Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-06-10

Commodore Porter was required on the 27tl
Dec. to repair 10 Washn gton without unnecessar,
eeIay. He reports his arrival on the LIST March
Alter three other notes to the Secretary, he CON-
plains TO him on the 18th April, of the delay which
mas taken place in prosecuting the investigation in
'he affair at Foxardo; the affair, which caused him
10 be recalled, to be suspended from the exercise
oil ms Official functions TO be censured, punished
ana degraded before complaint, before trial, before
ne was called on for explanation, Sc. &c.
Inc Secretary the goth encloscs him a copy
oil the precept which had been issued for court:
and concludes that s'No other notice of the STYLE
ana manner OF your letter is deemed necessary al
thls time, than TO remind you of the relation which
suossts between you and the Department THE
court met on the I'd May Capt. p. then being call
eu upon made two objections to the precept; LIST
mat the charge OF carrying of specie, which had
oeen referred 10 them at his own instance should
nave been stated in the way in which he himself
had submitted it; to wit: has Capt Porter and the
oHcers OF the w. India Squadron asey neglected
their duty, and basely sacrificed the public interests
as charged by Messrs. Randall and Mountain, and
dothey deserve the structures which have been pas
sea on them on the floor OF Congress? but that the
secretary throws 1t into more general form, and
calls upon the court to enquire whether the naval
FORCES were not employed in the suppression of pi-
racy IN the most effective manner, but were en-
1
ects oil inferior moment, to the neglect of the pub
Tic interests, &c.-and IDLY. he does not except 10
any OF the members ofthe Court, but TO the mate
rlais oil which they constituted. Two of the
three members were junior to him; and he contends
on principles of strict justice, whatever the
letter Of the fGtD may be, that court of enquiry
ought not to have majority of officers junior to
the accused.-The court submitted these obiec-
tons to the Secretary. He did not support them,
but instructed the Court TO proceed They accord
lngiy proceeded with the examination of Lieut.
flatt the witness in chief. When it was concluded
CON- L. Is asked whether he had any questions TO
propose! He then enters protest against the de-
csion oil the Secretary, regards the legality of
me formation Of the Court. In this paper, he
oeSs leave TO decline taking any part whatever in
this investigation, until the question he had sub
mltted Is decided on by competent authority
(Which he intlmates in another place is the Attor-
ney General of the u. SIN the course of this
protest also, he employs certain expressions in rea-
ton 10 the Secretary and the Court; which the
Court except TO and mark; and declare that if they
could have anticipated its character and contents,
they would not have suffered il to be read-The
Commodore by subsequent paper denies the CON
struction which the Court had placed upon his pro-
test, and cannot consent, by any alteration on his
part, TO admit, that by it any disrespect was in
tended by me, either to the Court or the head of the
Navy Department He persisted in his determi-
nation not to interfere with the proceedings Of the
Court, and accordingly took leave of them.-They
proceed with the investigation; examine a. j.
DallaS OF the Navy, and Lieut.. Crabb; they place
The deposition of Lieut.. Barton on their record,
reject other documents; and on the 9th May, they
make up their report and transmit il to the Navy
department. This report is not vet published -
Meantime the pamphlet of Com. =. is ushered TO
the world with these proceedings his own defence,
which he had not made 10 the Court, and copies OF
q lnfst1Yf II. Il
now understand. that at his instance a Court Mar
tlal is TO be summoned, TO decide finally upon the
case.
In thus state OF the business, we would there
tore avoid the expression of any definite opinion
upon the Defence and Documents. On two sg
the questions presented we may offer remark
Isl. we do not hesitate to believe, that most
prohSate system OF robbery and piracy had been
counienanced and promoted at the town of Foxar-
do; that stores hadbeen respectfully robbed at the
island OF 81. Thomas, and the plumber deposited
with the people of FoNardo; that the very goods in
question, which Lieut.. Plat went from ST. T. to
+ oxardo to recover, had been actually convened
TO this profiigate village, and at the very mo-
ment when Lieut. Platt was there in the possession
OF the Alcalde or Chief Magistrate of the place. and
that he was perfectly satisfied of Lieut.. PCS being
an American officer, the very moment he was i'm
prlsoned and insulted As these various PROPOSE
tons, we have not sing lie doubt upon our mind But
2dly-we would respectfully ask Com. Porter to re-
view his Defence and see whether it touches the great
point that isreally at issue It's principles would
have been relevant to the case of Lieut. Patt had
the Lieut. gone to Foxarlo to land, and seize the
goods, and punish the pirates and their abettors-
inns, however, seemed MOI to have been even his
intention. But is this the case of Com. p? Did
ne go TO demand the goods and punish the pirates!
OF was II not rather, TO demand reparation for the
indlsnlty which had been offered TO an American
officer! As proof that this last and not the other
point forms tie true gist OF the question, did the
Commodore demand the goods? did he recover
them did he insist upon their production? What
says Mr. Dallas the result? g An apology to
Lieut. Patt for the Ill treatment hich he had re-
ceiVed. The Commodore asking the officers
generally, If they satisfied with the apology.
hiding they were so, he directed our return" This
then is the principal point and we respectfully in
Vite the Commodore's attention to it, when lie
comes 10 discuss it before the Court Martial. Was
TINS the way TO obtain an apology? Was it for him
to demand it, or for his own government to become
The organ OF the application? If it was his duty
did he take the proper course' Ought he not first TO
have sent Lieut.. Striblng with the white flag on
shore to demand redress from the Alcalde before he
landed his troops and spiked the guns and when
reparatIon refused, then to resort to force--or
take the course, which he adopted, land the mus
quets with the flag, and spike the guns beforesbe
MINISTER Oh peace had MADE MS denands9
Ihls assertion made authority Of the WISH CITY ,
Letiebut the last Nat. ntoigcnc er saws: II viii e "a ,
mention here that have understood that the statement
from another quarter, Of Com Poer's having demanded
Court rn1Tiial, is not correct.
THE HURRICANE of Saturday has been heard
from as far north Philadelphia-In that city
Washington, Alexandra, &C. it posrated many
trees. The Norfolk papers gives some very in
teresting details Of the rayages it occasioned in
that direction. it commenced about O'Clock on