The Arkansas banner., 1849-10-30
Tho BIae Elalll sf IsIl.

' eAt ReuE MkN8A N9 tN&Se
 The tsrm hss iigA has bsea % lreqaently usei la connection with the fedcFaIEsE party thas tt aJ bs inieFestinglo the yeathfal portion ef our ruaess ts know lts oFigia. Tue following extract fron the fourth esnslng velame af saiss Hoa. C. ! IngersOl. on the war of 1872, h hlatery oS the transaction, which gave e the nalne s'blua heht a slgnihcatiOa abherent to every wpuhlkahs- En BAsNgR-
 1.-The hlaa lights tTsasou--whirh called fssth much public aalmadyersi9n, and has ever asssre been matter of reptuach to tlae whole eommnn nlty ! ef its patstive aashofs-wss denounced by Coas. Decatur official letter of ihe 90sh, puhlished the 2sih of December. 13l3. and anade sabiecs af eIe- cassion ia Congrvas the 2tsh 4anaafy, 1874. Ia tstnpostous weather, wilh the eaVer of a severe storiB, Decatur resolved Co vengufe to sea during the night of tho i5th December lsl3. hoping that the enemy's bloekading sqaadFon would 6e blown off, or otherwise unaware of hid attemoA This movement, unayoidsbly known ca shore. whea abeat to be made, frustrated by tse blae lights. displayed the opposite side of the rieeF as nixnas believed 10 be preconeerted with the saemy. asd answered by him, inteIlgiby to those familiar wl,l. the practice of signals. Thus betrayed apd presen- ted, 1t WIS not tiilss ~efterwasls, shG lSsh Of December, 1914, en another tempsssons night. favored by another storm, that Decatur pat to sea from New London, again betrayed by signals from shore, which informed and enibolden the British squadron that captured hisn 4 month after the New London affair, Lyman Law, a native 
 of ConnecIicai, on the 24th of January, 1915, moved for a committee of the house of Representa- tiyes 10 iaqaiFe wbeiEer reasonable correspondence had been held, or information given by Hue lights from tie shore 10 the blockadag squadron, whereby the enemy might learn the movements of Decatur s ships, take evidence by deposition otherwise, and report to the House. He believed. he said that the whole mere deiusion. Connecticut, by her troops, had protected DeeatGrs squadron It'll lately, when the United States stationed troops there. whose means and daty were ptain, to prevent any such treason. Jonsthsn Moseiy. another of the Connecticut members, seconded his colleague s motion, aud riiiculed the impatstion; blue lights might be useful to illuminate charges 30 frequently malie tn the House Of British Tory attachment nts, but .hare were such lights attachments tn Connecticut. Felix Grundy moved that tho reso- tation be referred to the naval committee; Jonathan Fisk oblected to tho proceedings altogether per- vert the House into court b try traitors Mir. Jonathan Roberts, John w. Eppes, John C. Jack son, and Mir Calhoun all opposed it. Mir. Law replied, that it's frequent mention in the House. and apparent importance. induced him 10 introduce the ] resolution; which. on Jonsthan Roberts motion laid on the table by vote of more than two 10 one and taken up again but left for partisan, if not patriotic, fuel.
 Decatur's letIer Of the 20ih December, fSi3 was official and positive, that when the weather prom isei opportenity for his squadron 10 get 10 and Il said shore that ae intended to make
  points ofthe harbor mouth signals to the enemy. ''and there s doubt that they have by signa.s or otherwise, instantaneous information Of our movements. Notwithstanding these signals have been repeated and seen by tweaty persons al least l in this squadron, there men in New Londoa who have the hMdhood to affect To disbecve il ind the effrontery to avow sheir disbeef' IL was said that the blue tights were seea by persons of both the other ships, the Macedonian, Capt Jones. and | Hornet, Capt. Riddle. Captains Decatur, Jones. aud Biddie had neither Of them. any doubt of the 1 atrocious fact. Officers aud ,aen 0f the Hornet stationed as is0koHfs distinctly aai noaieed ths blue lights and after that, signals were made from of the enemy ships, in consequence, they presumed, of those from shore. he officer of ths Macedonian, who was rowing guard, together with all the men composing his boats crew, saw blue | lights made both sides of the river, and immedi, aisiy returned to the ship to report it to his manding officer. They persons familiar with the making of signals and could not mistake the common lights on shore for blue lights. The New Loadon Federal newspapers constantly insisted ot ! the treason. Controversy arose among the news l papers of Connecticut on this subject. The Nor wich Courier, de ned the facts stated by the New Londou Gazette. But, on full inqefry, the formel retracted its assertions admitting it's mistake, declared that blue light signals had been repeatedly made. after their first exhibition of the 10th Decem Der, ISIS, or New London lights. ''by some un prineiped seoundreis, destitute of every princip ot houer aud paiTiotisIh' Suhday hiaht, tne Sti January, lsi4 about ten o'clock blue lights wer again exhited both sides of the river, and wer answ cred by all the British ships. The lights wer distinctly seen by number of our naval and mili tary officers. Again. in March. 1sli, during
 storm of wind aud rain, and weather favorable 10 Decatur squadron to put to sea- he issued an orde requiring ali his officers, on shoFe, to repair with out delay, on board their vessels Shortly after wards lights were thrown up ike rockets from LoD Poin, and distinctly by the officers at the bar racks, and by the officers aud in naval ser vice. The lights answered by three heav, guns from the enemy, st intervals of about te minutes, and the blue lights continued all night