Newspaper Page Text
at sea, and whenwe arrived off the
you'i'.tt i! •< a( of Farida* in\ frel
int; were like those of another man.
Itciurnintr h< al’h danced gaily through my
vein*.
Nurs’d by the dimate where des<ruction
reigns.
If wa towards the evening of the
fourteenth day* two hours before
sunset, that we spied a sail asterr.
of is. As twilight came, it neared
tiv whh astonishing rapidity. Night
closed, and all around was impene
treble darkness* N w and then a
gentle wave w<u!d break against our
jb w and sparkle for a moment* a; and
at a distance behind us> we couid
see ilie uneven gbw of light* occa
sioned by the foaming of the strange
vessel. The hreez< that filled oui
canvas was gentle, though it wa*
Ire h.
“S!k- walked the waters like a thing oflte,
A= and seemed to dart the dements, .o strife
We coursed our way stead \
Shcough the night ; though once .
twice the roaring of the wacs io
creased so suddenly, as to make o.
believe we had passed a break?•
/it the time if was Quaeouutablf
me, bn? I now believe it to be oceu
sin red h\ the bark behind us, eon.
ing rather near in the darkness
the night—At midnight ( went to
fa b. Nothing hut an occasional
g;**k*e was to be seen, arid tin
orpan was undistutbed; Sitll it wa
a fearful and appalling darkness
and in spite >f my endeavour i
coiiM not. compese myself At the
VV'ndh ss on the forecastle* three 01
the ‘tailors, like myself, u able to
sleep, bad collected f r eooversafion.’
o*> ioinit g them. If und our fear*
trere mthual t hey all kept thei
eve steadily fixed upon t e unknown
vessel, as if anticipating some dread
to 1 c>pnt. They informed me tha
the put their aitnsi order,
ad were determined to stand o.
die.
Shamp to the spirit that would shrink j
fr'ght,
Wh**” duty calls lem to the ensanguined
fi t.
fit ‘ljh momenta fl sb of Ugh ,
perhaps a musket burur g priming,
proceeded *he vessel i>i pursui:
and we *ew dissiwetiy iha her deck
covered with *>eo. My heasi
afr> rmt fared me. I had never bee
srt battle, and I k<e\* not what i
was* Hay at le tli dawned, a*d •
all >pr c>va>9* our put jU
jfah ed alarmingly upon us. w <*■
ev ; den that she bad followed us w-
Vbole nigh. being unwilling t <t*
ts< k us in the dark—ln a tew iui<*
tpe *he fired a wivel and ram
®!os*g*ide. She was a pirate. He.-
was lowered, and ah utad *ze
hideous lO’ king object* jumped in
vi'li a eommande • at then bead
Tb boat pushed off, and wa-, nt*a
irg ns fast, as we arrayed urstT*
for irivint? her a broadside. Ou
wh le stork of arms consisted of six
a“d an old swivel, used a>
a signal gun, belonging to the Mar}
ard a p?.ir of pistols of my ow>
which I carried in mv belt, ‘I be
pi ‘ite boat’s < ew were armed wnh
mm kefs, pistols, swords, classes,
at and k *ves ; and when she came
W ’ hii’ he r own length of us we fife ,
fre of our muskets and the swive
into her. Ket fire was scarcely tia
ppvrn. when she filled ard went dow*
wi’h all her erew. At tltissmoess
We were iu lined to rejoi e, but on
looking over tu the pirate icbooner,
we observed her deck still swarm
irg with the same description of
bfid !o’ king wretches, A seeottd
beta’s erew pushed ofi* with their
m’sket* pr inted direr fly at us the
wb- if* time. When they came with
ir the same distance the fber,
Wt fired, but with little, if anv, ef
fect. The pirate immediately re
turned the fire, ard wish horrid cries
jumped aboard f us. Two of •>
brave erew vere lying dead upon the
deck, and the rest of us expected
r.nfhing better French, Spanish,
ard! i.glish, were spoken indiseiim
ioately, ar:d all at once. The ms s.
horrid imprecations were uttered
against us, and threats that fancy
cannot imagine.
A wretch whose black, shaggy
whiskers covered nearly his whole
face, whose ryes were only seen if
intervals from beneath his hush}
<?} e brows, art! whose whole ap
pearance was more that of a beh
bound than of a human being, ap
pitched me with a drawn cutlkiH
ir h:4.furd. I drew one of my pis
ft!, &*.d snapped it in his fare ; bu*
it firuhed in the pan, and before !
ooold draw the other, he pirate
with a brutality that would have
di grimed a cannibal, struck use
nve the face with bis cutlass and
knotted me down. 1 was too much
wounded By the Wow to resist, and
the blond ran in torrents from n*>
forehead. Ir* this situation the
wretch seized me by the scalp* and
fliriudnrl’i‘ onflows in Riv cravat.
cu f it through completely. I felt the
coM iron glide slurp ro* throat and
even ow s he very ♦hough* make® me
ch’ dde’’ The wor t idea I had ever
formed of human cruelty seemed now
real* fd and I cou and c ee death stare
me ir the face Y ifhout ‘topping to
examine the cravat he put it in h’*
pcckrf and in a voice of tb nder ex
c'aimed lerezr -in?’ 1 according
lv rore on m* feet, 2nd he pinioned
m w hard* behind mv hack, led me to
the gunwale of the ve i e and a-ked
another of the rang ir French whe
ther he •bnuM throw me overboard
At the recollection of that scene lam
fti” staggered 1 endeavoured to call
thp prospect of eternity before me,
but copM ‘hmk of nothing e* cept the
cold aod on verle apathy of the
torrb Hb infamous companion re
p ipd TANARUS! r.‘ t t<ov h"W ’ ?!” Fen
T nfy* mi H’-hie ** and ed me to the
foreman, where he tied me with my
face s o ♦he stern of the ves e el ‘he
chord” were drawn go tight around mv
arm and legs that mv a? nv wa ex
cruciating. In thi* shuatio he left
me.
t'n * Peking rou r d I found them
all cm* loved in plurderlnp and ran
every thing we had Over mv
’efr r hooider. one of our sailor was
atTurg up*o the vard arm and anpa
rertl in the ’ast aponie ft of death ;
while hpfore me our gallant captain
was on hi knee® and begging for hi
life The wretche* were endeavour
ing *o extort from him the secret of
our monev : but for awhde he wa*
firm and dauntles- Pmvrked at his
obftir?rv they e tended hi arms
and ett* them off at the elbows . At
thi/ human nature gave way and the
injoted m*r confe e *ed the not where
w* had concealed our specie. In a
few mmute it wa s aboard their own
ve^e l . To revenge themselve on
cur urhappv captain, when thev had
sati fif'd them that nothing ehe
wa -hidden they spread a hed of oak
urn the deck before me . a*.d after
o?Hng it through with turpentine
thp captain on it, filled hi* mouth
with the fame comhuTble* and
the whole on fire .Theories of-the
Unfortunate man were hpatt rending,
■and his agonie mu- 1 have been unut
, e --.b'e* but they were soon o*er
a 1 hit, j wa comoelled to witness.
Heart ick ni h the fight I once *hut
rrv pve° but a m sket discharged
cl rp to mv ear, wa? a warning uffi
oienr to keen them open •
On casting mv eve to the stern of
the ves'el discovered tba* the
swain h?d been oailpd to the
through hi* feet, and the body *oi
ked through to he tjl’er He wz
writhing in s he tart agonic? of cruci
fixion —Our fifth comrade wa out
of ight duti'rtltall fbi* tragedy; in a
few minufe'-hotcever he wa? brought
uoon deck b inpc-ldcd He was then
conducted muzvle of the wi
vel and commanded s o kneel The
swivel was then fifed off, a r d his
head wax dreadfully wounded by
the dipcharee a moment a'ter.
it was agonizing to b hold hi- tor
meets and convulsion*! language is
too feeble rode cibe them ’
seen men hung upon the gibbet but
their death wa~ like sinking in * lum
ber when compared with his
“The flesh will
T*,* blond wi I follow where the knife
driven
F.xcifed wrh this scene of human
butchery, one of wretches fired
oi tol at the captain’ dog. The
ball truck hit shoulder and di c ab!ed
him ; he finished him by shooting
bin* again and at la t by cutting out
hi tongue!! At this a> r hell engen
de*ed act my Hood boiled with in
dignation at such savage b utaliry on
a helple s inuffm ive dog ! But wa
unab-e to give utterance or action to
my feelings.
Tbe’-e’s always burning in tbe Freeman’s soul,
A flame, tenacious of control ;
From heaven descended, and to heaven allied,
Tfca* plows wi'h on he sufferer’s side
c eeing that the crew had been every
one despatched 1 began to think
more of my elf M? old enem? who
sepmed to forget me onc° m re ap
proached me ; but shockingly be
smeared with b ood and brains He
had cfood by the ide of the unfor
sunare c ailor who suffered before the
swivel and supported him with the
point of his bayonet He drew a
stiletto ‘‘rom hi *ide. placed its point
upon m\ heart and gave it a heavy
thru t felt its point touch my
skin* bu the quilting of my bank
billß prevented its further entrance.
This savage monster theft ran it up
my breast as if intending to divide
my lung, and in doing so the bank
bill fell upon the He snatch
ed them up gmedily, ard evdaimed,
*Ah ! laissez moi voir qui ce restc ”
My dre* in a few moments was rip
ped to pieces at the peri ! of my life.
He frequently came so rear to tear
my kin and deluge roe with blood;
but by the mercy of Providence, T
escaped from every danger this
moment a heavy fl?w struck the
schooner, and 1 heard one of the
pirate# say •* Voila un vaisßeau!”
They all retreated precipitately* and
gaining their own vesse*. were ®oon
out of sight.
Helpless a# I now was, I had the
,aisfa< finp of knowing that the pi
rates had been frightened by the ap
pearauce of a sail, but it whs impos
sible for me to see it. Still tied to
he foremast, I knew n*t what was
my prospect of release. An hour
or two had elapsed after thev left
me, and it was ow noon. The 9un
nlayed violently on my bead, and I
felt a langoiir and debility that indi
*rjted an opproeehing fever.
he vd gradually sm k upon iv breast*
when * was shocked by hearing tlie
vater pouring into the cabin win
dows. The wretehe# had scuttled
he ve#*l, and left me pinioned to
?o down with her l commended
nv spirit to mv IVlnker, and crave
mv self up for lost, I fel nivself
gradually dvingf away, and the last
*hiner I remember was the feamingj
*oise of the waves Th'S was o**ea
siored by a ship passing; by me I
was taken in. restored to health*’
and am now a poor, ruined, helpless,
man.
From our Forrespouftrut nt Wash
ing! nn Feh nary 8
ST* * M
Or a if : The sfpiim loat cause.
Gibbon re sus Ogden, for several
hn> absorbed all itrerest. At
♦!e usual hour of opening on FVidnv,
he h use was foiled without ? quo
“iim—tlie prineiual part rf the mem
indeed nearlv all. who g ;ve a
lore t. deb te. had deserted r hc fo
”1)111 for the bar, and the throng in
the Supreme (lour! room was e*ni
'ipquentiy immense. The exciting
.•apse* was to hear Mr F.mmbt,
the pride and nsh;ament the *ew
York Tourfs; ad the extraordittary
influx of ladies for hours after he
f;ad commenced, which threatened
to expel even the counsel from the
grata, seemed to indicate an irresist
ible disposition in them to be court
ed Mr. Web -TEH on Wednesday,
fia itioior counsel, opened for the
plamtiff in error He occupied
three and an half hours in a very
powerful argument against the State
fft-ant to Messrs. Fultn and Liv
ingston of exclusive navigation by
stvm; and be wes listened to with
great interest Hi 9 enlarged con
struction of congressional power,
contrasted with State rights relative
to the question* which be regarded
s one of commerce and trade, made
an obvious im!>resion on the spec
tafors, if not on the Court, a9 many
of high legal attainments were beard
declare that the strength of his
positions was conclusive against the
g ant He was followed by Mi.
Oaklet on the other side— a mao
u re solid in reasoning, than elo
quent in declamation; acd whose
thorough law knowledge* places
him among the distinguished civil
ians of New York. The force of
hi® deduction was much applauded.
Next name the eloquent Fmmbt,
a being who may be called without
exaggeration, one of the “ strong
men of the earth;” and who cer
tainly argued the unpopular side
of the question with an ingenuity
and power seldom exhibited in any
Courts, It is k'own that he catne
to this country driven to it by a spi
rit of persecution from his own,
with a reputation fresh and green
as the Emerald Isle which he wor
shipped He has shown himself
worthy of the asylum he sought, of
the pretensions he assumed. Ap
parently, he is not less than seven
ty years of age, though it is said he
is actually under sixty. His head
U bald, his hair grey, teeth loose,
a* and his whole exterior when not
speaking, indicative of a decripi
tude utterly inconsistent with the
great intellectual and physical ef
forts by which he is characterised.
Yet the magnitude of the cause, im
posing as it is, seemed to dilate io
hi# hands. It appeared as if the
accumulated force of an huodred
minds had beet thrown into it. and
he made iheA* organ. He was ao
longer the thecrepid old naan 1 had
supposed, hut anew being—an in
tellectual giant bursting asunder c
very difficulty, and sweeping aside
at a grasp all obstructions in his
path. From practice in the lower
Courts, he lmd made himself per
fectly familiar with the details of
the cause; and his brief was m<re
copious, his citations mure numer
ous, than I ever witnessed from any
Counsellor. KanUoiPH who sat
hes re him. (attired wi'h a jockey
fur cap, white breeches, stockings,
and socks drawn over them,) nod
ded cloqueut assent to all his leading
positions. A great stickler himself
for State rights, the unyielding tena
city of Emmet pleased him; though
there were evidently times in which
the latter strained at a point.
Emmet, concluded with a fine
strain of pathetic eloquence in be
half of the heirs of Fulton.—
Whatever might be the result of the
cause, he thought all would admit
that for a portion ot their enjoyment
they have been indebted to that
mighty invention—the Steam-boat.
Our remotest rivers and lakes had
sanctioned it, and the broad Oi-ean
itself had borne on its bosom the
brightest evidences of its utility
the best triumphs of is gemus. <le
who originated, had gone down to
the tomb; hot there were others,
there were orphans, children, who
were interested in the decision, and
who would look up to thu* Court as
a power to help and to save, it
were impossible tor me >0 retain
Emmet’slanguagt—bis manner was
so imposing, SO ardent, so unlike the
advocate, so identified With the mao,
that I could not for the soul ol me,
take down a word; and iUe.se few
vague* indistinct ideas are all i have
to *ffer. I admit that some of his
positions were sophist> ah And in
deed they could hardly be otherwise
where so riiU’ h wa3 9uid* — * , 'uid on the
worst side too—namely, against pub
lic sentiment Hut take ibe argu
ment altogether, & it was one ol ihe
m*< finished I ever heard, EM
met is a natural orator ol the lnsu
s hool. He is always eloquent when
he would be energetic. iiis voi eis
full toned, his arti< ulation un om
mortly slow & distinct-—though uow
and then he ruus into vehement e,
and his whole function is alive to hi
conceit. All eyes are upon him, ail
ears listening to him. W heu exci
ted, and he becomes so impercepti
bly, he manifests an impetuosity,
that carries all before it. Uut he is
wiser than most orators with so fine
an imagination He does not pei
mit the plumage of his quiver 10 par
alize the for ; e of his bow.
The Attorney General Air. Wikt,
for the plaintiff, closed he cause in
a very logical and elevated style
overturning several oi the positions
of his learned adversary wall an uu
eomprosing fearlessness indicative
of the clearest perception, and most
matured experience* Hts diction
was peculiarly choice, his manner
winning. He commenced in a tone
of voice which seemed to betray a
want of compass and intent; but he
gradual!) evinced the finest grada
lions of power and sweetness, oorne
of his ironical turns were amusing,
though severe. We could not but
remark the singular purity of his
pronunciation* and his respeettui
deportment to Itie Court; and we
confess we were glad to see him take
his adversary by the horns* instead
of attempting to keep him at bay by
long shot What the decision io
this ‘cause will be, it is out of my
power to predict. A case somewhat
analogues whs cited by Mr. Wirt,
in which Judge Washington deliv
ered the opinion of a majority of the
same Cuurt in favor of the power of
Congress. Fom the sanguioenes*
pf the Attorney General in submit
ting this authority,for aught 1 know,
a decision may have been anti* ipat
ed; indeed I confess if would not be
the most surprising, certainly nut
the most lamectab’e thing in the
world* should the Court determine
‘to sustain the plaintiff in error . At
any rate their opinion, be it either
way. is pregnant with most import
ant results; as defining a permanent
line of demarcation between Nation,
al & State powers; & many anxious
hopes, and tremulous fears, are a
waiting the fiat of tlie Supreme
Court of the U. S.—to be put fore
ver at rest. The ai gumems of coun
sel in the cause commenced on Wed
nesday, and closed on the Monday
following; but a decision thereon
will not probably be given till the
end of the term.— fioston Cent,
- GbXKR.iL J i K^O.Y.
It has become he duly of every
politician to speak frankly and fear
lessly to the nation. A crisis has
conic, which must dispense with
nice qualms—ittd excessive sensi
biliiiu*. It is expected that men
should speak out—taking care no
thing to extenuate, nor to set down
aught in ma!i e,”
We consider Mr. Calhoun a; h r % s
de combat. His chance was des
perate at best, hut his good friends
at Philadelphia have completely
given him the coup dc grace.
What chance ha* Mr. Clay ? Get
him to ike H.of ii, ; ami his pros
pects arc bright and brilliant. Uut
will ha get there ? Can he get
there ?—Our desided impressions
is. that he will be thrown out on tho
first heat, and that he will not be
one of the -hree to enter for the id.
The contest in all probability lies
between Crawford, Adams am)
Jackson—we (tame them in the or
der in which ihe electoral ballots
will stand, if there be uo choice by
Electors. These three candidates
may be the three highest, and will
therefore present themselves before
the H. of 11. under the provUiouA of
the constitution.
Adams may be a be: ter scholar
than eifhet of his competitors: hut
he is better qualified for the closet
than the scenes of active life.—?lis
political principle* are not so s mud
—his nerves are strong—his temper
so firm a. id at he same (i ue so coil
—ins Miimi not so vigorous—his
general qua fioations oot so great,
as those ot W. If. Crawford* Ho
would make a better Professor, but
nut so good a President.
As to Gen. Jaksott, we wmyld
speak with respc t; e feel for hhm
the sincerest gratuude. Yet even
gratitude must have bouuds, when
(he happiness of a whole nation is
a stake. Biing his quulifica’ioos
to the bar of public opinion—and
h,w will they stand ? He saved N.
Orica * —he is a warrior, an apt
and ao able one—a man of energy,
of pubii spirit, of integrity, of gen
ius. But arc these all ike qualifi
cations which are required io a
President of the United States ?
He is a di* inguished soldier—but
is he a st ite-unan ? Where is ‘h©
evidence of it ? Where are his po
litical speeches? his dispatches?
his } ssay*? his measures ? Where
are the evidences of that skill and
attainments in politics, 10 which a
life of study, and experience, is so
essentially necessary ? Compare him
wi b Adam* and with Crawford,and
how inferior must he e—when wo
take into account the series of hi 9
pursuits and the want of evide ico
which he has exhibited. He is a
man of talents ; but they have not
been turned io thai direction. His
province is the camp—out the ca
binet.
His spirit too, though lofty and
aspiring* is fiery nrdeof and impet
uous—his friends devoted to him and
he devoted 10 ti>s frieads. n race
him Brough his military -areer at
Or eaos—-through his military cam
paign *■> FI nda—through his civil
aet9 a* Pc .sac I —-analyze some of
his dispatches to the war depart
ment, and his letter to Governor
Rabun in Georgia—without taking
the private aoecdotes which have
been afloat—and what is the conclu
sion ? Thai his temper is enthusi
astic, warm, impetuous, and dom
ineering.
vith such a disposition aomhineti
with su ‘h inexperience in political
affairs, and what most naturally he
the result ? Gen. J. with all the lof
tiness of his character; with all the
proud glories which decorate bit
brow, must he expected to be too
much exposed to the influence of
men who will devote themselves to
bis person, and whose superiority a a
statesmen will obtain his confidence.
I'hty will probably govern more
than he will—They will generally
be the power behind the throne
greater than the throne itself”—
though occasionally the impetuosivf
of his spirit might break forth, and
hurry him into acts beyond the le
gitimate bounds of his authority.
If he should be the choice of the
people, his opponents will quietly
submit t<the will of the majority—
they will judge him by the acts of
his administration—but it is ex
pecting too much of them to sup
pose, that in a case where the ia
terests of their country are at stake
they will not conscientiously express
their opinions of ins prcteosioos.
They will beseech their countrymen
not to permit the brightest blaze of
Military glory to dazzle their eyes
—tmr to mistake the talents of a
military •• hero” for those of a ctf*
il magistrate.—* Ridu, Em^