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Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser 1807/01-1807/06 msa_sc3722_2_6_1-0087 Enlarge and print image (4M) |
Fren
(Communicatedfor the Publick Ledger.}
[I
¦3
doubt heard of the arrival of
some ormy ships on the continent, and al-
so ot l'i i. miserable situation we were in
•when separated. The Frudroyant was in a
most disabled state, having suffered so much
in the gale, she became twrgovernable, and
for some days was at thve merely of the wind
and waves ; after suffering more than I can
describe, by the assistenceof God, I arriv-
ed at this port. After obtaining that refit-
ment I stand so much in need of, I am de-
fied to cruize offthe Havana in hopes
\ nay si ill fall in with- and ..be joined by
a uie of my scattered squadron, I presume
or. remaining in this port for some time,
.and till I have the satisfaction of hearing
from the minister for conducting the ma-
rine department, leaving writt him every
post for eight days past—I have had the ho-
nor ot haying letters from his excellency,
copies of which 'letters as well as others, I
have forwarded y¦/<. lie is alarmed at
the beh, -vior of the French ambassador, so
fully instructed ly his majesty. He is deter-
••mined, a' 'g'eheftit in chief, to inform the
French | of the condu t if the V
Elates - Out he. trusts that the French shifts
are n'div supplied •with all 'necessaries.
(Signed) P. Willaumez.
No. V.
Havana, 10th Nov. 1805.
If I have delayed, my dear Barney, to give
yd.1 an account of the afflicting situation I
ha\e been in since the dispersion of my
fleet ; think not that, your friendship
shall escape 1113- memory. At Cuba it is said
there is a peace between Fiance and Eng-
land, [here the characters are not legible]
and further, it is said that Spain and us
do not much agree to that which the English
and Americans' propose. Have you any ac-
count of the ilvets -of Warren, Strachan
and Cochrane ? The report goes that; many
nf them v ere dismasted. Jerome lias been
fortunate in arriving in France, without ac-
cident. I calculated on being there with
my squadron at the end of October, but. the
elements, against whom man pan do nothing,
deJMfled otherwise, and I am forced to stay
here three Or four months, enraged at hav-
ing nyssed the convoys of Jamaica and the
Wtudward-lslands. I hope the Casard wdll
arrive safe ; she is c.mmauded by air officer
v.iu is active, pander,i and.wise. If LMm-
ptffehx could have remained with Le Fou-
dioyaut, or f llowed the route which I made
by, signal tor the Havana, France would not
have had to regret her loss The Foudrny.
ant has had her masts standing- seveia! days
— by the end of the week they will come at.
Iter keel to "put on the sheathing on her
:tem pent, which was carried away with
P. WlttAUMEZ.
To ¦¦. at llal)imerc„
REMAIilCS,
the Eu.t'loi tiger.
general tenor of there dispatches is
sufficient to prove the hostility of the writer
people of this country, and his
insolent sentiments towards our govern-
ment.
The first thing, however, that attracts
of admiral Wil-
iamr.ez towards the captain and crew of an
¦ i, becnise they did riot give
•ymen. This
gallant commander, whose tears converted
the American merchantmen into admiral
n's fleet, put the An
Yes, and as soon as he found that the ships
that !:¦ ;;,;) -^ere not
admiral \Y:, , (k-fyncej*ss
Am'erii . is indignu - them
d (if he
M at Ihe yai
¦ill the face ¦ I ii.es; A'<;to-
Yrrk J" Reader ! remember" that this letter
(as wnil as en- [..it this more pari
ly),«»5 addressi I 1 of the firstj-tffieers
¦-' f^ nfheat, to whom the
s to recommend him-
•¦¦!l>, , -adty, united with the most
, in utnljhsol Inn a cf eristic traits
exhibited by the writer; Sbjfte Of our fel-
. low-citizens tire hfnlnd in inanadts, because
1 not become ffrformers against
trymenj aiiSbflierS are threaten.
¦ erl witto an execution calculated to «xcite
I the keenest anguish in the breasts of their
relatives, and to offer to our country the
ships were pursued to their pi rts, but. fortu-
nately for them, they escaped these blood-
hounds, whose regret at missing them is
[y describe)). The gasconading; pans
of the letter, No. 1, may serve us It) laugh
at. The miserable manner in wnich this
fleet was equipped, may serve to shew to
John Bull, that he has nothing to fear from
the naval enterprize of Napoleon, and the
lacility with which the resources of Spain
are commanded, must rejoice the free and
independent sons of America, that they
cannot he made thus subservient to the do-
mination of a French commander.
Letter No. 0, now engages, our attention
—the conclusion of which, furnishes an
evidence of the impertinence which the
French officers indulge when speaking of
our government. Because some of the sea-
men of one of their frigates have deserted,
and are found on board an American ship,
the government is to be insulted. Avarice
in mopey, is where our government is most
vulnerable, says the admiral i Since the
time of the Directory, these Frenchmen
have been trying to lay us under contributi-
on in one way or another ; in part we are
sorry to say that they have succeeded, inas-
much as they have sold us a country, which
by their management we run the risk of
losing again -but. that is over—let us kijep
fast our cash in future, for if they once put
their hands into our treasury, we mayr, if
no more, be saved the trouble of devising
means to get clear of surplus revenue. The
secret expedition, of which the admiral
speaks in the conclusion of number 3, it
is most probable was Intended for the con-
tinent, and not for the British Islands, as
they are too well guarded fey their marine to
indulge a hope of success.
From the 4th letter, we understand tliat
general Terreau has apprized the admiral
that the American government will not fur-
nish money to equip his disabled fleet in the
ports of the United States.
At this the admiral is all indignation, he
is astonished at the commanders of the
French skips ! For what, we ask ? They
could ndfrmake our government launch out
cash ; then why are they to blame ? We
can see no reason for blaming these com-
manders, unless they had neglected to lay
our towns under contribution, and thus have
extorted money". Monsieur Turreau has not
obeyed his Imperial majesty's orders—what
those orders were we know not, but if they
related to money, we believe Monsieur Tur-
reau lias not been idle. Finally the admiral
is determined to denounce the American go-
vernment to his Imperial majesty. This
Threat we have no doubt will be put in exe-
cution, and the vengeance of his Imperial
majesty on our government, and on the
people of America they may or may not
reel) according as the means of vengeance
are afforded or denied.
From the same paper, of Friday last.
We understand that the publication of
admiral IVillaume-z's letters in our last, has
excited some sensations among certain per-
sons, who coniident that their contents can-
not be defended, affect to treat them as fa-
brications. It would certainly be unneces-
sary at this time for the editor to state in
what manner they came to his hands, but
thus far he will say, that if they are fabri-
cations they originated in the Havana, for
they 'Were put on board of a vessel at that
poet.
We feel no desire to excite in our coun-
trymen any animosity against France, but
we wish to warn them of the dangers to
which they are exposed from the ambition
of one Who appears to have no limit to his
views ; indeed we would wish, once for all,
to be understood, as always Intending to
distinguish between France and her present
ruler. There are, we are confident, millions
Of Frenchmen, who abhor the system of
tyranny under which they have fallen, and
who claim our sympathy.
The editor of an American paper, who
could read without indignation the letters of
admiral Willaumez, and refuse to give
them publicity, deserves the contempt, and
detestation of every friend of his country.
From the Pittsburg Gazette.
A LETTER
From one of the young gentlemen who
lately left this town.
Near Limestone, December 21, 1806,
on board tlje Advenlurt.
I am sure if we lived in the days of chi-
valry, and each of us possessed the spirit
for adventure of Don Qutxotte himself, we
should be amply satisfied. We have met
with tlie.m in all the variety the Ohio is
capable of affording, and as a'l danger is
now pas»ed, it will be a matter of amuse-
ment to give you a short sketch of the " hair
breadth scapes", of the good boat Adventune.
You know, my dear sir, " sweet is pleasure
after pains."
On the 13th we arrived at Marietta) two
of us went ashore- but had not left the
boat five minutes before one returned in
great haste and told us that we had better
push off, that great suspicions were enter-
tained of our boat that might detain us.
We sec off, the wind was high, and we
pushed for the Virginia shore. "When
we were about the middle We perceived
the whole town in a violent commotion.
We of course, anticipated an attack, and
cleared the deck for action. We had two
pair of pistols, two guns, two swords, two
daggers. Our ammunition consisted of
twelve bullets and a pound of powder. We
consultation, and the result was
" victory nr death." We continued work-
ing until night, when we were obliged to
bring to on account of wind about seven
miles below Marietta. Here we organized
our men (nine in number) and placed
centinels. However, the next sun beheld
us freed from the fangs of an Ohio mob.
But in avoiding Scylla we ran into Charib-
dis—in escaping from Chio we fell into the
power of the refined citizens of Wood
county, Virginia. And here it would re-
quire the .pen of a Foote or a Smollet, or
the glojirny pencil of a Salvator Rosa, to
give yon an iSca ot those worse than sa-
vages.
At Marietta we were informed that the
boats built at Muskingum had been taken
up on suspicion of being engaged in Burr's
plans, and that in consequence of this
Blatitnerhasset took a French leave of his
island (which by the bye c sines near my
notion of Eden) and went on with Tyler.
Two days after we arrived at the island in
the morning, Mrs. Blannarhasset had
gore to Marietta (15 miles) to get a boat
to follow her husband. We determined to
wait for her. In the afternoon the Wood
county gentry got. an inkling of our being
at Blany's (as they call him) and came
over, to the amount of forty or fifty, about
four o'clock as I was lying reading. Our.
men gave the alarm, and five or six and
twenty of the hell-hounds appeared on the
bank immediately over us. We could not
extricate our boat before they seized the
steering oar. I and other two of us rush-
ed to the bow, each with a pistol, and at
that moment at least twenty rifles were
cocked and presented at our heads. I gave
up all for lost, and resolved to single out
one of the barbarians as a mark for my
pistol, when the persons in the stern, with
more presence ot mind, called on us to re-
monstrate. We of course capitulated, and
I and another became prisoners of -war.—
After tTiey had examined our boat, and
whispered among themselves, one of their
commanders, major Knox (a Braddock's
field whiskey boy) informed us with all
due solemnity that we must be detained
for further examination. We attempted
to argue with them, but finding it in vain
we were obliged to submit. A strong
guard was left in the boat, and we (the
two prisoners) accompanied the rest to the
house, which we found surrounded by
forty men of the most savage countenances
that ever superstition conceived, each with
his rifle and knife. Here we were to wait
until a court could be called. In the mean
time four large fires were kindled round the
house and a guard of eight or nine mensur-
rounded each fire. The rooms of the house
were also filled and we were not permitted
to go from one room to another without a
guard of five or six men with us. About
9 o'clock Mrs. Blennerhasset returned, and
I witnessed a most sorrowful scene. She had
been treated rudely in Marietta. A boat had
been granted her at first, and on its way
down was seized on. She returned to her
island, her heart swelling with indignation
and grief, and the first sight that presented
itself to her vt as herfences destroyed & afford-
ing fire for the cut-throats" who surrounded her
house in all the revelry of drunkeness and
liot ; her cellars and smoak house had been
burst open, and her provisions made the
property of the Wood county mob.—Mrs.
Blennerhasset is one of the finest women I
ever saw, and stood the shock with won-
derful fortitude. She came up stairs into
the room where we introduced ourselves.
After which she ordered about a dozen of
the gentlemen (among whom was captain
Triplett, son of a 'friplett, who fought at
the Cowpeus) to leave the room and retire
down stairs. This they' immediately did.
This was on Saturday night. On Sun-
day morning we had a view from our win-
dow that would have made the sternest sto-
ic of antiquity hold his sides with laughter ;
The rest ot our crew were ."».arched up to
the house, under the guaid of about thirty
gentlemen militia, commanded by four or five
of the veriest major sturgeon'» in nature.
They were brought into a beautiful court
in the front of the house, and here they
were kept standing for an hour. A guard
was then sent for us in order to conduct us
to Wood court house. • We joined our com-
panions in misfortune, and after marching
and counter marching wheeling, &c. under
the command of captain Cook, Knox, and
Kincheloe, through a lage cornfield, we
arrived at the river where a full halt was
called on account of the ice. A consulta-
tion was held about the propriety of cros-
sing. We refused to enter the boat unless
we were pushed in at the point of the bay-
onet. After some deliberation they agreed
to conduct us back, and let the court sit at
Blennerhasset's ; as the mountain would not
come to Mahomet, Mahomet mus go to the
mountain. Accordingly on Monday noon
justice Wolf and justice Kenchloe arrived
at the island. We who were looked on as
the ringlead J s in the business, were ordef-
ed down into the presence. I was immedi-
ately dubbed, " Prisoner at the bar" charg-
ed with high crimes and misdemeanors
against the United States, and my fellow
prisoner made a witness in behalf oi the
prosecution. After he was sworn in due
form, he took the stud about the third ques-
tion, would not answer, and was ordered off
to a separate room under a strong guard.—
The men of our crew were then examined,
but I insisted on their being acquitted first,
which, after some hesitation was granted.—
After a close examination, finding they
could diccover nothing against me, they
consulted together and agreed to acquit rnc,
ijp nd make me turn evidence against my fel-
low prisoner ! I ought to have observed to
you before, that every person in the room
took the liberty of asking questions, and the
judges insisted on their being answered.
In pursuance of their plan, my compani-
on uas brought down and arraigned, and
the book was handed tome to swear, which
1 refused, on account of what I thought
the illegality of their proceedings. Tney
then represented to hie the loathsomeness
of Wood county jail, which I must certain-
ly visit if I persisted : they declared (what
I understood to be the fad) that it was a
large, open, log building, without floor or
fire place, filled with filth. I replied, as
they now had the power, they might put
me where1 they pleased, but thai I would
not answer a word. My Mittimus was ac-
cordingly made cut and delivered to the
constable, who requested with a most de-
moniac countenance, to have me turned
over to him! 'Twas now night, " a bitter
cold one, " and I prepared to march for
Wood jail (a mite' and a half) whefr Tom
Brown, who formerly lived in Pittsburg,
and a man of the name of Stevenson, start-
ed up from among the crowd, and declared
I could not live through the night if 1 went
to that jail, and prevailed upon the consta-
ble to let me remain on the island duirihg
the night. The fellow slept near my bed
with a drawn sword. The rest of our com-
rades were acquitted : the form as follows :
Wood County, firginia.
United States ~~\ Charged with high
vs. V crimes and misdemea-
A. B. 3 nours.
Acquitted with honour.
Reece Wolf
Daniel Kenchixoe.
Upon reflection, I thought 1 had better
take the oath and avoid any further delay of
our boat : so I wrote their honors a letter,
requesting to be examined. They looked
upon my letter as an insult, because it was
not sufficiently long and humble : " the
petition of A. B. humbly sheweth," &c.
I would notsubmitto this ; but wrote them
another next morning rather more lengthy.
After some debate they thought best to hear
me. I believe they were alarmed, for they
only asked, me one or two questions, as
whether the prisoner was personally ac-
quainted with Burr, and Blannerhasset, &c.
the very question they had before proposed
to himself. I answered to their satisfaction
and he was acquitted.
Thus were we detained from Saturday till
Wednesday, under as strict a guard as the
most atrocious criminals, subject to the in-
solence of our guards, and,once or twice
nearly stabbed by the bayonets of the drun-
ken centinels, notwithstanding "we never
passed them but under the protection of a
guard, who' only laughed when we were
insulted, Mrs. Blannarhasset was near be-
ing killed : a man in the room below fired
his gun against the ceiling, and the ball
penetrated nearly through, immediately be-
neath where she was sitting in the room
above. One of the most beautiful and con-
venient houses I ever saw is nearly ruined ;
fences entirely pulled down and the cattle
let into all the fields. From 50 to 80 men
had been billetted at Mrs. Blannerhas-et's
for three days before we left it, and I sup-
pose they arc there still. These arc the
blessed effects of a mob government.
T. B. and three others left us at this is-
land. The Marietta folks had heard of him
and wished very much to " nab" him. The
judges on his examination acquitted him on
account of his good cofunteWaflce.
We have Mrs. B'anuerhasset on board,
and we live elegantly "
The lively picuiie which the young gen-
tleman has drawn in the aUove. letter of ihe
brutal violence o. a lawks, mod, the insults
to the feelings of an unprotected, beautiful
and delicate woman, the wanton and outra-
geous destruction of property, and the in-
solence of the seizure and detention of the
young men, will excite the indignation of
every thinking pels in Some questions will
naturally toltow ;, do we live in a tree coun-
try, or are we "in France ? Has the procla-
mation of'Jefferioi ihe same force lure as
the order of bonap, rte there? And will liie
militia of the Ui ted States without exami-
nation, will, tit consideration, without even
suspicion supported bj' any proof, execute
the proclamation of ..hfleisou implicitly ;
and upon ibeir own citizens, with the same
servile Submission tnat the myrmidons of
Bonaparte ¦ xecutehis orders ? It this be the
case, j\ Hvrson iiekds no.slanding army to
accomplish a tyranny ; the governors of'the
several stajtef and ttie militia officers under
him will becomeheae what the ofiicers of
Bonaparte's body guards are in France, rea-
dy tools to execute all the will ai.d all the
vengeance cf their master, to seize a duke
D'Enghein or a Mohong.diela trader. How
little is a form of government calculated to
preserve liberty, if the people do not under-
stand and possess, and exert the principles
of liberty '. Urtless the people act as the
guardians of their own liberties, vain are
tonus of government : for piesident Jeffer
son with his governors and subordinate mi-
litia officers, may be as arbitrary, as tyranni-
cal, as oppressive on their fellow-citizens of
the U.S. as emperor Bonapaite witlvwall his
Praetorian band snd three hundred thousand
soldiers. If the people regard not the con-
stitution, and will consider the president's
proclamation as a sufficient authority, where
is the difference between president Jefferson
and emperor Bonaparte ? The emperor does
as he pleases with his standing arm
the president with his militia, and both do
as they please. The empeior has no consti-
tution to control him, and if the piesident
mind no constitution, and the people consider
a proclamation as aothoii'y tin president of
the United States will bu.as absolute a tyrant
as the emperor of France. Let the people
of America beware. The people having the
government in their own hands is no secu-
rity of liberty, unless they know their
rights and their duties, and protect and ex-
ert them. The free, armed, disciplined mob
of Paris, raised Bonaparte to the imperial
throne, and now a nod from him would send
them all to Cayenne, or the guillotine, or
what is equally fatal, his secret and deadly-
dungeons. A flatterer is only less dunge-
ons titan a conqueror where he happens to
be a coward.
The outrages described in the above Utter,
will, in the mind of every man of reilecdon,
atly aggravated by their being commit-
ted under color of authoiity -a militia as-
sembling without the call of the governor &
magistrate-, a. ring With nil a complaint on
oath ! Afiei this wiii v t-ver speak of ty-
ranny ii tlier countrii ¦
But they had the pi proelamati
on ! w-ill ..ay one be )>,.
that this is an aul 101
will, but a ir iritM mol - i VVooo county, or
those as cowardly, r. ear: and as servile as
they—some paltry jn ticeS in this town who
wtie impudeiU fcuough to enter the store of
amerchant here, and seixeproviMous, which
—and to seize boars of a:
the river—1 am sbrr) their i
them ; I am sorry they were
tii'emjelsjes, and
f their harpy talons. Had tin -,
taiued.it, we should have known whi ,...-
law or a yroclamation be
' i] t... Is of Jt fivrson, the VV< uy
miiitia and the justices oi this town have,
perhaps, never heard what an Eriglish court
and jury did to their predecessors for i
cutift! mts., L.-r * m-
ber this admonition, tho' Jefiei .d
them" into a scrape, lie will not pay ttie ca-
rriages. - They will be cats-paws to the men-
key.
President Jefferson's proclam
innocent when they are confined tp exhort-
ing the good citizens of the United Si ..
to apprehend a British ship of war. lit t:
he is bravely exerting the powers which
nature has given- him for the proteciio; .
his country. His proclamation against tl
ship Leander and her captain (Whitby) h;
merit in it, for a specific object of pursuit
was pointed out, and in obedience to that
proclamation none but pursuers or pursu-
ed could sutler any injury. But his last
proclamation is not of that harmless nature.
It arms an Ohio, Virginia or Kentucky
mob against any citizen trading down the
river whom this sovereign mob may choose
to suspect and puts the person and proper-
ty ef every ianoocnt trading person (if a
proclamation be law) under color of iawr,
in the discretion of a mob assembled by
this proclamation.
Why did Jefferson in this proclamation
omit to name Burr as he did Whitby, and
ttie i bject of Burr as he did the ship Lean-
der ? Was he ignorant of the man and the
object ? Was he afraid to offend Burr, least
he should disclose what Jeftirson wishes to
be kept secret ? Or did he mean to lay an
embargo on all the trade ot the westerS
country, or give it as prey to his myrmidons
who should choose to suspect it ?
The above letter came accidently into my
hands. 1 have published it te warn toe
people against mob-assembling proclamati-
ons, and 1 have added these observations
to call the attention of the people to the
distinction between a law and proclamation,
for by confounding them a sense of liberty
may be lost here as in France. I have no-
personal interest. Burr I never saw—of
his,object I am absolutely ignorant. I hate
him as the murderer of Hamilton. I am a
stranger to Jeiferson. I certainly neither
love nor respect him (except what is due to>
his station) I cannot say 1 hate him, for if I
have any feeling towards him it is of a dif-
ferent kind fiom hatred. , W.
P. S. The only apology I have to make
with respect to the above letter is, for con-
cealing the names under the real or feigned
initials or general description.
SIXTEENTH BULLETIN of -ihe GRAND
ARMY.
The duke of Brunswick has sent his mar-
shal of the palace to the emperor ; this offi-
cer was charged with a letter, in which he
recommended his states to his majesty.
The emperor said to him, " if I should
cause the city of Brunswick to be demolish-
ed, and if I was not to leave one stone
upon another, what could your prince say \
Does not the, law of retaliation permit me
to do at Brunswick, what he wished to do
in my capital I To announce the project of
lishing cities .may be a folly, but to
wish to destroy the honor of a brave .u"mv,
and to propose to it to leave Germany by
nxed stagi-s, (jov.re the siu-
e;le sumin tan army, is what
posterity will scam. ' . The duke
of Brunswick Ought never to ha-ve suffered
himself'to commit such an outrage ; grown
grey under arms, lie ought to : feci
military honor ; besides, in the plains of
Champaigne, this general was not able to
acquire the right of treating the French
standards with such contemn! ; perl a Surti-
mons can only dishonor the soldier who
was capable of making it : it is not on the
king of Prussia that this dislioi rest,
it is on the chief of his military council ; it
is on the general, who, in these difficult
circumstances, lie gave the care pf lij
fairs ; it is, in short, the duke of J.
wick, that France and Russia v. ill accuse
as the cause of the war. The frenzy of
Which this old gencial gave the c¦:-....
has inflamed a-turbulent set of young
and caused the king to act contrary to his
own opinion and his ii.iimate crnviction.
'• always sir, say to the inhabitants of
the country of Brunswick, that they will
bad in the French generous enemies ; that
as regards them, to soften therig;»rs
of War, and that the evils occasion!
the passage of troops is contrary to my
will ; say to the duke of Hfiih'swicki that
he will be treated with all the regard d
a Prussian -officer, but that 1 oanriot -ac- '
knowledge a sovereign in a Prussian
rai.
"If it should happen that the house of
Brunswick loses the sovereignty of its an-
cestors, the cause must be looked for in the
author of tw8 wars ; in one of which he-
wished to sap even to the foundation, the
1 great capital ; an-rl by tl
i to dishonor 200.000 brave men which might-
be conquered, but which will never beibund
| out of the road of honor and glory. I'.incU
blood has been shed within 'a 'few days,
great disasters veigh heavily orf thi
monaichy ; how 'worthy Of blame is '
man, wiiu, in a word, could have j?i'e-v«iit»
I ed them, if like Nestor, raising hi.> vi.ice .in
I the midst of the council, he mm >.d-
ugh to say - nored itself with fifteen . years of gloi
Son*, I am sure, \ labors, and which victory has' accu.t:
every th'iig to submit to "
" In place of holding this I
which, agreed so well v. ith the pjud.......
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