To The Editor Of The Time...
Sir,-From the manner in which my name has been mentioned upon a recent very melancholy occasion, I trust I may be allowed, through the channel of your respectable columns, to subi-ait to the public a few words in my own behalf. An account of the escape, in \larchi, 1815, of the C'onsfitution American frigate from the tllree Britishi ships l.coznder, Xewcastle, and Acatsta, in consequence of all three of the latter having tacked away from tbe former, in pursuit of her prize, whom she had directed to part company, appeared in myv "Account of tlie Naval Occurrences of the late American war :" nublished as long ago as June, 1817. In three or four itionthai afterwards, Mr. Joohn Mlurrav, of Arlbemarle-strcet, having met nme by appointment at his own house, told me that the Secretary to the Board of Admiralty had deputed him to say, that their Lordships approved of the manner in which I had drawn up the statements in that work, anid desired to take fortv copies. From that hour, nay, from the first publication of the woik, until vester- day morning, when the statement in the a1orning CLhronicle mnet my eye, I neverreceived aline, never hearda word, impugnin my accoumt of tie escape of tie Constitution from the Lander and her consorts, either as it is detailed in the " Naval Occurrences," or in the last volume of the " Naval History." In the latter. I stateR. what I had left to be implied in the forner-that the British ships tacked by sig- nal from *he Commodore. I also endeavoured to make it appear, that from the Leander's leeward position, her gal-ant commander, in making the signal to tack away from the American frigate, could not have dreaded a personal encoumnter with her, as one or the other of his consorts must have captured the Comftitation before the L,eander could have got alongside. " W'hat could have possessed Sir G. Collier to act in this manner ?" are the words I used. Perhaps I had better hare stated boldly, what I then believed, and still believe, that, in not permitting the icasfta, either with or without the aid of the Newcastle, to continue the pursuit of the Constitution, the Bri- tish Commaduse did wrong. I most fervently wish that the unfor- tunate gentleman, accompanied by some calm ant' rational friend, had honoured me with a call. I would have convinced one, at least, that, though I considered Sir George to have erred in judg- ment, I never had dreamt of qurstioning his gallantry. But, after all, how nmuch better might this have been done at the Admiiiralty by Sir George Cockburn, Sir Edward liamilton, or Sir Richard King ? Which of these Admi- rals, according to the evidence on the inquest, took the proper mode of appeasing the mind of their unhappy friend? H ad any one of' them assured the gallant officer that I meant nO imputation UpOn his onour, and that (if necessary to say sore) a little obscurity was to be expected in an account dra.n up byone whom they all knew to be at lanzdsan, it is my firm belief the lamentable oenrren,, ''.'1'i - - - '. - WILIAA1 JAMER1- .' o n uum uamoetn, march 25. Td Iar e e itors of those newspapers tIon which the account of the proceedings at the Coroner's inquest has apoeared, are respectfuljr find earnestly requestqd to give insertion to this letter.- TO TIIE EDITOR OF TflE TIMf[ES.