Newspaper Page Text
mm—i m* tmmblAz i i m a—ahMß%
COXA 1l I YVj TIU.V AIAftT.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
WILLIAM J. MINCE.
Conditions, ire.
Uf* For th« (’ITY PAPER, twice a week, Five Dollars per
Aituum, pnyable io advance.
COUNTRY PAPER, onca a week, Three DolUri pei
annum, in advance.
|QrNo paper discontinued till directions to that effect are given
and all arrearages PAID.
*r TERMS. . . . Five Dollars per annum payable in advance. I
fry ADVERTISEMENTS .... Will be inserted at the rateof
Siily*two and a half cents, per square, lor the first insertion
and Forty-three and three quarter cents, for each continuance
fry COMMUNICATIONS by Mail, mutt he Ron j,a,d.
Sales of land and negroes, by Administrators, Executors I
or Guardians, arc required, hy law, to be held on Ihe first Tues
dsy in the montli, between the hours of ten in the forenoon and
three in the afternoon, at the Court-House of the entity in
which (he properly is situate. Notice of these sales must be
given in a public gazette SIXTY days previous to the day of
•ale.
Notice of the sale of personal property must be given in like man
ner, FORTY days previous to the day of sale.
Ntier to the debtors and creditors of an estate must be published ,
for FORTY days.
From the National Advocate.
MASONIC COMMUNICATION.
At a regular convention of Jerusalem ,
Chapter No. 8, of (loyal Arch Masons, held ,
at St. John’s Hall, in the city of New-York ,
on the morning of Wednesday, the 13th inst. (
the Chapter being duly organized, was visit- \
ed bv its worthy and distinguished compan-
ions’ Gen. La Fayette, and his son, George <
Washington La Fayette, accompanied byi t
Oen. Morton, Past grand Master of the I,
Grand Lodge of the state of New-Yoik.j,
»y p revions arrangement, these illustrious!,
visit n s wme introduced by a committee, t
consisting v»f he most excellent King, and (
Scribe, companions Belden anil Dunltam, ,
and received with appropriate masonic lion- ,
ors. Whereupon, the most excellent High ,
Priest, Joseph lloxie, arose and delivered the
following
ADDRESS:
“ M. E. C. La F,write, ,
Permit mein behalf of Jerusalem Chap
ter No. 8, which I have the honor to repre
sent, to hid you an affectionate welcome, and
to assure you that we are truly sensible of
the h mor conferred upon us, in being able
to enroll among our numbers a na ne so dis
tinguished as that of LA FAYE I I E.—lt
would not become me tin the presentoccasion,
to enter into detail of the many sacrifices
you have made, or the many important ser
vices vnuhave rendered our beloved country!
they arc engraved on tiie heart ol every
American citizen ; and will be held in lively
remembrance, till those hearts shall cease to
beat. Permit us only to add our ardent
hopes, and fervent prayers, that the remain
der of your life may be as happy, as it has
thus far been brilliant and useful, and that
when yon shall have ended a life that has
been devoted to the service of your fellow
creatures, you may find an abundant entrance
into the celestial lodge on high, where the
Supreme Architect of heaven and earth pre
sides.”
To which (he Gen. made the following
REPLY:
“ Most excellent Digit Priest and worth})
companions,
It was in this city, where I first met with
that kind reception and those cordial wel
comes, which 1 have so repeatedly experi
enced in the progress of my late journey thro’
the twenty-four states of the union. It was
here, also, within these walls, that I first re
ceived admission to the higner orders of ma
sonry, and I may therefore justly regrad this
Chapter, as the Cradle of my masonic life ;
having been, by your kindness, enabled to
visit Hie various masonic institutions through
out the United States. —Indeed, I may just
ly be regarded, as one of Hie greatest mason
ic travellers, in this country ; having in my
late tour, with my sou, George Washington
La Favette, and my worthy companion,
M ons. La Vasseur, visited all the Grand!
Lodges, and higher masonic bodies of the
United Slates, with great pleasure and satis
faction. lam also happy In stale that I
have found in my travels, the masonic fra
ternity, flourishing and harmonious, and
held in high public respect and honor. Even
in some of the more recently settled portions
of the country, in Cincinnati, and particular
ly in Nashville, it was with no less surprise
than pleasure, that I observed the masonic
societies had made improvements so credita
ble to themselves and honorable to the
order.
The harmony and respectability of Ma
sonary throughout this extensive country,
may well be regarded as affording an impor
tant pillar of support ami union to its free
institutions and hapjjy form of government.
Accept therefore, in return for vour kind
ness, my sincere thanks, for having aft’irded
me the facilities of being so honorably re
ceived, and accepted by all the higher ma
sonic institutions in the twenty-four states
of this Republic.”
The officers and members of the Chapter
together with the visiting companions, were
then severally introduced to tlnj General,
and were received vviih all the courtesy and
cordiality of brotherly attachment.
Having taken a lively interest in the la
bors of the evening, and expressed Ins b st
wishes for the success of Jerusalem Chap
ter, and the prosperity of Masonry general
ly, he took an affectionate leave of Ids com
panions observing in a tone which bespoke
the language of Ids heart, as he received the
honors of Hit* craft, that “ lie was retiring
from the midst of many good friends witn
whom, in all probability he should never
more unite on this side of the grave.”
FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER. ,1
Y»vieY IVfcyWw •
Os the trial of Commodore David Porter, j
The (rial of Commodore Porter has closed. 1
The Court has found him guilty j the Presi- 1
dent has approved the sentence ; and that '
brave officer has been suspended from the
public service for the space of six months. !
The Commodore resigns himself to this de- *
cision with the dignity which becomes his *
character, without an expression of com
plaint, or murmur of dissatisfaction.
In this state of things, a citizen of the
United States, who entertains no animosity
against the Administration, and who has no
personal passions to gratify, ventures to ex
ercise the right of an independent freeman,
through the medium of a free press, by pass
ing in review the principal incidents of the 1
transaction ; conceiving, as he does, that it *
presents for consideration several singular 1
circumstances. j
On (he 28di of December, 1814, President
Monroe wrote a message to the House of !
Representatives, which was delivered on the
:29th, wherein he represented to that body
that a letter had been received from Comma- £
(lore Porter respecting the visit of that offi
cer to the town of Foxardo, and that," deem i
ing Ihe transactions adverted to of high im f
parlance ,” an order had been sent to the It
Commodore to repair to Washington
out delay,” that the affair might be fully in-ji
vestigated. Here, then, was a business of l
“ high importance,” an examination of, I
which would not admit of delay. Was tins I
the spontaneous sentiment of the Executive,. |
or was it excited in Dim from another source, 1
which, strickly speaking, had no consiitu- t
tionul cognizance of the occurrence ? Facts i
will best demonstrate the truth. t
It was on (he 23d of December, 1824, that 1
Mr. Archer, of Virginia, laid a resolution on
die table >d the Hou-e of re- I
guesting the President to communicate to the I
House any information in his possession, not 1
improper to be communicated, explaining
the character and objects of the visit of the j
naval officer of the United States command
ing in the West Indies, to the town of Fox
ardo, in tin Island of Porto Rico, iiiNovem- ,
ber preceding. It was in compliance with!
this resolution that the President sent his!
message of the 28th of December. '1 he re
solution, although laid on tiie table on the
23d, did not pass the House until the27th of
that month; and it was not until the 27th of
December, that the letter, containing the
order for the Commodore’s return to the
United States, was written bv the Secretary
of the Navy.
The reviewer has no wish to condemn
President Monroe : but it is manifest, from
the facts stated, that, notwithstanding the
Executive deemed the transactions at Fox
ardo of “ high importance ,” requiring inves
tigation •• without delay,” and notwithstand
ing it was within Ins knowledge, from the
official report of Commodore Porter to the
Navy Department, that such transactions
had taken place, President Monroe did not
I recall the Commodore until the identical
day on which the resolution, asking him for
i information, passed the House of Represen
■ tatives. Even the hint given by laying *
• motion on the table in the House, did not i.. ,
’ fltience the Chad Magistrate to order
t mod ore Porter home : Nothing less thu.
■ adoption was effective.
I lie unavoidable conclusion from this
• course of procedure is, that President Mon
! roe, who, as he had dictated the Commo
• (lore’s instructions, was, without the inter
position of a Court Martial, the proper judge
■ to determine whether he had violated them,
did nut, himself, in the first instance, per
ceive that any violation of instructions had
1 occurred ; or, if he did perceive it, that he
neglected bis own executive duty, until an
intimation was given to him by the House of
! Representatives. In either case there was an
irregularity : for, if (he President did not
see any deviation from orders, he ought not
to have yielded to the impulse of the House
of Representatives ; anil if he did, he ought
to have acted upon his own conviction, vvilh
-1 out waiting for the admonition of the House.
Ihe common sense of mankind will say that
the proceeding was at least extraordinary, i
Bui did Commodore Porter disobey hisin-j
structions? It is apparent to the reviewer,!
! that the act which is adduced in support of
the charge of disobedience of orders, had no
reference whatever to his instructions. Ills
, orders related entirely to the suppression of
. piracy. He went to Foxardo to obtain safis
> faction for an insult offered to an officer un
der his command. The honor of an officer ini
. active service, is as sacred as the fl g of th<>
I nation ; and it is as indispensable pmnipflyi
. to repel an insult to the one as to (he other.)
. If an officer, going peaceably on shore in a
} foreign country, may be treated with iiulm
nity, and (his indignity may be made t®ei
. subject of a protracted negotiation, and that!
, wßh such a dilatory power as Spain ; what'
would national honor be worth? It would'
| evap irate in words, anil be treated with
scorn. Offences of this description are best
corrected at the moment of their commis
| sion, and on the spot. If an act against aj
foreign power has been palpably unjust, ii is
not denied that the governmentof the United!
States owes it to its own character to pnnisht
the officer cninmittin<r it. lim, (he reviewer!
asserts, without the fear of reasonable con-1
1 rradiction, that such was the situation of!
: Porto Rico, such had been the conduct of its'
government and inhabitants, i!ia» thev merit-'
ed even more than the humiliation to which
Commodore Porter subjected the inhabitants
ol’Foxardo. With regard to the condition
of the island, it is well known that Spain
exercises scarcely a nominal sovereignty
over it. Os the Porto Ricans and their ru
lers, a description may be taken from the
written instructions of President Adams,
wnen Secretary of State, to Mr. Nelson, the
American Minister Plenipotentiary to the
Court of Madiid. His testimony, it is pre
sumed, will not be disputed. Under date of
the 28th of April, 1823, he says to Mr. Nel
son, “ the privateers from Porto Rico and
“ Porto Cabello, have been, by their conduct,
“ distinguished from pirate*, only by com
“ missions ut most equivocal character, from
“ Spanish officers, who>e authority to issue
“ them has never been shown, and they have
“ committed outrages and depredations
“ which no commission could divest of the
“ piratical character.” QPage 270, Docu
ment No 2, of the H mse of Repre-entatives,
2d Session IBih Congress.]] Whether this
was a local government entitled to respect,
men of itense will determine. Spain herself
has been so tardy in making atonement for
the murder of Lieutenant Cocke, at Porto
Rico, that the policy of trying and punishing
Commodore P rter, even if intenuonally
guilty, may well be questioned.
In what did the Commodore disobey his
instructions? The specification under the
first charge that his proceedings at Foxar
do were “in contravention of the constitu
tion ol the Unit' d S ales.” The allusion,
in this, it is supposed, is to the constitution
al power of making war. But Commodore
P rter did not wage wa> against the Porto
Ricans. He employed hi-force for no other
purpose than to constrain the magistiates at
Foxaido to make an apology for the insult
offered to one of his offuers. Me destroyed
no property; he perpetrated no outrage;
and did nothing that was not absolutely ne
cessary to the security of himself and men.
I’he Foxardians themselves were so satis
fied of the propriety of his deportment, that
they sent him a present of provisions at the
moment of his departure.
Another specification of the first chare
is, that he infringed “ the laws ol nutioi ,
But what did Ins instructions tell ’
VV hy, that “ in the ca e of pirates, th
ol the armed lorce ol one power p
j them into the territory of anoth«
plete.” It maybe answer'd t
not go in pursuit of pirate i
Lieut. Platt, however, did
went from Si. Thomas, in s
bers of the “ American
his impression was that *
committed by pirates,
ken refuge, with the :
an impression that
character of the
ing been in the
ty, which was
Commodore ’
in it ; and
supported
ing tlios
public’
the M
to V 1 or: o'
*
sentiment it d bv Mr. Ami nf «f, ».♦.
,/ illlU ■ IJJ.,, tl 1 h ‘
•c' i Mint ■•.*! of Spain at W ><igV>h, «.i--
"it same subject, “more -i ..ble. foran ac
|“ cess ary to the pirates, than ....
~ • ....
J ‘ ; ;/• 11 ’.li - Jli
to
is suh.
measure v i>
been heard o.' t or .-
Spanish Secretary
not viewed the tran&.
light. He was, of course,
notice of it ; but, according .
of Mr. Nelson, under date A
April, 1823, the Secretary observed,
“governments friendly towards each 0.. .
“ had never any difficulty in arranging mat
“ ters of this sort.” A simple disavowal
ot the act of Commodore Porter would
doubtless have satisfied the Spanish Cabi
net.
The most singular incident in the trial
■>f the Commodore is the testimony of the
late President Monroe. Commodore Por-
Mer was re called, as the official letter of the
! Secretary of the Navy, ordering him home,
! purports, for the sole object of investiga
ting the particulars of his conduct at Foxar
do. The warrant in virtue of which die
Corn -of Inquiry was organized also sub
stantiates this tact. At the request of the
Commodore, in consequence of the repre
sentations of a temper ry agent of the gov
■ eminent, and additional subject of exam
ination was introduced, which was the con
> vevauc ■ of specie i . the vessels of the Com
jmodore’s sq-.iadioo. As no charge was
advanced bf;re the Court Martial °in rela
uo" to iin•> I ;it ■er '-'jiii, ihe fair presumption
jis, ilia' i; gnveriiiiieiit is contented with
l llls Ll " ■';« respect, and that the
I cany mg I specie, under his directions,
!ea» in i not..i miiy with his instructions. In
; .fell, till coin wince ot specie inarmed
vc« eU iauxilmn to the suppression of pi
|iac_\ ; lor, jf> money & the unstamped preci
| iius metals ai t- the gi eui.esi incentive to pira
tical depredations, tin inducement to mbbe
■ y on the !u_ . <ea» is i. innished in pro|x>r
j turn t-the giv..i“r<l gr.-e of safety in the
transporta'ion of Hmse art-cles in vessels of
j war, i- sti ad of def ncciess inei chantmeii.
; I tie charge *t nsobe lienee of oidi rs, in his
I visit to K xu d was therefore alone the
Uuijn.,l ground vvnk f :s trial Yet, when
he trial came on. another charge was pre
sented. It was tor “ iasuuoruiuate con
i duct.” The foundation of this seconi]
i charge, according to the specifications, was
f certain letters written to the President ol
- the United States and to the Secretary of the
b Navy, and the publication of a pamphlet
, purporting to give a faithful account of the
a proceedings of the Court of Inquiry, but
i which, it was averred, was incorrect.
The reviewer will not insist, that, accord
-1 ing to the rigid rules ol naval discipline,
- Commodore Porter may not, in some mea
-1 sure, have offended aga ; nst the principle of
, subordination ; but he does insist upon the
- inadmissibility of Mr. Monroe’s deposition,
i It refers to circumstances antecedent to
: the Commodore’s recall; to circumstances
; known to President Monroe prior to the vis
i it to Foxardo ; and to circumstances, with
ea full knowledge of which President Mon
- roe permitted Commodore Porter to remain
, in the high and responsible command of the
i West India squadron. It may be asked,
,I with what propriety could an officer, guilty
f of “ insubordinate conduct,” be allowed to
r.continue in the execution of a high trust,
jjand afterwards be tried for the insubordi
' nation, and that, too, upon an order to re
f pair to Washington to undergo a scrutiny
jexclusively relating to a subsequent act ?
j Did nut the continuance of the Commodore
j in command, bv President Monroe, cover|
.and quash the previous insubordination?;
. The reviewer lays the more stress upon the|
testimony of Mr Monroe, from the eleva -
. tion of his character, from his hiving been!
; the President who dictated the instructions'
} to the Commodore and who recalled him,!
r and f oin his having been the personal friend
I of Commodore Porter; all of which were
t calculated to give to his statements against
I that officer a powerful and almost irresisti
,ible influence with the. Court Martial.
,| Not •» least extraordinary incident,
.touch'll ' “iqniry and the trial, is the
invit' n in m, the Charge d’Af
t -fair ' pain, nish proof against the
. C die. > dies two things :
I I no f "plat been officially
o the .■ i toer)i ' U. States,
i. heli. "ter atj
■' <»; .: 1. 'nd
Court Martial were i titutei o sal -I
li; win
her, upoi ion o)
• ' . • * rfvi f, . |
viout nnee
" •me hts.■ iitim: i*. . onl- c;; in the sinceri •
ty nf such a manifesmiior < 1 tender rvyar.l!
‘\ 'j :r -lie territorial of bj 9 Catholic;
, 'VS y. Alk-i ■r , v .»#; sui/.-rl a portion ofj
l ' ■ •
, i
-.- t. .i k . .-I ; ■
i f oe of peace with Spain, mat «he inn,,:
•■n •' wie p'liusih i;lv. -■- ■ • . jun ,
ishr.M-ii inflirb-'H on (lomi.Mi.} -r- P rtf. n j
merely to save the appears. >*• of modern ;
"tii'i J Toe -(;■ navver cheei biiliv recmniiz'-sl
•I. , ■ ... ~ A. 1. J , . . .■ V <
• '.oasir.M uv k ■to tv• ot or.
j < ‘ 11 * ■ I* no 11 Iron) nv<* re »t v ->fi
- ;h .
pa
Mr.
'a mrv, is
of the
oubt has
‘ capaci
die diploma
serve honora
ent of the Uni
ary of the Navy,
has adverted to as
nmunications of ur-
Cninmodore Porter for
stigation and trial. The
u undertake to affirm that
e precisely in the tone of
tion ; but, in regard to that
nt, of the 17th of April, 1825,
-rve that if it be an offence a
ipline to complain of delay on
, a Secretary to the Chief Ma
gistr a great abuse of power may take
place without remedy. The pracrastina-i
tion of a month might be extended to a
year, or longer. Blame is not here intend-!
1 ed to be thrown on Mr. Southard ; but con- !
e structive insubordination is a dangerous'
- doctrine, depending, as it must depend, on
b the peculiar temper of the head of a de
, partment. Commodore Porter was coun
tenanced in his request for a speedy inqui
- ry. He was ordered to return to the Uni-
J t e( l States “ without delay,” to answer to
matters of " high importance.” After an'
j intimation o( this nature, was he not justi-|
• lied in the anxiety which he expressed at!
- being suffered to linger for more than thirty!
- days at Washington without a single step;
- having been taken to produce an elucida-!
tion ? Ihe reviewer is of opinion that the
» dignity of a superior is not always best pro
- lected by noticing with severity smaller a
i berrations or occasional effusions which
i flow from the generous warmth of the heart
1 in a painful situation.
During the whole of the proceedings res
pecting Commodore Porter, President A-
I dams has been placed in a very delicate
posture. The case, in his hands, was un
finished business of the late President Mon
■ roe. Not to have approved the sentence of
■ the Court Maitial would have been, in Mr.
■ Adams, to condemn Mr. Monroe as well as
‘ Court. President Adams seems to have
I, considered it altogether as an affair to be
. completed by his predecessor and the Se
s cretary of the Navy, who began it. This
■ aspect ot the subject presents for observa
i don this curious fact, that Mr. Monroe,
- whilst in office, recalled Commodore Por
• ter lor investigation and trial, and, whea
d out of office, appeared aa a witness to prove
s his guilt; a circumstance which could net
if have happened had Mr. Monroe remained
e President during the trial, and which ought
t nut to have happened after he had retired
eto private life. But Mr. Monroe deserves
t applause for the frank manner in which he
has relieved Mr. Southard from unmerited
- censure. He has taken the entire respon
, sibility personally upon himself; and, tru
ly, it most appropriately belongs to his ad
s ministration. Whatever may be the sen
b timents of the people at large, his will be
. the glory or the shame of the whole trans
u action.
- iien. Uaiuea St Hoy. Ttowp,
i
HEAD QUARTERS.
1 Eastern Department, )
5 Milledgeville, August 29, 1825. C
i Sir,
I have received your communication,
» through Mr. Secretary Pierce, with two pa
mpers purporting to be copies of letters from
■your Excellency to the President of the Uni
fied States, bearing date of the 26th July and
6th August; wherein, it appears you are
1 pleased to write at me and of me, notwith
standing your avowed resolution not to write
’\lo me.
'I To this wise expedient, to preserve the
[immense weight of dignity under which your
(Excellency labors, I can have no objection.—
;I lake this occasion before noticing your as
sumed “ facts and argument,” to assure you
(that I have no authority, whatever, from the
President of the United States, or Depart
ment of War, to write or speak to you upon
any other than public and official subjects
such as I have, with perfect frankness and
cordiality, communicated to you, previous to
the receipt of your letter of the 17th July. 1
|ln that letter, you will recollect, you so far
.lost sight ofyour own proper sphere of action,
Us to attempt to give me what you term “ «
gentle rebuke .” You thus, then, laid aside the
; wnntedhigh themes of your brilliant pen : the
Federal Government, the Federal Judiciary,
j State rights Yazoo claims, fyc. %c. and
leaving all these great matters to stand or
move in the separate and distinct orbits in
•ch the federal and state constitutions and
have wisely placed them, you have
!o d,” rather hastily as it would
o( thonsed personal animadver
’ ” touching certain official
-u ; con‘;d v , me.
the personal censure and
’ uied in what you have termed
111111 rebuke,” 1 have acted on my
.ual responsibility, without any
save that which is implanted m
of every upright man. civilized ,
rage, and which is known to the A
us and wise, as the “ first law of na- "
'—a law which authorises the free use of
bayonet against the highway rubber of
oney, whose weapon is of a deadly hue, and
die free use of the pen against the official
robber ol reputation, whose known weapon
is the pen. 1 have no money ; and but little
property of any kind, that would command
. money—and, therefore, have no occasion to
i guard against the highway robber; the little
store ot wealth of which 1 am master consists
i of an untarnished reputation, with some tes
timonials of applause, generously and spon
taneously bestowed on me, by the National
and some ot the State Legislatures, of which
Georgia is one; and by which she and they
have secured my lasting gratitude, and
strengthened the ties of friendly feeling and
brotherly union between us. This little store
is highly valued by me. it is my own—my
all. It will be held in trust bv me, for my
children and my country; and it is, therefore
my right and bounden duty to preserve and
defend it! it would be criminal in me to
neglect it! No earthly law can impair the
’ higher law of self defence and self preserva
tion.
My letters of the 14th, 16th, and 22d
June, and those of the Ist and 10th July’
1 have convinced my friends, whose good opin
uon I value most highly, of my uniform and
; earnest desire to abstain from collision with
I you * and, in my answer to yours of the
i l / t h July, it is kno • n that your suggestion of
the haste in which you wrote, induced me to 1
decline a reply for a week; and until your j
I tter made its appearance, as usual in a
newspaper, doubtless by your permission, if
in mine of the 28th July, of which you com-’
plam to the President or in my last, of the
16th of this month, it should appear ihat na
ture or a defective education should have i|n
j planted in me a little spice of that knitter
rantry tor which your Excellency is so much
'renowned, and that I should thereby have
been tempted to break a lance with you in
something like your own proper style I
cannot but hope that my fault, in this case
in following your example,and quoting your
own expressions, (the only fault with which
I can possibly be charged,) will be pardoned
by the President and people of the United
Mates, of whose wisdom and justice and
magnanimity I have had the most undoubted
proofs. To your Excellency, I have no
apology to otter 1 propose, however, that in
our future correspondence, after disposing of
your futile charges against me. that you a „d
1 may confine ourselves to our public and of
fend duties. \V hen these are accomplish
ed. 1 nereby promise, should you desire it
to correspond with you unofficially, un f
vve shali have exhausted the argum en ,",
and then we will stand by our - " ’
quills, and talk of “ t,«/ or ”_ a bout winch
you have written to the President
in the interim, since you appear to be
loud of quotations from the pom. upon the
subject of “ valour,” i will here gf ve y^