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f V- No; 17. HALi:iGIIf (N.'J.) FRIDAY, APIUL ?3t tszi' s o 1 V TIIH STAlt, . ; ' Jttd Virl.-Carolin 45!ale Gazette Pall.il.eJ. j, k' DELL k' LAWRENCE. - -: Jaaiript'r IhiT dollar ar iiwwra Xa p , ar will Mtl 4dtat at leaal fct (0 it aitd a 'Ira , tad mo fpr ' aS afitioauf tha'KUtora.aiaWaaaU airmrafr art piL drrtiaRmex. axX eaelit af lara da, ktaertad Ibrra tinea for d Jlar, a t ea(r-fir am' I for each aooUnaaaac " All letter! U the editor muM b anal-oaiS. ' Frofrt the Richmond Eoqnh-er. ' ' v ' COM. PORTER'S SQUADRON.' ,' coaluraaaiica, fee ' T kio ErcrUenej the Governor of Po rto Rico: vU.8. 8hip Pewsock, March 4, 1833. Your Excellency: 1 have the honor to inform joil, that in pursuance of or dera from mv government, I have uken command of ail the United States' na val forces in thess) teas, fur the brutet tion p( thetcommerce of the ..United .States' against all. unlawful, interrup tions, to guard the rights both of pro perty andperson of our citizens whene ver it snail oecome necessary, ana ior the suppression of piracy and, the slave tratle. -w,- ii..'- .. As great complaints hare been made 'of the -interruption nd injury to our commerce by privateers fitted put from "Snaaiah porta; I must beg your excellen cy -to furnish me 'V descriptive list - of vessels legally cpmraissionea to cruize from Porto Rico, with a set of . the blank form? of their papers,, that I may know . bow and,-when to 'tcsnect them, if I A -sj; - ----- . T K should meet with any of them,. Ijmist also beg your excellency to( inform me how far they hare been instructed to in terrupt our trade with -Mexico and the Columbian Republic, and whatever in structions or 'authorities they mayhave affecting our commerce generally., ?.M. the. suppression of piracy, the principal motive of my . visit to these seas, is an ObjectPal concerns all na . ' tions, c (all being parties . against them and may be considered as allies.) 1 con fidently, look , to .all. for. co-operation, 'whenever, it may v be necessary, or at least their favorable and friendly sup- ; port; and to none more than thosf most exposed to their . depredations. "'ri'p-'h .:I.t)ierefor,.iook' with ..confidence to. .w;xceHerH-y for the aid' of such ' ntcans as may be in your power for , their su)jjresion; and in Uie absence of means J beg- to assure. your excellency that whatever course may be pursued by me, , to destroy, those enemie3 of, the human . Tacr.tt wUl have no other aim; and I ) -shall observe the utmost-autiob not to . jtneroach on the riglits, or willingly of fend . .the' eelings'- of others, k either in substance or jn form,' in all the mea sures which may be "adopted" to accom plish $ne end in yiew'?,''. '' - It. will aOord me "aincere pleasure should I be so fortunate as ' to fulfil the ' expectations of my government, and at the sauie time preserve harmony and a good understanding ;dth those with Vwhouf I'm&f "so unfortunate aaj to fttttat in cOlhsion' -or discussion in rela ' Jion thereto; indeed it will add much to my happiness'if it can be avoided klto '. . lather bkt such is vtny sincere iwish and tha ihe objects set forth by me are the .'"only 'ones which brought me to these eas, I beg lea.ve to assure your excel lency in the npst positive and.unequi vpcal terinsv;, ,k;t.'x :rW,,':-r With tha highest respect 1 have the v onw to be your excellency yery obe . dient humble servaut, ?.":'' '.;'.' . 1 (Signed); ;-Jrij):- i0UTEltr fV. ,.f ' ' V-! 'fr '"I--. ?"' fi-'y'J. 2V hit Excellency the dopeptar fPtoi Rico: - C.8. SlHp feacockr Aguada, .', -i?,rt.?j,,.,. AlarchSth,itt23.-vS ' Yot'R ExCEtiENOT:Ori the 3d of this i month I despatched frotti the squad rob - "onder my command, the United States' scnooner urey; nouna, commanaea Dy captain John Porter,' of 'the U? States' SWi' who was the bearer of a letter 1 ..Jrom me to your excellency," written in strict conformity with instruction's which l had received j rom. mr governfnent propounding certain enquiries to enable your.ekcetl&hcy to' putmC in possession of .such information as would place it in ,my power tolulhl ;thf Denevolent in tentions 6f the overnmentof tlie Unit- ; ed States wittiout infringing' on, the y ngnta ot Spain as a belligerent. 4 - . v. .The commander of the Grev.IIouhd was" directed to remain in St. Johns. two days for your excellency's "answer; and then to join me off the port, or at this place, where I . proposed wateruig "the , squadron tender my xonimand..ff h'l I '; On' the second day al ter his arrival at St. Johns, I directed the commander , if this United States , schoober Fox to .proceed there with his vessel, to ascer- , '.tain in what time it was probable your ; teply would be obtained, with orders to ' - return immediately; and' apprise the commander of the.U.S. schooner Bea nmainierof the.U.S. schooner Bea anothe of my 6fjuadron,.f myia ition to come to"-this lace. , v, r -'-tention :v...rf On the arrival of die Fox witlun pia khotof the cattle, 1 wumach urpri&ed, to oba'erve thatsix guas werti fired at her; but Lnovspgof do caue ti ju-ufj uchaa act of .violence, Jahottlj kave thoujrht that perhaps I might hare been mistaken, kau cot the toiimauderj of aJJ tltree of IhoK esj.ls (tiled ta obey my instructions, .which could. not have happened but for some violent detention by the authorities at St. Johns. . Until I am better satisfied of the fact, however, I shall refrain from the expres sion of my sentinlents on the subject, and shall, for the present, merely, ob serve, that their character could not have been misunderstood, 'as my squad ron, At the time of the departure of the r ox, was lyintr in lull view ot , the. Cas tle with their colour flying, and a, Bri tish, squadron under the command of Sir Thomas Cochrane, which had. several times communicated with me, and well knew the vessels arrived there the day previous to the last mentioned vessel. and on the day of my rival off the port. - , .,. , . . ... 1 know not whether my suspicions are k. r : k .f it..:. being so, directed the - senior officer o abandon the vessels, and leave the island of Porto Rice, as soon as possible, leav ing it to my countryt to whom 1 shall make known the facts, to resent the out rage as it may think proper, and which it will no doubt do promptly an.d effect- - Y our excellency must be aware, that it is always in my power to.retaliate, and even in this place, put it would be a poor return fur the friendship and hos pitality 1 nave received Jrom its inha bitants; and I cannot reconcile it to my self that .the innocent should be made to suffer for ouences not their own. .A With great respect, I have the honor. to be your excellency's most obedient humble servant,; m v. ietvV (Signed). Ai - D. PORTER.; r.-"..-.'--.v. . -vv"- f "'.'?'.", ll r y.-- Ttrasslatiom. OJlee of the Captain General Port Rico, Most Excellent Sir: At noon this day, just as Z arrived from the village of i Caguas, , where I '.received at 8 o'clock this morning the official -letter of the king's , lieutenant commandant ot this placp, ad viftinc me ot th arrival - of the squadron under the command of your, excellency wiyi a disposition to enter this port, i have Deemnauspiciously in formed of the misfortune occurring in the death ofthe commander of aschoon er of 'war belonging -to the squadron, who, it seems, persisted in entering the port, notwithstanding his having been warned by the fort to desist from his undertaking, by a. discharge from two cannons, the first with a blank cartridge, and the other atan elevation with a ball. But, the Garrison in seeing his obstina cy, followed with an extraordinary. ri- gour the orderSh for hindering the cn tranceof the squadron tilf "my arfivaf, according to the determination formed by tne said lieutenant of the place yes terday '. 1 wish to persuaue tne mma ot your excellency into a consciousness Of the sorrow which this event, so mournful and unfortunate, has Caused me; so much the more painful; inasmuch as it has happen ed in u placet in, "the district under my command, and on an individual under the orders of vonr excellencv. and a citi zen of the United States; of a nation, with whom, in all acceptations, the Spa niards ot bow hemispheres' .are tounu nnira.l i v T - - ;- i," So unexpected a '. misfortune,. which it 'seems ought never to be feared" in tnendly establishments, appears to car ry on -tselt" a, character of .criminality,. which moreand more aggrieves my ieei But the l'uncture of circumstances which have conspired towards the tatal ityl accordinc to the information re ceived by ine is such, that if your excel tencv win oe nieasea .ro examine u wun impaniaiuy, you win perceive uw- ii the facts' are not sufficient; to , mitigate the regret, they are at least enough , to prtrve that there has been no intention of lauiug in regard to your excellency, nor of oflcuding any citizen of the "United States, and much less their government. ! The lieutenant ot .the king, and com mandant of the place, grounded on va rious reasons, of which it is notimpor tant to trouble your excellency with a citation? but of which, lioweVer, t will point out a few, believed that - he ought no to permit the entering of the squad ron tfntil my ai i ival.' ,4;One of his mo tives'aVose fiom bis' recollecting tliat during tffe last year an--etpedition was armed iii the ports' of North-America, against this island, and placed under the command bl a man named Ducnod ray Ilolsfein, which expedition actual ly went into the" port of. St. Bartholo mew under the American nag, and n. mong his other reasons were the follow ing; It has been reported herelhat an other similar eXftediUon is this year in preparation; That the schooners alluded to.'on their ente-in-f yesterday,, wouM purpoft of ena'allng pur t tccllcncy bo t receivt the piloU a ban n!e-;s)and when tomprct their cMniniiiQn uey practised with particular pUnj of th bcrbour, and the lead u their IiadU, of whkk the captaio of tin port made his complaint; That wlea the oficen came on thore, a rumour was spread (hat they wre saying Spain had ceded this island, and ttiatot Cuba to the En-'U.h, which " relation they confirmed to the lieutenant of the lin,as he himsejfi bas assured met - i nat their sot having presented to him the writipg nar any expression, irora,. your excellency, , he suspected m had .found someuung a larming in these rumours and not suffi cient proof, that tliejse were national vessels merely by theunifonns in which the officfra were dmsed. .; - ; ...... . These are some of the reasons which he has informed me he had in - view in npt consenting to .Jthe entrance of the squadron until my arrival, aid in con sequence of them, he dispatched his or der) to the Castle or the Mora, not for the purpose of committing hostilities- but .merely preventive orders He aent an adjutant at half past six o'clock in the morning, accompanied by n inter preter, on board pne - of the achooners under the command of your excellency to entreat her commander to be so good as to call on the. government, in order to agree with them orv the means and form of .making known to your excel lency this their determination Unfor tunately the' commander of the Anticri can schooner deferred, in the first place, his seeing .the lieutenant of the kinr until one o'clock in the. afternoon; and provoked by the adjutant , to view it as an unjust case, and to consider duly the cause of his' being disturbed,' and of which he was fullv informed: thercom- maader . promised the adjutant that he would go to the government, as soon as he could dress himself, '"p f: ' - By an unheard of fatality he did not accomplishing their .promise until after his hearing the firing of the cannon at the Mora- which inurht have" been a- voided had be only-presented himself for an interview with the Commander "of the-place..; :;.t" J': ! The remissness ot this officer, and the . pertinacity of him Who commanded the schooner, int his not suspending his en tering in spite of the cannon,, that 'was tired without a shot, and without waiting for a pilot: but notwithstanding this, and the second discharge of gun at an elevation, to crowd sail in order at all events to gain the port these acts, most excellent sir, have been the' means ot depriving the United States ot a citi zen1, your excellency of an officer, of ninng rperio nico wiui-.moqming, ana myself with inexpressible sorrow. i I feel it to be my duty to assure your ex cellency that . the orders issued by the lieutenant of the" king and commandant general of the place, were by no means mienueu to commu nosiumes, or oi fences against the vessel ; 'but'fts the fir ing was made at an elevation, either-the tumbling of the sea or perhaps some bad pointing, must have been the cause why the f ,urth discharge should produce sucn a laiai eneci. . , , r Immediately, on' my return' to tlds place," I gave brderstfiat allthe vessels under the cnimand ot your excellency of whatever description, may enter free ly into this harbor, as into a port, of friends where they will meet tliat re ception which the law of nations as signs to those who claim a title in civili zation and other Privileges, secured by the treaties of - friendship existing be' tweea the two nations.. in this act l anticipate for myself the- satisfaction of being able to manifestpe'rsohally aJ the consideration wnicn your person mems from me, and my regrelor so mournful and disagreeable an event. i May Uod guard your excellency ma ny years. ! - x r r--...". ... w. n. " T S5?) i MlGt3EI DE LA TOBRE. Th mott excellent commanilcr-in v; ' 'chief or Xhe Anglo-Amencan ,3 '. v ; , squadron in the oflingofuerto i BicoD. PAY1I fOBTEB. , ; ' " ' ?"";. ;.j f .'?".' & t'"rjf& V-'-."""" OJtc if the Captain Genml of Peurte Sict. Most Excellent 8ih:vI this mo ment received the very estimable letter of your excellency dated the 4th of the present month, in which your excellen cy has been pleased to communicate to me the important commission which has been entrusted to you by a government, that Claims the respect ot all the territo nes within us influence. - I have the satisfaction of forwarding to your excellency a nominal report of the Drivateer Vessels which have, been armed and aespatcnea ior me purpose oi 1 ' .1 I, -It.: e cruising uy uie coihjjcicu ouiuumj this island, agreeably to -the request which vonr excellency has mane me in the letter of that date and I am ex tremelvsorrv to find myself so sitaateii tl.kt I cannot comply with the wishes of your excellency in regard to my trans mitting yotta set ef blank farms, fur the' y iiui KAVbivHi av J ------ w rwxt their coaimisQna. Tle diplomas hich they receive, come frotd oar court already siitic d by hit mot catholic majesty, and lliiuu.., Donj inn MUce pertains leiviog is these cases the oavM suthoiitylifre lim ited only to the filling of ihellti.k spa ces in them with the name of the cap tain and the vessel. ' Thus situated, it is impossible for me to accede to' jour circumspect views In this twrticalar ob ject; But, nevertheless if it should on occasion appear requisite to vour excel lency, the said diplomas or commissions can be examined together with a blank signature of the captain of this port, in oi tier that a sufficient ground mat be established for comparing this signature keeping in iiew the prospectus of those, with, whic the said privateers are cruu - am likewise asked by your excel lency lor intormauon bow tar nryln structions are extended for interrupting the commerce of the U. States with Mexico and the Republic of Colombia; and for your gratification it is my duty to declare, that I find myself sufficiently instructed .to -"state that the blockade which was established on all the coasts and ports of the provinces of Yenezula nas oeen raiscd. under tnese circum stances, I consider the commerce ofthe U. States to be in free capacity for an intercourse with that of the places for merly, blockaded; reserving however for lawful capture the vessels of any nation whichBhali.be. found conveying imple ments of war to the insurgentsor peo ple disposed to co-operate with them in their military resistance. I can give 'your excellency no certain information concerning Mexico; but it is my opin ion that the circumstances and condi tionare to be found the same as tliose of Yenezula; vr.,,?r "-. P.VXs ; The very important object to, which your mission into these seas is directed and your pood intentions and views, af ford me thi: greatest satisfaction, & has ten me to manifest myself to your excel lency, as at the instant X now do, in or der ,tq assure you that r all within " the scope of ra y "aulhority arid faculty in this island is one of the places most interest- din the. nourishing ot commerce, and e revival if possible of good faith, and due respect to the property of the citi zens. "'.v"'''V- .''.!'"-;.", ' Trusting that your excellency may be able to fulnl the. desires of your govern ment in this important charge and that tneymay be ever more and more happy in their election, I have the honor of be ing; with the greatest respect, your ex cellency's most attentive and sure ser vant, Que bus manos bese. c- ' ;. C - Excellentiiumo Benor'-f' sSigiiea; MIGIJEIDB LA TURKE. . Moat excellent Sir, commandant ofthe - -squadron of the U. 8, of America, in, 'i ; the offing of this port, D, D. PQR. ; TEB.. ;' Vr, ' ;. '' '' -',- ' ' -' -i "::;.ft'...:is.i'fS. , TRANSLATIOM. 1 , i . . Ojflce athe Captain General of Puerto Sip. Most Excellent Sir: One of the first, objects of my attention, as soon as I was informed of the mournful accident cohcerning which I wrote to your ex cellency jn my letter of yesterdayj was to acquaint myseii wun tne aciuat con dition ofthe wounded individual in or der that he should be located, where the duties pf friendship might be exercised for his accommodation and comforts, but being certified that he had died during the transaction before related, 1 could do no otherwise -than give my orders that his luneral should be conducted with all the decorum and manifestation of re snect due to an honorable officer of his character and station, and 'causing his cot'psotto be attended to the grave by a procession composed of ; the principal. chieftains'?1 authorities, and other officers of this ghrnsoB. I ' this actt, could wish that your exc v ' n cy might recog nise an expression ot tne lively. Sorrow which bar. been excited in tne by this misfortune. , iv s, - May ' God preserve ( your excellency many years. ' 4 h- t: '' ; "Puerto Rich, March 7, 1823. (13 ' . F)fy: (.Signed.) " Exhno: enor. . ' 4 - MIGUEL DE LA TOKRE.1 The most eicelltht commamler in Chief of the Anglo American squad ron in the offing ol'&is ort, I). D. forte u. -Jrf-;K To hie Excctkncy Capt. General of Porte Rico. : V. S.,SUip reacoct, Marpu li, wxi. ' Your Excellency: I have" the hon or to Acknowledge the. receipt pf your several favors ofthe 6th and Tth of this month. " - . ' " '"'. That which is in reply to' the letter I had the honor to address you on the 4th is perfectly satisfactory in all its de tails, '.and the promptness with which you have been- pleased to attend to it, as well as its contents, win no aoubt be highly gratifying to the government tf the Umled States. ' '. ' .. 1 - -r - - r 1 know not how to touch os; the me ancholy tu'-iVct cf tout ithoui rii zt nt tj " f t' . ir n ray mind, t !.!! en.: tdtlt it co,i4i r.al 't!ira. 'ivrlt.' and hope by a Uctj to cn. yourexctlloncv. tv t tl rrts vn not t shadow of aa stxcuie fur ii.tr.-.! t the entrance of my if nadron into the ' harbor of St. Johns: 'l i st nothing .,n justify the order issued by jour second in command, to tre upon any oi the ves sels composing it. .and tliat tl.e ct ot nng was, to say the least of it, n act of the most unpardonable , cruelty auj barbarity. - -. -k ... ' It is painful to ma to see that rmi Excellency has laboured to justify tie act. nd to throw k Mams on the mander of one of the Uaited State sels then in port.. A statement Ju i..c ' Echo, of the 8th drawn by the same hand that penned your letter to me is riven to the public with the same otject ia view. . Tour excellency my have rea soned yourself into a belief of the cor. ' ' rectness oi the inferences vou ta in both cases drawn from the information . given you or- ooth may have been con ' aiuwra as necessary and pper to pre-j - veai eiciwnieon out i must be excused, for saying to your excellency that th ; , charge is only an aggravatioh to the out- 't rag winch haq Already been commit.-: '. ted. It was not the duty of thatofficerr ' V to move at the beck and call of the T -king's lieutenant or to leave the duty unt V excuted which I had "sent him to per : ; . form, to communicate to me the hostile ihtentions of a subaltern, which had they vvw iuiij caniBinea lo mm, ne never could nave believed he would have dar- -ed to have carried lntos,eflect; but they never were explained, &,no such con ver- ' sation took place between the kihgs lieu tenant and the American officer; as is related by your excellency. Your. exr eel lency has been misinformed en ti. 9 " subject; and had it bc.i the duty of the- - American officer to have commuaicated ' to me uie intention to prevent, my com. ing into port,, it would have l InJm practicable for him to have executed it, as the sea raged with, such violence at the time, that no vessel or boat, could possioiy nave left the harbor. y t 11 is not magnanimous in ypur excel encv to resort tn VI " ""' W VAVU3C ,. the bad conduct of those undef your command. .,' The officer VOU Would imnlirnf n-.ia - the bearer of a despatch from me, toyour excellency, apprising you of thebenevo" ' lent jntentions of my government in fit- ' ting out the squadron! Jiave the honor to command. , f . . " , . He had been two idavs in vour' nort and was possessed of a copy cf my letv ter to you, which had been seen by your second in command at the moment of, ' his .presenting himself to him, which ' ' was on the day of his arrival. And if a ny doubts existed as to his character, or the character of the , vessel under his command, being in the power of the as-' thorities of Porto Rico, tliey could ea ' siiy nave satisnen themselves. .But he had been received and treated as an American efficer, and it is only to ' endeavor to palliate, or excuse the con duct of the offending individual, that' your excellency has sought for facts,- wnicn would never- nave J been brouglit . into notice, but for the lamentable cir cumstance which gave rise to these pain ful rebiarks. ' ::t;t:'f'' ,'!::" '':. " , lie informed your Second oLthe cha- ractor of my squadron; a Britiidi squ ad -ron was 'then lying jn the port, which"1" " Knew me, ann mere cannot bea oubt had communicated ' intelligence 'of my intentions 10 visit rorto Hicot- j The sloop of -war on board which mv- ' pendant was flying, with ; some small vessels, of . tny- sqadron rwere lying in full yjewf of Uie Castle,, with their co-.' tours hoisted; the schooner which was fired -into was standing direct! y into port in open day; she could not have e?-' caped alter the hrst shot was bred, or havegiven up her intentions of coinc -v. intoSt. Johns, had she been so dispos ed, or had she understood -what was in- tended by die firing. But let me- ask your excellency,' who for, an instant ' could have supposed that a small schoon er ot scarcely forty tons burthen, mount ing only three guns,, with complement of twenty-five officers and , men, would have occasioned any alarm to the city of, Ci- T 1 - IJ-f. t . e . jonng, suri ounueu as it is Dy lortrc? s es rendered as impregnable as " and the art of man can make i h " Va8 ft not rapre natural to believe iliat the firing was intended' to compel her approach? and 6ven if the intention M ai npt complied with, ought not her feeble condition tojhate claimed from those in ' your fortress some mercy? But -no! the . vessel, after, the death of her lamented commander, iwas compelled to anchor between the forts, where a tremendous' sea was running, which jeopardised tba -lives of every one on board, to stfnd tlie small boat on sliore, where the young midshipman who commanded her, was -insulted bjr having shgavy gun. pointed
The North-Carolina Star (Raleigh, N.C.)
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April 25, 1823, edition 1
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