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Front'the Mew York Observer.
LIFE OF I-EDYARD.
We are happy to learn from the
North American Review for April,
that a gentleman in this cmin+ry is
collecting materials for a life ot our
countryman Ledyanl, and that the
publick may expect it at no distant!
period. Most of our fi .-How-citizens
appear to know little or nothing res
pecting this extraordinaiy man, and
vet for daring enterprise, for perse
verance in his undertakings, lor pow
er of supporting fatigue and sufferings,
for intense zeal in the pursuit of
knowledge tempered Ivy calm deliber
ation, for a high sense of honor and
a magnanimous contempt of danger,he
has never been excelled by any trav
eller of ancient or modern times. The
following account of him we have pre
pared principally from Aliens Ame
rican biography.
Ledyard was born at Groton in
Connecticut, and received his early
education at the grammar school in
Hartford. At the age of eighteen he
entered Dartmouth college, with a
view to the ministry, but before his
education was completed, his poverty
compelled him to leave the college.—
Not having a shilling in his pocket to
defray the expense of a journey to
Hartford, he built a canoe, with his
own hands, 50 leet long and three
broad, and being genorously supplied
with provisions, he embarked alone
upon the Connecticut, and arrived
safely at Hartford, after encounteri ag
adillicrlt and dangerous navigation
of 140 miles. In 1771 he sailed for
London as a common sailor, and ac
companied captain Cook to the Pacit
ic Ocean, in his third voyage of dis
covery. In 1784 he returned to this
country and offered his services to sev
eral oi our merchants, to conduct a
trading expedition to the north-west
coast but meeting with no encourage
ment, he-went back to England in
1782, with the intention of sailing to
Nootka Sound, and thence traversing
the American continent from west to
eA#t. Finding no vessel in which he
could obtain a direct passage, he de
termined to travel over land through
Russia and Siberia to Kamschatka,
whence the passage is short to the
northwest coast of America. He ac
cordingly went to Stockholm, ami at
tempted to cross the gulf of Bothnia
on tiic ice, that he might reach Kam
chatka by the shortest wav, but find
ing that tiic water was not frozen in
the middle of the gulf, he returned to
Stockholm, ami then travelled north •
ward into the artick circle and passing
rouml the head of the gulf, through
Lapland, descended on the eastern
side to Petersburgli, where he arrived
without shoes or stockings, and too
poor to provide himself with either.—
The Portuguese Ambassador, howev
er, supplied him twenty guineas, on
the credit of Sir Joseph flanks, and he
soon after set out in company with a
■mall dctatcliment of troops for Ya
kutsk, in Siberia, six thousand miles
east of Petersburgli.—From this place
Jie proceeded to Ochostk on the sea of
Kamskatka, but as the navigation was
completely obstructed by ’the ice, he
returned to Yakutsk,intending to wait
for the conclusion of winter. Here,
in consequence of some unaccounta
ble suspicion, lie. -was seized in the
name of the empress by two Russian
soldiers who conveyed him in the
depth of w inter, thro’ the north of
Tartary to the frontier of Poland
and then left him to beg his wav to
Koningsberg, whence he took passage
for England. Immediately on his ar
rival in London, die waited on Sir Jos.
Hanks, who informed him that an as
sociation had. been just formed for pro
moting discoveries in the interior of
Africa, and offered to recomumnd him
to the committee as a proper person
to be employed in the enterprize.
Ledyard engaged in the plan with his
whole soul, and received from Sir Jo
seph a letter of introduction to one of
the members of the committee. The
description which that gentleman has
given of Ins first interview, stronglv
marks the Character of this hardy trav
eller. •* Before 1 had learned,” says
he, “ the name and business of my
v*dter, 1 was struck with the manli
ness of his person, the breadth of his
chest, the openness of his countenance
and the inquietude of his eye. 1
spread the map of Africa before him,
and tracing a line from C’ario to Sen
naar, and thence westward in the lat
itude and supposed direction of the
Niger, 1 told him that was the mute
by which l wus anxious that Africa
might it possibl*. be explored, lie said
he should think himself singularly
iortunate to be entrusted with the ad
venture. 1 asked Inm when he would
set out ! lo morrow nturning, \tas his
answer.”
He sailed from London, J u ,„.
1, 88, and in 30 days arrived ut. Alex
in dria ; ami having there assumed the
d. ,es of an Egyptiau traveller, pro
ceeded io Carlo, which place he roach- i
on the 19th of August. Here, while
waiting for a caravan to Scnnaat, he
was attacked with a billions complaint
which terminated his earthly existence
Jan. 17, 1789.
The society heard with deep con
cern of the death of a man from i
whose zeal decision and intrepidity, j
they had been led to form the most
sanguine expectations.
During his short residence in Egypt
be visited the slave markets, anil con
versed with the travelling merchants
of the caravans, and in this way ob
tained much valuable information res
pecting the people, the trade, the na
ture of the country, the position ol
places and the manner of travelling
in the interior of Africa; and the
communications on these subjects,
which he transmitted to England, af
forded the society the most gratifying
proofs of the ardent spirit of inquiry
the unwearied attention, the persever
ing research, and the laborious, indefa
tigable, anxious zeal, with which their
author pursued the object ofhis mis
sion. The society were of the opin
ion that his remarks on Lower Egypt
if the country had been less generally
known, would have been ranked
with the most valuable geographical
records.
\Ve conclude with the following
general outline of his history from
North American Review.
*• 01 the man,” says the Review,
“ who rambled in his boyhood among
the Indians on our frontiers ; who
was the first to descend the Connecti
cut River in a canoe, and in one
which was constructed by his own
hands, and managed in its voyage by
himself alone ; who studied law and
divinity ; who enlisted as a soldier at
Gibraltar; who went round the world
with Coon : projected the first trading
voyage to the North West Coast;
was intimate with Robert Morris in
Philadelphia,with Paul Jones in Paris,
with Sir Joseph Hanks in London,
and Professor Pallas in Petersburgh;
who was the friend and correspondent
ofjeflhrson and La Fayette, who was
one season in New-York, the next in
Spain and France, the next under the
pyramids of Egypt; who was the
first to open the field of Afric.au dis
covery, on which, during the last thir
ty-six years, so many have entered
with an enthusiasm and love of ad
venture, which nothing could damp
but the sacrifice -oflife itself; and
who in his own language, “ trampled
half the globe under his feet”—of such
a man,no doubt many particulars may
be related which w ill be interesting to
his countrymen, and which, at the
same time they illustrate the charac
ter, and do justice to the memory of a
remarkable individual, will prove
what wonders may be wrought bv a
union of enterprize, perseverance and
resolution, in the same mind.”
From the Mobile Mercantile Jhlrertiscr.
THE PEOPLE ALW AYS RIGHT.
To show that the Sovereign people, or pub
tic sentiment, works it right, we make the fol
low ing disclosure, viz:
In the year 1805, Mr. David png
lish, of Abbeville District, South Ca
rolina, being a man, having a wife and
tme or two children, and a small share
of property, and threatened with a
pulminary complaint, was by physi
, cians advised to visit some of the West
India Islands. The circumstances of
Mr. English would not allow him to
rest from labor, so long a his labor
would earn any thing for his family.
Mr. English, with his little family, re
moved to one of the Bahama Islands,
• where Mr. English, for about twelve
years, followed the employment ofi
overseeing the hands of a gentleman.
The climate and active life Mr. En"--
glisli liyfil, rnablad him shortly after
he wri t said Island, to purchase
two female children as slaves, who
composed a part of Mr. English's fa
mily: whilst on the Island,these slaves
were the playmates of Mr. English's
children, that were of a corresponding
age. Mr. English on account of health
had been compelled to leave for a
while the land of his fathers, and ow
ing to his limited means of property,
was compelled to remove his family
with him, and support them as long
as he was able by big own industry.
After twelve years residence the
health of Mr, English being restored,
he was anxious to return himself and
family to the land that contained their
surviving friends, and was the part of
the world Mr. E. and his wife had of
ten shed silent fears, on account of
their absence from it. And now de
termined to return to their friends
and their country, one of the difficult
ties which interposed to prevent Mr.
K. from returning, was his owning the
two negro girls before named. It ap
peared to Mrs. English and the chil
dren, that they might almost as well
be sold, as their Peggy and Mary,and
the situation of Mrs. H. and family,
absolutely would, on their passage
home, and at home, require some as
sistance, and Mrs. E. had been raised
where slaves usually performed most
of the labour necessary Cora family.
Mr. E. was strongly disposed to con
tinue the owner of Peggy and Mary,
and had reasons to believe both the
girls were born in Charleston, arid
therefore hoped, it would not be a vio
lation of the laws of the United State.-,
made to prevent the importation at
Africans, or slaves, to bring his two
with his family to his and their home.
However, Mr. E. determined to re- j
move the slaves with his family to
some port in South Carolina, and not
land the slaves, until he had ascertain
ed whether, by so doing, he would of
fend against the laws of his country.-
Accordingly', when Mr. Fi. arrived at
the Port of the collec
tor of the port having the same reasons
which Mr. E. had to believe the said
slaves were natives of South Carolina,
considered Mr. E. had a right to re
turn them with his family to his native
state, and permitted him to land the
slaves.
In the year 1818, Mr. FI. removed
from South Carolina, to what is now
Monroe County, in the state ot Ala
bama, and still had Peggy and Mary
in his family ; and Peggy had, in 1822
three children.
There came with Mr. Fi. to Alaba
bama, aMr.J.P. M. the nephew of
Mrs. E. said J. P. M. lived with Mr.
English and family some time alter
their removal to Alabama; however,
at length some misunderstanding took
place between Mr. E. and Mr. M. and
Mr. M. having heard that Mr. English
imported, contrary to law, said slaves,
and that the informer could have them
sold and pocket part of the money,
being possessed of a heart fatally
bent on mischief, Mr. M. set on foota
prosecution against Mr. English, and
caused the slaves to be libelled in the
District Court of the U. S. for the dis
trict of Alabama.
Prosecutions, conceived in malice
brought forth in corruption, and nur
tured in perjury, could not long be
carried on by that enlightened Court,
however correct the prosecutor might
be, without the true character of the
prosecutions being developed to the
Judge and District Attorney, and no
two gentlemen dislike more heartily,
to be the fan of the malice of Mr. M.
However, the Judge and Attorney
must do their duty, and if the prosecu
tions were well founded, the malice of
the prosecutor could not shield Mr.
English from condign punishment.
As to the prosecution against Mr.
E. it u’assoon perceived by the Judge
and District Attorney, that the offence
(if any) had been committed in South
Carolina, and was barred by time, and
therefore Mr. E. was discharged. As
to the Libel, the same malice which
conjured it up, still remained, unvio
lated, by time, in the malignant man
M. and upon this view the Judge felt
himself compelled by strict law, to
take on the hearing of the Libel, he
was obliged, very reluctantly, as is be
lieved, to condemn Peggy and Mary
and one of Peggy’s children born
before her arrival in the United States.
By the decree the negroes were or
dered to be sold at Claiborne.
The people of Monroe County, ge
nerally, and all the citizens of Clai
borne, were well acquainted with the
nature of the prosecution against Mr.
E. and his slaves, and the circumstan
ces of the case, and viewed in its pro
per light the villainous conduct of M.
and were many of them informed that
it was a piece of hard duty for the
Judge of the Court and Attorney, to be
even the constrained instruments by
which such prosecution should be car
ried on, and with such infernal
motives asinlluenced the wretched M.
And when the Marshall ottered to
a wealthy, respectable and large
crowd of spectators, being citizens of
Monroe county, the negroes of Mr.
English, first Peggy and her child, the
spectators declared if strict law com
pelled the court to condemn, that it
did not enjoin it on them as a duty
to bid, and told Mr. E. to bid himself,
whereon he bid five dollars, and the
Marshal! was unable to procure ano
ther bid, and compelled to declare
Mr. E. the purchaser, next Mary was
put up. and thccrowd instructed Mr.
E. to bit!, and he bid four dollars, and
w as in the same way purchaser of Ma
ry;
The assistant Marshall who conduct
ed the sale, states that he had been,
before he arrived at that place, in
structed to bid a certain sum for a
gentleman, who probably knew but
little of the circumstances of the case,
but that he found the public feeling
and sentiment so strong against the
’ comlact of M. and so disposed that
the sovereign people, (the power from
whom the law that compelled the
court to condemn,was derived) should
in this particular case compose the
court of dernier resort, and although
they saw nothing in the proceedin'* of
their Inferior court to disapprove, yet
as the couit of appeals, they believed
they had the power to say to Mr. FI. in
our hands, you have a safe shield
against malice.
jfo t*c tflit Xu t cl lt£cnc t ♦
gklf.cf.
The following review of the af
fairs of Greece will be read with
more pleasure, because it is the
first which has appeared from the
newly established Greek newspa
per (the Greek Chronicle) the con
ductors of which, must be suppos
ed to be better acquainted with
the state of affairs and the politics
of the country than those in other
parts of Europe, warped in crpimon
as they frequently are, from which
our intelligence has hitherto .been
derived Sav- Georgian.
Translated from a french paper for Jhe
A ew-York American.
The results of the campaign of
1823 less brilliant in appearance
than those of the preceeding year
are much more important in reali
ty for the cause of Greece, and
render its independence secure.—
Two flag ships, ant! other Turkish
vessels of war become the prey of
of the Greek fire shipß ; the nu
merous army of Chourachid Pacha
which appeared destined to sweep
every thing in its progress, des
troyed in two days by the battles of
Argo and St. George : such were
in 1822, the consequences of an
enthusiasm, which the most im
minent danger only served to ani
mate. In 1823 this enthusiasm
has been replaced by a calm, for
which the government and milita
ry chiefs of Greece are indebted
as a natural consequence, to their
sue cess and the confidence they
have inspired in their own resour
ces. - ------
On land and sea their success
has fully answered the reliance re
posed in them. If the Turks in the
preceeding expedition traversed th
Isthmus of Corinth and advanced
event to the plains of Argos, in
this they were not able even to
gain the coast of the gulf of Le
panto. Several Greek detach
ments, seperately but judiciously
placed in Bueta, was sufficient to
harass and even stop the hostile
force which advanced under Jass
naf Pacha. Ala later date Gene
ral Odysseus haying attacked it
with a body of troqps of one fourth
its strength, defeated this army
and drove it to seek refuge in the
Isle of Negropont. Several expe
ditions which the Turks undertook
against the Northern part of this
island, were equally fatal to them
—and in an subsequently
made at Attica the last blow was
given by the Greeks to this Mus
selman army.
Another army, much more con
siderable,and composed of Alban
ians, the best troops of the Turk
ish Empire and particularly of
Scodcians, the bravest and most
warlike of all the Albanians, was
marched against the provinces of
the west. Its object was the cap
ture of Missolonghi, the most im
portant position of Greece. How
ever well conceived were the
plans of the Turks, however well
combined the operations of their
-several generals, who advanced
from three different points to turn
and surround the Greeks, their ar
mies were constantly defeated in
their operations ; and finally the
obstinate perseverance of the Pa
cha of Scodra, the most enterpri
zing and able of all the generals
that have been employed by the
Porte in the present war, has ter
minated in the almost total des
struction ofhis army, a destruction
caused by a few Greek troops five
times less numerous than those led
against them.
The advantages accruing to the
Greeks, from their last success
were all important. The Albians,
their most dangerous enemies,
seeing the catastrophe they had
experienced in the former cam
paign renewed in the same place
lost at once their former confidence
and those among them dissatisfied
with the Porte had, not dared ex
press it, now openly declared their
opposition. The Pacha of Scodra
himself attributes his defeat to the
neglect of the Divan t 6 place with
in his control the most important of
the means promised to him. In
fine; Albania fatigued, dissatisfied,
and exhausted in part by internal
dissentions, can in future supply
ao essential succour to the Turks.
The result of the advantages
gained by sea have not been less
important for the Greeks. If they
have not this year blown up aii
admiral’s ship, they have yet met
the Turks iq open fight, and the
victory Jut veil between S L .
and Volos, in which the ‘
were driven to an Lnomi^ 1 ‘*
flight, has assured forever lo s
Greeks a maratime superij'*
and consequently their i 0( r
dence, for it is the command obi”
sea which has decided and ,
decide the fate of Greece. * L r
By embarking in light vessel,
tew detatchments of light troo /
they have, also harassed their J ’
mies at different points, and
keeping them in constant aC’
have eftected more than could i, ,7
been done by a direct attack, i!
,>y the r frequent 1
cents on the Atlantic coasts,
cuted with as much judgement *
address that the ‘Greeks ha’
inspired tne Tu,ks in all quarter
with a terror that compels them l( ,
.think more ofdetending their c\t
h omes than of attacking their o C n (j
nt nts. Several expeditions to’
coctsts of Syria and Barbary ha Vf ’
aW caused an opportune
in tl.'eir favour.
W.hat are the resources notv l e f>
to the Porte for a fourth campaW
We sh all not advert to their
ces, wliich are exhausted*or at
least dec reusing every year m ust
soon be e xhausted ; but the num
bers oftlw’tr sailors greatly dimin
ished in the last expeditions,
by the plagv ie and by the desertion
of Italians and Sclav ontans t®.
ployed in the Turkish service,
prevent the equipment of a formj.
dable squadron ■ Neither are ib e j r
prospects of raising an array
flattering. Albania which form tr
ly supplied the be.st troops of
Empire, in its present situation
(such as we have and epicted it) o f.
fers no resources to to the Pone-
Thessaly and Macedonia have been
exhausted since 1822, and the rt .
cruit that can be o'ratvn front
Thrace and Bulgaria, offer no
cause of apprehension to the
Greeks.
They on the contrary can boast
of three years of success, .and have
in themselves all the confidence
and sense of the superiority, con
sequent to.that success : they have
become inured to war and the new
system they have established, for
the more complete organization of
their troops places them on a still
more respectable footing: while
their improved finances leave no
doubt ol speedy and certain tri
umph.
Odessa, March I.—A ship whii
has arrived at Constantinople, al
ter an extremely short passage of
only 40 hours, brings the impor
tant, and for the Porte, most alarm i
ing intelligence,that Mohamed Alt
Pacha, Viceroy of Egypt, has at ‘
length thrown aside the mask, and
declared himself independent. It
was long ago known in Constan
tinople that he meditated great
thirvgs, and the Porte therefore
tried every means to weaken him,
and ordered him to furnish 10,000
men to combat the Greeks. No
hamed resolved, instead of com
plying to declare himself indepen
dent, and for this he has certainly
chosen the most favourable mo
ment. Those alone who are com
petent to form an idea, of the situ
ation ofTurkish Empire,can judge
what may be the consequences ts
this event, respecting which we
look for further particulars,
which may perhaps shake all th e
Eastern provinces of the empire
not to speak of the>situation ofth®
capital itself, which derives s°
many supplies from Egypt.
presage that this event will com*
plete the emancipation of Gree<*
and give the death blow to U ie
power of the Porte.
Don Juan Martin, better known
as the Empecinado, has been mur
deied at Roa by a band of Uhr* <
in consequence of the refusal of the
Ministers to put him upon
trial.
The Spaniards taken by the fl j
gerines, have been given up* a f l *
were landed atCarthageoa by tn£
Frigate Ilermoine, 44. The Loo
don papers give a report that this
frigate had an action with the
ad, 38,0ne of the blockading sq ll ®
ron off Algiers, and received *
” good drubbing.” ‘1 he Herff> oine ’
it is said was brought into ad |C,n
in consequence of the captaj n
thinking it necessary to _
colors as he pressed the blockai “JS
squadron. She suffered BC ' tre •’
in the loss of men, but was
tell to proceed as soon ns
know lodged the country to “ ‘