Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-07-15

tary of the Navy forhdding his departure,
converted that possibility into certainty. He
Hound that his own motions were inseparably
connected with Try fate ! he probably appre-
hend.d. that the Government might not think
1t advisable 10 stop The squadron lie command
ed. and it MAS possible the loss If his com
| snanc might he the result OF a iopg protrac-
| ton at my trial. Other considerations in all
probability entered into his meditations. He
| knew that public attention had, about that
| time, been anxiously drawn To alleged abuses
IN the navy that much curiosity, some painful
nxieties, had been felt by its best friends, and
warmsst supporters. He knew too, that the
change which had recently taken place
ia the head of that Department, had been
hailed by the natOn AS the harbingsr of
it's firm. fearless, and impartial adminstra-
lion. He had in his pocket the last or
der ct the Secretary, denouncng in the
strongest terms, such measures AS he had
| pursued towards me. With these cOnsdcra-
,ions opera ing on his mind, he could not mis-
understand the expressions of The letter of the
Secre ,ary Of the Navy forbidding his d.par-
tnre, that it was '' indispensable that difficulties
such as had arisen with Lieut.. Kennon and
yourself, should be promptly aud firmly termi-
mated by this Department" These considera-
| tUns probably suggested the necessity of
abating somewhat the lofiy pretensions with
which he had set out. In his turn, he prof
fered Ovrrtures Of accommodation to the man
whom, before his arrest, he had thought so
utterly insignificant as not to meri; either ex-
pianation or atOnemens and, in his very pro-
posai, he Showed how unjust had been my
arrest, because he was willing To receive
(thOugh under circumstances peculiarly de-
grading tn me) the only declarations I had
made, cefoTe my arrest, IN my publication in
|vorem6er. He had not yet, however, reduced
tn .to,a Of
as my injuries and honor required. II did not
seem Ia enter into his mind that was the
person aggreved, or that could have anu
| cta,m To rrparation atonement and he
| proposed an adjustment in such a mode, and
| OIL such conditions. that should have merited
infamy il had listened to them. Finding
that they were firmly rejected, the lofty pride
and reckless anger with whicll he commenced
| his prosecution, now seeks to cover the NOR
Iilica'ion ut defeat by the appearance Of in
difference.
have thus noticed, with what success this
honorable Court vii! decide,) all the direct
charges against me. Another, not indeed dis
tinctly avowed, but, am sure, principally re-
lied on to sustain this prosecution, it is my rs
pecai duty not tn pass unnotced. 1t is, that
the remarks in my publications, were levellrd
1t my superior officer, knowing him TO l,p the
author of the anonymous publication ia TIL
Ge0rg'an. II could descend to owe my Sc
curity TO so technical a defence, might re-
mind you, that, except from the testimony Gi-
ven at this trial, II was never positively known.
however strongly cunjectured, that he was tn,
author nor was | ever possessed of such
proof as would justify my demand of a court
martial upon him. But disdain such de
fence thought ittoO probable, when wrote
these publications, that he was the author ::
and If he was, and not otherwise, meant he
should appropriate my structures to himself !;
aod am prepared now to justify this pro-
ceeding.
know, srs, how the lofty temper of nv
prosecutor affects To treat this matter. know
he hopes to obscure, if he does not entirely
CONCEAL, ITS true character (; and 10 escape not
only punishment but even scrutiny, by repre-
sentlog this prosecution as one in " hich the
discipline and subnrd nation of the navy are
concerned. They are concerned, sirs, deeply,
fatally, concerned and in the decision You
may pronounce To-day, pardon me, sirs, but
dare say it here, and would, if needfuI, say il
10 the face of the whole nation,) the deci
sion you may pronounce in the case Of AN OBJ
scure Lisutenant, nay hang greater conse-
quences than meet the eye possibly the fu-
tire character Of the navy, and the destinies
of this nation inseparably connected with il
Do not allow yourselves, sirs, to think, tina,
this is the language of inflated pride, or dis
tempered vanity. That error may be fatal
need no monitor To instruct me how unim
portant in myself am. Had it not been so,
this prosecution would have never been But
know too, that Fictitious circumstances some
times give value to things most insignificant
know that incidents, IN themselves unimpor.'
tant from their coincidence with other facts,
or from the combinations with which they
chance to be associated, have produced effects
which presumptu0us folly had pronounced
impossible. A fly in amber attracts the gaze
of the curious. A toad found living ia a
block of marble, has elected profound specula-
lions from the naturalist and geologist A
wanton, though harmless insult 10 parental
feelings achieved what long continued and va
ried tyrannes could not effect. Ii reused re-
sistance and overthrow am empire. He has
read history with little instruction., who has
not discovered that power owes its overthrow
more frequently to the wantonness Gifts exer-
else, in some individual case, than to the pres
sure of its general administration. In my
person, an experiment has been made, which,
IT established as precedent, leaves nothing sa-
cred, nothing worthy Of preservation TO the
junior officers of the navy. Ihaye thus invo-
UNFAIRLY become identified with question of
the deepest interest to The navy ITSELF have
not produced it by nay indiscretion. will
not betrsy It by my fears. You, sirs, know
will not mistake the language Of conscious
right, for the insoIent and petulant expressions
of restless INSTRUMENTATION.
Allow me TO say, sirsdfo the occasion re-
quIres, and will excuse IT'D that my natural
temper IS as little prone to contention and
strife, perhaps somewhat more facile and COM
plying, even with my equals, than is usually
sastd IL