Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-05-25


forever. These after.reckoniug' ought
to be rejected under such circumstances
without examination, because they cal.
do no good and the probability is that
they will do wrong. The long silence OF
the letter bears internal evidence OF the
iAlsehood Of the tale. And it is much
more likely that two old soldiers should
be blinded by personal prejudice than
that whole peop:e should pass cow
ard into the history Of the times as pro-
We bal for valor.
Suppose that the Duke OF Wellington
above mentioned were to die, and some
thirty or forty years after his death the
,edoubtabls Sir Hugh Dalrymple, that
base IDaltroon who gave up at the treaty
of Cintra all the advantages gained by
Sir Arthur Wellesley, rather than risk
his precious pot body in battle, were to
come forward and swear that the duke
vas coward, who would believe him I
l presume no enc in the whole world
Ye; that Sir Hugh Dalrymple would be
capable Of such giving out I'VE do know.
We are far from intending to derogate
from the character OF general Dearborn
sr the veteran Stark by comparing them
with Dairymple or calling their veraclty
or courase in question, but We mean to
illustrate BY the introduction Of that ca
lumniator's name the persuasiop We feel
that an improbable story will never make
us way against old strong established
evidence, and we think it ought MT, even
though it were intrinsica!ly true. 10
believe such things goes to the desruc-
ton Of that confidence among men, with
out which society cano. exist; or If 1t
could, would be worse than savage life.
I vas a standing advice to his sons Of
one of the ~isest and best Of the human
race, "Never tell an improbable story,
even though you know it to be true"
But what do We say-has not Ma
poleon B'naparte been called coward J
Rest quiet in thy coffin, then, old he"rt
Of oak, Putnam. When any man will
be secure against calumny, and not till
then, so will you. When Napoleon or
ellington, or Charles the lsth of Swe-
den, shall be believed to be towards, So
will you. ---
Extract Of a lette dated U. S. Frigate
Congress at sea-lat. IA, 81. long. 50,
42-Feb. IL, 1918.
"The king Of the Brazils was crowned
or rather proclaimed on the 9Th of Fe.
bruary. For three days we were almost
deafened by the roaring of artillery-for
tire. nights the city and houses in its vi.
entity were splendidly illuminated, and
the air filled with fre works Of various
sorts. We frequently rowed close in and
SO saw the show to advantage. In get
ting up such splendid pageants, despo-
tism .urpasses republics; this is indeed
its fort. Yet 70 briliancy OF lights or
tastetu!ness in their disposition could
make as republicans forget, that the mo-
ney thus wasted was plundered from the
people. We got nothing at Rio but wa
ter and insult. We were involved in an
unpleasant dispute with the Portuguese
government. A sailor | believe Por-
tugdcse) went on shore to act as interpre-
ter. lie made of, was seen day or
two day afterwards BY two OF our lieute
nants who seized him. lie claimed the
protection of guard of Portuguese SOL
diers who happened to be near, declaring
himself to be Portuguese subject.
They conducted him, our officers keep
ing their hold, to house which turned
out to be the office of the Port admiral.
Our officers when about leaving the pre-
sence of this parsonage, who not being
a uniform they knew not to be such, in
advertently put on their hats-'hey were
instantly charged with intending to in
suit one Of his n,ajesty's officer. The
hat Of enc taken forcibIy from bis head,
and the fist of Portuguese shaken in the