New-York daily tribune., 1861-12-27
NAVAL PRECEDRNTs.


precedents bearing upon every emergency
which happens to arise among the family oi
nations, whether peaceable or warihe. Every
national record seems to DO full oi incidents
which one party at the time regarded a. sn
outrage on the other. That Of England and
the United States is crowded with such. With
lapse Of years they disappear from the public
memory, just as the argry feelings which they
occasioned also pass away. Englnnd mas suffered
infinitely greater outraees ut our hands than
the capture of Mason and shdon, without de-
claring war ngains. us, ard that, 10, at tne
when the auimosity existing bdae,n The t~o
nations was tar more ramIaat thin at pre.fn'.
An instance which occurred 10 the Spring o.
IsIl is strikingly csnfrmatory Of iels posiiion.
During that aud the previous year, oOr coast
was covered by British crusers, impressng
men and OBTAINING clips. They Kept At 10
great distance from the cosst, keeping up
constant communication between HahlnI and
bermuda, AID may be laid to have intercepted
almost every ship that passed fsom orc bein'-
sphere 10 tie other. Occu,io1alIy there cruisers
lay of our harbors and impressed seaIuen from
our merchant ships, sometimes carrying OF
American sailors.
Early in tie year 1911, Commodore Rodgers
the senior officer Of the Navy afoat, WIN"
biDg at Annapolis with the irisate President
received information that man had been i'm.
pressed from an American brig at DG great
distance from Sandy Hook. lie gamedintel,
got under way, intending TO proceed 10 New
York to inquire into the facts of tie case.
Tie vessel committing ths violation Of the brig
was supposed to be the British frigate Guer-
riere. At noon on the 10th OF May, when
about six niles from land 10 the souihward OF
New-York, the lookout on the President de-
scried a sail. The stranger wss soon dis
covered TO be o veSsel.Of-war, and Commodore
Rodgers stood for him, Intending to get within
hail At 9 O'Clock, the latter SGT his bread
pennant and ensign, to which tie stranger
replied by signals, but finding they were not
answered, no wore ship and stood to tho south
ward. Commodore Rodgers followed in pur-
suit; but, although he gained upon the chase,
tie wind fell off so much that right set in
before he could ascertain either her name or
force. At 2 in the evening the stranger took
in bis studding-sails, hauled up Ia courses,
and came by the wind On the siatboard tack
at the same time setting an ensign at his gali;
but it was then too dark for the Commodore to
see to what nation II belonged. But as he came
to the wind, lie necessarily showed his broad
side, and was taken for a irisate.
II was not until toward 9O'clock that Rodgers
could bring to on bis weather bow, aud AT the
distance Of q hundred yards hail him with
hat ship is thati" The stranger made 10
answer, except by repeating the hail. After
short interval the question was repeated, when
the stranger fired guu, the shot from which
entered the Presidents maDmsst. A gun was
then fired by the President, to which the
stranger replied with three, then tho remainder
of his broadsde and all his muSketry. Com
modore Rodgers Immediately poured in his
whole broadside; but ut the same time discOy-
ering that the stranger was vessel OF very
inferior force, ordered his men TO stop firing.
But in spite of this forbearance, the enemy
bis fire, whereupon the President re-
newed hers, until the other became unmaDage-
ube. On being again hailed, answer was made
that tho ship was the British frigats Little
Belt of Is guns, Captain Bingham. The Pres
dent loy by her all night for the purpose OF
rendering assistance, aud in the morning sent
m officer on board to tender whatever might
10 needed. He discovered that the Little Belt
lad suffered severely in her spars aud rigging,