Daily American telegraph., 1852-07-02
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
The Irish Prisoners.


States. These men were at Quebec, on board
vessel with Scott and the rest Of the prisoners
all bound to Boston, to be exchanged The Brit
ish officer came on board and began to select th'
lrishmen tehom they intended 70 seRdhome 10 g'ac'
The gallops. The officers had no sure means Of
detecting the Irish prisoners but their brogue OF
their confessions. Scott, who was below, nearing
what was going on tmmedtaIsiy rHSAea Q" 0ec|'
and told his afflicted men not to dS1oeT any questions
nut to them thus putting it out of their way to sim
gle out the objects of their vengeance. Then,
turning to the British officers, he boldly denounced
their proceedings, aud threatened O like retail
iation upon British prisoners, if they dared to ex
ecute Single man among his comrades.
The officers haughty reminded him that hi
was himself prisoner, and ordered him into tn,
cabin. But he was not q man to be intimidated
and refused to go, again calling upon his Irish
soldiers to answer no more questions. high
quarrel ensued !; but the result was, that no more
OF the prisoners could be identifed as, Irshmen
for they would not open their lips The officers,
however, had already selected twenty-five before
Scott made his appearance. These were separa-
ted from their fellow prisoners, put on board a
trigate, and despatched for England to be hung.
But they did not 90 till Scott had solemnly
warned the British authorities that he would
surely avenge the death of every man they dared
to lay violent hands upon by terrible retribu.
tion upon the first English prisoners that should
fall into his hands after his liberation.
Scott was soon exchanged. How faithfully he
kept his PROMISE and how true friend he proved
TO natrralized citizens we shall sec He proceeded
at once TO Washington and obtained the passage
Of II law by Congress to retaliate upon English
prisoners any such outrage as was threatened at
Quebec. He again fought and conquered He
had prisoners in plenty. He forthwith selected
twenty-five of genuine English descent, flor he
ia waulH nt Iri iSb hu oh \ nd
held them us hostages for the twenty-five Irish
men taken home to be executed as traitors He
then communicated to the British authorities
what he had DONE and informed them, if they
dared to execute their threats upon the twenty.
two Irishmen, the twenty-five Englishnen should
promptly pay the penalty by sharing the same
fate. The consequence was, the lives of the
rishmen were spared, and, at the close of the
war, they were embarked from England, and
shortly after arrived in New York
Singularly enough, it SO happened that on the
very day these old comrades Of General Scott
landed on the wharf, their commander and friend,
and the man to whose courage and firmness they
we're indebted for their lives, then still suffering
from the severe wounds he had received in the
war, passed along the quay on foot. He was
instantly recognised by the now liberated pris-
oners, who, knowing all he had accomplished in
their behalf, rushed upon him with cheers, cx-
delight, that it is impossible to describe
Their joy was unbounded as the recognition
ryas mutual. He was seized and shaken till the
mingled pain of his wounds and the emotions pro-
duced by such heartfelt exhibition caused even
the tear Of stalwart manhood to start unbidden
down his cheek. 1t was with difficulty that he
escaped from the grasp of these warm hearted
Hibernians, who rightly regarded him as their
fast friend and benefactor, who had restored
then. in safety to the land Of their adoption. If
the Irish have true friend, il is Gen Winfield
scott.-Lgs Of Scott.
Dangers OF River and Lake Navigation.
The Cincinnati Gazette condenses the following
from the report on the steam marine:
Steamboat losses in the West prior to 1910. 2si
From ls4o TO 1872
Iotal....,..,....... .,.,....736
Of the cause of disaster the following state
ment is given Of the casualties
Ey Collision. 40
~ l0l
By E1pioson .......s2
BY Colapsing
Bursuns Plpes.'.... ~
Total
The loss Of property, deducting the deprcci-
alton Of value and the loss of lives is thus eSti-
mated:
Loss Of property s5eI37al
Loss Of lives (by explosion
The loss Of life from other causes is not known.
II Is, however, vastly greater than that above
stated.
The total amount Of steamboat losses for the
year ending July /, 1851, were as follows, viz ::
On the'occan coast. %
on Ihe
" me western rivers
Joss Of steam vessels in
The number Of steamboats, on the Western riv-
ers and lakes is but one-sixth greater than that
on the ocean coast; but the number Of accidents
is nearly four ffths
The proportion of boats destroyed by disaster
to those actually built in the Western waters is
prodigious. Thus
boats built prior to $50
losses By disaster 4ll5 per cent
Again look at the value Of property destroyed
Losses on el3Iel
Losses % 69S 529
,342 ,329
There are thoughts suggested by this array of
facts upon which every American citizen should
reflect. 1t is well to cross the ocean with speed
and safety that our communion and commerce
with the world at large may be useful and profit
able to them and to US but it is better to pro-
mote the most intimate intercourse between tho
different sections OF our own country Our CON-
mercial interests and our political aud social ties
may be promoted and strengthened by the judi.
cious observance Of this important subject Il
the East shall hereafter prove forgetfu Of thi,
matter, the West will in loud and authoritative
tones remind us Of our duty.
THE Character of General scott.
The enemies Of this great man, in the midst Q
the thousands Of absurdiies they circulate &c
specting him, assert that he is naughty, aristo