very much whe-
| ther such course of uudistinguishiug vitupe-
! ration, dues not weaken the effort 10 tx upon
| the really guilty, the stain Of merlted ntamy
In justlilca alton therefore of the unwiillngnesS
| COmmodoreS uote, which lac has himself ayow-
| ell, permit Inc to furnish you with few exam
! pies among many others, going to- shew that
some British AaCut OficfrS at least are not only
| free from the odium Inch atiaches to the grea-
ter number, bat are actually entitled to our
respect and admiration for their gallant, hui
| name and honorable conduct. For this pnr-
| pose will contne myself to d single volume
| OF the Weekly Register, not having leisure to
| examine the reSt--And first let us advert TO
| correspondence between Commodore Porter
| himself and Captain Il. NJ II. Lanshorne, Com
| mander OF the British slOOp of var Alert, al
| ter the capture OF that vessel (W. IL. vol. 3,
| p. 42(-The Commodore having a number OF
| Prisoners, proposed to his adversary, that the
| Alert should be fitted out a cartel 10 convey
! them to some Brush port, but that hmSNif
| should he detained as Il hostage for the fulfil
ment of the terms of the cartel. Captain
! taughorne demonstrates against what he calls
an indirect suspicion against the faith of the
! British Government, and Porter finally agreed
| that he shOHid have liberty to proceed with the
| prisoners, stating, that he had sufficiently
| eviBced IN two former instances " that he en-
| iertaiHed the highest confidence in the honor
| and fa;th of the British Government rs res.
| poets the fulhlment OF contracts entered Into
| by their officers. Now, do not contend that
| Commodore Porter might not with pTOpriety
| lave used this language at that tlme-beng
| early IN the war and before he could have had
| sufficient experience of the Enemy's conduct
| but this arrangement with Captain LanEnOfne
| proves, that he had confidence i'll the honor OF
| that otficer-amd upon that confidence gave
! hun lis liberty; and we nave never understood
| That captain L.. did not punctua.ly comply with
! his engagements.
Agaim-ueitherthe w eekly Register nor ON.
| Porter have surely forgotten, that Decatur at
| ter the capture of the Macedonian refused the
sword but took the hand OF Capt. Garden in
| token for his private esteem for that officer =
| and that in one of Bainbridge's letters after The
destruction of the Java, (see page al that a.
| miable officer said" The Java was exceed
! ina GatI nd hr.,,- .4fta,, d..I
| lambert, whose death / sincerely regret was
distinguished gallant officer and ,00rthy mum ,"
| -Once more.-Who has forgotten, the humane,
| generous and excellent Byron, aud ms tieat
| ment 10 tile gallant Capt SOTthcOmb, and his
| two wounded tarS: His eulogy is recorded by
! Stewart and the Editor Of the Weekly Regis
| Ter declared that his maa,y behavior would
| nave been requlted thousand fold, should the
| fortune OF war have thrown him into orr hands
| page Alb. But it j. useless to multiply exam
! pies, where solitary case would De sufficient
| q" Ftdt jH>titid" is an invaluable maxim, ana is
well Interpreted in the trltJ saying" Gre tn ,
| Dtra has due. ...Let me close, by distinctly
| disc'aiming any WISH TO charge upon Com.
| Porter Inconsistency, after the explanations ri.
| ven by him AM convinced his intentions were
! pure, however ambiguous his manner of ex-
! preston, or unjust the consequences which
| might be inferred from it, His name is alrea
| dy brilliant IN history; and Britain herself will
| long remember the defeat which she sustain
| ed IN the very moment of her triumph over
! hun. 81.
| ~ The Department of War is still empty
! The Office was rendered by Mr. madisoa 10 MIR
| Lowndes of G. and lately by MIR. Monroe
| but ne declines. Would it not be best to an
| point some gentleman of the army, who stands
! high IN the confidence of the country TO this
arduous authorizations, because the Secre-
| tary has sometimes to deal with impctuOus spi-
| rus, made still more impetuous by the repuia.
ton they have won during the late war?
! q.