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. '' ' ; r,,!' "' :' ' - " "j-"""? ' I 1 fT .; I - . ,'',t' "' I,.."' ' ' 1 .... ' . -.I-....- . -NO. 1231; ' i from tM J"1" "7 "v . - "OM. PORTEK's SQUADRON.. : ! a-wv the Governor or rorco To! rr Mib Teacoch March 4, 1823. IT. 5. awp - t-K- honor to Pico, -t Torn I kve taVen " command of jtnTetates naval forces in.these -iMhe 'nucu .: r thp commerce of that in pursuance u v- a l unlawful inter. SC rights both of proper- TnPtson of our Citizens wnencver rand person , f tbe suppres- ionofp :;:Deenmadeofthe As preM . k . u commerce by inferrUPrfitted oirVrom -Spanish ports, I KyZ Excellent furnish me a f Dtfve5list of vessels legally comtmssi d"f dze from Porto Rico, With a set of I nw how and wh'en to respect them, tif I V n ?etitb any of them. I must also f;jlvour Ex Snfonn n,e how far ' Kvp been instructed to interrupt our Mexico and the Colombian Re, SmI and whatevertinstructions r autho I they may have affecting our commerce Jbe 'suppression of piracy, the principal Jefor iTy visit to these seas is an object mcol all nacms, (all beingp.rties Snst thenr an-1 .may be cons.dered as a. S Undently look to all for thexr cope nrion whenever it may be necessary, or at 2 tLTfavorable and friendly support ; ud I to none more than those most exposed to iheir depredations. ' Trlw look with confidence to your rtceUencv for the aid jof such means as mav L 5n vour Dower for tbeir suppression ; and in Vabse nee of means, 1 bej? to assure your :it,. whatever, course, may he 1 1 . loctrrw those enemies ot i.,m!,n race, it will have no other aim nd I shall observe the utmost caution not to thcrosch on tne.ngnis, r w.j - the feelings of others, either in substance or in fern, in all the measures which may be a dopted to sccompUsb the end in view. ! It will afford me sincere, pleasure, should, 1 be so fortunate as taJulfil the expectation of my govemmerit,3?nd at the same Ume preserve harmony and a good understand.ng i-itli those u ith whom I may be so 'unfortu Mtc m to come in collision or cbscussion in relation thereto indeed it will add much to ' my happiness if it can be avoided altogether. That such is my sincere wish, and that the obi cts sei forth byi me are the only ones which brought me to these seas, I beg leave, to as.4ife your excelTency in the most posi tive and unequivocal terms. J with the hip-hestf respect, I have the ho- T.ni.in hevmir exeellencv's ' very obedient humble servant. ; " (Signed) ! D. PORTER. Te his Excellency the Governor of Potto Kiev. U. S. Ship Pacock, Aguada, ? March 8th, 1823. ' 5 Xrw F.Tcellencv : On the 3d of this month ' I despatched from the squadron under my comir.aTid, the United States schooner Grey Hound, comirandedby Captain JphnTorter, cfthe Un'tvd States Navy, who was the'bear- Tr of a letter from rnf to vour1 excellency -wrhtcn in strict conformity with instructions -thicUJ had receivexl from'my governmqiit, jropo-.iWJns certain enquiries to - enable your excellency to put me in possession, of mrh inr rrMitinn 'IS would tllace it in Hiy tower to fulfil the benevolent Intentioni of lie government of the United States without i r fringing on the rights of . Spam as a belli gerent. i. ' ' "i The commander of the Grey Hound was Erected to reiran; in St. Johns two days for 3 Tur excellency'sj answer, and then to join i U off the port, of .at this pbee, where I pro posed watering the squadron under my com ttfcnd. : i - " - j On the second jday after his arrival, at, St. J )linsI directed -the commander of the; U. - S. schooner Fox, jto proceed there, witlulus vi stl, to ascertain what time it was proba kl e your reply would be obtained, witlvor dt rs to return immediately, and apprise jthe cc Biinandcr of the U. S, schooner Rcale an other cf my squadron, of my intention to co me to this place, y - T . ' On the arrival of the Fox within gitp - shot f the castle I was much surprised to observe tk it six guns were fired at her; but knowing . tf oo cause to justify such an act ot violence, i, J. ould have .thought that perhaps I mht ha 't been mistaken, had not the command trs of all three of those vessels failed to obey y instructions, which could not have hap- per led but for some violent detention by the aut aoritiesat SUJohns. - , ' " 1 fntil I am better satisfied of the fact, how Te r. I shall refrain from the. exoression of toy- Eehtimsnts on the Bubiect. and-shall for the-- present merelv observe, that their cha ract r could not; have been misunderstood, 'uadronat the time of the departure r x, u aslyinff in full View of the cas- ' their colors fiviner. and a I v' "i under the command of Sir Thomas ' which bad several times commu with me1 and well knew the vessels, there the dav nrevious to the last ft? edp essel, and on th'e day . of my ar- the port. v ; - v net whether my sUspicions-are.cor it 1 have; in the event of their being ted the senior "officer to abandon the . and leave the i sland of P orto Rico, as possible, leaving it to my country, . m l shall make known the facts to he outrage as it may think" proper, jen it wii no aouot ao prompuy uu Vnn vAiiiinr irmtf he aware that it is alwavsin.my rjower to retaliate, "ami even in this placed but it w6uld be a poor return for the friendship and hospitality I have receiv ed from its inhabitants, and I cannot recbn cile it to myself that the innocent should be made to suffer for offences not their own, With great respect, I have the honor to be, your excellency's most obedient humble servant. " - - ; (Sied) D.PORTER. V v'j . - " - ' , . , :: h flUANSliATIOlf .1 . ' . . Office of the Captain General of Porto Pico. Most Excellent Sir : I At noon this day, just ant of this Dlace advisinjr me of the. arrival : of the -s'qyadron under) the command of your ' excellency with a disposition to enter this ' Dort. I have been in.NUspiciouslv informed of ', tne.misioriune occiirnnj m mic n. : commander of a schooner of war belonging ; to tbe sciuadron.' who. it neems, persisted in i entering, the port, notwithstanding his . ine- been warned bv tne tort to uesisi iroui r his; undertaking, by a discharge from two cannons, the two first Kvlth a blank cartridge, and the other at an elevation with a bap. -But the Garrison in seeing his obstinacy, fol lowed with an extraordinary ripjour the or ders for hindering the entrance of the squa dron till mv , arrival, according to the deter mination formed by j the said lieutenant of ; the; place, yesterday. . ' ' I wish to persuade tne minci or your ex- ! cellencv into a consciousness of the sorrow which this event, so jmoumtui ana umorui nate has caused roe ; so much the more pain ful, inasmuch as it has happened in a -place in the district under my command, and on an individual under the orders of your excel lency, and a citizen of the United States; of a nation, with whom in all acceptations the Spaniards of both hemispheres are found united.' I ' .... So unexpected a misfortune, w'hich it seems ought never to be tearetl in tnenuiy esiao lisnments, appears to carry on itself a cha racter of criminality which more ana more aggrieves my feelings. ' nut tne juncturej. oi ine circuiinuiiv.ta which have conspired towards the fatality, according to the information received by me is such, that if your excellency will be pleas- ed to examine it-wan impam;tiuv. yuu i perceive that if the facts are not sufficient to mitigate the regret, they are at least enough to prove that there has been no intention of failing in regard to your excellency, nor of ohendmg any citizen oi ine j imtu and much less their government. I ne iieuienantoi uie ajuk mandant of the place, grounded on various reasons, of which it is not important to trou ble your, excellency (with a citation, but of which however, I will point out a few, be lieved that he ought not to perrnit tne en- j tering of the squadron until my arrivah One of his motives arose from "his recollecting that during the last year an expedition was armed in the port of North-America, against this island, and voiced under the command of a man named Duchodray Holstein ; which expedition actually went into the port .f St. Bartholomew underlthe Americantfiag, and among his other reasons were the following. It nas ue..ii icjiuiitv m-it - lar expedition is. thisj year in preparation : rlt the sr.homiers; alluded to on their en tering' yesterday, wjould rot receive the p la on hnnrtL unless the v practised with particular plans of the harbor, and the leads in their liqdr'pf which the' captain of he port made liis complaint : That when tne officers came on shore, a rumor was spread that they were saying spam uau wucu ium island, and that of Cubar to the English, which relation' they confirmed to the heute- j riant of the king, as1 he himself has assured me : That their not ihavirig presented to him : the; wiitlng nor anv: expression Irom your excellency; he suspected he had found something alarming in these rumors ; and not sufficient proofs that these - were nation al vessels merely by the uniforms in which the Officers were" dressed. . , Theses are some of the .reasons woicru he has informed me he had in view in not consenting tbHhe entrance of the squad- ron until my arrival,, auu i 1111341.1 of j them he dispatched his orders to the Castle ot the Moro, not tor tne purpose of committing hostilities but merely pre ventive orders.: He sent an aojuxani ai half past six o'clock in the morning ac cobpauied by an interpreter on board one of . ihe - schooners imaer tne commanu 01 your excellency to entreat her comman der to be 50 good as to call on the govern ment, in order to agree with .them, on tne means anu ionu ui uiaiviiig mi" i j wU excellency this their determination. Un-? fartunately.the commander of the Amen-, can schooner deferred in the first place, his seeing the lieutenant of the king until one .o'clock in the afternoon ; and pro voked bv the adjutant to view it as an un just case, and tojconsidcrCuiy tne cause of his being 'disturbed, and of which' he was fully informed ; the coinmander pro mised the adjutant that he would go to the government, as soon as he could dress himself. ' ' I. . :v' . Bv art unheard of fatality he did not ac complish, their promise until after his hearinc the firing: of the cannon at the . Moro. which rincht have been avoided had he only presented himselt tor . an in terviev with the commander of the place. : The femisHess of this officer, and the pertinacity of ' Him who ; conmanded the schooner in his kiot suspending his enter ing in spite of the cannon that was fired without a shot,' and without waiting for a pilot; but notwithstanding this, and the as 11 arrived from the village of, Caguas, where I received sM' 8 oclockj this morning the offi riAl letfer of thelcinsr's lieutenant command- cemnd dicharcre of a cun at; an elevation, to crowd sail in order at all events to gim the port these acts most exceuem sir, have been the means ,of depriving the TJ nited States of a citizen, ynur excellency ofan officer, of filling Puerto Rico w,th mourning, and myself with inexpressible sorrow. I feel it to be. my duty to assure your excellency that the orders issued by the lieutenant of the king and command ant general of this place, were by no means intended to commit hostilities or offences against the vessels r but as the firing was made at an elevation, either the tumbling ot tne sen. nr,peruHJ bad pointing, must have been the cause why the fourth discharge should produce such a fatal effect. j Immediately on my return to this place I gave orders that all the vessels under the command of your excellency of whatever-description may enter freely into this harbor, as into a port of friends, where i they will meet that reception ;wnicn tne ' law of nations assigns to tnose wno ciaim a 'itle in civilization and other privileges, secured by the treaties of friendship exr istlng between the two nations. In this act I anticipate for'mvself the satisfaction of being able to manifesf personally all the consideration which your person me rits from me, and my'i regret for so mourn- ; ful and disagreeable an event. May God guard your excelJency many years. i " Puerto Rica, March 6, 1223. (Signed) I MIGUFt. DE LA TORRE. The most excellent commander jn chic; i f the Anglo-American 5quadron in the rffirg of Puerto Rico, D.David Porter. ! transLaI-ion Office of the Captain General of Puerto A ICO.. r '. , Most Excellent Sir : I this moment rec-ived tlve vry stinirihle letter of your excellency dated the 4'h of the present month, in which your excellency has been pleased to communicate to me the impor tant. commission witich has been entrusted to you'bv a government, that claims the rt-spect ot all the territories within its in fluence. . '. - ' ;-- '- I have the satisfaction of forwarding to your excellency a nominal report of the privateer, vessels which have beep armed and despatched for the purpose of cruis ing by the competent authority in this is land, agreeably to the request which, your ; excellency has made me in find myself so situated that I cannot com- , Dlv with the wishes of ?our excellency in ! ! regard to my transmitting you a set of ! ? blank forms, frr the purpose of enabling i your excellency how; and when to respect their commissions. The diplomas which i they received come from ourvcourt alra j dy signed by bis most catholic mijes'ty, and the minister to whom this orhce per- tains.. leaving in these cases the naval au- "ri thority here limited only to the filling the blank spaces in them with the name of the captain and the vessel Thus situ ated, it is impossible for me to accede to vour Circumspect views in this particular i n . .iiul : C . 1J oDiect. !5Ut neycriucirs, u 11 smouiuu occasion appear requisite to your excel- I lency, the said, diplomas or cpmrnisiiina can be examined together with a 'blnk signature of the captain of this port, in or der that a sufficient ground may be estab lished for comparing this signature with those which may be presented, keeping in view the prospectus of those, with whrch the said privateers are, cruising.' . I am likewise asked by your excellen cy for information how far my instruct- ions are exteoaeu ior interru pt hit uic commerce of the U. States with Mexico and the KepuDiic 01 VvOiumoia ; ana ior vour eratification it is my duty to declare that 1 nnd myseii suuicieniiy uisiiuwicu; to state that the blockade which was es-. tabished on all the Coasts and ports, of the provinces of Venezuela has been rais ed. Under these circumstances, I consi der the commerce of the U. States to be. in free capacity tor an intercourse witn that of the places tormerly blocKaneo ; rpcprvlrc however for lawful capture the vtels of anv nation which shall be found; conveying implements c; war to ine in surgents or people disposea 10 co-operate with them in their military resist-, ance. I can cive your excellency no cer tain information Concerning Mexico ; but it is my opinion that tne circumstantes and condition are to beyfound the same as those of Venezuela. . ' . , The very important objects to whicri your mission into thesf seas is directed, and your good intentions and views, af ford me ttie greatest satrefaction and has ten me to mamTest myself toyour excel lency, as at the instant I how do, in order that all within the scope of my authority and faculty inahis island is . one ot the places mo$t'inieicswu . vw flourishing of commerce, and the revival if possible of ood faith; and; due respect to the property of the citizens. - Trusting that your" excellency; may be able to fulfil the lesires pf your govern ment in this important charge and that they may be ever more and more nappy in their election, I have the honor of be ing; with the greatest respect, your ex cellencv's most attentive and sure ser- ' " , ' . ' .- - "-:'s--- y Ana cue mnno bese ym, vcr, r . r.t, K ISO?. Excellentisimo Senor MIGUEL DE LA TORRL, Most excellent sir, command-, .ant of the squadron ot ine u. S. of America, in the offing - nf this Dort; D. D. Porter. TRANSLATION. Office of the Captain General of Puerto j ; . 4 . ,.' Rico. .. - . . Most Excellent Sir Une ot tne; II first .objects of my attention, as sdqn - as J was informed of the mournful accident concerning v.h?ch I Wrote to your excel lency in my i letter ot yesterday, was to " aX. I f acquaint myselt witn tnB auua. ' bf the wounded individual in order, that heshoiild be located, where the duties o fr;endhmm?rht be .exercised for his ac rmmndationarid cornforts, but being cef- :Ai.A .t hhad ied durincr thetrans- action before related;! could do no other :.r if hreraihat:his funeral .n...fBt with all the decorum and manifestation pf respect due to an ho norable officer of liis character and sta- on.l ranclnn- hlS COrPS XO OC aiicuu" . tn th. rv hv a nrocession composeci d.iiu v r . kt,:-h :nriniM rhiettains. auinonurs. nlA Ahot. ffirpr of this earnso, In (lllvt I'lllVI lllliv" " . -, 1 that your excel len cy I might recognise an expression ot Ihe lively sorrow which has been excited in rr-o Kt fhic micfnrtifne. fMnv r,nd nresewe your excellency many years t. 7?irn. March 7. lo-'o. L ! f " Exlmo : Sen r. , (gnd) MIGUEL DE LA TORRE. The most excellent commander in chief if the Anglo- A ,m en- , , i can squadron ?n the offing of J J v this port, D. D. PORTER. IVs His Excellency Cafitain General of J . Porto Kico. , j TT q chih Peacock. March 11, 1823. Vn F vckllency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your seve ral favors of the 6th and 7tn oi tnismomn. f Th-vf xvhlc.h is in reply to the letter 1 had the honor-to address you on the 4th icin.ifertlv satisfactory in all its details, mi th nrnmntness with which you have Koo., w0pd t attend to it. as well as its consents, will no doubt be highlygratify- ine to tbe government of the U.tstates. ,. I Know not how to toucn on uic hkiou rhnitr uihier.t of veur other letters, with ,h v Vwi out givi. vent to some of those feelings 1 SlhiJn operate at this momentOrmy mind. ;"T ,. - .nnnfp, andhooe bv a few I ihall endeavor nowever to ucui n . -MV r v "O ir cna fn rnnvmce vour exceiifiuy, that i there was not tnesnanow muu cuv the entrance of my squadron 1 C wVJ V -J"--- w - r intrt thp harhorot bt. Johns 1 nai uuuM.b can justify the order issued by your second mmonrf to fire ODon anv of the ves- and that the actot nr- the least of it. an act ot 1 0rthe most unpardonable cruelty arid It is Dcinful to me to see that your fcx- H'cellency has laboured to justify the act; and to throw the blame on the comman der of one of the Utiited! States vessels then in port. A statement in; tjie Echo of the 8th, drawn by the same hand that penned vour letter to me, is given to the: public with the same object in view. Your excellency may have reasoned your self into a belief of the correctness 01 cn? U inferences, you have in both cases drawn irpni tne miormauuu gvu j . ----- may have been conswercu and properto prevent excitement ; but I must be excused for saying to your excel lency that the charge only an aggrava tion to the outrage which had already been committed. 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 I sent him tq per form, to communicate to me the hostile intentions pa subaltern, which, had they been fully explained to himi he. never could have believed herwould have dared to have carried into effect ; but they ner niained: and no such Conver sation took place between the king's Iieu lenant and tne ymfi'V" T lency has been- misinformed on the sub nA had it been theduty of the A- metican omcer to nave wr"'v . . n ' - 1 Mmmnnifillpn TO jne the intention. to preventmy coming ihto port it. would have been impractica- blei for him ta nave eau.cu,,iuv sea raged with such violence at the time that no vessel or boat could possibly have ; nnt mao-nanimousin your excelleaT to resort to.such means to excuse the bad conduct those under sjrour. com4 Th nfficer vou would i -'rr-i t.t. : -r. ' ii icate wat the bearer of a despatch from me tS your exceilehcy: apprising you of thebeneyo lent intentions of my government in fitting h niiarironil nave we jiuuoi f n .'.He had been two days m your :port. and 1 oo rvrcCMCIrt m a COOV U HIT ivvv w ybuhithihadpeen;seen-py.j"" u in command at iie moment 01 uis y 1 cf spntin? himself to him, which was on the a f k;0 arWival! And if anv doubts ex- isted'as to his character, or the character J 1 of the vessel lifider his command, being in he power of the authorities of Porto Rico thev could easily nave sausucu uicuit. : selves.. . : , ut he had been received and treated ; as an American, officer, and it is only to r Endeavor to palliate, or excuse the con-. duct of tbe offending individual, that; your excellency hail sougut tor lacis, uiwi . would never have been brought into no-, v tice. but for the lamentable circumstance; which gave riseto these pamiui piuars, He informed your second of the charac- , ter ot my squaaron ; a mmou u.u,v,. wa then lvine in bort; which knew me, . - fcw and there cannot he a doubt had commu-" hicated intelligence pt-. my .intentions . w . yisit Porto Rico,, ;V ' llV.'::- The slooD Ot war on ooaruwiiiwi v orT - the schooner, which was fired iiqto - standing idirectlv iKto port in opea y ; . . day : she .could, not have escaped' after .r" thefirst shot, was urea, or nP given mk. v: her -intentlonof going into St. JjohnS, had, j r she been'so disposed, or had she under- ;. ; V C tnnd what "was . ltixenaeu uy. uic hhhk. , But let me ask your excellency, who for r : anMnstant Leonid have supposed inac a: .j small scnooner av v. vw..w-., then, mounting. only.- three guns with a complement of tyrauy -five officers and j( men; would nave occasiuucu ,:( ;nr SioKnTs: surrounded as it is , by fortresses rendered as iropr;gnable arf . nature and tbe art of man can mike them f Was it not more natural to believe thai; ! the firing was intended to CbmpeJ hereto -approach ? and even if the intention rki , not complied with, ought noteirebl condition to have claimed fronthobe 'in;-;', your fortress some mercy V; But no I the: , vessel after the death, of her lamented 1 com mander was compelled to anchor be--t ween the forts, where, a tremendous sea was running which Jeopardized the lives of every ope on board, to send the small boat on?shore?- where the young midship-; man who commanded her; was iiisulted by having a heavy1 gun pointed into the' boat, and threatened with destruction if he attemDted to'niove fr m his position i he wasfthen taken as a crmiinal and plac r vv ; ; j . ed ; under guard. ' . foS?' " - A' ' These are tacts, your excellency, anu incontrbyerrible ones.- Let me ;asK your excellency what bet ter proofs y ou have of the! characiey 1 of my squadron now", than was produced on the firt day of .the arrival of therofficer youwish tn impli-. catef What further examinalian has been made, that the authorities of Porto Rico are better, satisfied of our being Ameri cans now, than they wer-; before None I repeat ?it that tbe character of my squadron was well luoowh' in St. Jbns ; ',. even in this obscure plaCe I found Amri; ! ! ijjan newsPaPvrs conamjug aM.'c icvau respectipg it,, and at Sti Thomais I sa.w; personsidireci from St. Johhs whjnfofm ed me that its equipment and object was well known" there. I. There has in fiCt-- v been a degree of publicity SivCn . to. the: expedition, and an nterest feft in it, that a have been rarely equalled. i'- ' -The whole of the civihzed World ; was v ' interested ; in ? its success Jt, is vain then,. -to say, that we were taken ;fbijlawless- ; invaders, and it is unjust to: endeavor to stain the . character of .my country by a charge of frequency of hbstile'expeditiohs' ' arainst the r Spanish possessions, or bfler them as anv excuse for. the conduct of the offender. . But mehesijape sometimes the. V vigilance of j the mOstirigid amhdries and 1 no ,. government . deserves reproach. when it does ts utmost tp aetectnu Dnng; them to punishment. -S h ; ; v V v 1 . 4 I find your coasts lined with troops since my arrival here;? I find' reiafbrcementa C daily coming in, as I am fnformed by your? order to protect the inHabitantrfrom my; resentments. I have found every precauv . tion taken to keep me in prpfbAmd igno ' ranee of he tamentable 'oociirrence f .but these things were allin;yaihlY;i.saW-'thej insult offered i to the flag of, my ; country-r-I have satisfied your ; militarv coinman ders that their Force is. despicable when , compared to that at; my dispPsal,"and I; have ConVinced the iiiliahitants "that al though they 'are at- my mercy,' they ;will not be made answeraoie ior tue onences Afan individual' -r: '.'.1 ,It is not then becoming to tlie caarc; ter of yourexcellericy to resort to subter fuge in order to divert the. "odium of the act trom one pmcer to - atiaca oiame to anpther,-i';-iVr.V"':i-'-'!.;i' I will further fsk, why a rigour should b exercised towarr vessels bwaring the. American' flag,-that : was; not extended; to the British sqadron or .tone r rencn. ;;' frigate w hiph ar n ved subsequent ta the; ' attack-on Lieut Cprri'd Cocke ? In theJ ; ; one case there, was only a inall schooner ' tOifire at; in" the other there were vessels V 1 6fforpe:vS'; Had, he' fallen in' battle and by the hand f pf adcclared enemy, we shohldhave beea, ' t reconciled to his fate by' thev proud satis-; faction that he did ip the perfbrniance Qf bis duty to his country ; but to be thus- ' cruelly tern iron? us, ana,py wic.iuu.vuj from a confidence; in his pwn sA the defenceless c6nditibo4t his object; ad inits of no cbnsolation, i Br. . ; Your excellency in xonversatton with; the officer Vou wiiii toTiiab Ucate," ad?eri -1: ill J, :':'.!'- r .i ' 1:1 1 1 1 . 1 I.- H ki I MM P All! I 11 i; -;!;::)''. r:";'; ft! ? i V;
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
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April 25, 1823, edition 1
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