Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-01-04
4 GAZFTTE AND VIRGINIA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. H. 1858.
NaynICourts OF Inquiry.


The excitement in naval circles, and among
those interested in the unfortunate Navy Is
more intense under the iatlu7nce OF the re-
suits of the Courts of lnquIry, than II has
ever been since the grand garrJtlng ct the
immortal f.t,en.' Gentlemen OF high char
acter, of unbemisbei professional reputa-
tion, with splendid records, have failed.
The case of Com mander j. ). Nicholas,
son of tho late Judge Nicholas, OF Richmond,
Va. i. suspended. II is understood that he
WAS restored Gy the action OF the Court, Hu'
that some one appended er-parte evidence 10
the record, with the view Of PrJudlcnS tie
case with the Executive.
learn, pariiculrIy, that in the case OF
Lieut. VI. \. Bartlett, the tirst decision OF
the Court was for restoration; and 1t Is now
understood that the peculiar influences which
cons rIlned, despite Of all legal rules, the re-
consideration Of his case Is to be the subject
If serious investigation. Then, too, the case
of Lieut. Rhinds is the subject Of great
deal Of establishment and speculnt on. HIS
record YVES considered as mort triumphant
exhibition Of his weil-lnown Character as Il
hiyh toned and chivalric officer and gentle
man; and certainly, If the Court had been
gOverLed by the evidence, 1t should have re
ST red him to the service Of his country.
The ca.e of It, K 1laudo has peculiar 10
terost, which ju>tities the reference TO some
particular iac,s In our naval history. lie
was the second in com mand OF the celebrated
and brilliant boat expedition some lew years
ago commanded by the gallant 1t. Pegram,
of Virginia, against the Chinese pirates -
The battle in which this expedition was en-
gagged lasted u whole dav, cdmmeuclng az
) A. NJ and ending at $40 L. NJ, ana
eleven hundred vi the Chinese were Killed
Out Of one hundred Americans engaged III
the battle, tweuiy-six were killed or wouE-
dad among the latter 1t. RJldudO himself.
S-vcut on large iunks we're captured after
iesueru,e resistance. If which sixteen were
taken by the Americans. Commander fe-
lows. Of the British navy, VINO headed
the expedition with a large force, was
promoted to IA post captaincy; and all the
English officers under him were advanced
one grade, Our government has never pald
any proper tribute to the gallant aud eht'i-
prising conduct Of its own officers IN TINS
matter The only tribute paid to them has
been by this English officer IN his hAtterlng
report TO his government and in bis personal
letter u 1t. Pegram Mr.. Buchanan was ;hcn
Minister y Engaud, and his report to the
State Department OF the affair was uhh--
uCed. liuT this neglect on the part OF our
government could have proceeded Is curious
speculation, especially when 1t Is cJuSiiered
in what notorious style OF luIsOme Iauiauon
the reports of MIR. Secretary DJbbln were
lar nnF IA
reports of 1T. ). j. Lee for sounding IN the
ocean; Of Capt lngraham tor his conduct III
the X Jszja affair Of Lt. Strain, whose expe-
ditiOu to Darlen was a failure; II Capt. Hart
stein. who went after DR.. Kane; OF 1t. Della-
We who went after Sir John Franklin. e.,
&c.-but never word was SAID OF the lrI!-
liant conduct OF either 1t. Pcgram or LIT. Re-
laado in tie desperate battle at the Island of
Chuan. And why? Plainly because Secreta-
~ Dobhiu dreaded making even an indirect
attack uFoa the Retiring Board by laudIng an
officer who, a. in the case Of 1t. kIlauGO, had
splcniid!y distinguished himself at the very
time of his being iurloughed.
With respect to Lieut.. PegTam, rs the gen.
cra government has failed 10 notice him as
the hero OF what has been decrlbed az zone
Of the best naval boat fights that has ever
occurred" it may be asked why Is the Legs
lature of Virginia neglectfu in this matter
of her distinguished son, At least the Vi
GINA Senators might repair the bad omission
of those marks Of public honor due T. those
who have done sucn distinguished service as
1t Pcgram, by calling, even at this late day,
for the records in the CASE U0yHWgtpH cor
yeyDondcnccof the Richmoni SoUM.