Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-06-14
COMMODORE PORTER.


hand full of truths, he would only let them cscape
by Lifting up single finger at a time. The polii-
Grams at Washington are at times something like
this French Wit. They will not always give us
=" the whole truth" at once. But we have it some
times by piece -meal; and then it is not very easy
to understand the state Of the whole case from these
frasments.--Coinmodore Porter's case, for in
stance:
The Gazette declared, that Com. p. had demand
en- Court Martial land that was accordingly grant
ed The Intelligercer steps in, and denies that he
! had demanded it. The Gazette next corrects its
original remarks, by stating, that Court Martial
had been ordered by the President himself sup
posing that this is the condition of things and
that the Commodore is to be brought before Court
Martial, TO answer for what Mr. Secretary South
ard calls " the extraordinary transactions at Foxar-
! do, II may not be very meet TO go into a formal
investigation OF the merits Of Com. P's i" Defence
but there may be no improperly in calling his at
tenton 10 the true merits of the question, and TO
s1ch points OF his Defence, as may require 10 be
further strengthod. Thus he will be the better pre-
pared for the main action whichis coming on.
l. Com. Porter has defended himself upsn the
ground that the robbers Of Foxardo were pi,ntes.
or the allies Of pirates But admit that piracies had
0eer committed or countenanced by the profiigatc
inhabitants oil the village, is this of that de-
scription Were these robbers pirates Were
| the persons who broke into the store of Cabot
w
October last such persons may be characterised
by the name of pirates TO employ the words IF
| The act OF Congress, under which Com p in part
| shelters himself, were they "persons engaged in
any pt'dticdf cTuize or enfsrpriEe or being Of the
crew or ships company, of any piraticsl ship or
vessel, shall land from such ship or vessel and on
| shore shall commit robbery % Has Com. y. anv
other evidence of this fact, than such as his nam
phet exhibits and does he conceive, that the let
ter OF Mr.. Cabot of the 18th November, of Messrs
Burgeest and Uhhorn of the ill., of Lieut.. Plat
OF the date and of MIR. Furness of the 10Th NJ
February last sufficient to make out this case
Robbery" g gang of thieves &c. are TO be met
WIN IN these documents, but no such descriptions
as " pirates, g piratical cruizers,' - Sc.
! I'd. When at the earnest solicitation of Messrs.
Cabot and Baily, Lieut.. Plat, of the Beagle, con-
sented to visit Foxsrdo, for the purpose ofrecoper
ing the stolen goods, did even Lieut. p appear in
the garb and character of an american officer,
demanding the surrender Of pirated property, and
vengeance on the heads of the pirates? Does this
character appear from the ciric dress in which he
appeared from the retCard which he offered 10 the
unprlncipled Alcalde Gas he turns out to be,\ and
which he processes himself authorized by the unfor-
tunate merchants 10 oifer-or, from what o,he,
| circumstance does Com p. infer that even Lieut.
T. appeared clothed with the delegated authority o.
The American government--delegated TO demand
not recorer stolen goods; TO punish, propitiatC
4 1iIS tHlftSS A4ltlt dlNtIS ana dDettOrSr
! Sd. And how does il appear, that Com. p. went
10 Foxardo to punish pirates for their piratica
acts; and to reclaim the fruits of their nlun.
der! not 10 demand atonement for the in.
! dignity which had been committed by the de-
| tension OF an american officer? In his lette
| OF the 18th Nov TO the Alcalde OF Foxardo, h,
speaks indeed Of g robbers and freeboters taking
shelter there with the stolen goods; of Lieut.
Platts object in visiting Foxardo' being defeate,
by his arrest, and complains that l." for these Of
fences no atonement or explanation has yet beer
| made he states the object of his own visit !.
to obtain BOTH that if aonement for the iniur,
s promptly made, the innocent Of the officers "a ii
| escape ali punishment but atonement must apc
VIII be had, and If it is withheld from me- they will
be involved IN the general chastisemento Whs
| INJURY? HoU do the subsequent events interpre
this expression? Did Com. p. demand the good
to be delivered? the pirates TO be surrendered Dir
| ne obtain either9 On the contrary has he any otbe
evidence TO rebut that of A. j. Dallas of the Nav
that as soon the Officers received the apology flo,
| the W treatment they had met with The bushes,
was al an end, and the troops were ordered TO re-
turn If Com. p. has any other evidence to chang,
the character of his expedition, it you'd be pro.
| per TO produce it.
1th. Has he any document TO show, that n,
hrst made his demand for reparation and then land
ed his troops to ertOrtt? or, are we TO relv on
the evidence already published; that the flag o.
uuce landed at the same Time with his musouets
| 9th. Ii the character Of the act be such as IN,
present evidence purports; if II be not to reclaim
plumber from pirates, but to avenge the insultee
dignity Of an American officer, IAN insult yvbicI
demands e1Piation) then, was it for Com. p. fc
undertake this responsible oifice-or submit III,
facts to his own government; and leave them In de-
eide upon the character of the aggr ession and IN,
measure of the atonement'
N,,r 1r IL A. e
reply TO " Mason Of 7G--and we shall comply viii
the request of Winchester Correspondent in Iavine
before our readers " n Friend Of Equal Rio6fs'
on Friday Woinvite discussion on the amendment,
Of the Constitutions but we must at the same tim,
earnestly recommend the utmost possible modera.
ton of temper in the important discussion. w,
regret that much luminosity has already been dis
played The Constitution is detective a Con.
lvention viii sooner or later be called But Tho
value OF the amendments may essentially depeur
upon the temper which marks the discussjon.-
| Recollect that the formation OF a Constitution
IS one OF the most important acts in which a
sovereign people is engaged. II requires all the
talent, all the discretion, all the wisdom, which
1 are TO be found IN the nation Conduct tb,
| previous discussion in such tone, that angry
feelings should be elicited; personal and sec
tional anirnostes should be engendered; and il i.
inevitable, but that many men will be excluded
/ from the Convention who will be able 10 contrib
ute essentially to its labOrs--and some whom il
embraces, win have their opinions warned bv the
resentments which had been previously excited. II
is desired, that the men Of the most distinguished
talent and information in the Commonwealth
whether they should have been the friends, or the