Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-07-13

who read the letters, will pronounce, that it
MAS an abuse of power, and a ~an,on and ty-
ranuicai exercise Vf authority over his inferior,
tor which he would merit aud receive the re-
prehension of e,eryiUllicer in the sef,icr. Mr.
have l ever Withdrawn that apology, nor do
wish To Withdraw it. The Georgian lbeiler,
abiding to that transaction, had said, for
which AN Opology was reiuctdntiy Wrung from
him." In NY notice Of this remark, / replied,
f" deny that I nave ever made reluctant
apology to any man, or ever had one tcrung'
from me. have never shrunk lrvm the CON
sequences Ut amy net Of my life, and do not
now. / have niade Apologies, perhaps, more
than once, bat freely and voluntarily under
the con. lotion uf my own feelings that l was
wrong, aud under circu,Dstances in which no
honest aud honorable nun would have been
unwilling TO tender them. But if any person
To whom have ever made one in my life, has
done me tine injustice to think il was wruLg
from me, or given reluctantly, now tccal
it," ..-.
do not fear that any one VIII perceive in
this comment, any sentmeDt which il may
not beft gentleman to feel, and To utter.
Sirs, feel that haze unnecessarily Occu-
pied you in this ma!,er. Refer TO Capt. Por
ter's proposition 10 me, after my arrest, and
you will Aud bis own declaration, that he was
then and before my arrest, satisfied with my
publication Of the 10th November. But, as il
is necessary 10 the purpose which have in
view, to expose that naughty and contuneli-
GUS spirit which has exerted itself in 50 many
degrading forums to oppless me, beg leave TO
examine the pretexts found in that publication
of the 9Th Of September, for this libel in the
Georgian.
You will perceive, sirs, that the publication
in the Herald consists of three parts the fist
the usual notice OF the arrival of the schooner
Weazle, the length of the voyage state of her
crew, &c. the second the account of the
capture Of the Spanish schooner Gaeso !;
the third, the additional remarks made by the
printer, on his own authority, and NOT mine,
as TO the DESPATCH of that vessel to Havana,
and her liberation. AS ~ the first and second,
the Georgian finds no cause of complaint. In
deed it would have beea singular if he had,
for the first relates to matters in which Capt.
Porter had no concern; and, as to the second,
If the facts had been incorrectly stated il
woald be folly to irnpute to me malace against
Capt Porter, III publishing them (; as, he now
admits these very facts, without the addition
or omission of one, had been stated TO himself
in my official report OF the transaction. The
sin Of that publication is, by the Georgian
charged only on the third part.
gentleman SD nice in all matters concern
ing his own feelings, and so fastidious of his
own honor, must be supposed TO feel aud
know what is due to those Of other gentle
men and, after reading the virnlent abuse le-
yelled at me by the Georgian, you would ne
cessarily imagine that the passages complain
ed ofin the publication Of the Herald, must have
contained impulions Of so gross a character on
the PERSONAL worth, Or professional character OF
Capt. r.. requiring such prompt retaliation, as not
to allow HIM to make previous inquiry how
far they had been authorized by me, or TO de-
mand any explanation, though he was bound
directly 10 Norfolk, where | was, and where
the facts could be ascertaned coDclusiveIy.-
Yet slrs, it is distinctly in proof, that, in Nor
folk, this publication excited no suspicious,
produced no doubts prejudicial to Captain
Porter nor has any human being been yet
found, save Capt. Porter himseI0 with per-
cepilon keen enough TO detect therein any re-
Election whatever on him. And | boldly
challenge any man, however, fastidious and
critical, to find in the whole publication, one
expression, or one insnuation. prejudcal to
him as man, or an officer. The offence is
to be found only in that lofty temper, that
naughty spirit, which arrogates to itself more
homage than royalty claims, or imperial pow
er ever, yet, in any nation, not utterly base,
has dared to claim. For, even the lbeier's
nice and sensitive tact, can object nothing
more, use his own words, sirs,) than I" in
situations calculated to produce impressions
highly Prejudcial to the conduct and character
Of Governor Wives, and the indie pendent judg-
ment and decision Of the commander Of the
American naval forces :" and left the conduct
OF the captain general, and the commander Of
the squadron, subject to doubts arising from
the iilIherai tnStnuations contained in the clos
ing paragraph.
And has it come to this Arc the younger
officers in the American navy reduced to so
degraded condition Are they held 80 ut
tery vile and worthless, that, 10 atone this
new crime of doubts and insinuations, fave,
airs, insiDuatioDs so remote that none but
diseased pride can perceive them p against
foreign Governor, and " the independent judg-
ment and decision" of a commanding officer,
their private feelings, their personal character,
their professional reputation, without guilt,
without inquiry, may he assailed in the public
prints Nay, more, sirs, are they to be so
BUNDLED and PROSTATE before those new
divinlties, "the independent Judgment and
decision Of a commander in chief" that, if we
dare 10 complain of this wanton sacrifice of
our character and feelings, our very complaints
are tn be considered as blasphemies against
me offended deities, which are tn be expiated
oy new 'nilIct'ons and greater punishments
say nothing, sIrs, of our country, and of its
h'sh'st magistrate. IN England, in France, in
every country in Europe, where letters prevail,
anu tue human mind is not entirely eDslaved,
the independent Judgment and decision" Of
the commander in chief, though the dadem
sparkle ON his brow, submits not merely TO
=" doubts" and insinuaiions," but often to
direct rebuke.
IL we are to be reduced to this, if all that is