Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-02
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.

LcandeS, which lately brought several Of the Royal
Commissioners to the New York Exhibition, is the
vessel which committed the outrage on the Ameri-i
can f;;Gi;sa.e Chesapeake in 1907 TWAS added that
probably this selection was determined oii ny fhe
British Government as a quid pro quo, to compen-
safe for the selection Of the Macedonian fgate to
convey to Ireland our contribution of provisions
in 1S47-S, during the extreme dearth Of food in
that island
We dare say that the naval authority both in
England and the United States ordered on special
service the ship which could be best spared from
other duty, and would be apt to make the most fa-
vorable impression in respect to its excellence of
model and general efficiency man-of-war. We
do not suppose that the name, in any significant
sense, was any more thought about lnan if TIE
head of naval affairs knew one ship or the other
only as No. 10 or No. so.
Another very good reason for eupposing that the
English Admiralty did not dispatch the Leander
with any petty hope Of wounding our national
sensbiltes is that it Sas not the Leander but the
Leopard which fred on the Chesapeake in the
waters Of Virginia,
We take tie occasion to suboin brief account
Of that unexpected insult to our flag and we avail
ourselves of the language of so popular writer as
the Hon. JOHN P, KENNEDY. The occurrence ex
cited the deepest indignation throughout this coun
try, though it did not lead directlyto war, which,
indeed, was not declared till some FIVE years later:
:" 1t was on the 22d of June, when the Chesapeake
igate, standing from Norfolk, passed British
squadron at anchor in Lynnhayen bay The Leopard, a
frigate Of fifty guns belonging the squadron, followed
a.
Here boat sent with officer and several men to
demand of Capt. BARRON the surrender Of three men
who said to be aboard the Chesapeake, and who
claimed native British subjects Capt BARRoS's
reply that he knew of persons Of that description
among his Upon receiving this the British
fgate still kept in pursuit of the Chesapeake fred first
gun and then broadsde into her. which killed and
wounded several men, besides doing damage to the
spars rigging Of the ship The Chesapeake being totally
unprepared for encounter which she had reason TO
expect (being, too, in condition which disabled her
from resistance only few hours Of port and her
decks numbered with quantities of unsowed
obliged strike her flag and submit the mpressment
and abduction of four of her crew."
Instead of dwelling on the animosity thus freshly
rekinded from the embers which had only smoulderod
since the War of Independence, we greatly prefer
to add the following just sentiment from Mr..
KENNEDY's account
Happily, these feuds are now forgotten in the tran
quty engendered by that sentiment of mutual respect
and appreciation of national and individual WORTH which,
trust will long distinguish the intercourse between
the two countries"
To confound one vessel with another is yenial
error, to which any one is LIABLE and we should not
have thought this worthy Of correction did we not
regard it about the thousandth indication of that
carping and iliberal spirit which is 50 often mani
Tested among when referring to any person, thing
or topic belonging to another nation than our own.
So far from acting with the calm confidence in
themselves and disposition to concede all proper
respect and liberty to other countries which would
become citizens of a proud and powerful nation,
many narrow-minded persons, with conceited
boastfuness which is as distant from true courage
and patriotism as from good morals and good breed
ing labor to engender unfriendly and hostile feel
ings, and open rupture, between nations whose
interests, advancement, and happiness depend on
peace, and who would not have dreamed of any
insult or slight to their country but for the idle
suggestions of ignorant and prejudiced mono
maniacs who aim to be architects Of ruin in their
small way These are they who lash themselves
into patriotic feryor on the slightest telegraphic
provocation, and try to excite their neighbors,
until people resemble the client who declared he
never had any idea how much he had been wronged
until he heard his counsel expatiating to the jury
upon the unparalleled injustice Of his adversary.
FROM THE DAILY rNTELLIoENcER or THURSDAY
We regret that the Union perceives an exhibition