Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-05-13

TO The moment OF MY arrival / here divided my I
force INTO small uetachn,ents sending some on the
north aud snme on the south sides Of ST. Domingo
and Cuba, causing every nook and corner IN those
islands to he examined where il was likely pirate
could be found, but without success Afier tio,o
y securing The West Indies, arrived in as DAYS
from the time Of leaving the capes Of Virginia M
Maianzas, IN the Peacock alone, with no officer but
her captain ana sailing master, and scarcely men
enough to work the slip, having sent them in C,e
ships boats In search oi pirates among the KEYS
about 500 miles to wilwar with orders to meet me
vt thus place. Here heard OF the captsre (and fl
ting as pirate) oil 70 small schooner from Norfolk
Two days before my arrival, and Ia days after her
capture, had visited rhom,son's Island, re-assen,-
bied all my squadron, hull, store houses, landed all
my stores, fitted out expeditions for the coast nt
Cuba, established conveys, destroyed the crew. and
recaptured the piraiicnl vessel.
There have been no piracies committed since
have been on the coast our commerce is edecually
protected 10y weekly conveys, the coast completely
lined by our schooners and aarges, and have Just
returned from the principal resort of the pirates,
where they have been compelled by our presence 10
destroy their vessels with their own hands. They
are now (be 9th day of my arrival on this coas)
completely broken mp, and dare appear here
again, while The present arrangements exist. Iris
sad that much has been M uua sed, and liule per.
formed by us. We have done all that could in rea-
son he expected Of ns-we have rendered the navi.
CATION on this side oil the island against pratt
cal depreations, avenged the death Of Allen by an
example that will strike them with terror have
driven them from the the shore, whence il
they o carry on their depre,laiions, they must ne.
cessiry he beyond The reach Of punishment, they
are never TO he found embodied any numbers, aud
have mark 10y which they can he distinguished
f.on other individuals, y the residents of the
island, and local authorities. But let me ask by whom
so much has bcen promised Not hy me, nor i,y
t!inse under my communicative proa,ise, only To ,ln
our duty, and we have done il 4; hut remember tao
well, and with sorrow, the publicity that given
Ia every movement OF the squadron, by the editors of
| newspapers, although ;nok the precau,ion oi send
ing around To those of New York, rs Gem'l Swari-
wuut can testify, and Ia you among others, request
my yonr silence, and urging the necessity IuF
CIV hut II WAS all in vain the papers, wih but few
Exceptions, were filed with accounts Of the exped-
ton, from one extremity of the United States the
other aud believing the pirates would cnnsc queutly
change heir giound, in"nd 1t necessary 10 change
my plans, and instead of gong direct To Cuba pro-
| ceeded Ia winiwar,i to niakea thorough examina-
| ton. As far as dcprntlcd myself, secrecy has
| been observed; aud had MOI taken proper prrcau.
tons TO keep my intentions locked breast
| the piraIes, through the medium, of the press
| would have been as well inioi med Of my going 10
Porto Rico, as they were of every other movement
| ni The squadron which took place in The United
States.
IL appears In he Tie subject OF complaint that the
last that YOU hn bear, oT me, my arrival will,
the squadron nj ST, Thomass 30 days after my ieav.
Ing Norfolk unless from ST Johns how did you K
pect 10 hear from me again. except hy vessels spoken
at sea, The commanders of which, II they had been
IA mnch sp0sed 10 TO justice our vigilance and
ACTIVITY, as To make unfounded and exarpe re.
ports Of piracy, would have made some report OF us
OH Their arrival. The circumstance of moi hearing
! from, ms, ought 10 have satisfied you were dung
our '!uiy not Spending oar Time in ideness in port
IL is not amongst c!7ilzrd society that pirates are to
he found, il is ap'tmg barren and desollia islands,
secret and retired places, us far from the reach OF
justice they can get, that they make their haunts
among the roaring at breakers and the screams ol
the bird and is in such places, have sought
the freebooters and mui derers aud sought them
defiance of every obsiare through the intricate
and dangerous Navigation, exposed 10 open Ioats Nv
la nIh n haDe mi ufu nC eli
mate, and in contempt of every DANGER witk unri
| zeal, and with INCREASING vigilance.
But what Is the amount of this force " which has
promised much and performed 50 little u force
consisting of eight small schouners Of from 50 To &c
TONS mounting each three guns, the largest Of which
Is nine poun'ier, aud one of The smallest class oi
Steam Boats, mounting five guns, each carving 81
officers and men, force very little more Than sufi
cieut TO OF our sioopS Of waI, aud enoug
for of orr smallest lrigaies. shall enun,er 10
the five ships cutters, called barges calculated IA
carry each ID men, FOR without laying up the other
'e.o"" snu"ih noI nave tn nut ON board Them
unless IT should so chance, that could obtain crews
Tor the" out OF some one Of our larger ycssas,
happens 10 he the present. Having fortuna ell,
The Peacock sloop of with me, which have
laid up for the purpose. expected, ii is true, tc
find here on my arrival, ths Congress, Grampus
PorpoiSe, and Spark, but n solitary Quilted State.
vessel OF war was t" lac found the starinn nor has
there been one since, except those brought will,
me.
Its the totli desiiiuiion Of protection tn our
commerce then, and to the information given 10 III,
piraies through the press, Of INV movements. iIia
they were encouraged TO make last effort obtain
| All the plumber possible before a. val and what
| ever property may have been lost, and blood shed
may he justly charged to others, the inactivit,
OF myself or those associated with me, for the squad
| ron was got out with unparalleled expedition, and
| repeat, that up {" The day Of my arrival, piracy
existed III full force, the ha' hours of Ha,a an,
| MaIanzas filled with our merchant vessel
| waiting Tor convoy. MOI Que capture has been mad,
| by the pirates SINCE we came here, can an,
intelligence he obtained of them us cy have t,,u
doned their pursuits, and mingled with the population
o the Island, nearly all of wiom either from nteres
| or fear, are concerned III keeping their secrets
IL Is easy for those who are now enjoying the com
forts oil home, To clannur aud find fouls with us we
| might also now have been possessed Of the same
enjoymenfs by net coming on Tic expedition, fol
there was nothing obligatory US, aud thereby nave
avoided the PAIN which unmeriicd censmre always
| brings with IL, come from Whatever quarter it will
hut ImpelCd nv sense of duty 10 our country and
the civilized world III general, all personal consider
| atoms were out of the question could pfonis
ourselves neither honor nor pIoii,. from The exuct
ion no reward hut the Satisfaction of having done
our dniy-and from The course taken by news.
papers, dcspaircd of making any capture, hut |
knew we should protect the lives anh property of our
| feilnw-ciizems, and we have done so.
About three years since five scinoneIs momniin1
| 90 guns, and carrying about 800 men, were built Tor
The Suppression of piracy, and This force in nddit..
10 Il iri2aie, three Shops OF war, brig, and some
Smaller vessels Together with large British force
until short Time previous 10 my coming out here
carrying altogether about l40) men, have ever since
been cruZing here. IL they could not suppress
piracy with all their means in so long time, with
what justice can tue enquiry he made " why (in
| twenty days after my departure from the Unied
Siates) the squadron of small craft under my
maud has " duur 80 liilc!"
There is cauSe suspect that The foregoing article
as well ms ore which appeared D The E'siern Argus
OF The 4 oI VI urea, but particularly the latter
Or oInatcd 10 spirit of esPninien, caused nv AN
unpleasant controversy during the last year The
editors of newspapers have lad ample revenge in
4 Al. a..