. , ... i - . - . r
THE NGRTHRQMNA "MINERVA
tjiaiijyy;-jWi mi
AL? f G
: . SM,,,ffffei T U E S D A Xlfhb ovix zi 1802. Vol. VII. Nuv8. 330
irtfrt PUBLIC,
No perfon can be more avcrfe to
p , one or mem mc
nal indeed, in the eyes oi tbeJ?utwc,
were I to renuin "lent. -'trTe
8 th of January 1800, 1 was
lrr,i;nr a Purfer in the navy of
Elq.the then Secretary ot the Navy,
and was ordered by htm to join the
armed brig . Richmond, at New-
York under, thdeomouna oI-MPk
Richard Law, juntas will appear
from the- following letter :
S:r.You are heieby appointed
a Purfer in the Navy. .
You will repair immediately to
New-York, and place yourfcif wider
the command ol Capt. Law, ol the
Richmond.
Your pay and emoluments conv
rnencc from this day.
I am. fir, your
mott obedient fcrvant,
(SlCNSI3NJAMIN STODDERT.
Mr. Thomas Unord. ' '
The Richmond returnedjrom her
cruife in 1801 -and I repaired to
YVafhingtouand fettled my accounts
with the accountant of the Navy.
On the th day m 1801,
Congrcfs pa (Ted a law ti'iicing the
number t fefTels, and limning the
number 'of iome of the officers, to be
retained fervice: among thole,
who'e number was not limited by
.Kor Ffe Purfers. borne fhort
mai .- " c .. r
iquadron wasorucicu iu , - -
dy tor rhe W.6.?" 'g, f? 5 '
the infoknee of the : lr C1 - j
embraced that op c
being continued in the fervice of my
country, and received from him the
following lctter,ol fekaion and re
tention 1
" Navy Dfpirtnltit, id June 1 80 1 .
Sir '
I have the pleaf are to inform you
that the Proficient has ftje&ed you as
oneot the Purfers auihoriled to be
rc tained in fervice on the peace eita-
- bli'hment. . - .
- You will repair to Philadelphia,
r and plate yourfcif under the com
mancij of Lieuf.:'Jcjhn Shaw, ol the
George Walhington. .
Accept the. alturanccs or my. re
fpeft and erteem.
For Henry Dearborn acling fccre
tary of the navy.
Signed) S. SMITH."
Jllrt f.'CMii Sfirfcrd, Viirfrr.
Immediately on the receipt ol the
-foregoing letter, 1 applied to Gen.
Smith for a van art, which (by the
ablence ot the President irom the
feat'of government in 1802, and the
fecretary at that time having no
:. blanks figncd) 1 had never received.
: Prev!ovistOleay'ii;g the IJnited States,
a warrant as rimer, Dgned i.y Mr.
JefFerfon, was forwarded on to 'me,..,
I mull here obltrve, that I was jhe
firlt Purler who received a letter of
leleclioiT and retention on the peace
t'ftablilnment ; for althoughihere
, .yere four others in the Mecliterran-
; ran fquadronar.d , the peace elta-.
blifimient lawteok place previous to
-their being arranged, yet they -only-received''
letters . merely attaching
them to their' refpeclive vetTds
" ' On my return to the United .Stares
it was irrri mated to me by a Iriend,
that he underitood I was to be dif-.
charged under the, peace eitablifn
mentlaw ; rt this, however, 1 rock
-Jthttle notice, knowing. But I had
already been retained on that very
law, and imagining that if ever I was
I :. '" -' , :" ''' -' -'..-: '":- 1 - : - ,
1 "' - : '.' v. " - " '' '.- '
ff,-P us I-Vhed EVERYTUETOYay HODGE cs BO
difcharged, it would happen only as
the coniequence or a luoiequent aci
ofcongrefs that might poiTibly take
place to that purport pofterior in
date to any law then txifting ;" or hy
impeachment for mal conduct,
which I with fufficient confidence
ftippofed not probable ;-4or clfe from
abufeof power in the head of the
navy department which at that time
1 was by no means dif poled to think
likely : not many days however
had elapfed bet ore I was honored
with a letter from the Hon. -Rob.
Smith, in the following words.
' JVjv) Department, 2lJ May"l Sc2.
Sir,
As you are not to be retained in
the" navy, irniarbeacceptub're toyeu
10 have early, information, that alter
fettling your accounts you will be no
longer confidered a 'hnldirii;"-:the
warrant, of purfer : But you wiU be J
permitted to retire from the lervice
under the peace eftablilhment law.
Iam. with rerped, fir, your molt
obedient fervaut.
Signed) R. SMITH."
Mr. lthomas Stanford.
Being at a lof s how to account for
fuch prepolterous and extraordinary
conducl, 1 lent him the following
aniwer
' IVrihi't-'i, Jut.f 10th I 802.
The Hen. Rob. Smith, secretary
of iht: Navy.
. -w-Sis,
It was with much furprifc thaf I
this day received ycur Utter imder
date of the 2 1 It ult. inlormirg me
that 4 as t was not to be retaired in
the navy, 1 w as, after fettlii;g my ac
counts ii Furkr, permitted to retire
from 'the fervice under the peace
eUablifhmem law.' I h-ivetterefoie
to requeft, that you u ill inform me,
charge from the fervice, andif a dif.
chare, the caufcor ufi thereof ;
or wfirher I am ro.:cfid:r it: only'as
? permiffion to refin As I know ."t
tcntion in fervice to iultify the for-
r.ier. lb, I kr.ow cf no rcafon why 1
mould perform the Lvter. Myre
otitft therefore is fcune'ed on a fa-
credduty which I owe to my cha
rncfer that I mayfatisiy my friends
V.hy I was difcharpcc after Tiaving'
lYCtived the following notice irom
the Then lecrctary tA the raw, to
which 1 leg !eae to refer you, heie
1 ir.'ttrted the letter fiom Gen. bmiih
of the 2d June 1801, before reci
ted. '1 he.i . cic-.imilznce of my being
fckdv'd by 'the PreliJeiit ;o be le
taincd as a Purler, under the adt
providing for a naval ptace ei'Ubiifh-tnen-r,
kc I prefu .ie you were un
acquainted with at the date 01 yrrr
letter, cr, I apprehend it never would
Lave -been written It may be laid
that many pQrfets who have been
continued in ienlce finee that law
. palled are.nrw difchargech, bur I have
been recently informed, nr-, t hat ir.y
cale is inatenally difFerent from thth s
ihey never having been Telecfed
under the peace ettablifcment layf
or at halt, never havm been orjici
ally noulieil 'thereof.
Vi h'rcfpeci, I have
the honor to be, fir, - ' ,
-.. Your very obedient fervanf,
'1 HOs. S i ANFO RD."
I waited Itveral days , without a
gam bearing- firm him, and, at
length tired cut by his lileince, 1 re
fglved to watt o.i him in perlom At
our. interview he in i (Vfined me that
' he did net w ifli h ic To '.tonfrder h is
letter as a dif charge it heing written
merely for the lake of formality,
Mr. ific (Jiirfctfun la'c.Pmirr 1.
the frigate I'a f Jeot, receive letter o
difcharge.foon -atier his, 'ijn'n -from the
Mediterranean (it was. I mj Mifrrmcd. an
exaft'e'opy of -ilie .nnf re ..ived by me;
tjme lew days Artier is..SPlipt, a genue
maa'bigrlin olTicc iiiterfaitd with
r
thaths had not as yet determined on
difcharging or retaining me in fer
vice ; but believed he would not dis
charge me, he would conclude on it,
hoWver, in the courl'e ot the day ;
Foij'if, agreeable to arrangements he
had matle, I could be retained, it
fhould be done ; thai he actually was
entirely ignorant of Gen. Smith's
letter pt felettioa and retention at
the time of writing his, , but that he
had a right to dikharge me even
without four months extra pay as
allowed by congrels, to officers dif
charged under the peace eflablifh
lnem law."f rl his 1 did lot dilpute
ivi inclination to do ; tor what will
not a man do, w'hofe adions, when
in.pwY notorioufly -yincd- a cor
ruption of honorable and impartial
principles ! But . to dilgharge me
without caafe, or the leaft plaufible
pretext was lb unaccountable, that
Itiimolt doubted it the honorable
geaileman's mental faculties were
not deranged, by the lame law under
w hich he wifhed to derange me.
So far as my discharge related to
pecuniary affairs, I felt but little in
terested j but it was neceflary that
my Iriends, being acquainted with
rny retention fhculd know the cauls'
of my difmiflat from fervice : I There
fore requefted .of him Inch a tefti
monial (in the event of my iliJcharge
being determined on) as would re
mote any unfavourable impreflions
which migh;, and in all probability
would, operate cn the minds of thole
who were unacquainted with the
whole affair ; he allured me that he
would ; and cn the next morning
Teamed me the letter I had written
him '-on the 10th uTt. with the folio w
ipgndor!ement : .
y tf he requeft of Mr. Stanford,
and tor , the Infoftrtation of his
friends, I take plealure. in declaring
thai his difniifTal from the nav y fer
vice, did not refuft from any rvonfi
deration of perfonal demerit on his
part that his commanding officers
andall otlers that have communi
cated withpe-on the fulject, have
fpoken .of him in terms, of high com
mendation. It. would l.ae been
agreeable to me to havtf retained him
inti:e navy, had the peace cflab.lifh
mcnt lawauthbrifed'a fufficieat num
ber' of Purfers to juflify it.
(iisntdj
R. SMITH.
Nn r Dpif'fi'i ju'-e 2 2d I 8 02.,
The foregoing is a plain flatement
offafts as they actually oceurred i
the truth of which the ftcretary cf
tht navy cannot, nor will not, 1 pre
fumr, pretend to deny ; 1 fhalk'there
fore conclude,, without any turther
comment ; '.'leaving ihe publie ro
judge of the ur.jultifiable conducl
towards me as they mav fee proper.
THOMAS' STANFORD,
Waihingion, July 6tb l8o2;
ll.e navy for hi a iht".. cor L
i, that Uli ft-Mr. Lit- rifxi-nnl
cj'.itiire vv;
wvh ux lecre:'y aiiii, luliirmfj In -n that
he had 'receive1'' fuch a L'ltei tif tlifcharge,
tlif fe-.-rciaty prstin.lid cuinc ignoraccc of
iiii bring fi-nt. faid that - he never intended
indifcharge. Irim, ai.d riqoe!ted'Mr:'G.To
(rive hi.n up the letter; wliiih 'ws attoid-
-Hi 'y d;ne, iiiid Mr- G tretfofi is dw run.
fidcred a retained Porf. i !iout lut raire
dots tint appear or the piiied lift tiuain.
iiii the names of ret ji'iu J Puce's, cn-t.rou-picittd
to Congrcfs by t!:t I'rtiiociit.of
the U niie.1 Stntis, at ill; ii ijtt f. Hi. ti.
J- YcHcrday' 1 fftl.d a filial fr'.l?mei,t
of iry Accitiuis ( tr the George Wahiiig
ton) vviiU lire actwuuiant i the-navy. 4and
received, fro'Ji Mr. tiuiiih, a warrant on
the 'Tjicaluifr for ; the balance due me: ..i
tludiiix the fo&V rno'iiihs pay in conCJuu
tionof his difcharging me under the peiWe
eltablifhment laV. '-
Cj The printers in tne United otates
willing to hold up to jurt cenfurc. the. im
pjopercpnduci of men higk in office, will
pleafe to give ttre foregoing a place in their
paper i.
T. S.
ik.--K..jirv:--.r'-
YL AN.
REFLECTIONS
OM TKt
Late European Intelligence.
Bonaparte's procuring himfelf to
be elected Lor.jul or H 'u another
event deeply interefiing to France,
and to the whole civilized world.
This mcalure he has timed with the
fame prudence that has marked his
conduct, in'fo many other inftances
At the conclufion of a feace with ell
the great powers of .Europe, which
he has either beaten or frightened TtO
terms the molt advantageous to
France, after a lomz and bloody con
teft, which had ruined the commerce
-"-deltroyed the navy deranged the
manufactures cl their country the r
French people ort a udden furei their
ports liberated the freedom of the
leas reltored commerce reviving m
the arts encouraged-- fecurity - of"
perfon and properry at .home- re
fpccT and influence abrcad-puhlic
and prwa'e credit eflallifhed-- their
government feared, ard s heir naiion
aygraxidized. 'i his x iew . breaking
on thtiu, like the beanucf she fun, ca
a weaihcr-beaten crew, after a lo; g
and jioru.y night, natural'y exalted
to the higl eft degree their admira
tion oi thofe lingular talents, courage
and addrefs, which guided them to
viclory. and.i.f.erwards to peace- A
vaiiing himfelf of the moment of cn
thufialm, excited by this change cf
circumliances, Bonaparte prefents
himfelf before the French nation as
the candidate for a Confulfhip, du
rante vita, for a jtrpttuul luntt ;h:p.
'1 hat he will fueeeed in tt,i mea
fure, who can doubt? PofJeffing
power tDoreabfolute than s xiy otthe
Grcndts'MotMrqns, who w ill dare to
refifl his wifhes, or oppo.:e his ambi
tion f We may t hertfore let it down '
"as ati event ' already decided, that
Buonaparte will be Fuji Loufut of
France for life. Were he rerponfib!e
to the legiflature jor his conduct
were he liab e to impeachment and
difmifl'cn from office in cafe of mal
conduct, the mealure we are now
contemplating would perhaps be a
fortunate one for Trance.--Or if in
the fub!Vqucnfpxt ct his adrnini-.
llration he iolLws the example of
our Walhington, Jid vith powers
themell alfolute, combines mode- '
ration, juftee, and true patrhtilm,
he may jet pecome a ulefiing to his
couHtryanu the world: but as pow
er' wit! put s refponfibi ity, in the
courle of a few ycara is apt to cor
rupt the heart, there is M"ent danger
that the Hero ot Italy may t.etorr.e
a iv rant and a fcourge. Contrary,
however, to the u:ual experience cf
hitman nature, fhould he tontinue
jult, moderate and prudent, notw iih
j ltanding his elevation, fo bng as his
! life fhould be continued. Fiance w 11
be exempt Irom revoluiionaiy lior
ror": ytt fo many fourus of iTlcch
tent will lohK'Contiiiue m. that country-
fo m.ny: difappoihted 'candi
dates fc: places ot'horior- nd profit
io n:aiiy of the,;ar:tieht rioblifi, who,
will i.ndifcuantlyrook'the oflefli-in-oi
furrii.e authority by an o1 feure
Cvrfuui, while (aifthey bcl.evejthe
legitimate heirs' to the French throne
are 'in j-xile and poverty - 'o many
thorough-going jareMvf .;.nxious to
renew their old trade ot profciiption
and pillage, will ftill there rem;.in,
that the chances agr.:nft the lite cf -the
Firft Ccnful are ma; y and great.
His f'acred band his "eojf ps-tl'hbn--'
neur, or Pretoriah C uai ds, may tor
awhile infpire terror and pre.lt rve
fiis life ; but at fome- unguarded mo
ment, atfomefavorable) "opportunity,
he may feelojie afiaflin's dagger or
drink the potfoned bowl. It re'iei
ous fanaticifm raifed its murderous
arm againlt the greafeff and the beft
of the whole iline ot French Prince
if a Chattel and a Ravi Mac, eould
the one attempt and the other ac-i
complifh the death of fuch-a mon-
. . "'l"."...',ki ,
, - srr. -.-'" 2"'-' '
h
i
!'
.... i, ' .. "