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About Daily chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1837-1876 | View Entire Issue (July 19, 1847)
®ri-fiPcdilg Chronicle & Jjcntmd. BY J W.&W.S. JONES. AUGUSTA, GA., MONDAY MORNING, JULY 19, 1847 VOLUME XL—NO. 86. CHRONICLE & SENTINEL. AUGUSTA, GEO : SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 17, 1847. Meeting of the Richmond Blues* Thk proceedings of this Company, which will be found in our columns this morning, are not only in our opinion very extraordinary, but so far as they are designed to cast a reflection upon any portion of the citizens of Augusta, vve think them very unjust. The facts in ref erence to the tender of a dinner to the Conipa- j ny are these : The Artillery Guards moved in the matter, and appointed a Committee of Arrangements, &c. A Committee called upon the citizens, and a prompt and liberal subscrip tion was made by all classes, and the dinner was consequently tendered, to which these pro ceedings respond. The right of the Blues to accept or decline the hospitalities of the citizens thus tendered, of course no one can dispute, but when they j travel out of the way to attempt to reflect upon ; a portion of the citizens, we think they do in justice both to the citizens and themselves, of which we think their cooler judgments will convince them, upon reflection. General flinch. This distinguished hero, excellent citizen and good man, is called a “ swelled head,” and an "aristocrat,” by some of the Democratic press es. This is the way in which those unscrupu lous partizans expect to defeat his election. They may be very acute in some things, but if they do not “ reckon without their host” in this matter, we know nothing of human nature. For thirty years and more. General Clinch has devoted his time, talents and energies to the service of his country. He has exposed his life where the trumpet brayed, and mur derous cannon disgorged their death dealing contents. In the swamps of Florida be was exposed not only to the foe, but to the pesti lence of a dangerous and deadly climate. The whole country has heretofore acknowledged his sell-gathered and hard-earned laurels. No one has disputed the award of merit and fame, which the people of the nation have voted him. He retired from the army with the respect and admiration of the country, and the ardent attachment of the soldiery. None sought to raze “ the pillars of a fair fame” till now ; and now, because he is a candidate for office, some reckless politicians, regardless of the value of “priceless reputation,” would defeat him by detraction and abuse. How manly, how hon orable ! The poor soldier will not forget his efforts in his behalf, while a member of Congress. He will recollect his efforts to influence that body to found “the Soldiers Retreat”—a mil itary asylum for the support of the invalid sol diers of our army. General Clinch had led them to battle, had rejoiced with them in victory. He had become a laurelled Hero, his fame was secure, the sol dier could do no more for him. But was he satisfied with this? No. He had witnessed their privations and sufferings, he had seen them mangled upon fields of blood, he had heard their groans and looked upon their ago nies. He knew full well, how many of them, poor and moneyless, were left to grope their way afterwards through trials, misfortunes and neglect, with “No friend, no home, no refuge but their God.” This “swelled head,” this “aristocrat,” (as our opponents call the gallant and kind-hearted Clinch,) amidst all the honors bestowed upon him by his country, did not forget the poor un friended soldiers, and hence his efforts to se cure for them an asylum, where, cared for, and protected against pinching want, they might spend their days in comfort, and “ fight their battles o'er again,” around their warm and cheerful firesides. Ah! vain and impotent at tack ! The good old veteran.is beyond its ma lignant power. He is secure in the affections of a grateful people. The March to the Rio Grande* It is a common argument with the Demo cratic press, in its efforts to sustain Mr. Polk, that Mexico was buckling on her armor for a conquest of Texas, and the President, from prudential considerations ordered the army to the Rio Grande. We cannot divine how any man of sense can honestly believe that Mexico intended to attempt any such preposterous and hopeless enterprise as that. We have shown, in previous numbers of our paper, that there was no foundation for such a belief worthy of consideration, and of force sufficient to influ ence any intelligent mind. It is true Mexico talked pretty largely :* some of her expressions were rather grandiloquent, and those not acquainted with her peculiar manner and modes of expression, might have supposed that her thundering war cries would “ Wake the dark echoes of the trembling ground.” But for intelligent American editors to be thus deceived, to be green enough to be thus inr posed upon, is impossible, and they deceive nobody but themselves, if they imagine that they can impose their ridiculous and deceitful pretences upon the people. We have been led into these remarks byway of introduction of the following to our readers _ It is au extract from a letter written by Mr. Marcy, the Secretary of War, to General Taylor, dated Oct. 16th, 1845, in which he was informed, “The Government had infor mation which rendered it probable that no se rious attempt would be made by Mexico to in vade Texas.” Yes, the Government had that information, and it never received any contra dictory information from that day, to the day march to the Rio Grande. All of Gen. Tat- r lor’s letters to the Department up to that time, proved that the Mexicans contemplated no in. vasion of Texas, and never did they show the least signs of hostility till our army commenced its march into the Mexican province (as they insisted) of Tamaulipas. Here is the testimony of the Secretary of War. that Mexico had no idea of a conquest of Texas. She had no more idea of it than she had of conquering Georgia. But she did fight when she was insulted to desperation, and not before. The Administration cannot even plead “honor” in its defence, even, “ Honor ! thou blood-stained God, At whose red altar sit war and homicide.” No, the act that produced the war was a reck- | less, wanton play of power. The arm was unnecessarily stretched out, that filled two lands with mourning, and caused the bright flowers of tenderness and love to fade and wither in every section of both. Complimentary.—The National Intelligen ! cer accompanies an extract from the Macon j Messenger with the following remarks; —“We have seldom seen any commendation of a pub lic man which we could more cordially endorse than what is said in the annexed paragraph in i ■ regard to Gen. Duncan L. Clinch, of Georgia. 1 We have known this true-hearted citizen, man and boy, for, we will not say how many years, j and we have never known a kinder, braver, or more honorable gentleman. His intellectual qualities are correctly described by the Journal, and his private life is as virtuous as his charac ter is unblemished. Being able by a long and intimate acquaintance with him to bear this j conscientious testimony to the personal and j public merits of General Clinch, and seeing him now before his fellow-citizens as a candi date for a high though unsought office, we should be doing injustice to ourselves as well as j to him were we to copy the following tribute to his worth, from a respectable Georgia journal, without adding this brief expression of our own feelings. Professor Banning. We copy the following from the Savannah Republican. From all that we have learned, there is no doubt of the utility of Dr. Banning’s Body Braces for all those infirmities and weak nesses of the system for which they are recom mended. Indeed they are unquestionably useful for those, even in good health, compa ratively, whose pursuits are of a sedentary cha racter. Such persons will find that the use of the Brace will relieve them of much of that weariness to which they are subject, and enable them to accomplish a great deal more than without it. Let such make the trial, and they will find it so. If they do not like them after trial, they are not compelled to take them. We have befen requested to publish the fol lowing correspondence: Savannah, June 11, 1847, 7b Professor Banning: —Dear Sir —We, resi dents of the city of Savannah, have had some op portunities of witnessing the effects of your Body Braces, and are convinced that they excel every me chanical instrument which has ever been invented to relieve the pelvis from the unusual pressure of the contents of the abdomen, consequent upon spinal and other organic affections, which so often baffle the skill of the ablest physicians. We believe the principle a correct one, and if judi ciously applied will do much good. Therefore,' we congratulate the public on the success of your labors wherever you have had an opportunity of imparting instruction. Wo sincerely wish you success in your endeavors to do good, and tender our best wishes for your pros perity, hoping you may enjoy a long life of usefulness. Y our friends: H. K. BURROUGHS, M. D. C. P. RICHARDSONE, M. D. J. C. HABERSHAM, M. D. J. S. MOREL, M. D. A. CUNNINGHAM, M. D. Milledgeville, (Ga.) June 23, 1847. Messrs. Drs. Burroughs, Richardsone, Habersham, Morel and Cunningham : Gentlemen: —Yburmost gratifying and encourag ing testimonial, in reference to me and my Brace, is received. It is so fully to my mind, and so adapted to my wants and those of the community, that I cannot refrain an expression of hearfelt gratitude, not for the opinion you have, but your expression of it couched in terms so clear, frank and unequivocal. I hope it may some day be my turn to do you some personal favor in return. So great was the impression of your note in Macon, that I am persuaded its appearance in Savannah would be the means of comfort to many who only wait for a guaranty that the Brace may be adapted to their wants. By your permission, gentlemen, I w ill give it pub licity in your city. Very respectfully, &c., E. P/BANNING. Correspondence of the Journal and Messenger. Chattanooga, Tenn., July 9,1847. Gentlemen: —I take pleasure in stating that our experimental trip up the Elk River has been entirely successful. We found the river navigable for steamers of moderate draught, as high as Elkton, a distance of sixty miles from the upper end of the Muscle Shoals. The obstacles were few and comparatively easy overcome. At Elkton we found ourselves within eighty two miles of the city of Nashville, and between the two places there is one of the best turnpike roads in Middle Tennessee. From Chattanoo ga to the mouth ofthe Elk, the distance is about 120 miles, navigable at all seasons. So yon see, the moment the Western & Atlantic Rail- I road reaches the Tennessee, there wfill be only eighteen miles of staging between the Atlantic ports and Nashville, and the w 7 hole route may be traversed in less than four days. This will do very well for the present; but Tennessee isdestinedto have astill more speedy communi cation with the seaboard. The question has finally t been settled. The corporate authorities of Nash ville, have been duly authorized to subscribe 1 half a million of dollars for the construction of a road from that place to this. If the next Legislatures of our State and of yours will on ly do their duty, within three years from the • present date, there will be a continuous steam communication between the South Atlantic 1 ports and the extreme North-west. To the people of Georgia we owe many thanks, while I regret to add, that Carolina, by her manage ment, is likely to reap the harvest sown by Georgia hands. Yours &c. " . t The Boston city loan of $1,000,000 has been taken by various bidders, at prices ranging from 90 to 99 cents on the dollar. The aver- T age price was 94 cents on the dollar. This is /** _ A A 1 9 At a Meeting of the Richmond Blues, ! Held at Lamback s on Thursday evening, July I 15, 1847, the meeting having been organized, an invitation to a public dinner from the Augusta Artil- j lery Guards was read, whereupon the following pre- i amble and resolutions were offered and unanimously ; carried : Whereas, an invitation having been extended to us by the Augusta Artillery Guards, a kindred military corps, as an appreciation and compliment to our company upon its return to the place of its enrollment, and a portion of the citizens of Augusta having shown themselves devoid of every principle of patriotism, and manifested, as was expected, a spirit in opposition to I that of the country and what should have been ex pected of American freemen : Resolved, That we fully appreciate the patriotic feeling that prompted the Augusta Artillery Guards to extend to us the compliment of a dinner, as a token i of their regard for whatever services we may have | rendered our country, as a part of the late Georgia I Regiment. Resolved, That a Committee of five be appointed I to respectfully decline the invitation tendered us by | the Augusta Artillery Guards, and express to them ; our full appreciation of their generous compliment. The following gentlemen were then appointed that j committee, viz : Lieuts. Phinizy and Philip, Sergeant D. D. Macraurphy, Corporal George Gorton and private R. H. Musgrove. On motion it was Resolved , That the thanks of this meeting be ten dered to Mr. Lamback, for the use of the room, and ; that the proceedings of this meeting to P ..bii.h.j s.„ ! the city papers. i On motion the meeting then adjourned. D. W. DILL, Chairman. Alex. Philip, Secretary. REPLY OP THE COMMITTEE. Augusta, July 16, 1847. Gentlemen : At a meeting of the Richmond Blues, held for the purpose of responding to the kind and ge nerous invitation extended to our company by the Augusta Guards, the following resolution was adopt ed : “ Resolved , That full} appreciating the patriotic feelings that prompted the Augusta Guards to extend to us the compliment of a dinner, as a token of their regard for whatever services we may have rendered the country as a part of the late Georgia Regiment, we are compelled at the same time to decline their in vitation.” While we decline your invitation, we at the same I time tender to you, in behalf of our corps, our warmest thanks and gratitude, and assure you that nothing ( will afford us more pleasure and gratification than the : continued existence and prosperity of your patriotic | corps. Yours, respectfully, JNO. PHINIZY, Jr. ] WM. PHILIP, D. D MACMURPHY, > Committee. GEO. GORTON, • R. H. MUSGROVE, 1 To Captain James Adam, and others, Committee. The Requisites for Governor.— We were somewhat at a loss to account for the selection of Mr. Towns as the Democratic Candidate; his abilities and services, both, though respecta ble, being but moderate. The secret, however, ledked out during the skirmishing which took i place in the Democratic Convention, and as S his friends know him best, we give their esti mate of his peculiar abilities. The Milledge ville correspondent of the Macon Journal and Messenger , says: • “At the late Convention which nominated Mr. Towns to the office of Governor, a particular friend of his —Col. Prior of Troup—thus referred to Mr. T.’s qualification as an electioneering candidate : ‘George W. Towns is hard to beat. When he goes among the boys with his sweet talk he is irresistible. When he gets the swing of his head from side to side (here Mr. P. gracefully suited the ‘action to the word’) and clasps his hand on a fellow’s shoulder, he will soon find his way to a fellow’s heart. “ Mr. E. J. Black, provoked by Mr. Prior’s assault on Mr. Calhoun, replied under evident restraint —for casting his eye anxiously around, he remarked, that ‘the argus eyes of the press are upon our doings here to-day.’ But Mr. Black is not a man to be intimida ted; and in defiance of those ‘argus eyes,’ and the execrations of old hunkerism, he portrayed the char acter of Mr. Towns in a single sentence so tersely graphic as to defy.amendment, when he referred to Mr. Prior’s panegyric, and denominated the candi date for Governor as the ‘ pliant and facile gentle man.'" And thus the question is answered.” Do the people of Georgia need such an one as their Governor ? or do they prefer their own honest, upright, sturdy, Georgia Rough and I Ready, Duncan L. Clinch? We expect to get their answer at the polls. —Snvnnnnh I can. From the National Intelligencer. Washington and Jackson Monuments. In a short communication, published in the j “Saturday Evening News” ofthe 26th ultimo, i in relation to the grant ol a portion of the La- I fayette Square, as a site for the proposed mon ! ument to Gen. Jackson. I put the following interrogatory : “Ifthe President, who has the right to grant it for ten years, has done so, 1 desire that func tionary to say why he has granted to the Jackson Monument Committee a privilege which he has peremtorily refused to the Board of Mana gers of the Washington National Monument So ciety?" A correspondent of the Union un dertakes to answer for the President by a spe cies of quibble which may possibly be satisfac tory to his own mind, but will not, 1 apprehend, be so to that of the public. He concedes that I permission has been granted by the President to the Jackson Monument Committee to use the reservation called Lafayette fequure for the pur pose mentioned, and assigns as a reason lor his doing so that the Jackson Committee asked the Pres?dent for permission only to put the Monu ment on that square, while the Board of Mana gers of the Washington National Monument Society asked him for the ground (another pub lic reservation) in u fee simple on which to erect the Washington Monument?” I regret that the correspondent of the Union should be obliged to resort to this subterfuge, and assume as a fact what did not exist. The Board of Managers were fully aware of the extent of i the President’s power in relation to grants of i public reservations in this city, and therefore i instructed their committee simply to ask per | mission to erect the contemplated monument on a portion of the public Mall, and never dreamed of asking for it in fee simple—a favor which they knew he had no power to grant The correspondent of the Union has fallen into anothererror connected with this subject, which it may be proper to correct. He says that “ there was no urgent necessity why the Presi dent should be applied to for ground on which to erect the Washington Monument, as it is not contemplated to commence building it before Con gress meets.” The correspondent of the U njon does not seem to be apprized of the fact that the application was made to the President by the committee of the Board of Managers early last autumn, and the resolution creating the committee was adopted on the 21st of August last. The permission was refused by the Presi dent to use a portion of the public Mall as a i site for the monument to General Washington, f while it is now admitted he has granted a part of the Lafayette Square as a site for the monu -3 I mentto General Jackson. Iwishtoknow why Ail /llatmntinn hits liPPTI made I)V the present Executive of the United States, and ! why he has thus manifested a desire to do great- j er honor and show higher respect to the memo- i ry ol the latter than to that of the former ? W. Vermont.—The Whig State Convention, which was held at Montpelier on the 7th inst. nominated the Hon. Horace Eaton for re-elec tion to the office of Governor; Leonard Sar geaat for Lieutenant Governor; and George Howes for Treasurer. The Democratic Convention was held at the same place, on the same day, and nominated i thn Hon. Paul Duitingham for Governor. From the National Intelligencer, July 14 th. The Chicago Convention. We have to-day the first accounts of the proceedings of this important Convention, | which was organized on the sth instant, by the temporary selection of Mr. Barton of Buffalo, as Chairman. Upon calling the names of the delegates, the following States were found to be represented, viz: Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Flori da, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Massachu setts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, South Caro lina, Georgia,. Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, and lowa. A committee was then appointed to nominate officers, upon whose report the Hon. Edward Bates of Missouri, was appointed President. and a number of other srentlemen V ine Presi dents and Secretaries. Letters were read from Hon. Henry Clay, Jos. Grinnell, Thomas H. Benton, Silas Wright, Lewis Cass, Martin Van Buren, and others. Mr. Benton on the whole, may be said to be in favor of Federal appropriations for the improvement ofthe Western lakes, har bors, and rivers. Mr. Wright’s views are in the main similiar to those entertained by the M ssouri Senator. Gen. Cass writes to the Convention that he is sorry that he cannot at tend, but gives no opinion on the lake and har bor question. Mr. Van Buren, in a brief let ter, wishessuccess “to all constitutional efforts” for Western improvements. Mr. Clay, in an equally brief letter, cordially concurs “ in what is announced to be the object of the Conven tion.” A letter from the Journal of Commerce makes mention of a report presented to the Conven tion on the Commerce and Navigation of the Valley of the Mississippi. It is a pamphlet of 32 pages, filled with facts, of which the annex ed summary will afford some notion : “In 1846 the receipts at New Orleans from the up per country amounted to seventy-seven millions of dollars; the steamboats engaged in the trade of St. Louis were two hundred and fifty-one; aud the whole number on the Western rivers nearly twelve hun dred, valued at sixteen millions of dollars, to which are to be added four thousand keel and flat boats. — The annual cost of transportation is forty-one millions. The total value of the domestic products put afloat upon the waters of the valley is two hundred and six ty millions; and the value of the whole commerce afloat is four hundred and thirty millions—being double the amount of the whole foreign commerce of the United States. “The number of steamboats lost in 1842 was sixty eight ; in 1846 the number was thirty-six. The an final loss of lives is one hundred and sixty. The snags, it is well known, have caused many of these disasters. But to this commerce of four hundred mil lions the Government does not give even a snag-boat, nor ‘ a farthing light to designate the place of danger.’ Nothing is given for this commerce, while the foreign commerce is protected at an expense of nine or ten millions annually.” The Ship Fever at Quebec. —We are in debted to the Montreal Herald ofthe 6th and 7th instant for the following particulars on im magration, disease and death. Eight ships ar rived at Grosse Isle, the quarantine ground, fifty miles below Quebec, on Saturday, July 3; they brought 2,259 passengers from Ireland and England ; 132 emigrants had died while cross ing the Atlantic; the captain, mate and 42 pas sengers of the Lively, from Cork, were down with the fever, as was the captain of the Vanilia, from Limerick. Five ships, with over 1,000 passengers, arrived the day before. The deaths at quarantine averaged 25 per day — clergymen, physicians, aud sea-captains, were sickening aud dying of the epidemic. There arrived at Quebec, during the four days, up to the sth instant, over six thousand passengers, in twenty-five ships, namely ; 956 from Bremen, 953 from Liverpool, 831 from New Ross, 774 from Norway, 446 from Dub lin, 393 from Glasgow, 474 from Belfast. 274 From Waterford, 243 from Southampton, 110 from Donegal, and 25 from Youghall.—Nation al Intelligencer. Insubordination at Fort Leavenworth. — A letter from Fort Leavenworth, of late date, informs us that there was considerable trouble in the camp of the volunteers, occasioned by the refusal of the company commanded by Capt. Korponay to receive muskets. They de manded sabres and rifles. A company of regu lars was ordered out to restore order, and this was soon done. Four companies of the regi ment, it is added, refused to take muskets, and further trouble was apprehended. Capt. Kor ponay’s company was to have left on the 23d, but the mutinous disposition evinced by them rendered it questionable when they would march. — St. Louis Republican. The aggregate receipts of Flour, Wheat, Corn and Barley at Albany and Troy, by the Erie Canal, from the commencement of navi gation in 1846 and 1847, to and including the 7th day of July, in each year, were as follows: Flour. Wheat. 1847, 1,578,170 brls. 1,823,147 bush. 1846, 1,064.366 “ 382,937 “ Increase, 513,804 “ 1,440,210 “ Corn. Barley. 1847, 2,750,031 bush. 240,639 bush. 1846, 596,334 “ 144,867 “ Increase, 2,153,697 “ 95,772 “ Reducing the wheat to flour, there is an ex cess of 801,846 brls. over the receipts to the cor responding periods last year. The receipts of com, so far. a period of 68 days of navigation, exceed the receipts of last year by 1,139,882 bushels. To Cure Corns and Warts.— Take the yolk of an egg. thicken it with fine salt, which apply as a poultice at night, leaving it off in the morn ing. Thus continue for two or three nights, nuiil the part affected bears a whitish ap pearance ; then leave it off entirely, and the wart or corn, it is said, will come out, root and branch. If a little of the leaves of rue is bruised aud added, it is said to be the better. This is an infallible remedy where the corn does not originate in the joint. — Prairie Farmer. The following passionate lines are from the Knickerbocker: Was I court-plaster, I would be A patch upon her lip, To spend a life of ecstacy, And sip! and sip land sip I Was I a pair of spectacles, How dearly I would prize A situation on her nose, To look her in the eyes ! Interesting Nava) Anecdotes. The following extracts from the life of Admi ral Durham, in Fraser’s Magazine, possess a pleasing interest: and the concluding incident is, as well remarked, characterized by the very soul of Naval Romance. ‘The Defiance was ordered home to change her masts and undergo extensive repairs. As soon as she brought up at Spiihead, Captain Durham went to London, and on calling at the Admiralty met Lord Nelson in the waiting room. His Lordship said, “I am just appoint ed to the Mediterranean command, and sail im mediately ; I am sorry your ship is not ready, I should have been glad to have you.” Captain Durham replied, “Ask Lord Barham to place me under your Lordship’s orders, and I will soon be ready.” Nelson did so, and Durham soon joined him off Cadiz. ‘ln a few' days, the enemy’s fleet being re ported to be on the move, Capt. Durham sent to Lord Nelson, to remind his Lordship that there were 750,000 dollars on board the Defi ance, which he had brought out from England, and to inquire what was to be done with them. Lord Nelson answered, “If the Spaniards come out, fire the dollars at them, and pay them off in their own coin.” ’ 'The glorious victory of Trafalgar soon fol lowed, in wffiich he was wounded both in the leg and side. This wound appeared slight at first, but it was many years before he complete ly recovereu. me !ununu> g trates what is meant by the term ‘ magnani mous:’ ‘Captain Durham went on board the Enrva lus frigate to see Admiral Colliagwood. He found him writing in his cabin. He inquired as to the state of the fleet. Captain Durham mentioned several ships, and w r as praising the noble conduct of some of the frigates. The Captain of the Euryalus hinted that there hud been a want of exertion on the part of some particular ship. Collingwood started up and said, “Sir, this has been a glorious victory lor England and for Europe—don’t let there be a reflection against a cabin boy.’ This quite si lenced the Captain of the Euryalus.’ On leaving the cabin, and going on deck. Captain Durham ‘ —observed a French officer leaning on the capstan. He entered into conversation with him, and found he w r as the French Admiral Villeneuve, who had been brought on hoard the Euryalus. He said, “Sir, you were in Sir Robert Calder’s action ?” The Captain replied that he was, and had commanded the ship that first discovered the fleet, and had remained with them for four or five hours till Sir Robert Cal der came up. Villeneuve sighed, and said, “I wish Sir Robert and I had fought it out that day He would not be in his present situation, nor 1 in mine.” ’ In 1806, Captain Durham received the com mand of a squadron, and was sent to look out for Jerome Bonaparte, then expected from America. In 1810 he was made Rear Admiral, and sent to the Baltic, thence to the Texel.— When the Dutch fleet was dismantled, the squadron was ordered to Spithead, and the Ad miral struck his flag, and started for London. ‘ He had only been there a short time, when an Admiralty messenger came up to him in the street and said Mr. Yorke wished to see him immediately. Mr. Yorke informed him that the French squadron had escaped from L’Orient, and that the Admiralty had five sail of the line and two frigates ready to pursue them at St. Helens, and said : ‘“We want an Admiral to take the com mand. Will you go V ” “‘Yes.’ “Butwhen?” “ Out of this room.’ ” “‘lf you do,’ said Mr. Yorke incredulously, “it will be more than has been done yet. We have no difficulty in finding flag officers, but they have always so many wants before they can sail.” ’ • Admiral Durham inquired if the ships were I ready. Mr. Yorke said yes, and handing him { the list of five sail of the line, requested he j would choose. The admiral said, ‘ Ships to me are like hackney coaches, so I will take the first i off the stand:’ but observing the Venerable with an acting captain, [Captain Dundas for Sir Home Popham, who was then in Parlia ment,) he said he would take her. Mr. Yorke then called in Mr. Crocker, the Secretary, who seemed equally astonished at the admiral being sail at a moment's notice. Two Junior Lords of the Admiralty were then sent for, and they held a board ! and having determined up on the outline of the instructions and orders, Mr. Crocker promised to have them ready at six o’clock, it being then four.’ ‘Admiral Durham sent a messenger to his house in Gloucester Place, with orders to his ser vant to put up a few things, to have a post chaise and four ready in an hour, and to go to Kingston and on to Portsmouth, ordering horses on the road, and a boat to be ready at the sally port at daylight. Having received his orders, the admiral proceeded without loss of time to Portsmouth, embarked at the sally-port at day light for St. Helen’s, hoisted his flag in the Ven erable, and ordered the squadron to get under way immediately, to their great astonishment. They appeared to be in no hurry, and after some delay, the Plantagenet made signal “ Can not purchase anchor.” Admiral Durham brief ly answered, “Cut your cable,” and made the signal general, “Enemy at sea.” These few energetic words acted like a talisman on the whole squadron. There were no more excuses, the Captains flew round like lightning, and the ships were under way in half an hour.’ Shortly afterwards, Admiral Durham had the command of a squadron in the Basque Roads, ! which led to his becoming Commander-in- , Chief iu the Leeward Islands. On all occa- | sions he showed his characteristic readiness ai;d j vigilance. Another amusing instance must be . given. While cruizing in the Venerable, off the isle of Palma, two large French ships were discovered to windward:— ‘ Who immediately on seeing the Venerable (the admiral having in some manner disguised her,) bore up in chase, and came down within eight or Jen miles of her before they discovered their mistake, when they made all sail to escape from her.’ The admiral then began his pursuit, and from the superiority of the Venerable’s sailing, came up within hail of them at sunset, and called out to the sternmost vessel to bring to, upon which she hoisted French colors, and for answer, pour ed in her whole broadside and musketry, which was instantly returned, every body being at quarters. The Frenchman fired a second broad side, and in ibe smoke bore up under all sail, and ran right on board the Venerable with the intention of boarding her. Observing his high er sails becalmed above the smoke, the admiral suspected what his intention was, and called out to the man at the helm to ease her off*, so as to let him strike obliquely. However, he came into them going about nine knots an hour, and struck the Venerable such a blow that the ad miral and most of the marines on the poop were knocked down. The boarders were then call ed up, and they lashed the Frenchman fore ward, while he was secured above; the order was then given to board, and they made good use of their cutlasses, killing and wounding a great number before she struck her colors, and as it was then dark the other frigate escaped for the time. When the French captain came on board to deliver up his sword, it was found that he was wounded in several places; but he was so enraged at the captain of the other frigate running away, that he could think of nothing else. The other captain was the senior of the two. and had promised to run on board the Venerable at the same time. The admiral setffhim into his cabin, telling him the surgeon would attend him. It being a rainy night the admiral put on his great coat over his uniform, and having occasion logo to his cabin, he found the surgeon dressing the French captain’s wounds, and a marine holding the lanthorn, which he took from him and held it himself, and said to the Frenchman, ‘Your comrade hailed you just as we came up.’ He answered, * Yes; he said if we part com pany I shall change my course every two hours two points west, and my rendezvous will be in the north-west.’ Admiral Durham immediate ly gave hack the lanthorn to the marine, called for the log, and wrote on it, eight o’clock, w ind E. N. E. The ship was so much disabled that it was nearly two days before she and her prize could be got ready to proceed. The admiral then called the master, and told him the par ticulars, which were a plain problem to work. He calculated the frigate would be in the W. N. W., distant about 200 miles. Admiral Dur ham desired the captain to steer to the N. W. under all possible sail; the latter seemed much astonished, and said, ‘Then you are going to the West Indies V ‘That does not follow. Next day at noon they had run about 153 miles; and tV»« admiral called out to the look out man to know if he saw any strange sail. The cap tain seeing him so anxious, remarked, ‘Admi ral, you seem to have something in your head.’ ‘ I have,’ was the reply; ‘I expect to seethe other frigate.’ ‘ Well, that is a most extraordi nary idea; 1 don’t think there is the smallest chance of it.’ The admiral replied, ‘lf I had taken your advice, I should never have seen either of them.’ Shortly after this conversa tion, the man at the mast head called out, ‘ A sail on weather bow.’ The captain went up to look at her, and said. ‘ She is a small vessel, and looks line one of our traders running to the southward.’ Admiral Durham called for his long glass, saying he would go up and look at her himself. As he was going up the fore rigging, he overheard the men saying, ‘ D—n it, what a rum admiral we have got, he is going aloft.’ The ship’s company were all strangers to him, never having sailed with him before. As soon as he got a look at the strange sail he felt convinced it was the frigate, and called out to the cantain to disguise the ship as much as possible, and to steer straight for her. On hearing this, the ship’s company were all in a stir, the captain still persisting that it was not the frigate. She came down to the Venerable under all sail; supposing it was her consort, and came a little too near before she was un deceived. On perceiving her mistake she hauled round to make her escape. * Look there,’ said the admiral, ‘ did you ever see that stern before ?’ As night was closing, and dirty weather coming on. Admiral Durham picked out three midshipmen, who were qualified for lieutenants—in short a whole staff for a ship’s company —and told them to keep a sharp look out for the Frenchman during the night, and not to lose sight of her, as their motion de pended on her being taken. He went on the poop himself, and remained there till the frigate struck. On coming up with the frigate she gave a sheer to port, to give the Venerable her larboard broadside ; the captain called out to the helms man to do the same, to enable her to bring her broadside to hear on the frigate. Admiral Dur ham immediately gave orders to do quite the ■contrary, so as to allow the Frenchman’s broad side to pass obliquely, which was done. She then sheered to starboard to give the Venerable the other broadside —upon which the latter again did the contrary. By these judicious manoeuvres the Venerable received no other damage than a few shots through the sails; and by the time the frigate came to her original course, the Venerable’s bowsprit was in her mizen rigging, and she hauled down her colors i without Admiral Durham firing a shot at her; upon which the captain said, “I wish you joy of your prize, but yon risked the lives of a number of our people.” Admiral Durham made answer, ‘‘lf we had given her a broad side and killed thirty or forty of her crew, and disabled the ship, which I mean to take to the West Indies with me, what satisfaction would it have been? We have now a ship that has not lost a rope. If you choose to have the command of her she is at your service.’ The names of the two frigates taken on this occa sion were —the first, the Alceraene, forty-four guns, and three hundred and fifty men, com manded by Captain Ducrest de Villeueuve, who had so gallantly defended her. Th<s se cond was the Iphgenie, of forty-four guns, and three hundred and fifty men, with one hundred and fifty British seamen on board, as prisoners, taken out of ships belonging to Lord Colville’s convoy. Admiral Durham then steered for the West Indies taking his prizes with him. The Venerable’s loss on this occasion was two sea men killed and four wounded. That of the I enemy, two petty officers and thirty men killed and fifty wounded. The damage done to the Venerable by the Alcemeue running into her consisted of three lower deck ports knocked ofi‘, the foresail-yard carried away, and the rig ging-stays and bob-ttays much cut by the shot, j Such a sea adventure has all the interest of one of the best description in Cooper’s novels, and shows that truth is often as romantic as sic ! tion. DIED, In this city, on the 14th inst., after a severe illness, affecting the brain, Cassandra Madeline Ma ’ thews, daughter of George G. Mathews, late of Greensboro’, in her 13th year. “We know not when the hour coineth, be ye therefore always ready.” “ The Lord giveth and'the Lord taketh away, bless ed be the name of the Lord.” Commercial. NEW YORK, Tuesday, July 13, 2 P. M.—The sales of Cotton yesterday were 500 bales. To-day sales of about 350 bales are reported thus far at former prices. Genesee Flour is rather scarce to-day, and is held at $6 a $6,124 ; Michigan is worth $5.50 a $6, ac cording to brand and condition. Genesee Wheat is held at 81.37 a $1.40; Ohio, sl.lO a $1.30. There is rather a better feeling for Corn, and mixed is held at 624 cents; yellow, flat, at 65, and round at 68 a 70. 11 Exchange. —There is very little busiuess doing in foreign bills, and the holders of sterling are scarcely as firm. We quote bills on London 1064 ; a 1064; on Paris sf. 314 a sf. 30. ———— Shipping 3ntclligence. CHARLESTON, July 16.— Chared— Brig Ara bian, Jones, Havana. FOV IS- MONTHS afterdate, application will be made to the honorable the Inferior Court ofLin coln county, when sitting as a court of ordinary, for leave to sell the real and personal estate of Geo. W. Lewis, late of said county, deceased. JAMES FLEMING, J Adm’rs. MARSHALL H. WELLBORN, $ A July 17, 1847.
