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TROUBLES WITH GREAT BRITAIN.

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from Bonaparte, dated at Berlin, in Prussia, in which all the British islands were declared to be blockaded, and all intercourse with them was thus broken up. This decree stood directly opposed to the exist ing treaty between France and the United States, and also to the laws and usages of nations.

6. Again, the British government, in January, 1807, issued another Order in Council, forbidding all the coasting trade with France, on penalty of capture and condemnation. Nothing could have been better calculated than these proceedings to awaken every latent feeling of resentment in the Americans against the two nations, if not to involve them in the horrors of war itself.

CHAPTER CLV.

JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION, CONTINUED.-Attack on the

Chesapeake.

1. SOME time in the beginning of the year 1807, five men had deserted from the British frigate Me-lam'-pus, lying in Hampton Roads, and three of them had subsequently enlisted on board the United States frigate Chesapeake, then at Norfolk, preparing for sea. The British consul at Norfolk, on being acquainted with the facts, wrote to Commodore Barron, of the Chesapeake, requesting that the men might be returned.

2. This request being refused, the British consul applied to the secretary of the navy to surrender them. The secretary ordered an examination of the facts, from which it appeared that the men were natives of America, of which two of them had official certificates. They were not, therefore, given up.

3. The Chesapeake had been ordered to cruise in the Mediterranean, and, on June 22d, she proceeded on her voyage thither. In going out of Hampton Roads, she passed the British frigates Bel-lo'-na and Melampus. As she was passing Cape Henry, the Leopard, another British frigate, of fifty guns, came up with her, and an officer was sent on board with a note.

4. This note enclosed a copy of an order from the British admiral, Berkley, requesting them to search for deserters on board all our ships

5. What decree was made by Bonaparte? 6. What other order was made by the British! CHAP. CLV.-1. What took place in the year 1807? 2. What did the British consul at Norfolk do? What appeared to be the case concerning the men on board the Ches apeake? 3. Describe the going to sea of the Chesapeake. 4. What demand was made by the British admiral?

found out of the limits of the United States. At the same time a demand was made to be permitted to search the Chesapeake for the deserters from the Melampus.

5. Commodore Barron, in reply, said, that he did not know of any deserters on board; that the recruiting officers for the Chesapeake had been particularly instructed not to receive any deserters from his Britannic majesty's ships, and that he was directed never to permit the crew of a ship under his command to be mustered by any officers but her own.

6. Upon receiving this answer, the officer returned to the Leopard, when she immediately commenced a heavy firing upon the Chesapeake. The latter, being unprepared for an action, could make no resistance; but, after remaining under the fire of the Leopard about thirty minutes, and having three men killed and eighteen wounded—the commodore among the rest-she surrendered.

7. The British captain refused to accept the surrender of the Chesapeake, but commenced a search, and finding the three men on board whom they claimed to have been deserters, together with a fourth, whom they also claimed on the same ground, they took them along with them. The Chesapeake, being much injured, returned to Norfolk. 8. On receiving information of this most shameful outrage, the president, by a proclamation, ordered all armed British vessels to leave the waters of the United States, and not to enter them more until satisfaction was given by the British government for the assault on the Chesapeake. An armed force was also ordered out, sufficient for the defence of Norfolk, should it become necessary.

9. The United States government lost no time in forwarding instructions to Mr. Monroe, our minister at London, to demand of the British government that satisfaction which the particular case of the Chesapeake required, as well as security against further impressment of seamen from American ships.

10. The British were ready to enter upon negotiations respecting the attack on the Chesapeake, but were unwilling to relinquish the right of search. The result was, that the discussion of the subject was delayed. In the mean time, Congress came together, when the capture of the Chesapeake was one of the first subjects which occupied their attention.

11. Several measures were adopted at this session; among which were preparations and appropriations for the support of a large land

5. What was Commodore Barron's reply? 6. Describe the attack of the Leopard. 7. What did the British captain then do? 8. What proclamation was issued by the president? 9. What was next done by the United States government? 10. What of the British? 11. What was done by Congress? What seemed inevitable?

IMPENDING WAR

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and naval force. On the 22d of December, 1807, an embargo was laid on all vessels within the jurisdiction of the United States. Meanwhile, the difficulties with both the British and French governments were increasing, and a speedy war seemed inevitable.

12. At length, Mr. Rose, a special minister from the British govern. ment, arrived in the country, and negotiations were once more attempted. But they did not succeed; nor was the controversy which grew out of the attack on the Chesapeake finally settled till some time ir the year 1811, as we shall hereafter have occasion to state.

18. What of Mr. Rose? What of the Chesapeake controversy!

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MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION, FROM MARCH 4TH, 1809, TO MARCH 4TH, 1817.-Madison's Inauguration.-Affair of the Little Belt. - Steamboat Navigation. - Ocean Steam Navigation.

1. On the 4th of March, 1809, James Madison, the candidate of the Republican or Democratic party, having been elected president, succeeded Mr. Jefferson. George Clinton of New York, who had been vice-president since 1804, was now re-elected to that office. The prospects of the country, at this period, were gloomy indeed. The twe great nations of England and France were still at war, and, in the progress of that war, by their orders and decrees and impressments and seizures, were breaking in upon all former treaties, especially those with the United States.

CHAP. CLVI.-1. When did Mr. Madison succeed Mr. Jefferson? What of George Clin ton? What was now the state of the country?

THE FIRST STEAMBOAT.

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2. As strong encouragement had been given by Great Britain, in the year 1809, before Mr. Jefferson went out of office, of a readiness on her part to settle the existing differences between the two countries, the embargo had been repealed on the 1st of March. Finding, however, that there was still a disposition to delay, the embargo was, on the 10th of August, renewed.

3. Thus affairs proceeded for some time. Decrees and prohibitions and proclamations became quite the order of the day. Sometimes, indeed, there was a gleam of hope. The probability that the United States could long remain neutral, in the existing state of things, was, however, every day and every hour diminishing.

4. On the 16th of May, 1811, the British sloop of war Little Belt, commanded by Captain Bingham, made an unprovoked attack upon the United States frigate President, commanded by Commodore Rodgers; in the conflict which followed, the Little Belt had eleven men killed, and twenty-one wounded, and her rigging was 'nuch damaged, while the President had only a single man wounded.

5. On the 12th of November, the British envoy, Mr. Foster, ac knowledged the attack on the Chesapeake to be unauthorized, and offered, in the name of the British government, to make reparation for

ROBERT FULTON.

the injury which had been sustained. The whole affair was therefore soon adjusted to the satisfaction of both parties.

6. The first successful steamboat was put in operation on the Hudson in the year 1807, it being the acknowledged invention of Robert Fulton. An event so closely connected with the prosperity of the United States must not be excluded from their history.

7. An experiment had been made, with the steam-engine. on the Seine, near Paris, in 1803; but no vessel was set in motion by steam, in the United

States, till four years afterward. The two individuals to whom we

2. What of the embargo? 3. What was the order of the day? 4. What was done by the Little Belt? 5. How was the affair of the Chesapeake arranged? 6. What of steamboats? 7 What experiment had been made? What of Fulton and Stevens? When did steam boats appear in Great Britain?

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