The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1829-06-25


iinreaching him. The stud ous silence ofthe
Log Book, which does not even mention
, rumor Of peace, although several vessels
which had been spoken and captured along
the coast of Brazil, South Of LAT. l2', to
which hor cruize appears 10 have been
confined, must have communicated the
intelligence, 10 itself q circumstance calcu-
lated to excite suspicion Of the correct in
tentions OF the Captain. This suspicion is
heightened by his conduct in relation TO
Portuguese Smack Curidad, which appears
TO have been captured South of Bahia on
the 2lst of October. which, the Log Book
states; had prize master put on board,
aud was despatched ,oiM oil speed, but does
not say to what place The proper place,
had the intentions Of the Captain been
honest and fair, would have been to some
port Of the Government Of Bnenos Ayres,
where the vessel and cargo would be regu
larly odjudicated. Instead Of this, she vas
despatched in the opposite direction, to the
West Indies, to neutral Islands, where ac-
cording to the Laws Of Nations, ahe utmost
she had right to expect or ask, was TEN
porary asylum. The Smack, ii appears, from
the evidence, reached st. Martins, and was,
pnrposly and fraudulently, run on shore.
anu HeI SuIpO ulspoocu VI III EloiutIoD VI
the Laws Of Nations. ...,,. -FI
Little asthese things arc susceptible Of
eXtennatlon or explanation, the conduct OF
Capt. Taylor towards the American brig
Nymph, is Of a character which calls for
the severest reprobation. 1t appears, by
the acknowledgement Of Capt. Taylor, tbs
hc is an American citizen. az least a Ma
tive of the u. States, aud even if engaged
IA the lawful service Of Foreign Govern
ment, he ought not to have lost sight Of the
tayorlte maratme principle Of his own
country, when, IN his hostile cruise, he hap
nehed TO fall in with The flag Of the country
OF which he was a citizen that free ships
make free goods A principle which on
Government has, so laudably, endeavcrec
TO introduce into our treaties with the new
Governments Of hmaric and to establish
as the international law of The American
Scas--a principle, whose violation, if not
by the letter is at leas, by the spirit, of the
9TH Sec. of the Act Of Congress of 1890,
considered rs amounting To- piracy, in
citizen of the United States in respect to
his fellow citizens From the Log Book
II appears that goods to- large amount,
from seventy five to one hundred boxes or
bales, were taken out of the Nymph, and
carried on board the Federal, "the mate
and second mate" il is stated, having de
clared that the Portuguese papers were de.
stroyed, after they were boarded by the
Federal, as likewise that the cargo was all
Brazilian property" Can any one suppose
that two Of The Officers of the Nymph.
would voluntarily make such dcnuncia
ton of the property in their charge? And
# we suppose little piratical coercion 10
have been applied TO produce this effect.
can we not as easily suppose that The whole
was but preteXt fabricated for the occa
sion? The only intelligent witness who de-
posed on the side Of the defence, stated
that one Santos, Portuguese. whose char.
acter does not appear to be the most unex
cepiionable, signed a deposition. drawn NJ
by some one on board the Federal under
an oath. for ought We know, administered
by the Boatswain, declaring the property
to be Brazilian.
But admitting that, in imitation Of the
great Maritime States Of Europe, Captain
Taylor had been instructed by the Govern
ment Of Buenos Ayres, to disregard the
principle that "iree ships make free goods"
he could not without the most palpable aud
plratical disregard of the rights of neu
trails, dispose of or appropriate the proper
ty so taken without aifording an opportuni.
~ OF judicial claim and investigation. IN
stead of this, the goods were taken to the
West Indies, and there forever placed BE-
yond the reach of the owners. Even if the
property had been Brazilian, the owners
would have been clearly entitled TO rest
tuition. The treaty ofpeace vas ratified
| the 1th Of October, the goods were taken
IN 5. Lat. 10 or l3 on the 2Sth of that
month, and consequently several days af
ter the expiration Of the time allowed for
the continuance of hostilitles of that dis
tancc. In the opinion Of the Court, the
manner in which Capt. Taylor left Bucnos
Ayrcs, as well as his subsequent conduct,
shcws that his intentions were, from The
first, oflhat piruticol and depredating char.
acter, which no commission however re
guar, could Justify or excuse.
With the question of alledgod violation
of neutrality Of ST. Bartholemews, ths
Court wil not interfere--it is suficieui
that no other Court OF the United States
was previously entitled TO jurisdiction ovc'
the piIatical acts charged against The Fed
eral. The conduct OF Captain TURNER
aud his officers, IL is hoped, however, viii
be sustained and justified by our Govern
tment 1t was induced by strong appeal
from our Consul At St. Bartholomew, who
urged the interference of Captain Turner,
for the protection of American property
This Officer had been fully informed ofthe
conduct of Captain Taylor, in respect TO
his prize, the Car,dao.-be had received as
suranccs from the Consul that goods land
cd from the Nyippb, had been clandestine
" disposed Of at ST. Barts, either by the
connvance of the authorities or by their
PERMISSION. The dsgracefu conduct Of
the Authorities of ST. Eustatius and ST.
/ Bar,hoemews, was notorious; this had been
shown TO the world, on the trial Of the Pi