The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1823-12-11

has been made IN its sd,pinistf siion, during
She ihree s. 81 qusriers OF the year.
ttrsnsnit return OF the miIi.is oi the ssv-
efai states, ding TO The last reports which
have been made by the p opsr officers 10 ssch,
10 the Depar,msnt OF War. BY reference 10
this reiuip, IL will be seen that II Is not CON-
ple,e, although great exertions have been
IN nade, TO make IL so. As tho defence, end
even the lbenies, of the country mvst Do
pend, in times OF imminent dagger, on the
militia, il is oi the highest importance, thst
ii be we'll organized, armed. and disciplined,
Throughout the Union. The report Of the
Secretary of War snews the progress made
during the three FIRST quarters of the present
year, by The application Of The fand appfopii-
a.ed for a mag the militia. Much difficulty
- found IN distributing the arms acco' ding 10
the act Of Congress providing Tor IL, from the
failure ot The proper Departments in many 81
,he s'airs, 10 m-ke regular returns. The
sci oi Msy the twelfth, one Thousand eight
hundred sbd twenty, provides that tho sys'em
of tactics bnd regulations OF tho various cops
in The regular army. shall be extended TO tho
,Dilnis. This act has been se,y imperlectly
execu,ed, iro,o the wan, Of uniformity m tho
o. g.oisa,ion of the militia, proceeding from
the deiecis of the system i,sell, and especially
10 i,s application TO that main arm OF tho pub.
lIe defence. Il /. thought that ,his important
subject, in s,l hs branches, meti,s the atten.
,ioo OF Copgvess.
The report Of tho Secretary Of the Navy,
which is DOW communicated, furnishes on &C.
count Of the sJminis,fs alton ot that Depart.
men,. for The ,hree & st quarters Of the pos
ent year, with the progress made 10 augment.
a,,,, ~ .nI hA n n
vessel, IN commission have been employed.
The usual force bss been maintained IN
tho Mediterranean SEA, the Pacific Ocean,
snj along The Atlantic Coast sod has ah,id'
ed the neeessal y protection 70 oa' commstes
n those seas.
in tho West Indie. and the Gulf Of Mexi
CO, our nsvsl force has been sug'Dented, by
the addition Of several small vessels, p;ovided
io' by the "scl authorizing an sdd,t'onsi ma
val force Tor the suppression OF piracy pes
sed by Cong,ess q, their los, session. That
st,Bsmen, has been en- minen,ly sGcces'ful IN
,he accomplishment Of its object. The pirs'
cies by which our commerce in the ne'gh.
b,rhood Of the Island oi Cuba had been fl CT.
ed, hsvs been repfessed, and he confluence
ol our meIchunis, IN great measure Testor'
ed
The patriotic zasl end enterprise OF Com.
Portcr,to whom ,he command oithe expeai,inn
was con6ded, has breo fully seconded by the
officers and ,pcn, under hi, commspd. And,
in 'ensc,ins wuh high satisfaction, on ,be
homo able manner 10 which they have sustain.
ed the reputation OF their county and its no
Wy, the sentiment 10 elIoyed o0iy by concern,
that, in the fol s. iDpot OF thai NduOos service,
tho disease incident TO ihe sea Dn, and TO the
climate 10 which Il vas discharged, have De
piivec the nation Of msuy useful lives, and
among them Of several oilicers ot g,ea1 pro.
misc.
Ia the mon,h Of August, a very mahgnsn,
fever made Ms appearance at faompson's Is
lAnd, which tn, ea,ened the destruction oi our
,siion the.e. Many petiAhed, and The com.
officer wa. severely aliack9d' w.
o. ,sin ss to his fave and knowing that most
of the medical ofIicers had been rendered IN.
cspab,s Of hscharging their duties, II was
though, expedient 10 send TO that post sn OIL
c et Of rank and expe, icnCe, with several akil
lul surgeons, TO ascertain the origin OF the to.
var, and tho p,obsbiliiy OF its recUrrencs
there in future seasons; TO furnish every "a.
sists0ce 10 those who were suffering, and IL
practicable, to avoid the necesshy o: abandon
ing SO Importan, u station, Com. Rodgers,
with u promptuude which did him honor,
accepted that trust, and has dts.
charged il in the m,noes anticipated frons
his skin aud patriotism. Before his s'iivsi,
Com. Porter, with tho gres,sr part OF tho
squadron, had removed from the Island, and
sctutned to the Gnned Ststss,rn consequence
Of the prevailing sickEess. Much aselul IN.
for rmstion hss, however, boon obiai0ed, ss TO
the STATE OF the Island, and great 'eIief afford.
eG TO thsse who had been necessarily leh
there.
Although our expedition, cooperating with
On invigoraied sjm,niststion OF the g9ve,n.
mea, Of the island oil Cuba, and With the COR
respopding active exer,ions OF o b lush ns.
val torce 10 the ssme seas, have s'mast On.
,reIy destroyed tho unlicensed pirscies fom
,hs, island, the socce,s Of our exef,ioos hes
not been equally eFsctOsi TO suppress The
same crime. onder other pretenccs and cob
o;s. in the neishboring islsod OF Porto Rico. !
They have beea com upiusd ,here under the |
abus,vs Issue OF Spanish commissions. Al |
IN early pc'iod OF tho present year, remon.
susnces wore msde TO the governor of thst
isisnd. bv an agent, who wss cont 10, the pur.