Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-04


close custody in the island for i've or SIX
weeks, at length removed me 10 tie care
ofGood Hope, according to the letter OF his
instructions: measure which lie could,
and which be ought 10 have carried INTO
execution in few days. On arriving the
cape of Good Hope, conceived | was PA
ced in situation much more favorable fot
my enjoyment Of the protection OF your
laws; having lett the fatal island on which
the Importance ofthe subject might serve as
a pretext perhaps for certain Irregularities.
| was now at distance of 500 miles from It
in tranquil colony. What wasTy aston
ishment 10 find thst hat Sir II. Lowe d.rst
not do at st. Helena, was al easy matter to
Lord Charles Somerset at the cape, name
ly, the OBTAINING me prisoner: l. vain |
made the same demands to him, urged the
same reasoning, and offered the same con-
cessions which had submitted 10 Sir Had.
son Lowe, in order to be sent of 10 sou in
Europe; all was useless -. :. lie
constantly res,,s ed to hear me, and rotwi,h-
standing my earnest and urgent represen-
tations, contented himself with coolIy send
ing to my natural judges, at distan OF
5000 leagues, 10 learn from them whether
or not he should give orders for my convey
ance to England. b. this means he n
stantly subjected me to the most dreadful
sentence which any tribunal could have in
fliced on me Punishment and captivity
Of between seven and eight months, at
distance Of 800 leagues from my family ,G'y
interests, my country, my relations, and all
ny affections.
was not prisoner of war, could on
ly be prisoner under the laws. . TO
detain me from my judges eight months, is
such denial of justice, as would excite
horror in England to punish me wilhouta
sentence, is tyranny in direct variance
with your legislature. And what did |
ask from Lord Charles Somerset? My Ii
berry? Mo- asked merely TO be sent pri-
soner to you,t be subjected 10 punishment,
if punishment should be awarded against
me. >. In my person, whatever reason
csteems most sacred, and the heart dwells
on with the fojidest attachment, have been
sported with in the most wanton and cruel
manner and what could be his motives?
What can be his excuse? He constantly and
obstinately refused to afford me any expla-
nation. . And here, my Lord, wish it
to be understood, that my ndisposition and
grief do not SO far blind me as to render it
impossible for me TO distinguish in the con-
duct Of Lord Charles Somerset between the
private attentions with which he endeavor-
ed to sweeten my captivity, and the horror
Of the public act by which he condemned
me; although indeed, towards the end Of
my stay, the warmth Of my expressions and
the opportunities of my complaints irritated
him to such degree that in spite Of my ur-
gent entreaties and my severe bodily suf.
ferirgs, he detained me in the country out
of the reach Of the daily vistsof physicians,
and the medicines of the town.
CAT length, my lord, after seven months
captivity, and the arrival, no doubt, OF your
orders, it was signi6ed to me that ! might
now provide myself with vessel for my
conveyance 10 England. In vain solicited
such a conveyance as was suitable TO the
distressed state ofmy health and that Of my
son. All the vessels Of that description
were refused me, either on one pretext or
another; and was reduced, therefore, in
my choice to the only vessel which was
ready to sail, and which was fixed on, more
over, by the governor himself. was obi
ged TO take my passage in it, a prisoner,
and yet at my own expense, which by the
way seems somewhat irrcconcilable it was
a brig of 230 ions, with crew of IL men,
in which, without any physician, and SUBJ
.jcct to all the inconveniencies, to all the pri-
vations, and all the evils of so small YES
sci, we were obliged to endure passage of
nearly 100 days.
Our limits will only allow us TO add the
following extract relative to Las Casas' S
passage through the Netherlands =
"Tbrough the impulsion, my lore, which |
your lordship gave to my destiny, was
seized and conducted like malefactt
through the kingdom of the Netherlands
my dying state procured for me no pity. |
gave loud vent TO my Indignation. On this |
subject, shall venture, my lord, to trans |