Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-02-06

ALLOW me to do. He has acted upou Tic
idea. that by assailing my character he
shallrepair his own.
After he was left i'm the command M
lake Erie, ] was soon informed OF the in
trigues he wss there practising, some of
which arc detailed in these charges \.
These | should not have regarded aslong
as they were private: but / then deter
mined and declared 10 many ofmy fInds
in the navy, Hat should captain Elliott
ever give publicity to his misrepresen,a-
lions. would. then demand an invc sIiga-
ton of the whole OF his conduct. This
necessity is now forced upon me.
Believing rny hands 20 be bound, and
even Drawing me with The very cprfiii ale
afforded 10 Kim in charity, iLis officer al
last addresses directly 10 myself, aud
claims my acquiescemce in the grosscsi
niisreprrseniations- oaly of bis own
conduct on Lake Eric, but of conduct
and declarations which he impute, tn me.
Thus has captain E'liofi himself bro't
his own conduct on Lake Erie again into
view and. BIZ Involving with il impmia-
tons upon mine. has compelled me 10
call for this enquiry. lie can make no
complaint, therefore, OF delay in bringing
forward any Of these charges. Those
which regard his conduct on Lake Erie,
and disqualification, (if he has any are
besides as perfectly susceptible OF ptonf
no" as at any earlier period. Whatever
the characte- Of that behaviour was, il
was Witnessed by such numbers as 10
leave nothing in il equivocal or unexp plain
ed. Some OF The officers WHO were viii,
him may still be called upon, aud alrho'
Two or three others arr deceased, vet so
were Hey when capt. Elliott himself cali
edforacouri of enquiry. Certificates also
were obtained fron those officers by cap
tam Elliott while living, the originals of
which are III The Department, aud il may
De seen by them that those officers, II
present. would have no testimony 10 give
which could at all initiate with these
charges. There are as many officers de-
ceased from whose testimony capt. Eth.
oil would have mach more 10 Tear than
ne would have 10 hope from thai of The
ohcers abuve al!adesl 10. A court If en-
quirs, consisting OF three off ers, wa
called al The request OF Capt. Ell eii, in
consequence (if | recolIrci ngb,ly) of
some illusions 10 tile conduct of The Ma
CARA, supposed TO be CONTAINED in the Bri
'iSnCom. Barclays report; ami though
that enquiry (oi which no notice 10 attend
20 "tpe'ceS was SiVtU 10 any or we
commanders of vessels ON Lake + ie)
could only be very limited one, and
could involve no actual trial upon Gao,
EiliOifs conduct, vel h. undoubtedly had
before that court all such witnesses az
could testify IN his favor, aud the record
az That testimony OF any oi those witness
es are deceaseD will avail him Captain
Elliott. therefore. can suffer nothing from
The lapse OF time, and IL would indeed
be strong preieusiou in him 10 claim
projection fron inquiry into his conduct,
al he same time that he is giving no,o.
rely 10 his own representations OF II, and
that TOO to the prejudice OF others.
am, sir, fully sensible how trouble.
some the Fl eguent examinations into The
conduct OF officers has been to the
government. and how disagreesble they
Yust. have become. am aware, als",
that the public are justly disssris fled
with them. and that reproach is brought
upon the service by means of rhem. I
have, therefore, avoided asking for this
investigation as long as p ssibiy could
do so with any justice TO the service, or
TO my own character.
have the honor 10 be,
SIR,
Your most obedient servant,
0. II. PERRY.