The Republican ; and Savannah evening ledger. (Savannah, Ga.) 1807-1816, August 01, 1807, Image 2

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BO SI ON, July 10. Letters front admiral Be;k’.ey, for the Bri tish minister and consul gei.t.ul, p.v-ed tin o’ our post-office yesterday. A letter from H lifax, dated June 22, says, “ The noted pira’e Ross, wi'h 18 of his assoc i ates (French, Spanish and \u>erican) arrived on Friday last in Iri. majesty's ship Driver, which on the 12'h inr.t. captured the pilot boat S’ hooner Id BoD ado, of 1 run. fit ed out at St. Augustine. They may ail he hung—if no lowi mission is found.” July 18 S.PIP.IT OF ’75 HI.-KINDLED ! When the Hm. Elbiidge Gerry, esq. (the Same Ethridge Gerry who si. ncii die declara tion of independence in 1776) took the chair at the meeting of the ciiizcijs assembled at the New State House, on Friday last, lie atlchcssed them in a strain of eloquence and patriotism, v inch did honor lo his head and heart, and con cluded with the following sentence : “ 1 haci hoped, a; my period ol iiic. to h ive been aide to have red ed from politic > ; but at a crisis so momentous and interesting to our L loved country, 1 hold n to he the doty of eveiv citizen, though he may have hut one day to live, todeiotc ti.at clay to the public good.” BOSTON MLE I ING. At a la’ ge meeting of the citizens of Boston and its vicinity, at the .stale-Honse in Boston, or, Friday the 10th of July, 1807, called in consequence of the late attack made by the British ship of war Leopard, on the U. S. Fri gate Chesapeake, the Hon. ELBBIDGfc.GL.R ---BY was unanimously chosen Moderator, and the Hun. PEREZ MORTON, Secretary of the Meeting. The following gentlemen were chosen a Committee to report Resolutions ex pressive of the sense of the Citizens on this momentous occasion, viz. BARNABAS BID WELL, JOHN QUINUY ADAMS, Doct. CHARLES JARVIS BENJAMIN AUSTIN, THOMPSON J. SKINNER, GEORGE BLAKE, and PEREZ MOR lON. Who after retiring to the Senate chamber for half an hour, returned with the following Re port, unanimously adopted by the Committee: Whereas it appears Ivy a Proclamation, is sued by the President ot the United States, that a most wanton and cruel outrage has been com mitted upon the United Slates’ Frigate Chesa peake, by the British ship of war Leopard, in w ich our citizens have been wounded and murdered, and the Flag of our Naliun insulted ami violated. And whereas it is the duty as well as right ©f the citizens of a free Country to express their readiness to. support the constituted au thorities in the measures they may adopt for rational redress ot an injury so barbarous in its nature, anil so unprecedented in its execution • 1 herefore, Unsolved unanim <usly, That the late aggres sion committed by a British ship of war on a fugale of the United Mates, lor the avowed purpose ol taking from her by force a part of her cieiv, was a wanton outrage upon the per sons and lives of our cirizens. and a direct at tack on our national sovereignty and indepen dence. Resolved unanimously, That the spirited con duct of out fellow-citizens of Norfolk on the occasion, before the orders of the government cmiid be obtained, was highly honorable to tnemselves and to the nation. Resolved unanimously, That the firm, digni fied and and temperate policy adopted by our Executive at this momentous crisis, is entitled to our most cordial app obation and support. Resolved unanimously, That with all rtlir per sonal influence and exertions, vve will aid and as.i .t the constituted authorities in carrying the Proclamation of the President of the United States, in every part thereof, into lull ami ef fectual execution. Resolved unanimously. That although vve unite vvrh our government in wishing most ar dently for peace on just and honorable terms, yet we are ready cheerfully to co-operate in any measures, however serious, which they may judge necessary for the safety and honor of our country, and will support them with our lives and fortunes. The Report was twice read and accepted unanim ntsly Voted—That the proceedings of this meet ing be signed by the Moderator and Secretary, and published in all the Boston newspapers. Voted—That an attested Copy thereof he transmitted to the President of the U. S. and to the Committee of Norfolk. ELBIUDGE GERRY, Mode rator. Attest, Pehez Morton, Secretary. COMMUMCA riONS. The following sentiment is from the Reper tory of July 10, “ It cannot be difficult to as retain with precision, the true character of the seamen who deserted from the Iwat of the lli lifax, and took shelter hi the recruiting ren dezvous of the Chesapeake. If they were bona fide Englishmen, itis certain our government v ill not pretend i’ had a right to withhold them, when an appeal Was regularly made, nor that th’ Leofiard ha l a riifh to take hern, if ref us and, under such circumstances, by force.” The attention of every candid and intelligent man is requested to tins extraordinary senti ment. whi h g ies to a direct condemnation of the princiole and practice of our gov emu ent, both under the present and former wduunislra- ttari, and indeed to a subversion of one of the best established doctrines of the law of nations. ‘1 hat a public ship, not only bearing the na tional flag, but aU> sailing in the employment and uniter the commission and orders of the government, is not liable to be searched ..nd to have any oi the men onboard demanded and taken out by the commander of a foreign ship, on any pretence whatever, is a position too < b vicuJy reasonable and necessary to require il lustration or p; oof. On this principle our na val have uniformly been fostruc*- ed lo iciiisc, and to resist even to die last ex tremity, ad attempts to take any ot the crew, or to examine them, or search the ship for that purpose. Before submitting to such impress ment or examination, their orders have been to defend tin ship by force of arms, and, if over powered, to surrender her as a prize. The propriety and necessity of tins principle, thus reduced to practice, by our own, as well as other governments, has net, to the recollection oi the wiiicr of this paragraph, ever before been denied or questioned ; and it is very ex traordihury. on the present occasion, when union and energy ought to be cultivated, and | all deductions of pany should yield to consi i derations of patriotism that for the sake of persevering in a svstem o federal opposition, su< h ui attempt sould be made to justify or p lha’c the conduct of a B ihsh aggressor.— .‘Sober Federalists are requested to think seri ously of the pmbubie eons--quences of counte nancing the sentiment published in the Ee/ur tory. To the Selectmen of the Town of Bouton. Gentlemen, We would wish to know whether you have rot received the following Circular Letter, ad dressed to ihe Selectmen and Citizens of the town of Boston, viz. “ NORFOLK, JUNE 25, 1807. “ Gentlemen—We have the honor to trans mit you a detail of an insulting and most cruel outrage, committed on our nation, by a British squadron, together with certain resolutions en tered into by the inhabitants of Norfolk, Ports mouth and their vicinities, to which vve invite your co-operation “ \Y e have the honor to be, gentlemen, your most obedient humble servants, Daniel Be dinge:,J. \V. Merclaugh, Theodore Armistead, Committee of Correspondence.” This letter being of a public nature, in which every c itizen is equally interested as the Select men, we c uinot but consider it a high neglect of duty, not to have made it public immediate ly oi* receiving it. This was a duty which as citizens vve h and a right to expect iiom those to whom it was directed; and the suppression of so important a communication, cannot but ex cite the disapprobation of every man who sym pathises with their distressed brethren of Noi folk, Btc. We cannot but call to mind the times which tried men’s souls, when our brethren at the southward “ co-operated” with us in expressing then indignation at the slaugh ter of our citizens at Lexington, and Bunker hill, and who felt as freemen ought to feel, at the conflagration ot Charlestown and Falmouth 1 Our southern breth en sympathized with us when our port was shut up, and cheerfully sup plied our inhabitants with provisions and other necessaries. Tney did not receive our letters with a cold reluctance. How would the: town of Boston feel on a similar occasion, if within their harbor the outrage had been commuted i What would tune been their sensations if they had witnessed the bloody scene of wounded and murdered citizens landed at their wharves l Boston, thank Coil, has not v et become faruiii arized to such a sanguinary catastrophe ! The citizens feel an indignation and ahnorrence of all ‘murderers, whether on land or on the ocean. Gracious Heaven ! what would have been our astonishment, if the detail of such an outrage had excited no other sensations than a cold in sensihi.ity ? We are happy, however, to | find, that the sympathy has operated with the celerity of electiicily, and the real friends to their country are roused to express their ab horrence ot the B hislibarbarity, and are ready to co-operate with their follow-citizens in ail measures necessary for the common safety. If President Adams dismissed Timothy Pic kering for keeping back public official dis patches, how ought the citizens of the town ol 1 B iston to show their disapprobation of the Selectmen who have been instrumental in keeping back communications from our dis tressed fellow-countrymen, the citizens of Norfolk l What would have been done to Selectmen in our fi st struggle for Indepen dence, who should have taken it upon them selves to suppress official correspondence from either of the then insulted colonies ? The feelings of Bostonians, at that time, would not h ive been very easily stilled, if they had been treated in such a manner. Orders have been received, for the. officers of the navy here to repair to Portland, and to equip the gun-boats in that port. BALTIMORE, July 11. IMPRESSED AMERICANS. Wo have received a letter from Mr. Gassa way Pindell. covering another from his son, now on board a British ship of war, in Hamp ton Roads. This i a case which comes so di -1 rectiv home to the feelings ot all Marylanders, that no fiery declaration need Ive resorted to, to impress on their minds a due sense of the ex i tent of Briti-.h insolence and hostility. What must have been the feelings of a fond parent, of an affectionate and foving sister and brother, ou recui such a icuer, as at that time com polled the belief, that in a few days, and at their verv doois, the kidnapped member of a belov ed family wa ordered to apply the match nd deal destruction round among his country men! Truly has it been suiil, that the present is a case for f, ding: Reason has no authority at such a crisis But vve will not attempt to in crease the just indignation of an enraged peo ple : here are the documents. Extract of a letter from Mr. G. find’ 11. to the Editor of the Federal Gazette, dated E'lg Prut. ( AnnArundel couiuy) July 3. Sib —I have seen in your paper of the 30th June, a copy of a letter signed by a number of Americans on board the British ship ol war Bellona, lo commodore Barron, late comman der of the United States’ frigate Chesapeake, requesting his assistance to have them releas ed. The name of Stephen Pindell is mispell ed (Findell) he is my son : I. enclose a letter from him, which if you think proper, you may insert in your useful paper. He served his apprenticeship to captain Tenant, of Fell’s point, Baltimore.” ” Air. Gassawau Pindell, inspector , at Pig- Point Ware-house, Maryland, “ On board the Bellona, June IS, 1807. Honored Father —This is to inform you, that the schooner in which 1 shipped, at cap tain Tenant’s request, was captured a few hours after the pilot left her. The schooner was sent to Halifax, and all of her crew put onboard the Meiainpus frigate ; in about a month after which, we were sent on board the Bellona. 74. I despair ot getting clear, unless you can corne down. Dear Father! you must contrive to come to my relief : I cannot consent to remain in such a service. Pray come down : I would indeed sooner drown myself than continue where I am, and where I will not grieve much longer ! “ I am your dutiful son, “ STEPHEN PINDELL ” WASHINGTON CITY, June 15. The public will perceive from the subjoined affidavit and It ter, that thete is some reason to distrust the pacific sentiments of the British commodore, as set forth in his conversation with Mr. Tazewell. The affidavit is copied from the original, forwarded by captain De catur to the Secretary of the Navy ; ihe extract is from a private gentleman of respectability. Personally appeared before me, Stephen De catur, jtin. commander of the naval force ol the United States at Norfolk, John Cunningham, (a pilot lor James River and Norfolk) and sweareth by the Almighty God, that whilst he was on board the British merchant brig, Young Susan, lying at anchor in Hampton Roads, the hist lieutenant and master of his Britannic majesty’s ship Bello; a, of 74 guns, came on hoard the aforesaid brig; and, that the lieutenant stated, in the presence ot tire deponent, that the Bellona. Leopard and Melampus were getting in order for coming up to Norfolk—that the Bellona had been lightened by putting forty tons of bread on board the Triumph, and had sh fted her ballast from aft forward, for the purpose of lessening her draft as much as pos sible. STEPHEN DECATUR, jun. JOHN CUNNINGHAM. Charles Gordon > Wit* William Potts £ nesses. [ The above affidavit was taken on board the United States frigate Chesapeukej the eighth of July, 1307. J Extract of a letter from Hampton, dated July 9 1807. “ It appears to be the intention of commodore Douglas to commence Hostilities immediately. I ne Triumph and the Meiainpus went out oi the roads yesterday afternoon, and came iu an chor off the Capes. Since, they have been joined by a trigale and a sioop ol war. The Bellona ana Leopard are still in Hampton roads. Commodore Douglas yesterday made another communication to the inhabitants of Norfolk— but which was returned to him by the Mayor unopened.” The following article is from the American Citizen. Wedo#oi republish it from any im pression we have of the truth of that part of the letter which states the intention of tne British to send an invading army into the U. States. Infatuated as the government of that nation may be, they will not at this day commit themselves by such an act of madness. I lay before the reader the succeeding letter, received yesterday through the medium of our post-office, as stated at the close ; ii is printed exactiy as written. I have no reason to believe that it is an imposition. Superscription. “ Mr. James Cheeth am, “ Editor of the American Citizen, “ New-York. “From Halifax, favored > by Mr. Johnston. \ Contents. “ Halifax, , 1807. “ I am one of those unfortunate men who have been pressed on board British ships of war. I am an American born—a native of Nevv-York, and although I never expect to get back again, still I naturally have a love for my country the.elore 1 take this opportunity ol letting you know your danger. The British expect to have an army landed in your country about the middle of January next. They have 1200 lads from the age of Is to 18 exercised duilv —these unfortunate youths ere to be sent along wini the.army. I wish you would follow their ex ample in the fiist instance and have your young men even from 14 and upwards fotmedinan umtoim body and taught their manual exeuise. lam certain the vmeiicau youth, if they have one spark of the fire ot ’76 within their bosoms will cheerfully come forvvaicl in support of their country. I must conclude by saying that if thenaiiuv.s was fortified it wouid annoy the English gieutly, for >ew-York is the first place they mean to land at. I wish, clear sir, you would publish this in your patriotic paper. Youis, Sec. I. ll****.. “ Excuse mv not signing my name, for if it was known, I would certainly be exalted —on the gallows. “ I send this bv a young man who I suppose will drop it in the post-office. NORFOLK, July 18. SOME RETALIATION. Last evening an express arrived at Head- Quaners to the Commander, Gen. Mathews, front capt. Shepherd, of the troop of Cavalry stationed near the Cape—The intelligence the express brought is of great importance : it an nounces the first act of retaliation for the out rages of the British squadron. ‘The substance of the intelligence, as far as we are informed, and our information may be relied on, is, that a boat w ith fiv e men, viz. two midship men and three sailors was seen to Thursday evening, on the east side of the in let ; the people came on shore, and were fired at by a detachment of miiitia under the com mand of a lieutenant from Kempsville. They retreated and took refuge in the woods—infor mation being given to capt. Shepherd of the place to which they had retired, it was immedi ately surrounded; in the morning they were dis covered. and surrendeied themselves prisoners without resistance. The boat and the arms on board of her have been taken possession of; and the men are now prisoners at Mr. Lemuel Cornick’s, waiting the orders of the General. 4^ FROM THE AURORA. The Washington Federalist states in a post* script, that Mr. F.rskine, the British ambas • dm , had arrived at Washington city—declared ihe iate murderous and perfidious aggression una ilhoi ised, and was about to forward an im* mediate dispatch to the British naval coniman* cler at Hampton. On this we have only to observe—to wit: 1. VV lien the British squadron at acked the Spanish frigates three years ago returning to Spain, unconscious of wa-.and sunk one and cap tured two others, that the F.nglish charge des affaires at Madrid declared the act unauthor ised. But the dollars in the captured frigate were nevertheless sent in triumph to the tower in London. 2. When in the year 1780, or thereabout, count Byland, with a Danish convoy, met an English fleet in the English channel, and was fired upon by them, it was said to be unauthoris ed—but the fleet was kept. 3. When the Dutch convoy in 1794 was filed upon in the north sea, it was declared to be uu authorised. 4. When Pierce was killed, it was said to be unauthorised, but Whitby has since been pro moted. 5- When Love, in the Driver, insulted the port of Charleston, it was said to be unauthor ised. Now acts of aggression, such as these noted, are crimes against the law of nations—if so they are crimes against the state whose officers com mit them, and they are therefore punishable—. it the culprits are not punished, do ihe govern ments not authorise what tney overlook in S4 strange a manner. From Akin's Geographical Delineations. “I* ‘ s a peculiarity in the American states which has tended greatly to obviate many of the evils and dissentions ot the governments in the old world, that there is no predominant religion; that is, there is no one exclusively maintained by the state, and conferring par ticular rights and privileges on its professors. In the middle and northern states, religion is left wi .oily to the will and spontaneous exer tions ot individuals; in the northern states, (Rhode-Islund excepted) a quota is required from all the inhabitants for the support of pub lic worship ; but it is left to every one’s choice to what particular sect his payment shall be appropriated, i his perfect freedom with re spect to religious doctrine and worship has produced its natural effect of fostering a great er number ol religious sects and persuasions in the territories of the United States than probably exists in any other country in the world; but this variety is not accompanied with the smallest tendency to the breach ot peace and good order. The common bond of citi zens is found fully sufficient to secure that agreement by which civil society is held to gether. Os the different forms of religious association, those seem to flourish most, which in their constitution are most consonant to the popular principles of the civil government. A great majority ranks under the denomination of Protestants. Maryland was originally set tled by Roman Catholics. The emigrants from Ireland have augmented this class of religionists. The Protestant Episcopalians have bishops as the supeiior order in their church ; but without any civil prerogatives or titular honors. No man is excluded from any civil or mili tary office under the federal government on ac count of his religious opinions. The laws of ->ome particular states require candidates fcf i certain offices to profess Christianity,