Newspaper Page Text
have notwithstanding remained in'to the Africaine and some of the inha-
cajAtvi;) i • tween two and tine. bitants, and that it originated in the
a d, ii.niav be added, aftc
years
31 has loll”; ceased to be denied that
they are American citizens.
Under these circumstances we
indiscretion of the former. No atten
tion having been ta led for, and n
enquires made, the tru h ol the cau
is unknown, But it was never sun-
called imo n to ransom the captives, posed that Mr. Jackson himself, who
1st. ljy acknowledgingthat a pre-jwas on hoard t!ie frigate', had been
cautionary proclamation, justified bi 'pcrsouallv insulted. Nor is it vei
perceived in what way he considers
it as having happened. It is need
less to remark that any representati
•onr.tr’es on the s 'id foundation of'rotn
justiee, f of friendsaip, and ol mutua
interest.
With great respect, ?<e.
R. SMITH.
IVm, Pinckney, Esc.
&c. L/e. &c.
rom any ti nt of malignity, vanity,;Mr. Cann ng s thigh, on the outer
r falsh >oJ.—From the ,e qualities bone of the thigh. 1 hus the nutur
Character of Ciiari.es J. Fox,
P,y Sir James Mackintosh*
Mr. Fox united in a most rcmarl
of his public and private enatveter
it probably arose, that no English
statesman ever preserved, during.so
long a period of adverse fortune, so
many affectionate friends and so m;i-
terminated....-Mr. Canning’s wound
is not considered to he dangerous.
The cause of this extraordinary af
fair is said to have originated in
some official misunderstanding, the
ny zealous adherents. The unionlnature oi which we shall not enter
of ardor in public sentiment, vichjinto at present, as we are greatly de-
inildness iu social manners was injficient in information upon the sub-
Mr. Fox, an hereditary quality—i ject, and id a matter of stuh extreme
I he same fascinating power over thejdelica<'V, we think it our tatty to a-
, .• , -.1 • ii i:
on on the subject would have instant- able degree, the seemingly repug-attachment ol all who came within \ oidhaZai ding Jtiu statements which
events preceding t lie outrage, by the
outrage itself and by what immedi
ately followed it, was unjustifiable
and that a repeal of it was pfop-ri\ r —, -
:i condition precedent to a rcparali- ly rect ivfcd evert’ proper attention. Inairt characters of the mildest of nun his sphere, is said to have belongeojwc do not know to he act uiateh tor-
on lor the outrage. And this lv-j Auotlu-r ground on which a pro-,and the most vehement of orators, to his father; and those who knowjrect. iV hat . E,.U erne Del:t(t-
quisirinn is repeated, too, after such lection was asked I
au acknowledgment had been uni- posed tendency of
' fortnjy asseticd by this government our newspapers to ...._ y , .. (
to he utterly inadmissible, aud, wliat olence^on Mr. Jackson’s person.jinatism, as to be not only unosten-
Mad lie been longer and better ac-.tatious, but even somewhat inactive
is particularly remarkable, at a time
w hey the proclamation, as is well un
derstood, was no longer in force.
Tlie occasion ob\ iouslv invited a si
lent assumption of the existing fac t,
and this would hate excluded the
tlillicuny heretofore found to be in
superable.
2d .By throwing into contpleat ob
livion the conduct ol tlie officer an
swerable for the murderous transac
tion,tv}th a knowledge too on our part,
that instead of being punished or e-
Vcn Uptight to trial, he has been ho-,
noted hv it is government with a new
utid more imp'.riant command.
3d. By admitting u right on the
part of Great-Britain to claim a dis
charge from our service of deseilers
generally, and particularly of her na
tural horu subjects, without except
ing such as had been naturalized in
clue lor in under the laws of the U-
11 ited States.
It has not been explained, whether
it was meant, as the universality of
the term ** deserters” wduld import,
to include American citizens who
might have left the British' service.
Hut what possible consideration
could have induced the British go
vernment to expect that the United
Stales could admit a principle, thtu
would deprive our naturalized citi
zens ol the legal privileges, which
thc\ hold in common with theft* na
tive fellow-citizens. The British
govi rmnent ought not to have madt
such a proposition; because it not
only, like others, naturalizes aliens ,
but in relation to the United State
has even refused to discharge from
the British service native citizens ol
the United States, involuntarily de
tained. If an American seaman has
resided in Great-Britain, or has mar
ried therein or has accepted a boun
tv in her naval service, his discharg.
therefrom, on the regular application
to the British government, has been
invariably refused by its hoard of
admiralty. That I state on the au
thorite of the official reports made
to this department. It is, therefore,
truly astonishing that, with a know
ledge of those lacts, such a preten
sion should have been advanced at
all, but above-all, that it should h;
Delicacy towards fellows like
m
out
Perhaps nothing can more stronglyland shoot at each other's heads,
prove the deep impressions made up- when not many months have passed '
1 for, is the sup- in private life he was gentle, modest the survivors of another generationjq/. Delicacy towards fellows like
f the language of placable, kind, of simple mminers,jwiU feel that this delightful quality jthese ; towards men who set the lan
excite popular vi-jand so averse from parade aim dog-jis not y et extinct in the race. it defiance, who go deliMPateiy out
piqinted with the habits and spiritjin conversation. llis superiority'on this part of Mr. Fox’s chyractcrjsince a naan was hanged tor a simi-
of the American people, he wouldjwas never felt but in the instruc-jlhan the works ol Mr. Burke, who, 1 ir offence, and that, too, tlio’ every
probably never have entertained .union which he imparted, or in the at-jin January, 1 TOT, six years alter a !
apprehension of that sort. If lu
meant to animadvert on the free lan
guage of tiie newspapers, he might
Justly lie reminded that our laws, plicity of his manners was tar from
tuition with his generous prclerencelinteiicourse with them had ceased,
usually directed to the most obscure speaking with a person honored with
members ol the company.—The sim- some degree of Mr. Fox’s friendship,
said “ to he sure, he is a man made
those of his country, set bounds
to that freedom : that the freedom oi
British prints, however great with
respect to public characters of tin.
United States, has never been a to
pic ol complain^ and that supposing
the latitude of the American Press
to exceed that of Great Britain, the
lifferenre is infinitely less i:i this re
peat between the two, than be-j ,j
uveen the British press and that ol j 0 efi cape from his mind, than -to
die other nations of Europe. Live been produced by it. He liv-
1 he second note seuns to lie essen-| e( | on most intimate terms with
tially intended as a justification oil lU fa cot anporaries distinguished
lie conduct oi Mi. Jackson in that ffiy -\vit, politeness, or philosophy, o,r
jart ol his correspondence which ha*}ffi-arning, or the talents of public life,
pv.n umbrage. Ifhe intended itasj ln t)lc c(nirst . „f thirty years he had
•xcluding that perfect urbanity’ which
flowed still more from the mildness
of his nature, than from familiar in
tercourse with the most polished so
ciety of. Europe.
Mis conversation when it was not
repressed hv modesty or indolence,i
was’dUightiul. The pleasantry, per-j ,; s'^ ra '* or b an '^ v, 'hh too j
jhnps, of no man of wit had so unlaijor-|'.' <,!1 ^ or t,H ' memory ol mr.i’oxto pto-
ppearance. lx seemed raJier|‘ arK
to be loved !” and these emphatiea
words were uttered with a lervor of
manner, which left no doubt ol their
Iieartfelt sincerity.
These few hastv and honest sen
tences are sketched in a temper too
her and serious tor intentional ex-
lious tiffcc-
a conciliatory advance, he ought not'^
to have preceded it by a demand of
lassports, nor by the spirit or the
n.inner in which that demand was
nadc. He ought, in fact, if such
.vas his blip * t, to have substituted
in explanation in the plane of his re
ply to my premonitory letter. But
vhethor lie had one or otlu-r or both
lmost cvfry man i.i
whose intercourse could strengthen,
or enric h, or polish the mind.
Mis own literature was various
and clegthit;. In classical erudition,
Which, by the custom of England, is
more peculiarly called learning, hi-
’.vas inferior to few professed scho-
it by intermixture with the iac-
means were tried oi obtaining a par
don from that king, amongst whose
advisers these very two men wer, at
that time, and who, of course, advi
sed him not to spare the life of that
man! Talk of delicacy, indeed, to
wards men like these ! It is the most
insolent expression ; it is the-grossest
insult tmon the public understanding
and taste, th thas been f or a long
time attempted, even by the abettors
of this set, who have brought the
country to a brink of destruction.—
I 1 is added that the cause oi this du
el is a quarrel between the parties
i;tious broils and wrangles ol thejof long standing ; or at least oi some
dav. Tiiy measures which he sup-iwonM.v standing. Nothing was
ported or opposed mav divide the j wanting to prove, tltfit this nation, as
opini on of posterity', as they have dt-do its public spirit and s .ntiment, was
vided those of the present age. Baffin the lowest state ol degradation,
he wiil moot certainly command the. The transactions at the close of the
unanimous reverence of future geue-jlait session ol parliament, the con-
rations hv his pure sentiments to-|tempt with which the people were
•cards the commonwealth, by his zeal then treated ; the utter disregard of
lor the civil and religious rights of all decency* in this treatment; the
all men, bv his li'.eral principles, fa- !“ making a stand against popular en
voys) Ac to mild govxrment, to the un-'yrotichment ” when all that was ue-
fettered exercise of the human facul- man-ded was the punishment of those-
ties, and th-* progressive civilization who had Sold or swapped seats tn
ol mankind ; by his ardent love for parliament *. this alone proved to the
he had stated it as a fact that thl ,lph'asing, and might have claimed no
Mow piace among those which the
French call Vers dr rot ite. The poe-
tliree propositions in question had
been submitted to me by Mr. Er-
skinc, nor dial he stated it, as made
known to him by the instructions
of Mr. Canning that the instruction
to Mr. Erskino containing tliusi
three conditions was the onU* one
from which liis authority Was deri
ved to conclude an arrangement on
the matter to which it related. The
objection v. as that a knowledge of
this restriction ol the authority of
Mr. Eiskine was imputed to this
government, and the repetition of
the imputation even after it had been
peremptorily disclaimed. This was
so gross an attack on the honor unu
veracity of the government, as to
irbid all lurther communications
plain justice, already so long delayed.
This is the more to he regreted, as
the omen does not favour the belief dn-ougli any other channel, howevei
been made a sine qua non to an act of * roni bun. Care was, nevertheless,
' n at the same time to leave the
door open for such as might be mad
we would willingly cherish, that no
predeti rmmution exists in the councils
of His Britannic Majesty irreconeil
able to an amicable arrangement of
an affair, which, affecting sodeiph
the hynor of the United StaUs, must
precede a general regulation of tin.
mutual interests of the two eoun-
ittle the probability that any satis
factory communications would be
received through ary channel here
To the other enclosures I add
printed copy of a paper purporting to
be a Circular letter from Mr. Jack-
son to the British consuls in the U-
Initcd States. This paper speaks lor
itself. As its contents entirely’cor
tical character ol his mind was dis
placed in his extraordinary partiality
lot*ill poetry of the two most poeti
cal nations, or at least languages of
the West; those of the Creeks and
the Italians. He disliked political
conversation, and never willingly
took any part in it. To speak ol
him justly as an orator, would re
quire a long essay. Every where
natural, ne carried into public some
thing of that simple and negligent
exterior which belonged to him in
private. When he begun to speak,
common observer might hayt
thought him auk ward ; and even a
consummate judge could only have
been struck with the justness of his
ideas, and the transparent simplic ity
of his manners. But no sooner had
he spoken for some time, than he
was changed into another being. He
forgot himself and every thing round
him. He thought only of his subject.
His genius warmed and kindled as
he went or.. lie darted lire into his
audience. Torrents of impetuous
and irresistable eloquence swept a
long their feelings arid conviction.
He certainly possessed, above all
moderns, that union of reason, sim-
ad'.iitted to understand better .than history’of this duel, wherft we see
any other man of his age, both in an the government committed to the
exactly legal, and in a comprehen-jhands ol men, having so little sense
sively philosophical sense. |ot common decency as to forget the
v ^ 'high rank they h d been placed in,
From Cobhctt's Political Register of and to turn out, like a couple ol bro-
Septembcr 30. the i-heated bullies, and sHbot at each
— other s heads—VVhy, these men, be-
MINISTERIAL DUEL. sideshaving the principal affairs, bv
— far the most important affairs of the
“ Set a beggar on horse-back, aml.nation, committed to ihcir immeclj-
he’il ride to the devil,” is a pijbvi rb, ate discretion and controul, were
the trc'rh of which is daily ap|ar n .jin virtue of their office of privy coun-
FromJhe seqm of society, from t’nelsellors alone, keepers oi the king’s
casual fruition, from the sprnuii qf iti-'secrets, magistrates of the very high-
ncruni vagrants, one might have ex-jcst order ; and judges in many very
petted, that a long and bitter quarrel,'important cases. And in order to
about place and profit, would end injgive them peculiar protection the
an attempt upon one another’s lives : law makes it felony for any one to
but fro it the great men of the realm -pssanlt and strike them in the cxccu-
from our ministers of state; from tion of their office. It was bv nun of
our law Mj'vcra ; from the king’s privy jthis description, that Mr. Le Maitre,
counsellors ; from members of that was sent to jail and there kept for
“ noble honorable and reverend t\^e\ti-five years, and then discharged vrith-
blv ;” from this description of per-lout being brought to trial ; without
sons, one might have expected some- ever having any charges preferred.
tries.
.After the correspondence with K ‘ h l ,:,,K j " “h the paper last referredE,/^ and vehemence, wliich formed
Mr. Jackson was terminated, two lo » as they were unnecessary for thej t | le ,; r ; nce G f orators. He was the
ostensible oojectoi the letter, whieh|, nost Demosthenian speaker since
was to make known Mr. Jackson s Demosthenes. “ I knew him,” savs
change ol Hesuleiice, and as the pa- Mr . Burk, in a pamphlet after their
per was at once put into circulation,l unhappy difference, “ when he was
tt can only he r.gurded as a vntualj nin ^^ . silK . e which time he has
notes, of which copies are herewith
sent to you, were presented to me in
the name and by the hand of Mr
Oakley, the British Secretary of Le
gation
The first requested a document,‘ l '^ K * ’ l " A.m i ii an people °f a risen, bv slow degrees, to be the
-■ j representation previously addressed • ■’••• - ...
having the effect of a special passport. , ,
or sale-guard to Mr. Jackson ami his u> , .‘V" b'>v^;nmcni-a procedure
family during.their stay in the LTni-|: V . h,l '!!.^! , "“ l l i :“! ‘° Sl '' n 111 ltS
ti d States. As the law s ol this coun
try allow an unobstructed passage
through every part of it, and, with!
true light by Ins sovereign.
The observations, to which so
much extent has been Riven in this
the law cl nations, cquallv in loi\v,^ J " A 11 ' V1, b those contained in the
protect public ministers Si’their fami-' co . 1 i TCS P omlenco . " r bh -Mr. Jackson,
lies in all their pn\ ileges, such an ap- " v ‘l m.ike y oil luhy acquainted with
plication w as regarded ns somewhat conduct and the character he has
singular* there was no hesitation,. *■'''c'lopid, with the necessity of tin-
however, in furnishing a certificate' !,U ‘I > t;, ken in refusing further com-
ol his public c‘
«d in any tn
But what stir
most brilliant and accomplished de
bator that the world ever saw*.”
The quiet dignity of a mind rous
ed only by great objects, the absence
of petty bustle, contempt of shew,
the abhorrence of intrigue, the plain
ness and dow nrightness, anti the tho
rough good nature, which distin-
thitig a little better than the popping
off of pistols at each other’s skulls.
The base Lire lings who conduct the
JToruing ZVv* and Courier news-pa
pers, have lit as yet openly asserted,
that this duel arose from the influ
ence of jacobinism ; they have not
yet openly asserted, tin* Sir Francis
Burden and Mr. Watllle and Mr.
Matlocks were the tijse of it ; but
I shall be greatly sim4ris .-d, if they
do not, before they Have done, make
shilt so to twist the nfiatter as to make
even the transaction (appear to their
beastly tribe ol reailtfs as having its
origin in a jacobii/dbt; and that the
actors themselves \yjere perfectly in
nocent of any m il intention, and at
the time w hdni they were cocking
their eve at eaiwn other’s heads, fell
loyaitij bubbling^up their throats ;
nay, as tar as they were concerned,
it was a mere rivalship in loyalty,
that was the ground of their quarrel.
turn no very unlit repesentative of
that old English national character,
reasons assig
Tic insult he alluded to was theigip^ticulaMy n.svrmveu ;u u,e sami-, the utlcncss of his manuers ’ j
J . die. Um time, liroughtto the know- t,a ‘ e * B « l : lk | ,, S tlKSU com,uunicat.-L (1 , Vicmk , j - M , admir .Tw!! '
Lute of this government. It l.: *l ous todo it in a manner that will \r„ , - S -V
Gibbon, “ the powers of a sup t -
man as they are blended, ii
the best calculated tivir a ' u '' ,ctive character, wuh a
of dm two 1 K , so lnes ® and simplicity of a
ige ol this government. It find in- ol, s touo it in a manner nut wm
deed, been among, the rumors of the Lave no doubt of the undimiuished! *■
in
<lay, that some iinlKcoming scene '■•esire of the l’. bt.ites to unite
bad taken pffice at Norfolk* crVlamp- tbe means
tan betwecu some oltwera bviumri'-n establish the
lor
lis
uu human being was evermore li*cc
against him ; and without being a-
'>L to obtain any redress, though
petitioned the parliament over &
r a nd over again, and though he
was dail\ told, in the news-papers*
which, during the five year's, reached
him in the jail, that the war was go
ing on lor the preservation of En
glishmen—ouch were the powers y
which, as privy counsellors, were
committed to the hands of these men.
As ministers of state, the public will
do well to bear in mind, that, lie- U
sides their patronage and power, a
law was passed, in the time of Pitt
tnd in the passage of which both
these men assisted, to send men to
Rot any Bay, to transport them for
lije, to put them upon a level with
felons, for writing or publishing any
thing, calculated to bring them into,'*
contempt. These are the men who '
have proposed, arid passed laws like
this ; these very men, who, while
still ministers of state, go out upon
a heath and shoot at one another’s
ht ads ! l'or writing or printing any
thing, however true, calculated to
expose men like these to conic,ant,
any Englishman was liable io be)
transported ; aye, and to be toid, at
the same time, that iris sentence was
just, that it was according to law,
tacts upon record, as those facts have
been stated in the news-papers.
1 he I act ol the duel is stated as
follows : ‘‘ We understand there
was a met ting at Putney Heath, this
norning between Lord Castlereagh
md Air. Canning. Lord Yarmouth
ice: npunied'ihe former to the fii.-ld
—Air. EUis the latter. After taking : >nd that he ought ta bless God for I a -
a ir ground they fired by signal, such laws to live under. 1 ii C
md missed ; and no explanation ta- public will also bear in mind, that
ring place, they fired at each other
second time, when the ball from
*-oru Casutreugh's pistol went thro’
writh the sole exception oi' Mr. Ch
\ orke, these tv . men v ere the v.
loudcst, at the first broaching of tl;