The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-04-22


ing hims'lfto him, which was on the dag
of his arrival. Aud if any doubts existed
| rs to iis character, or the character oi The
vessel under his command, being IN the
| power Of the authorities OF Porto Rico,
they could easily have satisfied themselves.
| Bet he had beer received & treated as An
American officer, and il is only To- endeayor
To palllate, or EXCUSE tire conduct of the
offending individual, that your excelency
has sought for facts, which would never
have been brought into notice, but FOR the
laiReIFiable circumstances which gave rise
to these painful remarks.
| lie informed your second OF the eharac
ter Of my squadron a British squadron
! was then lying IN the port which knew me,
aud there cannot be doubt had commu-
nlcated Intelligence of my intentions 10
.ist Porto REQ.
The sloop of war ON hoard which my
/ pendant was Aging, with some small ycs-
seIs of my squadron, were lying in full
! view of the Castle with their celors loist-
cd ; the schooner which was fired into was
standing directly into pert in open day -
she could not escape after tlie first shet
was fired, or have given ~, her intention
OF going Into ST. Johns, had she been 50
disposed, or bad she understood what was
intended by the firing. But let me ask
your cxcellcncy, who for All instant could
have supposed small schooner of staIceiy
forty tons burthen, mounting only three
gus, with complement of twenty Eve
officers aud men, would have occa.ioned
any alarm to the city Of ST. Johns, sur
rounded rs It is by fortress.s rendered AS
| Iniprrgnable as nature and the art of Imam
can make them Was it not more natn-
inral to believe that the firing was intend
ed 10 compel her approach and even If
| The Intention was eol complied wilh,ouSht
! not her feeble condition TO have claimed
from those IN youl fortress some mercy;
But no the vessel after the death of her
lamented commander WAS compelled To
anchor between the forts, where tremcn-
dous sea was running which jcopardised
the lives of every one ON board, IL send the
small boat on shore, where the young mid
shipnan who commanded her, was insult
ed by having heavy gun pointed into the
boat, and Threatened with destruction if he
attempted To move from his position he
was then taken as criminal and placed
under guard.
These are facts, your excrllency, and
! lncontrosertiblr ones. These are facts
LIT me ask your excell,ncy what better
! proofs you have of the character OF my
/ squadron now than was produced ON the
first day of the arrival of the officer YOU
wish 10 implicate What further cxamina.
ton has been made, that the authorities Of
/ Porto Rico are better satisfied ef our h,iHg
Americans now, than they were before ?
Nonc.
| repeat il that the character of my
squadron was well known in st. johns !;
even IN this obscure place found Amcri-
can newspapers containing all the details
respecting it, and at ST. Thonlas's ] saw
persons direct from st. Johns, who inform
ed me that its equipment aud object was
we'll known there. There has in fact hren
degree of publicity given 10 the ekpedi-
ton, and an interest fol. in il, that dave
been rarely eqnancd.
The whole of the civilized world Was in
| tercsIed in its success 1t is IN VAIN then 10
say, thatwe wcretakcn for lawlessin aders,
and il is unjust 10 endeaeor to stain the
character ed my country by charge of
frequency othosille expeditions against the
Spanish possessions, or offer them as an
excuse for the conduct OF the offender
Bad men escape sometimes the vigilance
of the most rigid authorities, and no gov
erhment deserves rcpreach when il does its
utmost tn detect aud bring them to pun
iohmcnt
find your coasts lined with troops since
my arrival here. | find rcintorcemepts
daily coming in, as | ann informed by
your order, tn protect the Inhabitants from
my resentments. have found every pre-
caution taken to keep nae in profound ig-
rporance of the lamentab!e occurrence but
these things were all ia vain. saw the
insult offered to the flag Of my country--I
have satisfied your military commanders
that their force is despcablc when compar-
ed to that al my disposal, and have con
yinced the inhabitants, that although they
are at my mercy, they will not be made
ans"erable for the Offences of an individual.
1t is not then becoming To the character
OF your excc!lency to resort to subteriuge
IN order to divert the odiun Of the act
from one officer TO attach blame 70 anetker.
would further ask, why rigoer should
be exercised towards vessels bearing the
American flag, that was not extended to
the British squadron or 70 the French
tr4gate, which arrived subsequent to the
attack on lieutenant commandant Cooke
In the enc case there WAS only SINAI! schr,
to fire at--in the other there were vessels
Of force,
Had he fallen in battle and by the hand
of a declared enemy, we should have been
recenciled To his tate by the proud salts
faction ttaat Ire died in the performances of
his duty to his country but TO he thus
cruelty torn tom us, and by the hand of a
bastard, whose arm was the more sure
from confidence in his own safety, and