Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-06-03

inform him would Ere The customary sa-
Lutte If an equal number Of guns would ne
returned-and that as my offer'o salute
was not accepted then, he would perceive
the propriety Of my declining 10 salute
now. In few hours l received a second
letter from Lord Cochrane. saying he was
not acquainted with the regulations OF the
government of the UniteA States, and that
i'll would give my word and honor that it
was the uniform practice ofs the American
Commanders in chief, without regard to
comparative rank or locality. to answer
with an equal number of guns the salutes
of all foreign ships Of war, she uo"Id
gire fresh orders for mig salute being so re.
turned that as the practice of all o.
ther services with which he had commu-
nication, was to return from dag ship
two guns less to the salutes of ships OF
war not bearing Gag of corresponding
rank, his instructions hitherto had been
to that effect-and that an alteration OF
the customary mode Of proceeding; so tar
as regards the United States, 8 must be
regulated by the communication Knight
make on the subject"
The offensive style of his first letter. had
not considered necessary TO notice in my
nswer;-tberefore had only replied that
| declined saluting, and assigned my rea-
sons for it: reasons which were obligatory
upon me, and ought to have been satisfac-
tory TO him. My letter could not be mis-
understood; and as lord Cochrane's second
communication still implied the necessity
Of my salnting. it was necessary not only
TO repeat MY mtention not to salute at all,
but TO give him to understand that | would
not suffer myself to be ordered out of port.
My answer, therefore, was, that as de-
clined saluiing altogether, it uas not ne
cessary to enquire whether salute from
the ship under my command should be
answered by an equal or by a less number
of guns that salute from national YES
sci, upon arriving at foreign port, was
matter of courtesy only that II was entire.
ly optional that it was sometimes practis
ed, it was often times omitted that in res
pect 70 what be mentioned Of the Essex, |
thought he mus be misinformed, since i
was persuaded that my friend, capt. Balm.
bridge, who commanded the Essex in 1909,
would not have permitted himself to be or
dered out of port in the manRer he had sta.
ted.* This produced from lord Cochrane
third letter, wherein he says, that my
first letter, in which stated that my visit
TO him was in my capacity OF an officer of
the United States, and was intended as an
evidence Of Prospect to the officer command
ing the naval forces Of Chill, had induced
him to conceive there could be no intention
Of disrespect to the flag of Chill, in the
omission of salute, and the more o, as
the very next sentence in that letter very
candidly stated that was aware it was
usual on the arrival Of vessel Of war Of
foreign port. to salute publicly, and that il
was my knowledge of this circumstance
that had induced me upon arriving at the
port in January last, TO acquaint the go.
vernon r'ou!d pay the customary salute
if an equal number of guns would, be re-
turned -he desires me to judge then his
astonishmenton receiving my written de-
claration, that my letter was intended to
decline saluing altogether, and that there
tore, i, was not necessary to enquire whe-
Their salute from the ship under my COM
mand should be answered by IN equal or
less number of guns. This he says is a
public matter. But he desires me to Judge
Of his private sentiments, when lie finds
me add that a salute from a national YES
sci, upon arriving at foreign port is a
matter of courtesy oDty-tha it is entire
ly optional-lhat tits sometimes prac'ised
it is oitentimes omiited-he says it is
incontestible. that in no port OF civilized
nation, are an equal number of guns re-
turned by the power who my be salu,ed
that as to the incident noticed in his
letter, he has not erred in iact, though be
may have committed mistake in Incl
dental tTifes, that he plainly peTceives the
awkward circumstances in which am pia.
ced; that myself could notregretihen more
than he did-that it would deprive him of
what, previous to receiving my last letter,