Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-10-07
GITTIAEY oADNgs
SATURDAY EVENING. OCTOBER 7.
CAPTAIN DAVID PORTER.


enormously deserted his native country her honor
and her Gag to enter the service ola foreign people,
and we should not have written line concerning
him, had il not not been for the publication OF O
letter, addressed by him to the Hon. MAHLoS
DIcKIssoS, Of the United States Senate, written a
short time before the departure Of the Commodore
for Mexico, and which the Honorable gentleman,
who i. decidedly opposed to the present Adm'n'-
tration has thought expedient to place IN the COL
umns Of newspaper.
Whether Commodore PORTER intended it should
ever meet the eye of the public, or not, we can
not say; but Mr.. DICKINSON has, for certain
feason., thereunto exciting him, handed 1t over
10 that great gun of the Opposition, the Richmond
Euquirer, where midst all the Pomp, parade and
circumstance for which that paper is proverbiai' 1t
is published. 1t is to say the least oft, very sin
pu,ar production, and will not, we sincerely believe,
have tendency to secure to the writer, the affec
ton, Of the American people, or in the least tend
TO restore 10 him that respect, which the country
once expressed in his behalf.
There was time, and that time is fresh in the
recollection Of our readers, when Captain DAVID
PoRTEh was professedly the determined and devo-
ted friend of JOHN QUINcY ADAMs-a time when
he was prepared to defend the present Executive,
"een at the cannons mouth :" but strange as it may
appear, he is now, though the subject of distant
people, the decided foe Of Mr.. ADAMS, and affects
10 look upon him with distrust and abhorrence.--
That this change in the feelings of Captain DAVID
Porter, now of the Mexican service, should take
place, is not matter Of astonishment, and when we
come TO refer the reader to the why and the where
FORE we think ehal satisfy ALL that little and un
worthy feelings have brought about II reverse so
extraordinary and vindictive. 1t will be best how
ever to give such extracts from the Captains letter,
as are Of the most consequence before we proceed
any further. Had we room, should give the
letter, IN ertenso and lest we should be suspected
of fdsingenuousuess, we will here aver, that the
extracts found below, are Of all others the least
ceptionabls.
"Resentmcnt for the past some have conjec-
tured, will have nothing to do with my determ,na-
tion. 1t istrue, feel that have been harshly
dealt with; and it is true, that ] am almost every
day made to feel that am not yet restored TO the
good will and confidence Of the Executive. Wha
Is past. can forgive. The evils of the day, can
bear,-but have the utmost dread Of the future.
| feel that have nothing to look for fom the 60
.ernn,sat during the present administration but con-
fy,nelv and neglect And seeing that there is
trolling or protecting power, to whom can look for
redress, | cannot bear the idea Of remaining in a
-tuatiou to be again exposed TO treatment similar
TO that which have already experienced from the
Government"
He has been harshly dealt with When, where, |
and by whom By the President of the United
States-by the present Administration, responds
Captain Porter, and for this. Indignantly abure
my country, and enlist in the forces of foreign
power, who may tomorrow, be at war with the
people ofmy native land.
But how has he been hurshy dealt with The
assertion is not founded facts-it is uuequivocal-
ly denied. For dsobedience Of orders, for abusing
the powers vested in him, for setting the rights of
ueutrals at defiance, for tramplng on the laws of
nations, and for assuming the part Of demi ibucca
neer, he fairly and bonorably tried by his peers.
sdjudged guilty, and suspended from the service
of his country for six months And thi, he calls
harsh dealing, and attempts to revenge himself by
abandoning his country! What right had Captain |
PoRTER to expect that more lenity would be ex-
tended to him than to any other officer in the
vice Did he not stand in Ithe relation to his
country that Captain BARRON did and was he no |
amensble 10 the laws of his country, as thai !
abused, injured, gallant young officer, Lieutenanl
ABBOT, who was by him pursued with the re.
lentlsss fury Of bloodhound, until his ruin hal
been consunmated, |
What claim has DAVID PoRTER had on this |
country for its lenty, and why should he expect
that his conduct is above suspicion reproach and in
vestgation, Is it because he fought gallan,ly al
Valparaiso, and added something to the fame Of
the American Navy, that he is to be screened from
the scrutinzins eye the laws Of the nation, and
be suffered to abuse the power delegated to him |
by too iudu,gent government We repeat, wha,
claim has this gentleman on the American people |
beyond any other officer who distinguished him
self during the late war?-and we pause for reply. |
In our opinion, he has never been entitled to any |
particular regard from the American public, tina,
should indulge him in his wild freaks, and all the
folles Of mad ambition.
"lfeel," says the gallant DAVID PORTER, that
have nothing to look for from the present Admis-
tra'ion." And why. in the name of Justice, does he
eeiso Because he is certain, that the present Ad-
mini,trtton would never clothe him with mower.
authorizing him to carry into the dominion of
a neutral nation, justify him in assuming to him.