The Alexandria herald. [volume], March 19, 1814, Image 3

About The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
of Representatives, and In consequence
of that difficulty, the house adjourned at
aa unusually cai ly hour.
ALEXANDRIA HERALD.
SATURDAY, March 19, 1814.
wzr FIRE /—The derangement pro I
duccd by the fire which originated in the
Press Room of this office on Wednesday
flight last from a box of ashes, which had
been taken out of the stove, will be a suffi
cient apology for one day’s delay in the
publication of the Herald. Our loss is in
considerable. The damage done the house
has been estimated at g 78, and is insured
at Richmond, The fire was discovered by
one of the editors of the Gazette, who
gave an immediate alarm, and zealously
rendered his assistance. To the promp
titude and activity of those citizens who
first assembled «c are indebted for
the preservation of this office (the des
truction of which would have involved all
the adjoining property) by imminently ha
zarding themselves in a building, the si
tuation of which they were unacquainted
with, ard arresting the fire at an unexam
pled progress. For those exertions we
tender our warmest acknowledgements.
We have conversed with a gentleman
who left New London on Saturday last—
he informed us, that on the Thursdy eve
ning preceding there was at that place a
considerable storm of snow and rain ; and
the appearance of the weather being fat or- j
able for our squadron to put to sea, Com.
Decatur issued an order requiring all his
officers on shore to repair, without delay,
on board their respective vessels. Shortly
after blue lights were thrown up. like rock
ets, irons Long Point, and distinctly seer
by the officers at Fort Trumbull, and by
the officers and men on hoard the Look-out
boats. 1 he gentleman from whom we re
ceived this information plainly saw the
lights, 8c stales that they were answered by
three heavy guns from the ships of the ene
my, at intervals of about ten minutes ; that
he was further informed, by an officer from
Fort Trumbull, that the lights were con
titvued during the whole night.—Mat. Adv.
The Senate yesterday confirmed the
nomination of Return J. Meigs, of Ohio,
to the office of Postmaster General of the
United Slates — A'at. Intel.
We learn from Philadelphia, that altho*
u considerable depression has taken place
in the U. States stock, it is merely nomi
nal, 8c no person appears desirous to sellthat
which he holds. It is believed that those
very much interested in taking the new
loan, as well as these who aro extremely
hostile to the government, are taking eve
ry possible pains to make such representa
tions and such efforts as will,tend, ii suc
cessful, to prevent monied men from com
ing forward to subscribe to the loan_
It is asserted on good authority, that sales
of stock in the existing funds could be
made at or nearly at its full valuo in Phila
delphia, if any were offered with a view to
make real sales, notwithstanding the re
port* of heavy pressures —Balt.'" jy/utf.
THE COMET.
The.report of the capture of the priva
teer Comet, lioyle, of Baltimore, by the
Surfirizt: frigate is totally unfounded. A
gentleman, passenger in the Spanish schr.
that is said to have brought the account,
denies that any information had been re
ceived of her capture when they left Por
.lo Rico. This is the second time that the
.Ntvj-Yorlc Printers have captured the Co
:met.—Balt. C. H. B.
Albany, March 10.
The court martial on general Hull, con
vened on Monday last, and the evidence on
both sides having been closed, it was ad
journed over to Friday (to-morrow) to give
tho accused timo to prepare his defence.
} am told however, that general Hull is
jiot yet ready, and that when the court shall
convene, it will be further adjourned to
MptvdUty next.
Kingston, (Jam.) Dec. 1.
A moat desperate attempt to escape was
niade by the prisoners of war, on board
the Loyalist on Wednesday afternoon.
The intention of the prisoners (for it had
been previously concerted,) was lo assault
both the guards and at any rate to make
sure of the officer, for this purpose they
were divided into two parties, Sc at half past
5 P. M they put their plan into execution.
The attack they made was instantaneous,
but the pirty who attacked the gua^d, and
whose primary object seems to hat e been
tbs seizure of tbeir ami*, was so roughly
handled, baying six killed outright, »ix
more severely wounded, and who are not
expected to survive, that they gave it up &
were driven below, excepting eleven who
jumped ovcrboaid, and aie supposed to
have been drowned. The party that pro
ceeded to the officer’s cabin succeeded so
far, but they had scarcely attained their ob
ject, when they were put hors de com
bat by srveralof the guard.
Capt. L. Ut ry acknowledged himself to
be one of the ringleaders and said their in
tention was nothing more than to regain
sweet liberty.
Five cf the kdle^are whites, their bo
dies were brought to Port Royal naval bos '
phal, when a coroner’s inquest was held o
ver them yesterday afternoon.
From the Waterford Gazette of the 8th
instant.
I lop. tv id Murder!—-The following par
ticulars of this horrid transaction we have
from one ol the persons who assisted in
securing the murderer}
William Eldred, who resided in this
town, about ten miles from this village, on
Saturday afternoon last, wont intb his house
—deliberately, and without any apparent
cause, seized an axe which was at hand,
aimed a blow at tlip head of his wife, which
struck the back part of her neck and woun
ded her badly ; she however, sprang for the
door, and while in the act of opening it,
she received his second blow upon the top
of her head, with the edge of the axe,
which almost severed it ; she fell on her
lace meicss, oat at the door* He then re
pcated tho blows until her head was man
gled in the most shocking manner—then
turned her over and cut her throat with the
axe ; the work ol death being effectually
accomplished, he inhumanly dragged her
into the house. This cruel monster was
not yet satisfied with the horrible specta
cle he had presented, he caught the slice,
and with savage fury hurled it at his little
daughter, the blow took effect, she ran a
short distance from the house and fell wel
tering in blood, and would inevitably have
shared the unhappy fate of her mother, had
not timely assistance been rendered.
Eldrcd.it is said had previously exhibi
ted symptoms of insanity. He was with
difficulty sccuied and conveyed to jail in
Ballston, to await his trial.
Mrs. Eld red was much esteemed and
beloved by all her acquaintance.
Congress of the United States.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Wednesday, March 16.
DISTRICT PENITENTIARY.
The house on motion ot' Mr. Ingersoll
of Pa. resolved itself into a committee oi
the whole, Mr. King in the chair, or the
hill to authorise the erection of a peniten
tiary m the district of Columbia, and tu
provide the necessary funds therefor.
[t his bill authorises the president un
der the direction of the board of comrais
•doners, to cause to be erected the build
ings E< walls of a penitentiary on the Square
Judiciary in the city of Washington called
the square ; and, to provide means com
petent to eflect. this purpose, appropriates
certain public Iocs in the city, to be sold
under the direction of the said commis
sioners ;so much of the proceeds as is ne
cessary to be applied to the object of the
bill and the remainder to be paid over into
the treasury of the United States.]
On this bill considerable desultory de
bate took place, th» bill being opposed by
Mr. Wiight and Mr. Fisk of N. York, on
the ground that it would be unjust to ap
propriate the public‘property to the pur
poses of this district, already sufficiently
favored by benefits from the public trea
sury, Etc. and was warmly supported by
Mr. Ingersoll on the ground of the expe
diency of the measure, and the propriety
of the mode in which it was proposed to
be effected. The public lots proposed to
be appropriated to thU purpose were at
present of no possible benefit to the pub
lic from whom the property would not be
transferred by an application of these lots
to the purpose of erecting a penitentiary,
because the penitentiary itself would be
the property of the public, 8cc. Mr. Find
ley defended the city from the remarks ap
plied to it by Mr. Wright.
The committee rose for want of a quo
rum, and, at length, after refusing once to
adjourn and having come to no decision on
the subject of the bill, there being a diffi
culty in keeping a quorum to attend to bu
sin ess—.
The house adjourned.
Friday, March 18.
Mr. Seybcrt of Penn, from the select
committee, to whom was refered the reso
lution on the subject of the copper coins,
reported that it was inexpedient at this
time to make any alteration in the copper
coins, or the U. States. Mr. S. presented
a letter from the director of the mint on
the subject, which was read. The report
was then agreed to,
The engrossed bill for the relief of Den
nis Clarke, wes read a third time, passed
and sent to the senate.
AN EMBARGO MOTION
Mr. Wood of Mass, offered for conside
ration the following resolution :
Resolved, That the committee cf ways
and means be instructed to enquire in
to the expediency of allowing vessels
whose cargo shall consist ol firewood, bark,
or lime, to proceed from one port or place
in a state to one or more ports in the same
or an adjoining state, under such restric
tions and regulations aa the president of
the United States shall direct ; and also
into the expediency of allowing the vessels
heretofore chiefly employed in the fishe
ries to be employed aguin in the saino busi
ness.
On the question to consider tins motion,
which on the requisition of Mr. Wood, was
derided by yeas and nays, the vote was as
follows:
For considering it 63
Against it 80
So the house refused now to consider
the resolution :
On motion of Mr. Yancey of N. C. the 1
house resolved itself into a committee of
the whole, Mr. Pleasants of Va. in the;
chair, on the report of the committee of
\vays and means against the expediency1
(into which they had been, on motion of
Mr. Yancey instructed to enquire) of a
mending that provision in the act laying '
duties on licenses to retailers, &c. so far i
as respects the sMe of domestic spirits sold
iju.whm.ii:b man nve gallons, at the
place where the same shall have been dis
tilled, and by the person lo wlic.m lisenso
shall have been grunted for that purpose.
Mr. Yancey moved to am nd the re
pot t so as to declare it to be ex/tcdient to
make the proposed amendment to the li
sense law. His object was to make it le
gal for distillers to sell \u any quantity not
less than one gallon
After considerable debate in the com
mittee and afterwards in tho house_
This motion was decided in the negative
by yeas and nays as follows_Yeas 60_
Nays 89.
The house then concurred in the report
of the commit ea of ways and means.
The remainder of the day was spent on
bills of a private nature, pot at all i;»te:e;.t
ing to the public.
And the house adjourned.
Richmond, March 12.
MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY.
Extract cf a letter to the editor, tinted
Y'ork, March- 9.
“ On Monday evening a brig and a
j schooner sailed by Lynh&ven bay and a
schooner n little below Old Point Coun
fort. About twelve o’clock at night five
barges from them approached very neai
to Black Beard's Point, at Hampton
Creek ; when they were hailed by a cen
linel several times, and twice fired upon be
fore they moved oil—1 lie alarm was given i
to the garrison there, & whatever hostile act
the enemy had intended to commit was a-'
bandoned—I have no doubt that a more ac
ivo course of operations will be carried on
under CocKburn than was pursued under
Warren last summer; such is the differ
ence between a military man of 40 and
one of 60 years.”
FOU THE ALEXANDRIA HERALD.
Mcssrs- Printers,
I have ever been anadvocaic for the
dignity oi human nature—condemned tl»c
council given by an old miser to his son.
'* deal with every man as it he were a
rogue.” My practice has been quite the
contrary. I deal with, and esteem every
man 33 honest, unless I know by experi
ence, or on good authority, that he is not.
’Tis true, I have sometimes suffered by
this good opinion of man ; but the plea
sure I derive from placing confidence in
my fellow man, amply compensates me for
any little losses I sustain thereby. In n
grecableness to this mode of reasoning, 1
consider every one of our Representatives
in Congress as honorable men, because I
know nothing to the contrary. For, says I
to myself, they all have our good at heart, j
One thing, however, appeared to me some
what strange ; that all having but ons end
in view, how have they come so widely to
differ. And so I told my neighbor, who
understands Latin, Greek. £cc. One day
Calhoun says one thing, Quincy quite the
contrary ; yet they are both men of soun
knowledge, and both no doubt love their
country. When I hear Pickering reason,
then I’m on his side ; Jackson replies—I
change sides. And thus I am plagued, un
til at length I know no more of what opi
nion I am of, than I do of the man in the
moon. Now that which puzales me so
confoundedly, says I, is whether they think
themselves, they are right. Undoubtedly
they do, says my neighbor, who understands
Latin. Well says I, it may be so ; God
forbid it should be otherwise. Yet I freely
acknowledge my poor shallow brain cnn’i
understand it. God help the ig'vo' antj said
I, since the wise can he to much mistaken i
for although I know lut very little, thin
much I may venture to say—one of. them
must be wrong. Indeed Simon, answered
my neighbor the Latinist, you are right j*
but we will still hope that we have no, ar
rived, as yet, to such a height in wicked*
ness, as to pretend to be lovers of our coun
try, and promoters of its good, while pub*
licty and secretly plotting its ruin. Hope
said 1—when hope dies, heart breaks. I’ll
hope said I, as long as I live. But though
I hope for the best, I cannot be satisfied
that all are as they should be. I believe,
continued I, that many things appear
strange to me, that arc very plain to many
people. But you neighbor, said I, have
been blest with a gp ,d education. You can
read Latin, sing Italian and jabber French.
Tell me now, do you really believe Mr.
Shefley thought he was right, when he said
on the floor of Congress, that wc could not
procut* pne blanket for the soldiers of our
army ? Can you believe that governor Chit
tenden was right, when he without autl.o
tity, called pn the militia of Vermont to
desert their country’s cause in the hour of
danger? Or can you really believe the as
sembly of Massachusetts were right, when
they shut their jail doors against ‘British
prisoners of war, and threatened to open
them in thirty day3 for their liberation ?
Can you believe that captain Mason thought
lie was right, Wiicn he informed the junior
Editor of the Gazette, thst col. Minor im
pressed every militiaman of Fairfax coun
ty, that he could lay his hands upon, and
compelled them to go into military service T
Or can you in your heart believe, that any
cuiduiioi r*inaxortUcatIj..mii»g counties,
could think he was right, in saying that ma
jor Hunter was instrumental in calling tli©
militia of Fairfax to march for NoifTdk in
the present winter? Indeed Simon, replied
my neighbor, these questions of yours re
quire answers, and I think I can convince
you that they who you last mentioned, are
right. You know that all schemes are law
ful in war—Is there not war in cur coun
try now ? And if I, who am at war with you,,
can ont manoeuvre you, ’,>7 a few stretches
i of assumed powc^or a few well-timed lies,
aal kr.awiwi^ijj^t in the end, let that
justify the means, DQxd help me, said If
what kind of doctrine Is this I does not
the Apostle tell us, “ yo shall not do evil,
that good may come of it ?"
Your*, See. for (lie present,
SIMON IIAMMERUM.
March 1814.
|C7=* Our subsc ibers in Leesburg, Imd
that direction, will please excuse us for not
forwarding out paper of last Wednesday,
and those in Haymarket, l-auquicr, &c. we
liope will pardon us for not forwarding tho
week s paper* which should have gone by
last Thursday's mail, as these papers were,
all burnt when our nines t< ok fire on Wed
nesday evening last.
ftC/^The Delegates from the general Bap
tist Societies for foreign missions in the U.
States, are respectfully solicited tofeonvene
in the meeting house of the First Baptist
Church in Philadelphia, on the Sd Wed
nesday in May next.
! FISH WIIARF TO RENT.
ON Tuesday the 22c] inst. at eleven o'
clock, will be rented, a number of
LOTS on the Wharf, where the Pish Mur
ket was kept last year. They will be only
rented during the fishery—as the huts that
may be erected, must be removed previous
to the 1st June next.
JOHN T. BROOKS,
Superintendent of Police.
March 19»
PATONS & BUTCHER
HAVE just received and fov sale about
60 tens liAH IRQ A, consisting of
Waggon Tire, Plough Moulds, squares
3-4 to 1 1-4 inches. Also on hand, a few
tons Round Iron, 3-4 to l 1-8 inches.
. March 9__ 2aw3w
20 DOLLARS REWARD^
ABSCONDED from the subscriber's
faim, near Snicker s (*ap, in September*
1812, a dark MULATTO BOV, named
Fielding, about 16 or 17 years old, but ve
ry small of his age. lie is artful, and win
be apt to change his name : he is talkative,
and speaks in a drawling tone. IJ j& visage
is remarkably lean, and pointed at the chin,
His mouth is wide, and his teeth large and
uncommonly whit©.
He was heard of in the neighborhood of
Bernard Hooe, Esq near Hay Market
where he once lived, and where lye will pro-*
bnbly be found. He is also acquainted a
oout Alexandria and Georgetown, and per
haps he may be lurking there.
The above reward will be given for se
curing said boy so that I get him, and rea
sonable charges paid if he is broup-h*
homo.
THOMAS PARKER.
Loudoun Genn’y. Feb 2 Jaw2m