his reprimand of the young officer, (whose only fault appears to have been a little too much zeal,) and yet have preserved all the necessary influence of proper discipline. We quite concur with our friend and veteran contemporary, the editor of the Philadelphia United States Gazette,' in this remark of that calmly-judging journal: Inferior officers must obey, of course; but if an inferior officer was sent with a small vessel to blockade a port, and hold it in position to be taken by a superior, and it should appear that the place was ready to give up; that every day was diminishing its value as a prize, and that the delay was only necessary to fulfil the letter of an order, when the spirit of all orders was to conquer and take possession; and what is more, that the said letter only required obedience, in order that another and superior commander might come and have the honor of taking possession, the glory of conquest; then, we say, the spirit of all instructions was complied with by the very act of going beyond the letter. NELSON thought so; TAYLOR thought so; though neither of them might have suspected that the delay proposed was for any thing but prudence, not for the purpose of transferring laurels.' We would do Commodore PERRY no injustice; he is warmly commended elsewhere in the present number, for his gallant bearing at Vera-Cruz; yet we are reluctantly compelled to admit that his letter of reprimand to Lieut. HUNTER conveys an impression unfavorable to his disinterestedness and impartiality in a matter of great moment to a young officer, who, although deemed guilty of an act of unnecessary temerity, is yet acquitted by nine persons in ten with whom we have exchanged thoughts upon the subject-including many officers in the naval service- of any intentional wrong to his superior. We are losing sight, however, of the object of these remarks, which was to introduce the subjoined account of a case, recently come to our knowledge, wherein it was found necessary to disobey orders, that a desirable result might be effected. The following narrative of the occurrences in question comes to us from one of the crew of the brig Enterprize,' to which it refers:

'WHEN Cuba was infested with pirates, and every port of that extensive island was receiving their prizes, the government sent that active aud intelligent officer, Commodore KEARNY, then a lieutenant in command of that favorite little vessel, the brig‘Enterprize,' to cruise around it, and if possible to suppress in some degree their depredations. The Commodore had learned from good authority that Cape Antonio, the west end of the island, was the principal place of rendezvous, and he made his calculations so as to be up with it at early day-light, which he succeeded in doing. As the day opened upon him, he discovered a large brig ashore within the reef that lines that Cape, her sails flying in every direction, and one ship and a brig under weigh, just entering on the reef. Alongside of the brig on shore were four schooners and a small sloop, which, immediately after discovering the Enterprize' to be an armed vessel, made sail to the north'ard, with the hope of escaping by running around the north point of the Cape and beating up between the reef and the island, until far enough to the east to take the open sea; being aware that it was impossible for a vessel of the draft of the 'Enterprize' to pursue them across the reef; while the distance to beat around, with a southerly current opposed to her, would give them ample time to escape. The ship and brig were anchored immediately, and the piratical crews taken on board the vessels, which hugged the shore as near as possible. Every thing convinced the commander of the Enterprize' that these were piratical vessels: both the bow-chasers were brought on the starboard side, the brig was kept near the reef, and a brisk fire opened upon them; but finding the shot to fall short, the order was given to clear away, and prepare to hoist out the boats. At this moment a boat was seen approaching the 'Enterprize' from the brig on shore. The 'Enterprize' was hove to, and it was ascertained, on the boats reaching her, that the vessels in sight were all pirates, as had been anticipated. At this moment a large two-topsail schooner, having all the appearance of being armed, was discovered standing in for the Cape. The first cutter of the 'Enterprize' was now hoisted out, and the gig lowered from the stern, and crews selected for them; at the same time the brig and ship that had been brought to anchor were requested to send any boats they could spare to the Enterprize. Their yawl-boats were

received; and when the five were all manned, Commodore KEARNY desired his second lieutenant, now Commander MCINTOSH, to take charge of them and proceed in chase of the piratical vessels; his intention being to find out in the brig the character of the schooner. On the north point of the Cape, under which the piratical vessels were striving to cover themselves, there was a pole erectedon an eminence having all the appearance of a fortification. Before Lieutenant McINTOSH left the brig, his commander directed him, in the presence of the officers and crew, on no consideration to separate his little force, saying: 'You do not know with what you may have to contend: there are five piratical vessels in sight, and every appearance of a fort on the shore, and I cannot spare you any additional force.'

'It was soon seen, after leaving the brig, that the heavy-pulling boats from the merchant vessels were unable to keep up with the two boats belonging to the Enterprize;' and to wait to keep in company, would be to defeat the object of the chase, by allowing the piratical vessels to escape. As soon as out of hail, Lieutenant MCINTOSH ordered up Midshipman PRATT, who commanded the gig alongside of his cutter, and observed to him: If we wait for those slow-pulling boats we shall accomplish nothing. I am convinced we can overhaul and capture every vessel in our two boats. I wish you to follow, and keep within speaking distance of me.' The crew of the two boats, hearing this order, gave three hearty cheers; and pulling with additional vigor, more rapidly widened the distance between the boats. The piratical vessels, finding the two boats nearing them very fast, hove to, doubtless to intimidate their pursuers. It had a different effect, however, for the American ensign being displayed at this moment from the boats, again three hearty cheers were given, and on they dashed, side by side. Once more the piratical vessels crowded all sail, and also got out their sweeps; but finding that they must be overtaken, (for the boats were gaining fast) they commenced running their vessels on shore. The first, a fine schooner of about sixty tons, was beached just within the point of the Cape; and while her crew were jumping ashore from her bowsprit, smoke was seen arising from her hatches. It was evident that she was set on fire. Midshipman PRATT, a gallant officer, who has since fallen a victim to the yellow fever, now volunteered to board her, and put out the fire; but he could not be spared. There were still four other, vessels in sight, one of which, a schooner of seventy-five or eighty tons, commanded by the chief of the gaug, and known to have a gun amidships, appeared to be making preparations to defend herself. On seeing no attention paid, however, to the one already ashore, but a determination to pursue the others, they all took advantage of a heavy squall of wind and rain, (which for some minutes entirely shut them in from view,) and run ashore; the crews all taking to the thick mangroves which skirt the shores of this Cape; and, by a perfect knowledge of the ground, escaping into the higher lands.

'So soon as the squall passed over, the four vessels were boarded, hauled afloat, and got under weigh; and while standing down to the first that had been run ashore and fired, she blew up with a tremendous explosion, sending her masts, and fragments of her deck, high in the air. On nearing her, it was perceived that she had burnt to the water's edge, her timbers appearing just above it. The vessels were anchored; and on examination they were found to contain more or less cargo of value. A lare quantity of wet goods were also taken from the burnt wreck. The shore was scoured in search of the crew, but it was evident they had run far into the interior; and the day now drawing to a close, after setting fire to some houses on shore, which had been occupied by the buccaniers, Lieutenant MCINTOSH, having been previously joined by the other three boats, got the vessels under weigh, and taking the boats in tow, returned to the brig, which was lying to, outside the reef. It was near night; an officer was sent on board to relieve him; and when he passed over that gangway which he had left in the morning, he was received by his commander, who expressed gratification at his success, but observed:

"You disobeyed my positive order, Sir, in separating your force, and have subjected yourself to arrest. Walk into the cabin, Sir.'

'On reaching the cabin, Lieutenant MCINTOSH saw that his commander had not yet dined; and he found there the master of the 'Aristides,' of Boston, the brig on shore, and the master of the ship 'Lucius,' of Charleston; the other brig proving to be an English vessel, had been permitted to go on her voyage, having but little cargo. Captain KEARNY, on entering the cabin, observed to his lieu

tenant:

I have been awaiting dinner for you; although until I saw you standing out from under the point, I did not know but you had all been blown up; I heard an explosion distinctly.'

'Seated at dinner, and hearing all the particulars from Lieutenant MCINTOSH, the gallant and high-souled KEARNY asked the pleasure of a glass of wine with him, saying:

It is assuming a very dangerous responsibility for an officer to disobey orders; yet there are times

when I cannot but admit that it may be necessary. I think this one of those occasions; and while I drink your health, permit me to thank you for your indefatigable exertions this day. The capture of the four piratical vessels you have brought to me, and the burning of another, with their principal establishment on shore, will render our commerce comparatively safe in this neighborhood for some time; and you, Sir, have rendered an important service to the commercial interests of your country, by the responsibility you have to-day assumed.'

Having given the order on deck not to separate the boats, he felt it necessary, on that deck, to show to his officers and men that he had not overlooked it; and these were his reasons for addressing Lieutenant MCINTOSH in the manner he did, when he reached the deck. That duty accomplished, he was not desirous farther to punish honest and honorable exertion,

A REMINISCENCE OF THE LONDON O. P.' RIOTS. An obliging correspondent, who although he is getting a little old now, has seen the time when he was as good as ever he was,' writes us as follows concerning his experience' of the 'London 'O. P.' Riots,' recently described in the KNICKERBOCKER: The article in your May number on the O. P.' riots, interested me exceedingly. At the time of those riots I was living in London; and I assure you, that an expected invasion by NAPOLEON could scarcely have created greater excitement. The newspapers were daily filled with articles commenting on these proceedings; conversation turned on little else; and on 'change or in the street, the porter-house or the parlor, these matters were minutely discussed. The spirit of resistance, some might call it obstinacy, of the English people, was evinced in a remarkable degree, and an opposition to an unpalatable measure on the part of the government, could not have been more violent. Had it been a matter of importance to the whole public; had the action of the managers been an infringement of a political right, we might easily explain it by reference to feelings inherent in the breast of every man. But in the city of London were there thousands who rarely entered the theatre; thousands to whom the advance in the price of admission was of no consequence; and yet all these persons were moved in the same manner, and aided by their countenance those who were active in resistance. It was my good or ill fortune to be present at the theatre on several evenings during the riots, and the scenes which I witnessed were far more exciting, and certainly more interesting, than any which I had ever before seen within the walls of a theatre, The din and uproar was at times deafening; the pit was constantly standing up. At intervals there would be a momentary silence, for the purpose of listening to some 'O. P.' orator. Large numbers of the audience wore on their hats the letters O. P.,' printed on strips of white muslin, or had the same badge about their persons. Occasionally a ring would be formed by taking hold of each others hands and fantastic movements were executed around the pit, which were known as the 'O. P. dances.' Persons from the galleries and boxes indulged in vociferous addresses; songs were volunteered, while the house joined in the chorus; and banners, with ominous mottoes, were festooned from the boxes. Sometimes disturbances were created between the police and some of the audience; and during all these things the curtain rose and fell; the actors were coming on the stage and going off; the scenes were shifted, and the performance proceeded, without one word being heard by the audience. It is quite a remarkable fact that no injury was intentionally done to property, and no violence to the actors; and for the purpose of moderating the alarm of the performers, whether male or female, upon any indications of fear being evinced, the pit would call on them by name and give three cheers, with great unanimity. The appearance of

Mr. CLIFFORD one evening, after he had commenced his suit against Mr. BRANDON, gave still greater animation to the scene; and he was hailed with an enthusiasm hardly to be equalled had he been the saviour of his country. The following are among the mottoes which were exhibited on the banners:

'JOHN KEMBLE through the Jews has gained applause,

And Infidels insult our laws;

But we will follow the holy band

And show that Christians shall command.'

No Morning Post,

Nor hireling host

Shall ere JOHN BULL. dismay;

His cause is just

Succeed he must;

Old prices, or no play!

'Be determined and you will be victorious.'

The new prices shall have the fate of CATALINE."

'Persons with colds are requested not to cough or sneeze aloud; they will otherwise be taken to Bow-street.'

When fatigued with dancing and cheering, the whole audience united in GoD save the KING.' Many of the newspapers published witty squibs. I remember the following:

A NEW tragedy is talked of, called The Manager in Distress.' It is said to be founded upon Mr. K's application to a certain noble ford and the threat of prosecution for keeping a disorderly house.'

In consequence of the great requisition of the police at the theatre, robberies are reported to be very frequent on the roads in the vicinage of the metropolis.'

In consequence of the general hoarseness in town, occasioned by a clamor for old prices, the confectioners, it is said, have determined, in the sale of their pectoral lozenges to follow Mr. KEMBLE'S plan by charging an advance.'

6

The annexed parody on The Bay of Biscay, O!' entitled 'The new-built Playhouse O! was a favorite song for a long time:

There was an equally clever song, called 'The O. P. Victory,' which was sung to the tune of Old Towler,' and was very popular. There was also a 'New Song to

the Tune of Old Derry-Down,' which made a great deal of fun. Some of the verses ran as follows:

'Or fam'd Covent-Garden with freedom I sing

Where JOHN BULL and JOHN KEMBLE have entered the ring;

A month now has pass'd, still the battle doth rage,
JOHN BULL in the pit and DON JOHN on the stage.
'Derry-Down,' etc.

A trio of new justice-actors appear,
Riot-acts in their hands and Jews in their reur;
But, BARNEY, the saddle is on the wrong horse,
John Bull will not yield to dragooning and force.

'In old English law his safety and trust is;
May we never submit to new-fangled justice;
Let DON JOHN and company arm their partroles,
But we'll never find pigeous for their pigeon-holes.

'Then success to JOHN BULL! and whatever betide,,
May his sons. when imposed on, have law on their side;
And whenever attacked in a way that he scorns,

May the BULL win the day, though robbed of his horns!'

All this, with much more that was not in the bills,' but was in the 'performances' of the day, made great sport and excited much attention at the time. It was 'a good while ago and a great way off,' to be sure; but perhaps these particulars may not be altogether without interest, even now.'

J. A.

SNEEDEN lives directly opposite

GOSSIP WITH READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS. DOBB, his Ferry, on the Hudson; and there his progenitors have flourished from time immemorial; and that little verdant prelude to the rocky Palisades, which you see opposite, is called 'SNEEDEN'S Landing' even unto this day. When the modern SNEEDEN sees the black window-blind turned outward, in strong relief against the white front of the only inn at DOBB's, he answers the signal by raising the sail on his little boat, and putting over after the stray passengers who may have outstayed the half a dozen steamers that have touched there in the course of the morning, and lands them on the other side, in time for the downward boats whose 'places of call' are only on the right bank of the river. Now so it was, that, addressing ourselves to what was to be (to us) distant journeying, we had tarried beyond our time in packing trunks, and were compelled to signalize' SNEEDEN. Forthwith shot out from the green bank or the opposite shore a little white sail; and in twelve minutes, its prow 'ploughed the eastern strand.' SNEEDEN bore us back, drenched with foam from the breezy Hudson; and deposited us upon a market-scow near the landing, where we were surrounded by sucking pigs, strawberries, hen-coops, beets, eggs, small potatoes, green peas, fresh butter, sausages, and other confectionaries.' At length this peopled ark was made fast alongside The Warren' steamer, and unloading as she sailed,' was soon emptied of her heterogenous freight, and presently, by the aid of her clumsy sail, dropped back to SNEEDEN'S. Reclining upon a load of sweet-smelling new hay, 'forward' we listened to the bleating of lambs, the baäing of calves, the 'short squeak' of cabined, cribbed' piglings, the 'quaäcking' of imprisoned ducks, the crowing of cocks, and the mingled cluck, flutter and 'peep' of hens and chickens ; a vocal performance, in the free exercise of which the 'executants' were protected by General WARREN himself, standing on the pilot-house with a drawn sword in his 'red right hand.'

But we are in the metropolis; and you must excuse us while we