The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-05-20

Is vel "a. fined - my gnn,s IN Porto Rf
g., ~ taey 'ere OF e,ert ofhof musrmef
81 me squad ~ which teok plafe IN lhf
United STATE.
II appears t. be The SUBJECT ofroti plaint
that toe li8i tltit you lad heard Of M
was nv arrival with The squadron If 81
fhomass, 20 Days after my leaving Nor
liolk luless irum 81 Johns how did Won
expect 10 hem irUln me again, except by
sesscls spoken al ga, thu commanders o.
which If they. had bccu n much Disposed
II do justice In our Vigilance aud activity
1s.to make untoupdrd md exaggerated re-
ndntsuf piracy, .snmd have made some
: report nj u on Then arrival. The cifcum.
stanre Of not hearing from u, OUGHT To
lave satisfied you W we're doirg our du
", not arcnding onr time in id.ncss in
! port. II 4 not amongst civilized society
/ that plrairs are Ia lac found IL is amO "
barren and desoate islands, secret aud re
! tiJed places, rs fu from the reach Of jus
lee a. they cau get, thai they make their
hunts among lhr soaring ofbfrahefs aud
the screams al the sea bid aud II is IN
such places Ave- irnte sought The free boo.
ters aud mnfderers hud sought them in
| dnlancs of every obstacle, through the
most iaillcas, aud dangerous navigation,
exposed, in open hoats by day and by
night, In the banelul influence OF the eli.
mate, and in contempt Of every danger,
with unilrlug zeal, and with unccasing VI
GLANCE.
But what Is the amount of this force
(which has Promised 81 much aud per
formed 81 little p A force consisting of
eight small sehouners of from 80 Ia 10
tons, mounting each three guns, the larg
est "t winch Is a nine FOUNDER, and one Of
The smallest class Of Steam Boats, mount
Ing FIVE guns, each carrying 32 officers and
men i force very hllIe more than suni
cent 10 mtn one of our sloops of war, and
moi enough for one of our smallest frisates.
! shall poi enumcratc the five ships cot
tiers, cdtitd bngrs, calculated 10 carry ench
Ia men for without lying up the other yes
srls | should not have man to put ON
board them, unless il should 50 chance,
that | could Obtain crews for them ont oi
snme one of our large vessels, which hap
pens TO he the case AT present having for
tnnately the Peacock sloop of war with
me, which have laid up for the purpos,
| expected, lis true, Ia find here on my
arrival, the Congress, Grampus, Porpoise,
and spark but mol solitary United States
vessel WAS to be found on the station, nor
has there been one since, except those |
brought with me.
II IS In the totl desttuion of protection
10 our commerce then, and To The infbr.
nation gwen 10 the pirates, through the
press, ot my movements, thai they were
encouraged tn make last effort To obtain
all the plnnder possible before my arrival
and Whatever property may have been
| lost, aud blood shed, may be Justly charged
To others, moi to the inactivity of myself or
those associated with me, for the squadron
WIS got out with unparalleled expedition,
and repeat, that UP TO the day of my ar
rival, piracy existed in full force, the har.
bors OF Havana and Matanzas were filed
with our merchant vessels waiting for con
yoy Not one captnro has been made By
the pirates since we came here, nor can
any intelligence be obtained Of them, as
they have abandoned their pursuits, and
mingled with the population Of the Island,
nearly all of whom, either from interest or
fear, are concerned in keeping their Sc
crets.
II IS easy for those who are now enjoy
! ing The comforts at home, TO clamor and
lind fault with us zoe might also now
have been possessed Of the same enjoy
menis by not coming on the expedition.
lorthefe was nothing obligatory on Us, and
| thereby have avoided the pain which IN
merited censnrc always brings with il, come
from whatever quarter II viii but lmpel
ed by SENSE of duty 10 our country
aud the civilized world in general all
personal considerations were out of the
question we could promise ourselves
neither honor nor profit from the expcdi
ton IN reward but having done our duty
and from the COURSE taken by our news
papers, despair of making any captures
hut knew we should project the lives and
property of our fellow citizens, and we
have done 81.
About three years since, five schooneri
mounting 60 guns, aud carrying about Dot
men were built fol the suppression Of pirs
cy, aud this force in addition 10 f,il,dr
three sloops of war, a brig, and sonse amal
Ter vessels, together with q large nrIlsl
force, untI short time previous to IN,
coming out here, carrying altog, e der abou
1000 men, have ever since been cruizinI
here. III they could moi Suppress prac
with all then means, in So long a time, wit
what justice can the nlqury be made
"why On twenty days after my departar
from the United Srdes) the squadron u
nall craft under my command has don
81 little :"
There IS carse to suspect that the fore
going ar'lcP', IS we'll AS Que which appear
ed N th' Eastern Argus Of the 4th q
March bat more particularly the latei
Originated in a spirit of resentment, cause
by IN unpleasant controversy during th
lasi year The editors ofnewspapers hay
f,a9, ample revenge in the destruction &
iny hopes on tins expedition, by the pub
l!icitv they have given 10 il and, II is un