Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-05-11


ing Stieer OF the psv4 SOSces'S the CHILEAN
know well that when Il vessel of war ar
riNes in foreign port, il is customary to IRE |
public salute, and my knowledge of this cir
cnmstauce WAS what induced me, when en-
tered this port in January, to give formal adj
vice ofmy arrival 10 the Governor. and nott-
y him. that would IRE the customary salute,
it II would be answered with AN equal number
of guns. My offer to salute was not accepted,
and consequently, your Lordship will see with
how much proPrety excuse inyseifnom not
doing il. IL have the honor to be. &c.
No. 3-From Lord Cocirdne 10 Captain Biddle,
dated PaipdrdiSo, Dec. 2s, 1918.
SIR have received the letter with which
You favored me in answer TO mine of yes
terday, and beg permission to observe, that
being ignorant of the ruies of the American
Government as respects the number of guns
with which its commanders are authorised to
hre, IN answering the saiutes of foreign vessels
OF war who enter their ports, if YOU will give
me your ,cord of honor that the American COM
manders uniformly, without considering the
comparative rank or the locality, answer with
an equal number of guns the salutes of all
foreign men of war, l will give new orders
that your salute shall be answered in the same
way. Moreover, as in all other services with
which have had conmuniCat tons, il is custo-
mary that the Admirals' vessel should answer
| with two guns less, the salute of The foreign
vessels of war, which do not bear the insignia
OF corresponding rank, my instructions, UNI
I'll this moment, have been contOrmably there
to.
The alteration of the usual mode of proce-
dnre, IN sImilar circumstances, las respects the
United States must be regulated by the COM
municatlon which you made me upon this sub
Ject, l have the honor, sc.
No. 4.-Cdpt. Biddte to Lord Coci,rone, dated
| on board the Ontario, Dec. -, 1918.
| Sir-I have had the hoRor TO receive the
communication with which your lordship hon
| ored me this morning. The object of my for
mer letter was to excuse myself entirely from
making the salute, aud consequently il is not
I nRr Ia thnE al..an IL,
! Ontario shall he answered with an equal or a
| less number of guns. When government
| vessel enters foreign port, The salute is a
| mere matter of courtesy, and entirely arbitra-
ry--it is sometimes practised, and AT others il
| is omitted.
| With respect TO what your lordship informs
me relative to the U. S. frigate Essex, l beg
| leave To inform your lordship, that your state
! ment is erroneous; for Com. TruXtun never
commandeda squadron IN the Mediterranean
| and am persuaded that my friend Captain
Bainbridge, who commanded the Essex in
| 1902, would not have suffered himself to be
ordered to leave the port in the manner you
state. L have the honor, sc.
| No. 5-Lord Cochrdns to Capt. Biddie, dated
| Valparaiso, sdne date.
| Sir--The letter with which you favored me
this morning. and in which you inform me that
| your visit was" in your capacity of officer of
| the u. 5. Marine, and as mark of your res
| pect Tor the officer who commands the naval
| forces of the Gillian government" you leave
| me TO understand, that IN emitting the salute,
| you could have no intention OF failing III the
| respect you owe the CHILEAN flag the more
so, when in the sentence which follows, you
| plainly confess that you knew, that when
vessel OF war entered a foreign port IL is GUS
tOmary TO fire a salute and that the know
| ledge OF this circnms lance induced You, when
| you entered this port in Jan. ulumO, 10 give
| formal advice of your arrival to the govern
| ment, and gave him notice that you would fire
! the customary salute, if it would be answered
with equal number of guns" Imagine,
| then, my establishment ! OH receiving this
| evening, your written declaration in which
| you state, " that the object of your letter was
| to excuse yourself entirely from making the
| salute, and consequently il was not necessary
| to know whether the vessel under your com
mand should be answered with an equal or a
| less number Gt guns.
This is public affair, but imagine, sir, what
| were my personal feelings, when find that
| you add in the same letter, that When
| government vessel enters foreign port, tue
| salute is merely matter of cOnItesy--ItiS en-
| tirelN arbitrary-that il is at times pTactised,
and at others omitted.
Conceive. sir, repeat, what are my paTti-
cular feelings, when compare Your last COM
! muuicatiOn with one of your former ones, in
| which you state, that" When a vessel of war
| arrives III foreign port, IL was customary TO
| five salute" When compare this with the
offer which YOU made TO the Governor on
your arrival in January, to make the customa-
ry salute if IL wOnld be answered with an equal
number of guus-when compare this with
the knowledge have (and which is incontrO-
! the power which is sauted, never answers
| with equal number of guns.
A respects the affair at Gibraltar, which l
mentioned i'll my letter, | have not erred in
fact, although may, perhaps, have been mis-
| taken as 10 particulars of no importance.
| | plainly perceive the very unfavorabe pre-
| diCameEt Ia which you are placed and you
| cannot feel it more sensiby than / do. But
| this will deprive me of doing that which, be-
! tore the receipt of your last letter. would have
| given me great salts faction, and that is, of
turning y"sI visit, which cannot now do con-
sistently with my feelings, until aa eXplana-
ton conciliate the apparent contradictions
which exist in your public letters.
Yours &c.
no. 6-Loyd CocaraHe to Capt. Biddie, dated
| DectIpbSr 80
| In consequence Of fhe respect and consid-
! eraIIen which, IN your FIRST letter, you mani
ieSled loI the Chiiian government, aud the
| amiCabe Intercourse which suhsists and
| which hope will long continue between The
| United States and this country, have to re-.
| quest vt you, ia the event of yOur intention
seon to leave the port, to be pIcaStd 10 post
J pOne your departure until after The Ealing of
! the squadron. which is on the point OF going to
! sea. NOUrs &c.
| Captain B,dtlc to Lord Cochrdue, dated Deem
| Der 80.
| In answer to your Lordship's letter. I have
| the honor To inform you, that although | am
| anxious tn put to sea without DELAY, and not.
| withStdudiug had it in contemplation TO sail
| this morning Yet, as am desifons To accedr
| TO whatever may he agreeable 10 the CHILEAN
| government as far as IL is in my power, have
| determined 10 remain IN port dnriug this dsy
! but II viii be my indispensable duty 10 sail to-
| morrow, and hope that the delay of This da,
Will lie sufficient tOaCcOmplish the views of llrp
| Gillian government; aud, TO speak the truth
| as my object is to double Cape Horn il seems
| to ne that my departure cannot be in ANY way
pI6ludlCiai to the views OF the SQUADRON
| have the honor, SC
PHILADELPHIA, May BY The Tri-