Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-06-08

|of honor that il was the uniform practice
of the American Commanders 10 Chief,
without regard to comparative rank or
locality, to answer with an equal number
of guns the salntes OF all foreign ships of
war. !" he Mould giue fresh orders for mn
satufe being so returned';r but that as the
practices of all other services with which
he had had communication, was to return
from flag ship two guns less to the sa-
luies of ships Of war not bearing flag
Iof corresponding rank his Instructions
hitherto had been to that effect; and that
an alteration Of the customary mode of
proceeding, SO far as regards the United
States, mast be regulated By the comn,u-
nication 1 might make ca the subject. y
The offensive style Of lis first letter
had not considered necessary to notice in
my answer. Therefore, had only replied
that declined saluting, and assigned my
reasons for it; reasons which we're obi
gatory upon me, and oueht to have been
satisfactory TO him. My letter could no.
be misunderstood, and as Lord C's second
communication still implied the necessity
of my saiuting, it was necessary not only
to repeat my intention not TO salute at all,
but to give him to understand that would
not suffer myself 10 be ordered out of
port. My answer, therefore, was, that as
| declined saluting altogether, it was not
necessary to enquire whether a salute
from the ship under my command should
be answered by an equal or by a less
number of guns that salute from a ma
tional vessel, upon arriving at foreign
port, was matter of courtesy only; that
it was entirely optional; that it was some.
times practiced, it was oftentimes omitted
that in respect TO what he mentioned OF
the Essex, / thought he must be misin-
formed, since was persuaded that my
friend, Captain cambridge, who COM
manded the Essex in 1902, would not
have permitted himself to be ordered out
|of port in the manner he had stated. n
This produced from Lord Cocllrsne a
third letter, wherein he says, that my
first letter, in which stated that my visit
10 him was in my capacity Of an officer
of the United States, and was intended as
az evidence Of respect to the officer COM
handing the naval forces of Chill, had in-
duced him to conceive there could be no
intention OF disrespect TO she flag Of Chill,
in the omission of salute, and the more
$50, as the very next sentence 10 that letter
very candidly stated that i was aware it
was usual on the arrival of vessel of
war at foreign port, to salute publicly
and that it was my knowledge Of this cir
cumstance that had induced me upon ar
irving at the port in January last, to ac-
quaint the Governor / would pay the
customary salute, if an equal number Of
guns would be returned he desires me to
judge then his establishment on receiving
my written declaration, that my letter was
intended to decline saluting altogether,
and that therefore it was not necessary to
enquire whether salute from the ship
under my command should be answered
by an equal or a less number of guns.
This he says is public matter. But he
desires me to judge Of his private senti-
ments, when he finds me add that salute
from national vessel, upon arriving at
foreign port, is matter Of courtesy only );
that ii is entirely optional; that it is some.
times practiced; it is oftentimes omitted;
he says it is incontestible, that 10 no port
of civilized nation, are an equal number
Of guns returned by the power who may
be saluted; that as TO the incident no
ticed 10 his letter, he has not erred in
fact, though he may have committed a
mistake in incidental triHes that he
plainly perceives the awkward circum-
stances in which I am placed that / my
self could not regret them more than he
did I; that it would deprive him Of what,
previous to receiving my last letter, he
should have deemed pleasure, namely, Of
paying his respects to me, which now con-
sistently he could not do, without such an
explanation as shall reconcile the seeming
contradiction Of my public letters.
As to Lord Cochrane's private senti-
ments, had as little to do with them as
/ had to do with his private character );
with respect to the mode OF all civilized
NOTE.
The following extract of letter from Com
modore cambridge to Capt. Biddle. viii prove
how totally without foundation is the story of Lord
Coehrane -
Son my anchoring at Gibraltar in 1909, where
Admiral Sir James Ssumarez, and not Lord Keith,
was the commanding naval officer, l did not salute
the Admiral's flag, because it had been sauted in
sight Of the Essex short time previous, by the
frigate Boston, Capt. M'Nea, my senior in rank.
And as the Admiral did not offer to the ship under
my command, the usual ceremony to ships of war
on entering friendly port, no acquaintance took
place between us during my then stay at Gibraltar.
But on my return again to the Rock, Admiral Sir
James Saumarez sent on board the Essex, and Of
fered the customary ciyiites then waited on
him, and friendly intercourse followed; but no
salute was given by the Essex to his flag, nor is
there the leasf shadou s,r truth in my heincr