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

himself, nor did he send on board any mes.
sage of civility. Although was no, IN.
mindful that the advances towards an If.
tefcourse between Us should most pfoperIv
come from him, yet waved this conside.
ration as not bring very important, and
paid a visit TO Lord Cochrane. Did he 70,
turn my visit No; but in two hours af.ar
received his letter reminding me If =,
part of my duty, which he thought | had
been long enough in the navy to know, and
insinuating, that if did not fire salute
he would turn me out Of the port. Had
Lord Cocbrane returned my visit, and i,
the manner of gentleman requested If
me to salute, he might perhaps have Oh.
tanned by civ ility what he certainly Gould
| not have extorted; for trust shall ever
continue so much like yourself and The rest
o. nay brother officers, as not to be Dragon.
ed by Lord Cochrane or by any other lord
or by any other man, into conduct which
might bring down reproach upon Our FLAG.
In fact. had | been undecided about saint.
ing, the very letter OF Lord Cochrane, cal.
ling upon me in SUCH style for salute
would have determined me TO refuse il.
1t has been suggested, as a motive nj
Lord Cochrane's conduct, that there were
on board the Ontario passengers attached
TO the royal cause, and also million Of
dollars. The whole SUN on board was
two hundred aud one thousand dollars. re.
ceived at Lima. of which l6,ooo were for
Archibald Oracle & Sons OF New-York,
$4,000 for Mr.. As,or of N. York-ll,ooo
for Mr, Ellery, OF Boston-and the remain.
der was shipped by individuals in Lima.
and consigned to individuals in Rio ia
metro.
With regard to the passengers attached
to the royal cause, they were two mer.
chants, one lady, and one officer. 10
these two last, had consented to give a
passage, at the earnest solicitation of the
vice king of Peru. | did so, because the
vice king had yielded to my earnest soil.
citation for the release of two American
ships, the Beaver and the Canton, and be-.
cause he had, as personal favor 10 my.
self, restored to liberty many of our unlor-
tunate countrymen, whom | found in the
prisons of Lima, for having been taken in
arms against the royaliss. Not to have
granted Sc slight a request, in return for
such signal favors to my fellow citizens, |
should have deemed total want of feeling
and generosity-nor could ever have an.
ticIpated, that whilst was subjecting my.
self to the Inconvenience of having s,ran.
gers on board my ship, as return tor be.
neht' conferred on my country men, | was
laying tie foundation Of reproaches against
me.
The circumstances of having Spanish
officer on board my ship, and the special
reasons which induced me TO receive him,
are stated in my detailed report of the
cruise 70 the secretary of the navy, made
Immediately on my arrival in the United
States.
In maintaining the intercourse which my
duty required with the conflicting parties
in South America, it was difficult to avoid
exciting the jealousy ofone or both of them.
Knowing the popular sentiment of this
country, and seeing many of our citizens
actually engaged in hostiIities against them,
the royal'sts were particularly disposed to
consider US as inimicable to them. A con.
duct at once respectful and conciliatory to.
wards them was due to the neutrality OF our
government, and was 10 less essential to
/ enable myself to act with effect in procu.
;; ring the release Of the property and persons
. OF my fellow citizens in the power of the
royal government, To this conduct owe
the success which attended my endeavon
to serve my country.
Very sincerely,
Your friend and obedient servant,
J. BIDDLE.
Baltimore .June2,