Show EXPLOITS OF OUR NAVY How OFFICERS HAVE MET EtEBGEN C1E3 A great deal has been said in regard re-gard to the action taken by Admira Nicholson during the recent bombardment bom-bardment of Alexandria by the British squadron under Admira Seymour The opinion seems to prevail pre-vail that in landing bis sailors and marines to assist in preserving order and protect life and property in the doomed city Admiral Nicholson was guilty of an assumption of authorU which circumstances neither authorized author-ized nor warranted and that his act in the premises were in direct violation viola-tion of our timehonored custom anon nonintervention in foreign political complications The argumenta advanced ad-vanced by those unfamiliar with the history of our navy and naval affair are net only mischievous in their conception con-ception and inference but their hasty condemnation of a gallant officers conduct is direotlw contro verted by the facts while the action of Admiral Nicholson is well sustained sus-tained by sufficient historical precedent preced-ent i Without mentioning those instances I where our navy gained great distinction distinc-tion and renown in foreign waters while acting under direct authority of Congress in the bombardment of Algiers and Tripoli during the conquest con-quest of California the war with Mexico and the two wars with England Eng-land our small but ever gallant and alert naval forces have earned and sustained a reputation for prompt and efficient action in the protection of American interests abroad which baa been the pride and boast of all true and patriotic Americans During the year 1823 the Porto Rico Spanish privateers having upon several occasions interrupted our commerce Commodore Porter sent a communication on the subject to the authorities of the island Lieutenant Lieu-tenant W H Cooke in command Of the brig Fox in attempting to enter the port of St John in order tore to-re eive a reply to the commodores official communication was fired upon and killed Commodore Porter threatened to bombard the town and wad di gcaded from doing so only by the prompt apology of the authorities authori-ties of the island Again in October 1823 Lieutenant Platt commanding the United States brig Beagle learning learn-ing that one of our merchants doing business at St Thomas had been plundered by the Spanish pirates and his goods taken to Fox rlo a small joi t on the island of Porto RICO proceeded thither to recover the property On making kno n the bjeot of their visit Lieutenants Platt > md < Richie were arrested and detained under guard for a day Commodore Porter with characteristic prompt ices proceeded to Fcxado to demand explanation and redress Fiuding mat the authorities upon his arrival there intended to op < n fire upon tus vessel he landed a toro j ot tailon HDt1 marines took their batteries and compelled from tneir oflsndera toe fullest apolcgie lu February 1832 Commodore Downee in the Irtgaie Potomac ascertained that the Malay had cap ureJ the American ship Friendship jf f Sslem MaaaaciiUdSlts An expi clition wai fitted cut from the Potomac Poto-mac officered by Lieutenants Sbubiick Hot Ingereoll and Totten o the navy and Leutenant Edson A t the marines Tne Malays made a determined resistance but were finals overcome and several of their forts captured and destroyed For uw action the officers of the Fx edition edi-tion received the thinks of the department de-partment While Commander Kelly was at Shanghai in 1854 in the sloop of war Plymouth a combined attack of the BngiiBh and America lurce was made upon tbe I n Arp tn df f tic imp ria 2s in r ialit nj for H greaaiona committed by tr eui upon British residents la uiit kt t on tire Chinese were severely puoihtd This voluntary act ot Commander Kfl > v received ce aupruvHf t ol yie PIt di1J arid the department I in he latter part ol f Jute 1853 9h t Uommlacdar Inkrxtu n ij ate aii I c W Hr St Lvui t wan at Satrti x Turkey be rtCfcivcJ dom do-m ton tblJt a Huoearmn named M rt u K a Ii witty tlj American pB8po t uuu por tiad been arrettaa ny point > Austri4jV officials on the charge ul tfeing deserter from tha Aut tan 4rciy and was held prism < a coarJ t n Amtrua brig ofwar wasch vessel was supported sup-ported by tic Austrian steam gunboat Commander Ingrabam JmAj diately made a demand tact Kn ga ad release tat t-at the same time ranrn cut ais guns and prepanng his Aip or IG tion Ko2ta was promptly released and the spirited action of Commodore Commo-dore Ingrabam received the highest conmeadauoa from tbejgovernment auc a gold medal was awarded him by Congress In January 2854 Lieutenant Strain of the navy was engaged in exploring a roate across tho isthmus During the programs of the work the natives commItted various outrages upon the persona and property of American citizens employed in or onpeoted with the survey In re taHation Captain Holtns in the rftopolwar Cayne bombarded and p1royed the town of San Juan de NICHr3 UQ In April 1868 Lieutenant Alrny m the Fulton compelled the release cf ir American vea sla that had been ioizcd and retained by the authorities of lmpco Mexico On this occasion the Mexican government desired ton to-n fcr the matter of the seizure of the vessels to the official action of the respective governments You will release the vessels first Bid Alniy then the governments i can indulge in all the palaver they want to n l In August 1858 Captain Kelly in the Saranac compelled by a display of foree at San Juan del Bur in Nicaragua Nica-ragua the release of two American citizens who had been unjustly imprisoned im-prisoned In August 1858 Commander Sin clair visited Waga one of the F jeea 1 and inflicted summary punishment upon the natives for the murder of two American citizens He destroyed their town and laid waste the country for miles In November 1858 Captain Lava lette in the frigate Wabash visited Beyrout Syria to investigate the outrages out-rages committed upon our citizens and particularly the circumstances connected with the murder of Mr Dickson near Java All but one of the parties implicated in the outrages were promptly arrested tried and eummarily punished by Captain LavalettePhiladelphia Press |