The Sun. — 1824-03-27 (London, England)

THE LATE SUICIDE.  TO THE EDITOR.  Snit—From the manner in which my name has been mentioned upon a recent very melancholy occaion, trust I may be allowed, through the channel of your respectable columns, to submit to the public a few words in my own, behalf. An account of the escape, C March, 1815, of the o. ,tsnsitheon American frigate from the three British ships Leanarr, errcastle, and Acosta, in consequence of all three of the latter having tacked away from the former, in pursuit of her prize, whom she had directed to part company, appeared in my " , Account of the Naval Occurrences of the late American filar," published as long ago as June, 1817. In three or four months afterwards, Mr. John Murray, of Albemarle-street, having met me by appointment at his own house, told me that the Secretary to the Board of Admiralty had deputed him to say, that their Lordships approved of the manner in which I had drawn up the statements in that work, and desired to take forty copies. From that hour, nay, from the first publication of the work, until yesterday morning, when the statement in the Morning Chronicle met my eye, I never received a line, never heard a word, impugning my account of the escape of the nstatution from the Leander and her consorts, either as it is detailed in the Co " Naval Occurrences," or in the last volume of the " Naval History." In the latter I stated what I had left to be implied in the former—that the British ships tacked by signal from the Commodore. I also endeavoured to make it appear, that from the Lesinder's leeward position, her gallant commander, in making away from time American frigate,could not have I encounter with her, as one or the other of his c captured the CcratituNon before the L-inder dreadedtcc(ool eld ss it},p,c}t sctrg:i oocialktnac personal 191 In alongside, " What could have possessed Sir idse.manner ?" are the words I used.— Perhaps I had better have stated boldly, what I then believed, and still believe, that, in not permitting the Acasta, either with or without the aid of the Nezecastle, to continne the pm suit of time Constitution, the British Commodore did wrong. I most fervently wish that the unfortunate r;entleinan, accompanied by some calm and rational friend, lead honoured me with a call. I would have convinced one at least that, though I considered Sir George to have erred in judo.meat, I never bad dreamt of questioning his gallantry. 1.117 t, after all, how much better might this have been done at the Admiralty by. Sir George Cockburn, Sir Edward Hamilton, or Sir Richard King? Which of these Admirals, according to the evidence on the inquest, took the proper mode of appeasing the mind of their unhappy friend ? lied any one of them assured the gallant officer that I meant no imputation upon his honour, and that (if necessary to say more) a little obscurity was to be expected in an account drawn up by one whom they all knew to be a landsman, it is my firm belief the lamentable occurrence would not have happened.  WILLIAM JAMES,  12, Cli:zel-fields, South Lambeth, March 25. P.S. The Editors of those newspapers in which the account of the proceedings at the Coroner's Inquest has appeared, are respectfully and earnestly requested to give ilsertion to this letter.  We alluded lately to various new arrangements and changes on the point of taking place in regard to important Governments in India. Sir THOMAS MONIIO is On his return to England from Madras, and the Hon. MouNTsTuAtur ELPHINSTONE succeeds to that l'reidency. Mr. LUSHINCTON, Secretary to the Treasury, is appointed Governor of Bombay, in the room of Mr. Lr.