a certificate from a number of respectable men in Groton, proving his nativity.--. With these documents I cannot doubt that he will effect the purpose of his visit." (Signed) STEPHEN DECATUR.

"Sir-We the undersigned take the liberty to solicit your assistance in behalf of Mr. O'Brien, in obtaining his sou's release from the British ship La Hogue off New-London.

"We are well acquainted with the young man, and know him to be an American born citizen. His letter to his father, dated on board the La Hogue, the 24th of March, is sufficient proof of his being on board (which letter will be shewn you) If you can give any assistance in obtaining his release, either by letting Mr. O'Brien go to the ship by a flag of truce, or in any other way, it will be considered a particular favor conferred on, sir, your most obedient servants."

Gerard Galley,
Nath. Kimball,
Jos. Tuttle,

Geo. A. Sulleman,
Ro. S. Avery,
Erastus T. Smith.

P. S. The young man's name is Barnard O'Brien, son of Barnard O'Brien, and his wife Elizabeth O'Brien. He was born in the town of Groton, January 29th, 1785.

Extract from the records of the town of Groton.

A true copy, certified per Amos A. Niles, Town Clerk. "I certify that Amos A. Niles is town clerk for Groton, and that I believe the above certificate to be a true and correct record of Barnard O'Brien's birth.-I do also certify that I have known the said Barnard O'Brien from his youth.

Dated Groton, April 7,

1814.

NOVES BARBER, Selectman for Groton.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Subject of Impressment concluded.

I HAVE now, as nearly in chronological order as possible, brought this odious, this detestable subject, to the last act of the drama.

Some of the actors who stood on high ground in the opening of the piece, sink far below par in this act. They stand in conspicuous stations, and possess great influence on our destinies and those of our posterity. I regard it therefore as an imperious duty to canvass their conduct fully and completely, and to cite them to the bar of the public, which I thus do in the most solemn manner.

Two of the gentlemen to whom I refer, are Timothy Pickering and Rufus King, Esqrs. whose opinions and conduct on this important topic, have been, at different periods, in as direct hostility to each other, as day and night-truth and falsehood.

The reader has seen how laudably, how zealously, how pat riatically both these gentlemen, on the subject of impressment, formerly contended for and defended the rights of their country

as well as opposed and struggled against the exorbitant and inadmissible claims of England.

They were lately united with the Otises, the Blakes, the Hansons, and the Websters, who appeared determined to “PUT DOWN"-yes, reader, PUT DOWN" is the word-it is strong significant, and unequivocal-I say, "to put down the adminis tration" for strenuously insisting on those rights,-for attempt ing to shield the seaman from the iron grasp of his enslaver.

This is a clear case. I state it in brief. Either Messrs. Pickering and King were extravagant in their demands former ly, and endangered the peace of their country by preferring exorbitant and unjust claims on a nation," the bulwark of our holy religion,”—“ struggling for her salvation—and fighting the battles of Christendom against Antichrist and his host”— they were faithless to that country of late, and were using their best endeavors, for factious purposes, to defeat her in the effort to procure simple justice. There is no other alternative. them choose for themselves. Let the public ratify or reject the choice. I merely state the case.

Let

Never was there a more striking or revolting instance of the deleterious spirit of faction—and of its power to deaden all the finer and more honourable feelings of human nature, than this question exhibits. It is disgraceful and humiliating to the human species. High-minded American merchants-possessed of immense fortunes-enjoying in profusion all the luxuries and delicacies this world affords-and owing all these manifold blessings to the labours, the skill, and the industry of our sailors—but ungratefully regardless of the agents by whom they procure them, and blinded by party spirit, regard with cam and stone-hearted apathy the miseries of impressment. They are not merely indifferent to the sufferings of the unfortunate seamen," purloined by men-stealers," from all their humble blessings, and dragging out a miserable existence in slavery of the most galling kind, with a rope's end ready to punish them for murmuring out their sorrows. No. They are not, I repeat, merely indifferent. They throw themselves into the scale of their enemies. They deride the idea of struggling for the security of a few sailors, whom, in the face of heaven and earth, they falsely call vagabonds from England, Ireland, and Scotland, whom our government is wickedly protecting at the hazard of the ruin of their country! Almighty father! To what an ebb is man capable of descending! Let us suppose for a moment that the illustrious Hull, Jones, Perry, Porter, Decatur, M'Donough, or any other of that constellation of heroes, who have bound their country's brows with a wreath of imperisha

ble glory, had been pressed by a Cockburn, their proud spirits subjected to his tender mercies, and crushed by the galling chain and the rope's end! What a scene for a painter--what a subject for contemplation-what a never-dying disgrace to those whose councils would persuade the nation to submit to such degradation!

There is one strong and striking point of view in which the subject of impressment may be considered, and which really renders the tame acquiescence in it, which is now contended for, pregnant with awful results. England has impressed from our ships, Danes, Swedes, and Italians, as well as native Americans. WE HAVE SUBMITTED TO IT. And Mr. Pickering, Mr. King, Governor Strong, H. G. Otis, &c. plead in favor of submission. If this be just, what right, I demand, have we to prevent all belligerents whatever, and at all times, from copying the example? Suppose France, Spain, and Italy, at war. Are not the cruisers of each nation justified in searching our vessels for the subjects of the powers to which they respectively belong, and as fully entitled to enslave the Danes, Portuguese, Swedes, and Englishmen on board, as the British cruisers are to enslave Frenchmen, Spaniards, Danes, and Portuguese? This is a horrible view of the subject, and curdles the blood in my veins. There is no calculating the extent or the enormity of the evil.

I must resume this topic. It is too important to be dismissed in a single paragraph. It deserves volumes. Would to

Heaven an abler pen were engaged in the discussion.

That British cruisers have been in the constant habit of im pressing, without any scruple, and that they regard it as their right to impress, Danes, Portuguese, Frenchmen, Italians, and all other foreigners found on board our vessels, is true, or Timothy Pickering, Rufus King, and Judge Marshall, have disgraced and dishonoured themselves by asserting most awful falsehoods. To their evidence on the subject, which is detailed a bove, I refer the reader.

If Great Britain has a right to impress Frenchmen, or Spaniards, or Dutchmen, on board our vessels, France, Spain, and Holland, have an equal right to impress Englishmen. Nothing can be more clear. Let us proceed.

The British captains assert that they find it difficult or impossible to discriminate between Englishmen and Americans. It must be far more difficult for French captains. And they will be still more excusable for any mistakes-and for enslaving Americans instead of Englishmen. What a frightful fate has faction prepared for our ill-starred sea-faring citizens !

U

I have stated that Messrs. Pickering, King, Strong, &c. "contend for submission to impressment.' This requires ex planation. They do not, it is true, in words, contend for im pressment. But this was the inevitable result of their late course of proceedings; for as I have already stated, and beg to repeat, they labored most indefatigably to destroy the present administration, principally for the stand made to put an end to impressment; and the consequence of the violent opposition made to the government on the subject, has been to oblige it to postpone the discussion of that important question.

A committee of the legislature of Massachusetts was appointed, at a late session, to enquire into the affair of impressment. The object of the appointment was to damn the character of the administration, by diminishing the enormity of this high-handed offence, against which the Levitical law pronounced sentence of death :

"He that stealeth a man-and selleth him—or if he be found in his hand, he shall be put to death.”

66

It is painful to state-but it is my duty to state to the world -that this committee by no means did justice to the subject.— They acted with most palpable partiality. They reportedwonderful to tell-impossible to believe that at the commencement of the war, the number of impressed Americans belonging to the great commercial state of Massachusetts, on board Eritish vessels of war, was only eleven! ! !"*-Yes-reader ;—it is really eleven-1 have read it six times over, to convince myself that I was not mistaken. But it is absolutely true, that a committee of the legislature of Massachusetts did report to that body, that at the commencement of the war, THERE WERE BUT "ELEVEN" IMPRESSED MASSACHU SETTS SAILORS on board the vessels of his Britannic majesty.

Now, reader, let me request you to consult the preceding documents carefully-and observe

1. That there were

ten Americans on board the Guerriere, at the time of her engagement with the Constitution. This is established by the log book of one of her officers.t

2. That there were thirteen Americans on board the Java,‡ when she was captured by Bainbridge.

3. That there were on board the Moselle and Sappho, as

*Road to Ruin, No. IV. † See page 214. See lieutenant Hoffman's certificate, page 215.

It would be unfair and uncandid not to state, that Commodore Bainbridge deposed on the 20th of February, 1813, before a committee of the House of Representatives of the state of Massachusetts, that there was but one impressed A

appears by the muster-books of those vessels, at least thirty-five impressed Americans.*

4. That these plain facts stand on such ground as neither Timothy Pickering, Rufus King, Governor Strong, George Cabot, Harrison Gray Otis, Daniel Webster, or A. C. Hanson will dare to dispute. I hereby publicly challenge them to a denial.

5. That I have thus clearly and indisputably established, that on board of four vessels there were 10, and 13, and 35 American slaves, being AN AVERAGE OF FOURTEEN

EACH.

ΤΟ

6. That there are about 500 British vessels constantly in commission.

7. That an average of fourteen amounts to 7000 on board the British fleet.

8. That this statement corresponds pretty exactly with the records of the secretary of state's office.

And then, reader, decide what judgment must be passed on the committee when they gravely state that there were on board the British vessels of war only eleven natives of Massachusetts !!! It makes me sick to reflect on such obliquity of mind, and such monstrous perversion of fact.

It is, however, true, that this committee, though the world is grossly deceived by the form of expression in the report, have a salvo to prevent establishing against them the charge of falsehood. They state that these are the results " as far as their enquiries went." But this saving clause escapes the mass of readers. They fasten on the strong allegation, that "the administration went to war for impressed seamen; and that there were only eleven natives of Massachusetts impressed."All the rest escapes notice.

"As far as their enquiries went" is a very equivocal expression. They may have stopped at the threshold-or they may have gone half way-or they may have gone through the business completely. That their enquiries did not go very far is however pretty certain.

The words "American slaves," will startle some delicate ears.

merican on board the Java, when he captured her. This statement he qualified in a subsequent communication, and, as far as I understand the latter, admits that there were 2 more. But if we wholly omit the Java, in consequence of the stupendous contradiction between the certificate of lieutenant Van Hoffman and the deposition of Commodore Bainbridge, it will not materially affect the above calculation. There will remain about 45 impressed American seamen on board three British men of war.

* See Commodore Porter's letter, page 214,