%i)t tfasettc.
PHILADELPHIA,
SATURDAY E FEN INC, JUNE to.
C-iptain Merrihew, of the (liip Mount Ver
non, has favored tts with the followirig
account of the different spoliations com
mitted on the trade of the United Spates
. by French privateers, which came imme
diately within his own knowledge during _
(lay at the port of St. John's, Porto
Rico, and which can be attciled also, by
a number of other citizens of America,
who had the misfortune to be carried in
there. Merck. Adv.
Captured by the privateer Vengeance; the
fchr. , Loring Tabcr, master, belong
ing to Bolton ? bound to Jamaica, and fertt
to St. Domingo. The mate and several of
the crew of (aid fchr. were put on shore at
3t. John's, destitute of every neeeiTary, be
ing plundered even ot their wearing apparel,
the mate toek sick a few days after and di
ed, the expences of his interment, See. was
defrayed by the different American cap*
tains.
The ftiip Hope of Bolton, John Seivard,
Jr.ifter, was captured by the pilot boat De
mocrat, in a few hours 'after leaving the isl
and of St. Thomas's. This vessel was load
ed with doffee and cotton at Surinam, and
bound so Boston, since condemned.—Capt.
Seward was kept a prisoner on hoard the
privatter Democrat, for fix days after her
arrival, and was it not for the very spirited
exertions used by some American captains
and others, he would not even then have ob
tained his' liberty.
Captured and brought into port, and since
condemned, the- fchr. Delight, of Penob
fcott, Mark Hatch, matter, bound from
Barbadoes to fomeport in the United States,
the captain and crew turned on shore at St.
John's, destitute of both money and cjoathes,
being pillaged.
Captured and brought into port, and con- ■
demned, by the privateer Vengeance, the
Brig Two Sifters of Baltimore, capt. Hub
bard, bound from Montferrat to the island
of Thoma3, the captain plundered of his
wearing apparel, and every other necessary
belonging to himfelf and crew.
Captured and bro't into port, the barque
Susan of Biddeford, Smith, master,
bound from St. Vincents to North Carolina.
Capt. Smith and his crew turned on shore
(though they solicited much, without eff°£l,
to be left in the barque) where they remain
ed at the town of St* John's, at a very hea
vy expence to wait the iflue of the barque's
tryal at Guadaloupe, which finally arrived
about the middle of May. Verdidt of the
Trench tribunal, cargo condemned, vefTel
cleared, but the barque's register, sea letter,
and all her other papers, destroyed, or made
away with, by the captors, and the vefTel so
much pillaged by them, as not to be in a
state to return to the continent.
Capt. Smith applied to Mr. Paris the
French marine agent at Porto Rico, to afTril
him to put the barque in such a condition as
would enable him to return in her to Bidde
ford, but without any redress or effect ;
capt. Smith was therefore neceflitated to
purchase the American schooner Delight,
which was condemned, in the purchase of
which he was joined by capt. Strong, and five
or fix different captured American masters
and mates, being the only alternative they
had left to return to America.
Brought into the port of St. John's by a
French privateer, the mate and crew of a
schooner belonging to Boston, whom they
turned on shore without a second shirt or
jacket, or a single dollar in his pockets.
This schooner, name forgotten, was owned
at Boston, and commanded by captain Dtin-
Itendorff, loaded at Tobago, and bound to
Boston—cleared.
Brought into port, by the privateer Tri
umphant, the brig , of Baltimore, John
Fry, master, bound from Baltimore to St.
Bartholomews. After several days deten
tion, and loaded with innumerable expen
ces, he was with difficulty cleared, but on
a ftipuhted condition of entering into a
Written obligation, to acquit the owner and
captain of the privateer from all costs and
damages.
Capt. Williams, of the fchr. , be
longing to Norfolk, and his people, were
brought to St." John's by the privateer Ven
geance, and turned on shore without a dol
. lar in their pockets. They sent the schooner
for trial to St. Domitfgo, where she was
soon condemned, under a pretext of her not
having either register or sea letter, which
the captain of the privateer was base enough
to del-toy ot conceal.
Takon by the privateer brig Vengeance, and
since condemned, the Ihip William, of Portland,
RfcbrrtStrong master, boond from St.K:ttsto
Portland. In a few nights after theeap'ureol
faitl ship, the mate of her, and one Tailor and
the cabin bey, whom the privateer permitted
t* remain onboard, took an opportunity, whil<
the French prize master and eight Frenchmen
ere napping, or off their guard, to rife mi
them and retake thelhip. *ln theconflifl, whit k
lifted a considerable time, the French prize
mafUr and two of the Frenchmen were killed
and three ethers badly woonded, but unfortu
nately, the next 'day the (hip William was me
near Porto Rico ard retaken by the French pn
vateer Eagle, both from the crew and owntrj
ofyrivatecif, the brave and intrepid America;
Mate and Mariner experienced.every dearer o
cruel, unmanly and favape difgraiefu
to be related of Frenchmen, —those two beli
and brave fellows were sent in a few days afie
to fland their trial before a French tribunal, t.
St. Domingo, in an open boat, double ironei
on both Tegs and hands, and if report said «
spoke truth, with orders to thrftw tliem bot
e»eiboard, if the bnat was rbafrd by an liiig
lifh t tuifcr j the American riptairs and oilier
preVented a spirited ami humane memorial t
the Spatiifb governor of Porto Uico. Don Ra\
riiundo de Caflrn,—rrprrfrnting thofe'men;
American Aibjefls anJ praying that thtV m : gl
be tried by ?par.i(h laws, but to which!
never deigned to return an anf-vcr.
" Bfought in by the privat.er Vthgeirte, tb
fit*,a n»r « - ■, Oapt. Jenes'ofßono:!; who it
fold Irflca.-ga at Guadal and porchtftd a v
return c'aigo there, Dound for BaJloa, Captain j
Jones wai met by an cruif.r and car*-
ried into St. Kitts, where after trill, he was '
aeqvvtted and p rmlttedto proceed on his voy
age 'O Boston, but was tuet ia a few days altt; -
by the above privateer Vengeance, and mettly t
under the pretext of Capt. Jones fating at a ifri- (
tifh island he was again c;p'.t)ie*!» from whole •
clutches he was glad to get clear as erJevcrai (
dayi detention, paying lie..vy port thirjes and
otl>er txpenies, andiiting plundered oi all his
Hock and fmail stores.
Brought in by the L'l fpeigle ptiViteer, and i
since condemned, the brig Nabby of Hartford, ,
bound from Antigua to Mew-York loaded with
rum, sugar and coffee.
Alio the (loop Hannah of Milford, since cm
demncd, bound to Ne«-York loaded uitli lu-
andmolaft'ts from Martinieo.
Brought in by the privateer Triumphant, the
brig Ceres of N'ewbern, James Moore matter,
loaded with lumber for Trinidad, so little re
gard had the owner or captain of tlii» privateer
to laws, cuflom or usage, that they (tripped the
brig Cries entirely of her Ihrowds and part of
her running rigging and spars, with which tl*ey
again fitted out the privateer, though ihe brig
Ceres's condemnation had not arrived when the
ship Mount Vernon left Porto Rico.
Drought in by a Row Boat and eight men,
andonefwivel gun ; the Snow Harmony, ot
Kennebunk, Burnham master, bound from
Barbadoes home, with rum ; the owner of ih:s
(privateer, Mons. M. Mallert fold the cargo in*
I a few days after, and the vessel iu about four
weeks after her arrival, though no condemna
tion for her had yet come to hand.
Captured and brought in by the l'£ipcig!e
privateer, the ftlip Kitty; belonging to Mr.
Coppinger of Philadelphia, bound from the
Isle of France to laid port, loaded with coffee,
sugar, cotton, indigo and bale goods.
Captain M'Fherfon and Mr. Cox, the super
cargo of the above ship were eonfined on board
without even having permission to converse or
fee a single individual diredlly or indiredlly,
or to corrcfpond with the Ihore by letter ; they
at length found means by the aid of Mr. Bayly
an interpreter to have a ltrong or urgent remon
strance l'ating their grievances, drawn up, and
presented to the Govtrnor don Kaytnundo de
Castro, but to which his excellency never re
turned an answer, and finally when the island
was beliegcd by the Britilh, they were taken
from on Board the Ihip, with the crew and
I clcfely confined in prison, where they yet lan
guifli without any profpedl of being liberated,
S uulefs by the interference of the executive of
! their country. Five seamen of the above ship
1 Kitty, all citizens of America and with protec
tions in their pockets, were put on board the
Spanish frigate Juno, to be sent to the Havan
nah, and treated as linglifh prisoners of war ;
this extraordinary circumstance happened on
the morning of the day, on which the ship
Mount Vernon was to fail, therefore no time
was to be lolt to rescue those poor fellows from
such a dreadful situation; a strong and urgent
representation was made in their favour by
some American captains and others, that they
might be put on board rhe Ihip Mount Vernon,
which was at length granted, but not until the
very inltant that the Ihip Mount Vernon was
' weighing anchor, vdien the poor fellows arri
ved from on board a guard boat troin the Span
ish frigate J jno. . .
Some days previous to the ship Mount Ver
non leaving Porto Rico, there were thirteen
American tailors brought to the town of St.
i John's, under a guard of soldiers. from the
l weft end of the island, and put into close prison
where there were no less than 50 negroes con
, fined. Those men wiere all American citizens
and had each of them a proteaion, being part
of the crews belonging to the brig Induftiy of
1 Boston, Joseph Ryder master, bound from De
marara to Boston, and ot the schooner Betiey,
; W. Sturges from Trinidad, and the ship In
, duftry, Robert Oram mailer, of Portsmouth
(Newhampfhire,) all taken by a privateer and
f- carried into Cape Rook.
IFire American captains being made acquainted
with the dreadful iituation that ihefe poor fel
> • lows were in, dofely confined in afmall cell, and
the weather then extremely sultry, presented a
remonstrance to the governor for their liberation,
which was granted, after their being eonfined in a
loathsome prison nine days, but on condition that
1 they would pay the goal fees and that they Ihould
take them on board their different veiicls off the
• Island. .
These thirteen mariners all agree in their differ
ent accounts of what Captain IVierrihew heard re
ported before, at the town of St* Johns, that the
French privateers had % taken within a ihort time
} several other American vessels and brought them
into the different ports of the south and weft part
of the Island of Porto Rico. -Some of the captains
to the number of five or fix as well as the crews of
those vessels took their passage in a Danilh barque
' bound to St. Croix from Capeßooke, it being the
" best opportunity that presented for them to
- return home after losing their vessels.
1 Captain Merrihew cannot conclude his recital
without mentioning a matter that has> happened to
1 him and the other American vessels at the port of
1 St. Jehr.s, during the early part of the ficge of that
town, by the Britilh, on which he .will not pre
' tend to comment, but leave it to an impartial pub
lic t®draw what inference they think proper irom
e so extraordinary a circumstance.
On the fourth or [fifth day of the liege the Eri
" tilh brought leveral mortars to bear on,the town,
" and on the (hipping in the harbour, which of con
r • fcquence induced the (hipping for tteir prefervati
,B I on to remove to a greater difttnee round a point
• of land, in performing which as is always cuftoma
-1 ry, five or fix American vessels then ia port hoilted
their colours, to prevent the Briuib firing or annoy*
" ing them while they were thus aiixiowllj employed
in removing their vessels to a place of lafcty. ihe
d neceflity ofhoifting their American colours was e-
l f vident as the French prize master of the American
o (hip Kitty of Philapdphia was nearly inflrumental
>f in the lofsof the Ihip ; (he being tired at and ftrutk
d by a (hell, which went through the quarter deck,
d but fortußately happened to lodge in a barrel ol
[ e rice, which choaked the Fuse for the moment, un
n til the people extinguished it without furthei
n damage t« the (hip—rbut in about an hour after
k ! the captain of the port, Don Hurtado came oo
board the Mount Vernon, and every other Amen-
J" can vessel and demanded in the most haujhty tont
' of language, their vessels colours, which were nol
1 ' returned them until after the Britilh abandonee
Pl the 0 pe.
1-
in Sufjlance of Mr. Harper's Speech on thi
of quejiion of permitting Merchants Jhips tt
ul arm for defence in the IVfl-India trade,
M Mr. Harper observed, that it did no'
er seem to him necessary for members to pre
r * face their otfervations in that House witl
VT ' accounts of themselves, or declarations abou
►h ! their motives—much less could it be necef
g- ; fary to talk about the motives of othe
rs 1 people. He believed that gentlemen vver
*° j for the moll part, far better known to other
v " | than to themselves, and as for their motives
they would bell be judged of by the natur
• * land tendency of^heiraclions. He woidi
i therefore, as he had alwßy before endeavour
cd to do, avoid the example of gentlemen i
4
this refpeft, ;:;id fhouJd content lumfelf 1 ffi
with dating his own ar.d endeavour- j to
ing to controvert those of gentlemen who- as
opposed him, without faying any thing about ef
his motives or theirs. * t' l
He could have wished that other gentle- in
tnen had acted thus. They had however &
chosen to pursue a very different course. 1
They had constantly and loudly attributed th
to him and other gentlemen who thought aj
with him, the very worst of motives, a de
sire to bring their country into war, and this 0
l I:i contradiftion to their express and repeat- h;
ed disavowal of such intentions. When he ei
and gentlemen with whom he agreed, had
made-the most solemn afleveraticms, that it hi
was their whole desire to preserve the peace tc
of this country, in every manner confident w
with itstfue interests, and that they advised fc
certain'meafures, because they, iathe best of w
their judgment, thought them best calcula- ir
ted to produce this eneft ; they had been P
repeatedly told, though not always with the di
fame rudentfs, that they were not believed, c;
The accusation of intending to draw the it
country into war, had been extended to all
who differed in sentiment with certain gen- a:
tlemen, and every measure which they did k
not like, was imputed to this intention.— o
The charge had been extended to the Exe- n
cutive ; and it had been said both on that h
floor and eifewhere, that proofs of this hof- n
tile intention were to be found even in the ti
pacific measures which he had resolved to p
pursue. d
On this head Mr. H. said, he did not o
know how gentlemen were to be cured of ti
their incredulity ; how did he know whe- a
ther it was desirable that they should be cu- tl
red : He certainly should take no further t
pains to do so. Of one thing, however, he 0
could assure gentlemen—that the fear of t
their cenfur* on his motives, or the desire v
of averting it, should never induce him, in t
any degree, to alter his conduft: It was v
the public good he fought, and the public t
a»':eem, in addition to his own, was the re- e
ward he de fired. As to the good opinion of
certain gentlemen, if it came in his way he c
should not rejeft it ; but he could not fay d
that he would go out of his way to obtain 1 t
it. If, therefore, it was an effeft on him j a
they meant to produce, they might spare 1 c
themselves the trouble in future. If it was ■ a
an effeft on the public ; still their labours e
would not effeft him ; for he was very wil- : a
ling to let his motives be laid before the pub- i c
lie, on his own sincerity, weighed against a
the accusations of those gentlemen. j c
He had been led into these remarks, not
only by the course conftaqfcly pursued by 1 1
gentlemen in general, but by the aflertion I <■
of the gentleman last np—from Maryland , 1
(Mr. Smith). That this motion for ex- j
cepting the Weft India trade from the pro- '<
hibition to arm for defence, was a motion for j 1
peace or war. In this opinion he could not J
agree. He was persuaded, and he should f
endeavour to shew that the right of arming \ \
merchants (hips for defence in the Weft In- 1
dia trade, might be so regulated and re- <
ftrifted, as to become in no degree dange
. rous to the peace "of this country. '
i He said the right of arming for defence ; 1
for he took this to be a right inherent by ;
the law of nations, in every neutral State.
He had not, he confefled, made researches
' into the law of riations on this point, but the
! general course of his reading had led to this
1 conclusion. It was also confirmed by histo
ry and the praftice of neutral States, whose
1 merchants (hips did very frequently fail
j armed in time of war. It was a natural
j right to carry arms for defcece, as much on
, the water as on the land. The offence, lay
1 in either cafe, hot in the arming, but in the
c improper use of the arms. If on a
' journey should carry arms for his defence
against robbers, this would he proper ; but
. should he use them to rob himfelf, be be
- comes punishable as a felon—So it is at sea.
c The arms may be carried, and may be
e used properly. If used improperly, pun
t ifhment ensues. This he had moreover un
s derftood to be the result of the best legal
>f opinions in this country ; and indeed it had
e not been denied.
~ It must, however, be admitted, that the
abuse of this right was far more easy, and
il far more dangerous, at sea, than ou land : It
3 was therefore proper to lay it under much
1 stronger reftriftions ; and some nations had
1 thought fit to reftrift it altogether. Whe
ther we should do so in the present circum
ii fiances, was the question. This question
he would repeat, was riot about the giving
of a right, but about the reftrifting or tak
ing away entirely of one which already ex
i_ ifted.
it When this proposition was firft brought
1- forward by his colleague, it was presented
in the most general and abftraft form- It
'J was "to regulate the arming of mercahnts
lc (hips for defence." Afterwards by the con
sent of the mover it had been exp#.Ted dis
h ferently : "To reftrift the arming of mer
chants (hips for defence, to particular cases."
A gentleman from Connefticut (Mr. Coit)
J had moved to amend it so as to read '? to re
1. ftrift the arming of merchants (li:p% &c.
r to the trade to the East Indies and the Me
" diterranean." It had then been moved to
insert before the word." Indies" the words
:)t stand "to reftrift the arming of merchants
:d fliips, &c. to the trade of the East and Weft
Indies, and the Mediterranean." That was
the motion then under difcufTan. The
question was whether merchants ships enga
lo ged in the Weft India trade should be pre
vented entirely- from arming for defence ?
ft And this the gentleman from Maryland had
c- .declared to be a question of peace or war.
th But how, he would a fie, was it a question
ut of peace or war ? Was it not prafticable to
:f- leave the merchants possessed of this right,
er but under such regulations and reftriftions as
re would take away the danger of abuse ?—Or
■rs if abuses should happen, would save the
■% nation from refponflbility ; would take away
re cause of offence from other nations ; He
lid believed it was prafticable, ar.d he should
ir- n6w'endeavour to shew it. The question]
in had indeed been brought forward in its ab-'
ffrjft form i in this form it was proper full i c;
to difcufsit. The modifications would come 1 a*
dfitruardf, when it should affame the form I a
ef a bill. Gentlemen- had complained of jfa
this mode, and called for the modifications
in the firft instance; but tlicy had them- at
selves proved, that this mod.; was proper.-: j c.<
They had not only proved by the tenor o£ 119
their opposition that they meant to vote Ibi
against the measure under any poffiblc modi- I o
fication ; but liacf expressly declared it.— J ai
One gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Giles) I tc
had even declared that he would vote againfl | j'
every proposition on the table. Why then Iti
spend time in modifying a measure, which a!
however modified, gentlemen were resolved I ci
to oppose. ? The • proper way was, to fee J it
whether it could be carried in iLs general h
form, and let the modification Cornc after- II
wards. Though, however, he thought it n;
improper to propose any modification at c;
present, he would tell gentlemen, and en- ai
deavour to (hew the Committee, how, In his I
opinion, it might be modified so as to strip a
it of all its dangers. b
There were, he (aid, three kinds cf trade
as between us and France. There was one c
kind prohibited either by treaties or the law t
of nations, one kind in dispute, and one kind I tl
neither prohibited nor in dispute. To this j v
last kind the right might be, and in his opi- I ti
nion ought to be, reftrifted. These reftric- I o
tions (hould be exprefled in the law, and in | i
precise inftruftions, and heavy penalties, un- I F
der good security, should be exacted for the I j'
observance of these inftruftions. Thus as I 0
the inftruftions would be confined wholly to I g
a trade, neither prohibited nor in dispute, I t
they could not be complained of; and if J v
they were infringed, it would not be the aft j <j
of the nation. The nation would have only I d
to disavow the aft, and (hew the inftruftions 11
whereby it was forbidden ; it then became I v
the private aft of parties, for which they j t
were punifliable, but the nation not bound | I
'to answer. This must. be admitted by all, | t
especially oy those gentlemen who contend I r
that the French Government is not ac- j c
countable for the hoftije afts in the Weft Tn- I h
dies, though avowedly founded on one of I V
I their decrees, and done bv their public and I f
! acknowledged agents, {f, under these cir- 11
■ cumftances, the French Government b? not I r
1 answerable for these afts, because it has not I '
especially authorized them, how, he would I £
j ask, could the American Government be ac- j c
1 countable for afts done- not only without its j 1
authority, but against its express and public I t
■ orders ? For afts, which instead of being I 1
! able*to avow, should it think fit, as the I 1
! French Government do- with' refpeft to the I ■
j depredations in the Weft Indies, it would 1
be bound topunifh. I 1
He would exemplify this general position I 1
1 as to th? manner of modifying this measure, I i
by some particular cases : not in order to j 1
point out all the modifications whereof it was j '
susceptible, or to declare that he would sup- j <
I port all that he fhonld mention ; but to (hew I >
how it might be modified so as to remove j '
every objeftion. j
111 the firft place Britain exercifcd the'right I '
of taking the goods of her enemies if found 1
on board of our (hips. This France ailed- j
ged was aright given to the Engliilibyour I
treaty with them, and that (he also. tad I
; become intitled to it. She therefore decla- I
: red that (he would take the goods of her e- I
nemies whenever (he could find them in our j
. (hips. Tnispoint we do not concede ; but
• neither do we mean to resist the right by j
[ force. We intend to ttegociate, and per
[ haps to yield it if found expedient. It j
[ would therefore be improper, and contrary |
- to the spirit of this negociation to permit 1
: our vefTels to arm in this trade ; and confe- I
1 quently every veflel whichftiall take onboard j
: goods the prope'rty of the enemies of France
: must be prevented from arming. Every vef
. fel before (lie arms must give fufficient proof j
, that (lie has no such goods on board, and
; fufficient security not to take them.
So also asto contraband aboutwhich there
. is a point in dispute between us and Franc; I
1 which we mean to fettle by negociation.— I
1 The French treaty limits the contraband j
lift. In the British it is more extended, and I
; the French declare that they will extend it I
1 in the fame manner. Here is a dispute which
t like the former, we mean to fettle if possible I
j by negociation. We must not therefore 1
i permit oif citizens to contest it by arms ;
- and accordingly no veflel (hould be permit- I
. ted to armwithout proving that (he had none j
1 of those articles on board, and giving fecu- I
t rity to take noue. If (he did so, it would I
- be contrary to her inftruftions Scat her own I
- ri(k. The bonds would be forfeited, the aft I
disapproved, and the. nation saved from all I
t refponflbility.
i The fame observations, he said, would I
t apply to the cafe of a place blockaded or be- I
s sieged. By the Laws of Nations provisions I
- could not be carried to a blockaded or be- I
fiegedplace. What wouldconftituteafiegecr I
•- blockadewasaqueftionoftheLawofNations;
" but the ejeiftence of thefiegeor blockade must
) in the firft jnftance be notified to neutrals by
:- the party forming it. It could be known
:. in no other manner : for the neutrals must
be well acquainted with the circUmstances,
o and the besieged party would not teftify a
[s gainst themselves- Indeed acefs could not
n be had to them, and of course their opinion
:s could not he known. The besiegers must
ft therefore make the declaration in the firft
is instance, and neutrals must believe it. Whe
le ther falfe or true becomes afterwards a quef
l- tion in the Courts of Admiralty which the
e- French authority there has declared to be '
? in this state. The truth of this declaration
id will be a matter of controversy when any of
ourveflelsfliallbe taken in the attempt to enter
n those ports peaceably: but in the mean time
to they must not be allowed to attempt to en
t, ter by force. They must be prohibited in
as the fame manner as if the place were decla
)r red by the commander of a squadron to be
le in a state of blocade. At least, Mr. har
ly per said, this appeared to him to be pro
le per according to this present view of the
Id point. He might hereafter think otherwise
>n for his mind was not fully made up. But
b-' proper cr not, which was watter of future
cyifideAtibn," it was certaiafy pra&icable,
and if done would Cave the government from
any responsibility : a'nd that waS fufficicnt
for the present purpose.
These modilications, Mr. Harper said,
and as many more as might be thought nc
ceffary, it wftuld be practicable to introduce
iijto a The provifione of this bill would
be digested into'aTett o'f Tnft'ru&ion- find"
owners of veffeb applying for permission to
arnvdefeniivety, would be obliged to conform
|to the-law, and to give large bonds with fuf
ficient security for conforming to the inflec
tions. Resolves by way of indictment, might
also be added for matters of veflels who ftrould
contravene the inftru&ions.# If they flifculd
dill be contravened, the government would
have notlting ta do but disavow the act,
(hew the inftruftlons, and lay to -tie other
nation, puiiilh thefi persons if
catch them, they havc.djfobeycd our orders,
and if they -.come here we will punish fliem,
In the mean time wc-wittforfeit.LK;'r bonds:''
and thus all jnftifiable cause of offence would
be taken away.
He said " juftifiable cause of offence" be- '
caafe it was and always would be impossible
to take away pretexts of war from a natfen »
that has resolved on it. Such pretexts it
was well known from the history of "all na
tions and ages, had never been wanting when
one power was resolved to attack another.
All that could be done by a state deSrous of
peace was to avoid real cause of offence,
juftifiable cause of quarrel. This mtift be
our conduft. We mull avoid juftifiable
ground of complaint andoffence : this would
be done by,the measures recommended ; and
we could do no more. If France were so
determined on a quarrel as to attack us un-
der so flirnzy a pretence, (he wo aid. .find "b- *
thers were we to deprive her of this. War'
we' (hould have, if.war was her desire ; and
the; only possible chance of avoiding it, W6flld_
be by letting her fee that it was not her in- .
tereft. Mr. Harper was not afraid to fro-'
nounce the word war. He was neither afraid 1
of the thing, nor alarmed at the found ; and
he could conceive eaftly of circuraftancea -in
>vhich all the intereftsofthiscountry would Call
for war. Those circun-ftacces he did not
believe now to exist. He believed they
might be averted ; and that to adopt this
measure would strongly tendto produce that
effe&. Much had been, said about a clamor,
of war which had on former occasions been
raised. If such a clamour had been raised
the justice would be done him to acknow
ledge that he had never assisted it. He had
never resorted to the alarm of war. It was
an event which he had never apprehended,
nor did he now apprehend it. It was an e
vent always possible, and for which every
country ought to be prepared ; and this con
stant ftateof preparation was thebeft means
of averting it ; which was not to be done by
temporizing measures- A country which
acts justly towards others, and (hews a desire
of peace, and at the fame time a refolutio'n
to defend itfelf, will always be the most fafe
fiom injury and aggression.
GAZETTE MARINE LIST.
Port of Philadelphia.
ARRIVED, DAYS*
Ship Goddess ef Plcnt y',Cl,ur:iGde, Port
Brig, J aHy, Doffon, • Cape JSichoh Mole 16
Isabella & Ann, Hampt*n, Aux C*y,es 3*
Eliza, Arnold, Cbarld'on 10
I'uraaa, Morris, N. Carolina %
Adamant!, Wklrling. Windfer, N. S, if
Schr. Susannah. Carson, Barbadoes 24
Samuel, Carson,' Barbadoes 14,
, Yateman, Crane. Cape Nichola Mole 23
Andrew, Caffin, Ditto 16
Miile'rva, Dill, • Baltimore: 8
Hancock Horton, Providence J
Sloop Driver, Brent, Cape Nichola Mole 16
Betfejr, King, Alexandri4 5
CLEARED.
. Ship Bacchus,XSeorge, I.ocdon
Farey, Ehrenftroom, Ilavannah
Brig Enteijirizc, Laugdon, Kingston, Jamaica
Adelaide, Minns, Baltimore
George, Waire, N, Carolina
Schr. RichmoHd, Thomas, Norfolk
. Folly Hall, ChaniUtr, V afliington N.i (*.
lifhju, iDrunimoad, Ncrfoli
1 Sloop Morning Star, Wtiden, Foley
[ Captain Hampton was boarded by French ami
Britifii Cruisers, who ' after examination iUfmiiTe<i
hiai—the former exprefkd regret thai he-was
from a Britiih port.
l'ort of BALTIMORE.
: , ARRIVED.
; *'hip Ahigal, Weft-Indies
Schr. Experiment, Jones, da.
Bctfy and Patsy, Durfcea, do.
Victory, Jones, do.
Thomas. Knap, do.
1 Mary.Thompson,* do.
1 Rachel, Williams, do.
. SUep Jane, Brown, Philadelphia
1 NEW-YORK, June 9.
ARRIVED. i Dtp.
j Brig.Diarfem, Collin, Havamiah-ii)
Schr. Rochille, Swift, N. Carolina 7
Polly, Shaw, Savannah 11
s Sloop Betsey, Con Win, N. Provideltce XI
BALTIMORE, June 6.
r The brig Fanny, of Baltimore, captain
; Richard Fijher, from St. Thomas to Cape
\ Francois, was captured the \JI May by a
■f Brit"Jh 74 gunJßip, and fx*, into the-Mate,
n the cargo which -was flour, hoifltd out, every
I barrel bcred and she cre<w inierrttgiled Jty.ir
;, ately ; after which capt. Fjher hadfrrix'fpon
- given him either to fell at tkt Mile 'if to proceed
t under convoy to any other British port; ■ffmr
n fit the Mole would only bring 7 JrfLtrs pef 'blir-
H rel, of course captain Fijher proceecild tQ-'Jlre-
II mie,where flour was so p'lr.ty that it utMd r*t
:- fell ct any pr:ce\ -Captain Fijher mttptMi ihct
f- one convoy of 0 and anottyrfiri*
e ies had been feht dewn to 'Jamaica, Ciid that
e there appeared fa be a determination to 'capture
n all American Wffels bound to or from French
>f ports.
:r The Schooner IVillicm of Baltimore, cept.
le Francis'Smilhwici, on hfr fnffagt home frc;n
1- Jacquemet, was captured on the &th May, by
ii ihe Hir.iTletter df Marqne, andpnt into Jere
i- mie, the captain detained as a prifuner, and the
>e • Jfhmn'er sent doton with two others to Jamaica
r- under convoy. Captain Smith wilt -writes that
> a convoy with.nine American prime had failed
if afew day before for Jamaifa, and that report
fe \faid orders were-given to fend thither cdl Amer
it | ican "reffcls bound or from French ports as
re g'odpriztu