The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-05-04

ary, 177G, declaring American prise,
ners traitors, pirates, and felons and
for the refusal of cartel of ex-
charge. Accordingly the same day
[23d April, 177S about noon, having
wi h M in a single boat only two Off
GERS, and a small guard, [ landed on
the nobleman's estate. On landing |
met some Of the inhabitants, who, tax
ing me for an Englishman, told me
that Lord Selkirk was then in London,
but that my lady, his wife, and several
lady friends were at home. This made
me resolve to return Immediately to
my boat and 60 back to the Ranger
This moderate conduct was not to the
taste of my men, who were inclined to
pillage, burn and devasta'e all they
could.
''Though this would have been max
ing war aft the fashion of the Eng
lish, did MT think it fit to initiate
them, especially on this occasion, con-
sidering what was due lady. 1t was
necessary, however, to find some COM
promise to satisfy the cupidity of my
crew, ;nl to spare Lady Selkirk 1
had only moment for choice. What
seemed to me best t. reconcile every
thing Was to order the two officers to
go to the mansion with my guard,
which was to remain outside under
arms, while they alone entered. They
were then politely to ask for the family
plate, to stay only few minutes, to
take what was given them without de-
mandng anything more, and return
Immediately afterwards without pro-
ceeding to any search. was strictly
obeyed. The plate was given up
Lady Selkirk told the officers several |
times over that she was very sensible
of the m LIBERATION shown by me. She
even wished to come to the beach, a
mile from her mansion, to invite me
to dine with her, but the officers begged
her not to take so much trouble.
:. When circumstances forced ME
to allow my men to demand and take
Lady Se'kirk's plate, l was resolved on
redeemlng it at my own expense when
it was sold and on restoring it to that
lady. On reaching Brest, therefore,
my first care was to write her touch
ing letter, in which l explained the
motives Of my expedition and the cruel
necessity in which the conduct of the
English in America had placed me of
INJECTING retaliation. This letter was
sent in an envelope addressed to the
Postmaster-General in London, so that
1t might be shown to the King of Eng
land and his ministers, end the court
of London was constrained to renounce
the sanguinary Act of its Parliment,
and to exchange these Americans,
traitors, pirates and felons,' for priso-
ners of war whom had pured and
brought to France. -.
''During the war 1 found no means
OF returning to the Countess of selkirk
the family plate, which l had been
forced to let my men carry off at the
time of my expedition in Scotland in
the Ranger. | redeemed this plate
from my men at a very high price,
They fancied they could not make me
pay too dearly for it. had calcula'ed
on sending it from Lorient by sea when
that pace became an open port, but
finding no opportunity, | wrote to the
Comte de Vergennes for permission to
send the plate from Lorient to Calais
by land. That minister considered
my letter, and sent it on to NJ. de Call
onne, who not mercy granted me the
permission l desired, but wrote me a
very complimentary letter. The plate
was consequently forwarded to Lond n,
and delivered carriage free at thu ad-
dress given by the Earl of Selkirk. |
received from that nobleman a letter
full of gratitude for the delicacy of
my conduct and the strict discipline
of my men,
In an appendix Paul Jones gives in
the original English his lett Is to and
from Lord and Lady Selkirk, most, if
not all, of which were published at the
time of the res Grafton of the plate in
1854. They show how he assured Lady
Selkirk, writing from Brest on the
eighth of May, 177S that he "waged
no war against the fair out fully in
tended resolutions; how Lord Selki,
sent IA reply, which was stopped by the
English post-office ard returned to
him; how Lord Sc kirk transmitted Il
message to the effect thae he would ac-
cept the plate if restored by Congress
or any public body, but could moi
think of being indebted to Paul Jones
priva'e generos ity; and how af er the
revolution, Lord Selkirk assured Jones
that his men stayed only a quarter of al
hour in the buffers pantry while the
butler was collecting the plate, ant
behaved very politely. In letter te
al Amsterdam dignitary, also append
ed, Paul Jones says: Il never had any
obligation to Lord Selkirk, nor does he
know ME or mine except by charac er.'
.sanv Persons are broken