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TVIK .MI'.SSVAHiV.U.
t’OURKSPI )N DKNX’ K
BETwr.rv com. sorter and Tin.
GJV aNO a OF PORTO RICO.
j Com luilod.]
‘l'u hi* K.xrellenry the Governor of I
Porto Hico.
U. S. ship Peacock, March 11, 1823.
Youu Kxci.i.i.k\cy : 1 have the hon
or to acknowledge t!ie receipt ol your
several favors of the (>th and “, ill oi t! is
month.
’l’liaf which is in reply to the letter
1 had the honor to address you on the
dih is perfectly satisfactory in all its
details, and the promptness with which
you hare been pleased to attend to it,
as well as its contents, will no doubt
be highly gratifying to the government
of the United States.
i know not how to touch on the me
lancholy subject of your other letters,
without giving vent to some of those
feelings which operate at this moment
on my mind. I shall endeavour how
ever to treat it coolly and dispassion
ately, and hope by a few facts to con
vince your excellency, that there was
not the shadow of an excuse for inter
dicting the entrance of my squadron
into the liar or of St. Johns : That no
thing can justify the order issned by
your second in command, to lire upon
any of the vessels composing it, and i
that the act of firing was, to say the
least of it, an act of the most unpardon
able cruelty and oarbarity.
It is painful to me to see that your
Excellency lias laboured to justify the
act: and to throw the blame on the
commander of otic of the United States
vessels then in port. A statement in
the Echo of the Bth, drawn by the same
hand that penned your letter to me, is
given to tiie public with the same ob
ject in view. Your excellency may
have reasoned yourself into a belief of
the inferences you have in both cases
drawn from the information given you,
or both may have been considered as i
necessary and proper to prevent ex-.
citeinent; but 1 must be excused fori
saying to your excellency that the
charge is only an aggravation to the
outrage which had already been com
mitted. it was not the duty of that
officer to move at the beck and call of
the king’s lieutenant, or to leave the
duty unexecuted which 1 had sent
him o perform, to communicate tome
the hostile intentions of a subaltern,
which, had they been fully explained
to him, he never could have believed
he would have dared to nave carried
into effect; but t >ey never were ex
plained, and no such conversation took t
place between the king's lieutei.niit (
and the American officer, as is related
bv your excellency. Your excellency
lias been misinformed on the subject,
and had it been the duty of the Amer
ican officer to have communicated to
me the intention to prevent my com
ing into port, it would have been im
practicable for him to have executed
it, as the sea raged with such vio
lence at the time, that no vessel or
boat, could possibly have left the har
bor.
It is not magnanimous in your excel
lency to resort to such means to ex
cuse the bad conduct ol those under
your command.
1 he officer you would implicate was
the bearer of a dispatch from me to
voui excellency, apprising you of the
henevoient intentions of my govern
ment in fitting out the squadron l have
the honor to command.
lie had been two days in your port,
and was possessed ol a copy ol my let
ter to you, which had been seen by
your second in command, at die mo
ment ol Ins presenting himself to him,
which, was on the day of his arrival.—
And it any doubts existed as to his
character or the character of the ves
sel unucr Ins command, being in the
power of the authorities ol Porto Rico,
they coulu easily have satisfied them
selves.
But he had \r cn received ami treat
ed as an American officer, ami it is
only to endeavor to palliate, or excuse
the conduct of the oilcmiing individual,
that voiir excellency has sought for
farts, which would never have been
brought into notice, but for the lainen
tabb circumstance which gave rise to
these painful remarks.
lie iufoimed your second of the cha
racter of my squadron:a British squad
ron was thru King in the port which
knew me, uml there cannot beailoubt
had communicated intelligence of my
intentions to visit Porto Ktco.
‘1 lie sloop of war 011 board which
ray pendant was flying, with some
small vessels ol my squadron, were ly*
ing m full view of the Castle with their
colours hoisted; the schooner which
v.as fired into was standing directly
into port in open daj ; she could not
have escaped alter the first shot was
fired, or have given up her intentions
of going into fct. Johns, had she been
so disposed, or had she understood
what was intended by the firing. But
let me ask your excellency, who for an |
instant could have supposed that a
-mall schooner of scarcely forty tons
burthen, mounting only three guns,
with a complement of twenty-five offi
cers and men, would have occasioned
anv alarm to the city of St. Johns, sur
rounded as it is by fortresses rendered
as impregnable as nature and the art
i of man can make them : as it not
i more natural to believe that the tiring
was intended to compel her approach ?
| ami even if, the intention was not com
, plied with, ougiit not her feeble condi
tion to have claimed from those in your
fortress some mercy ? Hut no! the
vessel after the death of her lamented
commander was compelled to anchor
between (lie forts, where a tremendous
sea was running which jeopardised the
lives of every one on board, to send
the small boat on shore, where the
young midshipman who commanded
her, was insulted by having a heavy j
gun pointed into the boat, and threat
ened with destruction if he attempted j
to move from iiis position ; lie was then
taken as a criminal and placed under
guard.
These arc facts, your excellency 7 , and
incontrovertible ones, bet me ask
your excellency what better proofs you
have of the character of my squadron I
now than was produced on the first j
day of the arrival of tiie officer you i
wish to implicate! W’liat further ex- j
animation has been made that the ail- 1
tlioritics of I'orto Rico are better satis- 1
fied of our being Americans now, than
tiiey were before? None.
1 repeat it that the character of my
squadron wjs well known in St. Johns ;
even in tins obscure place I found
American newspapers containing all
the details respecting it, and at St.
1 liomas’s 1 saw persons direct from
St. Johns, who informed me that its
equipment and object was well known
there. There has in Tact been a de
gree of publicity given to the expedi-i
ti.ni, and an interest felt in it, that
have been rarely equalled.
The wnole of the civilized world j
was interested in its success —It is f
vain then to say, that we were taken !
for lawless invaders, and it is unjust to
endeavor to stain the character of my
country by a charge of frequency of
hostile expeditions against the Span-,
ish possessions, or otter them as CX* t
cuse for the conduct of the offender.—
Had men escape sometimes the vigil- 1
ance ot the most rigid authorities, and
liogovernment deserves reproach when
it does its utmost to detect and bring
them to punishment.
Hind your coasts lined with troops 1
since my arrival here. 1 find rein- >
forceinects daily coining in, as 1 am
; informed by your order to protect the
inhabitants from mv resentments. 1
‘have lounu evei v |* otauitvs** c. ;
keep me in profound ignorance ot the i
lamentable occurrence; but these
things were ail in vain, i saw the in
sult olferecl to the flag of my country
—I have satisfied your military ioiii- i
nmuders that their force is despicable j
when compared to that at my disposal, I
and 1 have convinced tbe iniiaoitants,
that although they are at my mercy, j
tiiey will nut be made answerable tor
the offences of an individual.
Ins not then becoming to the char- i
acter of your excellency to resort to J
subterfuge in older to divert the odium ‘
of the act from one officer to attach
blame to another,
1 will further ask, why a rigor should
be exercised towards vessels bearing
the American flag, that was not exten
ded to the British squadron or to the i
trench frigate, which arrived subset
quent to tiie attack on lieui. com’dtJ
Cocke? in the one case there was
only a small schooner to lire at, in the ;
other there were vessels of force.
llad lie fallen in battle and bv the
hand ol a declared enemy, we should j
have been reconciled to ins late by tue i
proud satistaction tout he died m the
performance of his duty to Ins country ;
but to be thus cruelly torn from us, and
by the hand ol a dastard, whose aim
was the more sure from a confidence
in Ins own safety, ami the defenceless
condition of las object, admits of no
consolation.
Your excellency in conversation
with the ollicer you wish to implicate,
adverted to the aflair of the Paucliita
assume palliation for the olfence ; and
there is too much reason to apprehend
that the officer who gave tbe order to
prevent the entrance of my squadron,
as well as those who executed it,
thought this a fair opportunity to reta
liate. Otherwise, way heat shot in tiie
furnaces to destroy my squadron ?
\\ hyooen two batteries on the schoo
tier, and why lire round shot and lau
gnige, while the lamented victim was
hailing the fort, ami why the remark
of the man who pointed the gun, that
the shot was intended to avenge the
Punch itta ■?
Your excellency will recollect that
in the Panchita, there was an equality
of force. Such an occurrence would
not have taken place had there been a
great a disparity as in the present in
stance. The cases are not therefore
parallel, and if the satisfaction of rcta
! Ration was sought lor, the offenders
have failed in their object; it is yet to
be obtained.
1 shall leave the Island tomorrow
morning with a heavy heart, and shall
without, delay communicate to my Go
! vernmeut the melancholy result of my
visit here, which was intended for
the benefit of the civilized world in
general.
t With great respect, l have the linn
jour to be, your excellency’s most obe
dient humble servant.
Signed. I). PORTER.
To Captain Sir Thomas Cochrane. “
U. S. ship Peacock, >
Aguada, March 12, 182.3. }
Sin: The officers commanding the
; vessels of the squadron now with me,
j have conjointly in behalfof themselves,
land those under their command, re
! quested me to inform you, that they
feel most sensibly the kimi attentions
lof yourself and all the British officers
at St Johns, to the remains of their
highly esteemed, and much lamented
bro.her olficer and friend lieut. coin’dt.
Win. 11. Cocke, and they beg that
through you their sentiments of grati
j tude uiay be made known to the officers
! under your command.
To their wishes on the subject
allow me to add my own, and ttxsay
that 1 feel no less sensibly than they,
the delicate attentions that, have on
this melancholy occasion been mani
fested by the officers of the Riitisli
squat ron.
With sentiments of the highest re
spect, I have tiie honour to be, your
very,obedient servant.
Signed. J)- PORTER.
New York, April 22.
A letter written on hoard the Decoy,
Capt. Kearney, says—lt was mere ac-
Icident that others did not meet the
fate of the lamented Lieut. Cocke, as
it was understood the fort had prepa
i red hot shot to be made use of in case
! other vessels attempted to enter the
port. —That she had scoured the south
coasts of St. Domingo and Cuba. Off
Cape Antonio, boarded the British fri
gate Tamer, and was informed of the
particulars of the capture of tiie La
Cata, piratical schooner, by the Gre
cian cutter. TheLaCata was 90 tons
with a crew of 69 men—the G. pursu
ed her until they both run aground
within gun shot. The pirate returned
her fir'* with great spirit for some time,
under the bloody Hag, (a red flag with
a death’s head,) when she suddenly
blew up, supposed from accident, and
destroyed a number of their iraiiar. —
The survivors swam ashore, where they
were met by the boats of the Hyperion,
U:ul I•) niltd j n -*• ‘- 1 --
on the oeach as tfiey came out of the
water—where they were cut down,
and with the exception of a few, put
to death. The commander of the iri
-1 gate was present in his gig, and had to
• revoke an order he had given to shew
! no quarters, the carnage being so great
as t® excite commisseration, even for
J pirates.
By an arrival at Baltimore, we learn
| that the pilot boat schr. Pilot, Capt.
J Banks, recently retaken by Com. Por
ter's squadron, was captured on the
29th ult. about 30 miles to the wind-
I ward of Havana. On hoarding, the
piratical commander gave orders that
all hands should be murdered and
thrown overboard; but a Spanish pas
i stinger on board begged for quarters in
! his native tongue, and the orders were
{countermanded. The crew and pas
sengers were detained four days, and
; then put on shore. Captain Banks, in
i passing through Matan/.as, recognized
a great part of Ids cargo there, ottering
j for sale, but was strongly advised .by
i h.s friends to be silent, as Inside might
Lie the forfeit.
From .Matanzns. —YVe learn by the
arrival of the schooner Harriet, that
two days before she left Matan/.as,
lour or five Pirates arrived there, and
informed, that they were the only ones
who had escaped, from a considerable 1
body which had been located on one
of the Keys, about 40 miles to the wind
ward ot that place* It was under
stood, that Commodore Porter had
obtained information of their situation,
and dispatched ins barges along shore,
wnilc the steam galley, and some of
the small vessels, approached the Key.
On discovering them, the Pirates made
lor the Cuba shore, when they were
intercepted in their flight, and taken
prisoners, with the exception of the
four or five which had reached Malan
ias. It was reported, that the Pirates
had erected huts on the Key, in which
was deposited their ill-gotten plun
der; all of which, it was supposed, had
fallen into the hands of our gallant tars;
but as the barges, or larger vessels had
not returned, no other particulars were
known.
We also learn, by this arrival, that
the Pirate who commanded the recap
tured schooner Pilot, returned to Mu
tan/.as a fewiiours after sbs was ta
ken, in company with two ot his crew,
who, with the exception of the one ta
ken prisoner, were the only survivors
of his whole crew, amounting to 40 or
50 men. He was talking publicly on
the subject, and lamenting the disas
trous result ol his cruise.
The following is an extract from the
log-book of the brig Bclisariu.s, re
cently commanded by Captain Per
kins, whose barbarous murder by
the Pirates has been before men
tioned.
“ Sailed from Campcachy, February
27th, 1823 for Laguna, and arrived off
that port in the night of the 28th.—
On the Ist of March the wind being
ahead, we continued plving to wind
ward until 10o’clock, when a sail was
descried bearing down fur us from be
tween flic Island. She proved to be a
sellr. of 40 or 50 tons, manned by about
as many men, who hoisted a tri-col
oured flag win l # close aboard and or
dered our captain to come to them with
his papers. On liis going 10 or 12 of
then^ apparently Spaniards, jumped
into me boat, and came immediately
on board the brig armed with cutlass
es. At first ti.ey were sociable, asked
for some liquor, and drank very friend
ly witUail hands. Our captain was j
still on board their schr. After having
been on board about an hour, they dis
covered tiie American colours in the
main rigging—cursed them and puiled
them down. The one who seemed to
hold command, went with the mate
into the cabin, and questioned hint 1
about money. The mate answered he j
knew of none but some little of his !
own, which lie immediately delivered j
up, but this did not hinder the others
from beating the mate severely with
his cutlass. They immediately order
ed two of the brig’s crew to take the
boat and bring the captain back. No
sooner was he on board than they de
manded money of him ; he replied
there was none. T hey then com men
menceil beating him with cutlasses,
and pricking him with knives, when
still denying the money, they order
ed him in the hold. In the act of go
ing: down, he called to his crew, (who
had been repeatedly threatened with
death and were then forward) and told
them to search in snch a place amongst
the ballast and they would find money.
This was done and the money deliver
ed up to the pirates. The captain
was by this time down in the hold,
with one of his arms broken and his
flesh much cut: there they began to
torture him bv steeping oakum in oil,
then setting fire to it and applying it
to various parts of his body. After
doing this for some time, one of them
stabbed the unfortunate man with a
kntre in tne inroat. v/ur crew urn,,
were ordered to make a rope fast round
him and he was dragged upon deck,
where bags of stones were tied to his
arms, and he was thrown overboard.—
In the meantime some of the pirates
were abusing the mate ; they stabbed
him in the hip, and threatened to serve
him as they had don.e the captain, if
he did not find more money. Believ
ing at last there was no more on board,
they resolved to set fire to the brig
and send the crew on shore in the long
boat ; but with many entreaties, they
gave us the vessel, taking off both
boats, hedge anchor, camboosc and
part of our light rigging and most all
our ship stores, charts, and nautical
books.
The schr. Gleaner, Saunders, ar
rived at New York, from New Or
leans, was boarded on the 10th
inst. off Key West, bv a boat from
the U. S. ship Peacock, then lying
there dismantled, with the steam
vessel and 4 or 5 other vessels of
the squadron—their boats cruising
round the coast. Was informed
that a Dr. sloop of war, (name not
recollected) had been boarded,
when disguised, by about 60 pirates,
commanded by Lafitte, and succee
ded in killing them all. They also
informed that a Dutch brig had
been captured about 15 miles from
Matanzns, and all on board, in
cluding two women, were murdered.
From ilu• Paris Consiitutionel.
VICTORY OF TKK GREEKS.
In the uncertainty which prevails
on the question of war with Spain,
great events happen almost unnoticed.
Thus we have not announced with all
the interest which it deserves, the new
and splendid victory of the Greeks
over the. Turks. The capture of Na
poli di Ilomana is one of those deci
sive triumphs which in ennobling a
people, consolidate its ideas, and fur
nish the must glorious evidence of its
independence.” >\ bat a noble sight is
that ot a Christian people bursting the
tetters of a slavery of four centuries,
and proclaiming its freedom in the
lace ol those Christian governments
who have abandoned it to its own re-
Sources ! lias not the lejiii'ii try of (!•
Grand Turk been loudly insisted u.i
by men who call themselves chiis
tians? Would that we could cost a
veil over litis disgraceful period of oar
history, and shield it lroni the re
proach of posterity.
IONIAN ISI.AXDS.
Jan. 7.—Napoli di Ro
mania, after an obstinate struggle,
which the pride and obstinacy ot
the Mttssulmen have prolonged to
the utmost, fell about the middle
of December. Thia plc* contain®
about (iO,OOO inhabitants, and is the
strongest in European T urkey. It
is protected by three fortress’s —
the first is at the angle of thtudnpe
and defends the entrance ol the
port ; the second is placed nr the
bottom of the bay, which it com
mands, and covers with its ram
parts what may be properly called
tbe city ; and third, the citadel of
Palameds, built on an eminence,
controuls the vast extent ot Napoli
di Romania. Tbe Greeks had pos
sessed themsclve3 of the first ol
these forts in June last. On the
12th Dec. they carried the citadel
by assault, by singular good for
tune, a great part of the officers be
ing in attendance at the moment ol
the assault upon a council cl war
which the Pacha and Beys were
holding at Verossa. The Turks
wiio escaped retired to the remain -
ing fortress, (Verossa.) Here they
endeavoured to treat, but the
* Greeks finding that their overtures
I were merely for the purpose oi
j gaining time, were, after an acldiess
from their commander, Stoicos, led
to the assault —it was bloody and
obstinate—the Turks, alter being
driven from their ramparts defend
ed the batteries with great tury—of
500 combattants only 40 were taken
prisoners—the famous Ali Bey is
among the number. By the cap
ture of this chief the Porte is w ith
out and Turk of the Morea capable
of directing an enterprise against
it. The Greeks took 400 pieces of
cannon, a great quantity of other
arms and stores. The place fur
nishes a harbour for their navy, se
cure against all hostile attacks.
FROM FRANCE AND SPAIN.
On the sth March the king of
Spain signed a decree confirming
|tbe authority of the ministers,
whom he had twice displaced and
and restored, and issued a procla
mation announcing that war was
*■ solved on, and that die
Oj) tIH 1S 11 gO X. iit rr ... . . #• to
adopt the most efficient means to
repel every aggression on its lights.
No doubt existed in France that
war must ensue, and the period for
opening the campaign was various
ly stated from the Ist to the 12th
jof April. A moderate royalist pa-
I per, says, “ The ill consequences
i necessarily consequent on a war
| with Spain are too generally known
i and too well appreciated to peimit
us to announce without extreme
regret, that the last hopes of peace
are almost entirchj extinguished.''' —
In consequence of the certainty of
war the Trench funds had fallen
two francs.
From the Y. Fork Com. Advertiser.
Yhe royalist papers contain cir
cular proclamations of some of the
different commanders of the Na
tional guard in Paris, reprobating
the conduct of the detachment
which refused to use force in the
Chamber of deputies for the expul
sion of M. Manuel. The Consti
tutionel observes that officers “ may
entertain and express what opinions
they please on ahe subject, it will
not prevent others from thinking
the reverse.” ‘Lite sub officer com
manding, M. Mercter, was to he
tried by a court martial, in com
pliance with orders of the Count
‘Clermont Tonnere,’ commandant
of Paris.
Nothing of importance had trans
pired in the Chamber of Deputies
immediately previous to, or on the
Bth March, when it adjourned to
the 14th. YVe perceive no ferment
in the public mmd except at the re
ception of Gen. Foy (one of the li
beral members) at a public exami
nation at die Sarbonne, where the
scholars saluted his entrance with
acclamation. lhis trifling circum
stance seems to have given ground
for complaint to the royalists. A
subscription was open 111 Paris for
the purpose of assisting the Greeks.
Accounts from Spain are to the
sth March. By a decree of that
dale the scat of government was
transferred to llajadoz, whither the