s No. 26, oi' <s-yr roarer f*V.»«lt IN Vol. 2.1 knowledge of all the facts relating to (he transactions between America and France since onr independence, and especially the part which yon anil Mr. Jefat his accurate General Miscellany. k.xuaordinary Documents. [0\ 'he genu men OS of (fee fol tow in f; documents, onch ferson, with olher influential ving, reader wilt form hi* own (hem opinion. n fre»ft For ourselves, wo incline 10 believe inswuoe of those forgeries, v hiuh oi tret} nation One hie bn'e BO frequently disgraced tiling, however, is inexplicable, except apon the nippowiien Him the fraud w« com .ibnerfOB, ami il)*i these iirelemleit i1ul.iin>ilU4) « ments were never printed the tugqettinn of in R Uinum pupcv, viz, to Mr Galiatin't appointment Mr. Madison, have acted in (hem. always been fiieudly to France, and with reason. Our intercourse willr your country has been of ad vantage l" leadSome ing characters ; but to the point. years ago, the following propositions were submitted t» Mr. Jefferson, and although said he, has -- men Stfll li- pretend to negotiate n peace water the mediation It it if fiirtma. ahull nppenV that these papers ever (ball Were published tor- at did in England, we be constrained -o supjiote lliein genuine. We hope that the ediNen'-Voik Commercial Advertiser, from not rejected, they were never, from his want of energy, cordially adopted 1. That on condition of hisdcclanng war against England, tile presidency should be guaranteed to him by his majesty the emperor for 2. life. be deemed imprudent to employ many at first as officers, and then may be gradually promoted lo ^,, n(m com missioned officers, in vvhich ca p ;t( lv t |, ev can be of singular advantage Indeed, with a little management, three thousand men, and more, might be ertplny e d, arid the people know nothing 4f>A"h the matter ; and if suspicion should aH»e, the fourth proposition affords a speedy answer; for how could America fear a handful of French in her armies, when she held by our liberality a formidable fleet. I expressed a wish that he would authorize me, in my public despatch, to mention privates, should it ; Evidence and Daeumi'Tifs on the subj'-ct [N,,. IV J of Ttnpress meats . The Deposition of ged Wm. Pjrsoss. [We have already publiiiied the Report of llic Committee nf onr Slate legislature on the sub ject of Impress menus, We imw ptVe o list of tlie Documents on which that tleporl was fnumkd. and Rumepti't uftlie Evia.-uceitB.-lf As this is now the sole ground of ihe war, it cannot be Ion well understood] I reside in Boston, and have been engain commerce and navigation about thirty years. I have employed in my vessels, annually, upnn an averapg, about fifty seamen, until iha time of the embargo. 1 have no recollection of any of my sea. men being impressed' for the last twenty years, except in one instance. In the year I8:»6, a seaman was taken from the ship Lord, in coming out of Rotterdam, by a British sloop of war ; I dt) not recollect the man's name he and all the rest of the crew were shipped at Norfolk, in Virginia, and there was only one American among ihem ; the map. taken, as above, was an Irishman. When I paid off the crew they informed me that they had bought their protection's at Norfolk, for 2 dls. a pitce. Capt. Lord appli. ed to the commander of the sloop of war. who said he would deliver up tile man, if EVIDENCE, Before the Committee en Impressments. Meridian, capt TUB DEPOSITIONS OF 1 Capt. tsnac CUrk, Urewste'r, 2 Capt. John Eldridge, Yarmouth, 3 Eben. Parsons, Esq. Oi.stoii, .Merchant, 4 Wm, Parsons, Esq. do. dn. 5 Calel. Lnring, Esq, do. du. t> Capt. John Holland, do. do. : it as the intention of the to French government restore some part of the property which which [taper the) are copied, will give us further m!uiDi»uui> on the subject, Ed. Mess] That one million of francs, and even FROM A I.\TK LONDOM PAPEIl. Our readers will recollect, that Mr. Barlow, Hie American ambassador to France, set out some time ago, to congratulate Bonaparte at Moscow, on tile coil quest of We expressed at the lime our surtttisaiii. prize, that a nation on friendly terms with Alexander, and which had a minister at Petersburgh, sliottltl allow Ms public agent to transgress so if found necessary, should he«annualplaced at his disposal during the war, to be repaid after it was ended, or as soon as (he intended alterations in the form of gov- more ly had been so unjustly seized. You may promise what you please, but we have gained more friends in America by these acts of violence, as you call them, than by our liberality. All who have lost property, retain hopes of recovering it, and are therefore leluctnnt to break with ernment were 3. effected. three thousand French officers, instructed to obey the president implicitly, should be sent out to serve in the army of That policy France. Our keep such matters in doubt. In England everp capturevis soon decided one way or another by the admiralty court, and is to the U. States. 4. That ten ships of the line, with their proportion of frigates, should be despatch- whatever '.\ic judgment be, it is sure' to produce enemies. If the ship be a prize, the decision is saii to be unjust Src. -- if cleared, much against that decorum which ought to subsist between nWlral nalions-- but the following extraordinary letters will teach us ntot to calculate proceedings of the United States, upon the by ordi. nary own comments, and content to ourselfCR with mentioning how they came It seems one of Mr. Barhands. onr into low's attendants was not so fond of the journey as his master, and therefore made his escape to Heligoland, where he was A port folio was found in seized as a spy. his possession, rules. inaLe his We lca?c every one at present ed to the U. "States, to be manned and officered exclusively by American seamen. These liberal offers were not acceded to by Mr. Jefferson, less from want of incliuaiion than irresolution, and because ho had entered into engagements with his parly to I retain the presidency tjgt»f jicart only. now offer the same terms in the onaic of his 'majesty the emperor, to Mr, Madison, and he may depend upon any further assistance 1 1 is that may be deemed necessary. deciThe emsion must be made immediately. thete is so much delay and damage Yours, that ha- tred follows. JOEL BARLOW. JVt>, Dec. 2G, isi l. Sir.-- The Due u\ C J jre called on me this morning with a manner manifestly wishing to effect some object more than be seemed willing at first, to avow, and after i 7 Moses Townsend, Enq, Salem, Merchant, 8 Mr. Wm. W. Oliver, Dsp. Collector, Salem, 9 Joseph Peabody, Esq Salem, Merchant, 10 Natlian h'elton, Esq Danvers, 11 Samuel Page, Esq louvers, 13 Capt. Joseph Mudge, Lynn, 13 Capt. Zachamh Aiwell, Lynn, 14 Capt.Andrew Hanadcn, Salem, 15 (Japt. Josiali Orne do. 16 Mr. N.iUi'[ II per, Murblehead, Merch't, 17 Mr. Henj. T. Reed, do do. 18 Hon. Wm. Gray, Esq, osion M ercLant 19 Capt.Ozias GooUwio, do. 20 Theodore Lvmao, Esq do. do,21 .lames Perkins, Esq. do. do. 22 Til! II. Perkins, Esq. do. An. 23 Aaron Breed, E*q Lynn, One ofthe Committee,] 3.4 the man himself would 'give his word that he was an American, which he would not do but said he had a wife in Aroeti -. 1 do not know of any American seamen being impressed from any vessel belonging ; town where 1 reside, other than tie above mentioned belonging to me. of men employed on an average, including large and small vessels, in foreign trade, is abut six for every hunto the vessels The number Hoo- N»iram M,t- hen, F.'q ttrutgewWev, containing all Mr. Barlow's mission. it It the secrets of has been for- warded to was not his till majesty's ministers, but as their after several papers had been Clammed, that the officer was aware of importance, a friend contributed to procure copies of the following letters. MR. BARLOW TO Hit. MADISON. Paris, Dec. 15, 1811. Sir-- The Due de Cad ore took me into his closet last evening, after his dinner party had retired, and informed, that he had wished for some time for a private conversation on subjects distinct from what might be supposed strictly official. It is astonish. ing, continues he, that after so long a trial of the inefficiency of your general govern. Bicnt, no attempts have been made to give Adcciing surprise it strength and energy. at this extraordinary address, I replied, government would be found equal to any crisis. Ho shrugged up his shoulders, and said, come, Mr. Barlow, you have been too much in the world, and are too well acquainted with mankind, to be seriously of that opinion. How frequently lias your general government been that the general peror goes in [he spring to conquer Russia, an amusement of a few months. He will then be absolute master of the whole contimust and England perish. nent of Europe, But she is still powerful, and withontyour aid, ihe may continue the contest for several years longer. I am indeed anxious for Mr. Madison's determination, for should his tuujcsfy return from the north, and find nothing done, he will never trust you more, and perhaps, in his rage, publish the names of all those who have benefitted by French liberality The Due had proceeded thus far, without wishing or waiting for a reply. I told him, that though possessing your confidence, I could give no answer to propositions so extraordinary, hut that (hey should instantly be transmitted for your consideration. At the same time 1 remarked, the outrages committed by the French on our coinmcrre, hud prevented their friends from pursuing any measures which leudetl to introduce a closer connexion between the difficult desultory conversation he asked me my opinion of the policy the Court of Russia would probably pursue in the event of much 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 C«r Jh>hm Wm. (True, Thomas, Riiiopiuio, Esq Salem, Merchant, a war between the United States Britain. 1 replied, that as it and G. was the im- mediate interest of Russia, to be fit peace with the U. S and fho her policy that Eog 38 AsaT.Newhall, Esq Lynn, 39 Thomas H. Tobey, Esq. Sandwich, land her present ally should not be embar40 Mr. Charles Durant, Koxbury, rassed by a diversion of her resouices and 41 Capt. Wm.Sliirgis, Boston, military and naval forces in carrying on a 42 Isaac Mull, Esq. of the Navy, war with us, it was hardly to be doubted 43 Certificate, from the Hon. John Davis, Esq, but that she would use her endeavors to District Judge, 44 Mr. Lawson Carroll, Boston, bring about a peace between us and Eng45 Mr. C. tV. Williams, Wells, land. This he acknowledged was his im46 Capt. Lemuel Walker, Litclifield, pression, and added, that should the attro47 Enoch Preble, fcsq. Portland, Merchant, cious aggressions of Great Britain finally 48 Hon, Matthew Bridge, Eiiq Charles town, produce a war, the political influence of Merchant, 49 John Hewcs, Mariner, Russia would be expected to restore a re50 Letter from Commodore Bainhiidge, conciliation in that case, he further added, 51 Barnabus Hedge, Jr. Esq. Plymouth, Merthat there was only one man in the U. S.\ chant. who ought to be trusted with such a nego- The following H'itneises wire also tnmmtinsd, l/vt Capt. John Tucker, Gloucester Joseph Moody, Esq. Kennebunk, Mercb't, Hon. DaVis, Esq Plymouth, Hon. Israel Tliornd.ke, Mnston, Merchant, Josiali Waters, Esq. Boston, Mr. Edward Lander, Salem, Merchant, 3:> Capt. Wm, Story, Marbleheud, 34 C.pt. Wm. Crabiree, Portland. 35 Otis Little, Esq. Castine, Merchant, 36 Mr. Wm. Parker, Boston, MirineT, 37 Commodore Bainhridge, Wm. all the crew of the Meridian that were paid olf as abovemen. tioned, I found that there was but one instance where the true names of the men a. greed with the names mentioned in their dred tons of shipping. Upon enquiring ot protections When the I that was a Connecticut rran. ; speak of their true names, I mean I paid them of£ and by wkicfc they receipted to mc for their wages many of them had forgotten the names they went by in their protections. When they were shipped at Noirolk, their protections were picked out, as capt. Lord ; names they gave me when informed me, from a large number of pro. tections which were kept at the boardinghoase and such protections weie chosen as agreed with the persons of the seamen. Of all the crews of my vessels that have been shipped at Boston, do not recollect any instance where a man has been impressed. The Norfolk crew abovementioncd : I -- was the only instance where a crew of mine had been shipped in any other port than Boston. WILLIAM PARSONS. Feb 15th, 1813, S«/rff,M. cirtion at the .Russian Court,, Mr. Gallatin ciator for and named him as the negoPeace, would be good policy. Mr, ; Jul not tcriffy : -- £rW»rn to before to appoint William Raimo-d Lee, Esq, Collector of Salem, absent by indisposition. Joseph Wilson, Esq. Collector of Marblahead, did not attend. Henry A. S, Dearborn, Esq Collector of Boston, absent at Albany. Hon. Wm. U»rtlelt, Esq. Nevburyport, did not attend. Moses Brown, Esq. do, absent bv indispoiilion. Hon. Benj. W. Crown in shield, Esq. Salem, appeared before the Committee, but declined testifying. Alex. Town-ffcxD, J [No. V ] Peace. Gallatin, as sures he now Secretary of the Treasury, to is two nations. menage Americans It ; is very be their dis- cernment so keen, that they cannot deceived, and (heir love of liberty so great that they will not suffer the smallasi re. strain! obliged to relinquish the most favorite mea- -- Why would soon he made unpopular by the meamust recommend to furnish the necessary means to carry on the war, and the popular clamour would be in some measure silenced by removing him from the 'treasury. The Deposition of I Caleb Lpr/no. I reside in Boston. have been engaged IS in commerce and navigation between years. I and 19 have employed upon an average, annually, about forty seamen in foreign trade. I recollect, at Mr. Barlow, you either are, was unable to cany thern inio execution. It is absurd lo expect that the government of the United Slates can act sures, because it with vigor, while it is clogged with the slate administration*. There will be a continual jarring between them. Their views and interests are often very different hence inconsistent taUorils, a mob, a chaos, on -- which we car. never calculate with any de- gree of certainly. These evils were forebeen by your more, enlightened statesmen; and by none with greater clearness than or affjct to be, extremely ignorant of the secret views of (he leading men of your party. have captured and condemned vessels at their desire, to provoke a ) our similar conduct on lite part of (_!. Britain, and to drive your people gradually from the ocean. The whole blame has been thrown on the British, under the preteucn of making a distinction between general decrees and municipal regulations, But to say that your couni.ymcn will not bear restraints after submitting to an 18 months Mr. Gallatin Besides these considerations, is not only mote qualified to present, hut one instance We , be sent to an intriguing Court, but it would be particularly grateful to his Imperial Majesty as corresponding with his views. Mr. Gallatin although not so openly an advocate for the Continental system as some others, yet his Majesty likes him not the less as a powerful supporter and his presence at the Russian Court might be of essential service to his Majesty. 1 told him 1 would communicate his observations to my government. Yours, Stc. Commodore Rodgers appeared, and informed of any of the my seamen being impressed by the Committee that he would make a communication to them in writing", which they have not yet received. Fed- 25,1813 British; in July, 1809, two seamen, belonging to the ship Hugh Johnson, while Documents referred to [No. ill ] she was lying at-Pa'ermo, were tnl;en from her by a Britishljrig of war; I do not know in the Report. -- names one ot these men was an Englishman, the other was aa American. their -- your president, Mr. Madison. Convinced (hat everj sensible person wished for a reit embargo, I was proposed to Mr. Jefferson frf adopt such measures as would gradually undermine, and at length destroy the state governments; but there was too much timidity in his character toenter upon so bold an enterprise. He was convinced of its propriety, but having promised to his friends to remain president only eight years, a period then nearly finished, he was unwilling to commence a system of measures pregnant with danger, and which he could not hope to complete. It was to no purpose, that he was informed, that even to begin would he doing medy, is rather jocular. requested an interview next morning (o discuss tlie propositions, that I might bo able lo anticipate any objections, and add uecessary explanations to my despatches to J. | BARLOW. j 77ie Deposition of Edf.x. Pjnsoys. I reside in Boston, and'have been engaged in commerce and navigation for about 45 years. I have employed upon an average, annually, fiom the year 1793, about fifty seamen in my vesengaged in foreign trade, up to the year 1803; and from (he year 1503, to the time of the embargo, I have employed about one hundred seamen, annually, upon an average. No seamen have been impressed from any of my vessels, but the Byefield and Financier (which are related in When the British officer boarded the ship, one hundred and sels, the master of her, they were detet mined to take any, as he found they were, they must take that nt;in, and pointed at the same time to the Englishman abovementioned, and told the officer that the man said to them, that if Capt. Eames, who wxs j Extract ofa II tetter frum an Engtfal, gentleman at ; Vetevsbiu-gh, dated liee.7. j you. Paris, D>:c 24. the minister that the first proposition must, for various reasons, be of" performance. What, a man with a million of francs ac his disposal, find difficulty in carrying any question, or in securing bis election > Impossible. He will then have time to model the government to his pleasure. But Mr. Madison may have come under engagements to ictire. Such promises are conditional, and he has the means of compensating those who may conceive themselves injured. To the second proposition I had no objection. On the third 1 remarked, that it was impossible to introduce three thousand French officers into the service without creating a suspicion that would ruin our whole plan. You are not to suppose that this number is to b= sent in a body. Some will eomc in disguise, some to one seaport, and some to another, &c. Their names and places of residence will be sent weekly to the ambassador. Ot these men it will be easy to place from two to five in each regiment as officers. The president must procure a law, giving him the sole nomination of all the officers ; or if this be too much, of all except the field officers. He then may appoint some of these experienced Frenchmen in each regiment, and after serving as captains for some (inie, he may pass a Taw establishing promoiion by seniority. It will be easy to dispose of" The campaign has been carried on with Unexampled resolution by the Russians, ! | j Sir--.1 told ! difficult which, together with the desolation that always marks the path or a retreating army, has given the war features of unusual fcrocity. As an instance 1 need only relate j j i the deposition of Capt. Isaac Clark) except the following, viz One of my vessels (the -- | j what Gen. Wituiugcrode declares. From Moscow (o Smolensk I (ravelled a prisoner, and I firmly believe, that not less than sixty thousand dead bodies are lying on the ' j road.' j the greatest possible service to the friend who succeeded him his fears predominated. What was the more surprising, ho entered afterwards with the greatest cordiality into his majesty the emperor's continental system, tlio'surely more hazardous, and persevered in much longer than could have been anticipated. The non-importa- -- | I fund is established under the patronage of the empress for Hie relief of the snfforors by the war, especially for the laic poor inhabitants of Moscow, whom the destruction of that city has beggared. The "A non- intercourse, and embargo laws, were received by his majesty the emperor as so maiy proofs of friendship, although aware of their inelTicacy, and convinced that ihey w*tc more pernicious to America than war itself. Am I to consider this converHe smiled. We must be sation official? more candid, Mr. Barlow, when we meet Your appointment took place at again. llic nquest of the emperor, and we know tion, Fmperor has given 60,000 and the Empress 25,000 roubles. The poor peasants themselves manifest their sympathy (owartls iho many sufferers by their small donations of them amount to no more than five copecks (about three farthings;) but as their good patroness says, " this is more to (hem than thousands (o us." She is universally and most enthusiastically beloved. The common people call her " our good and ; Financier abovementioncd) commanded by Capt. Sargeant, about the year 1805 or 1806, being on her return from the East Indie;, put into St. Helena, and while there, two of the crew were impressed from the ship; they were foteigners, and had no protections. On another voyage of the same ship, to the Baltic, a young man by the name of Thacher, of Yarmouth, was taken out by a British ship ; the young man had taken out a protection when he was quire a boy, and had grown up at the time when was an Englishman. The officer, howeAmerican. I do not know whether either of these two men had protections ; but Capt, Eames told the officer) that he had known the American fmm a boy. We have always beett very cucful to select American seamen for our vessels, and such as had protections, i cannot undertake to sny, whether these two men were shipped in Boston ; for the vessel went to City Point, on James River, Virginia, and there had to make up her crew, on account nf some having left the vessel, according to 1 do not know the best of my ieco!Iection. whether any application was ever made for ver, took the he was taken, and the description in his protection did not agree with bis person ; this was the reason assigned at the time for taking him. On the return of the ship, I forwarded a protection to Mr. Williams, of London, and I'hachcr was immediately discharged. This protection was certified by the selectmen and town clerk of Yarmouth. beautiful empress," ami both these epithets most justly belong to her." The number of men employed on an average, including large and small vessels, in foreign trade, is about six for every hundred tons of shipping. I do not know of any Americans impressed, from any vessel belonging to the town where I reside, other than those abovernentioned and refeired to. 1 have not had any men taken from my vessels by the French, except when my ves sals were taken by them. that you are entirely in the confidence of Mr. Madison, i thought it prudent to be very guarded during this interview, but the Same reserve will not bo necessary in our next. lond ing in, feb. L. --CountWalmoden,com from the service of Austria, and GenGuiezer,from the service of Prussia, are to be employed in our army«iviili the rank of Generals. the discharge of the man impressed as above, nor whether lie has been discharged or not * I do not personally know of any American impressed from any other vessel belonging to the town where I reside, other than ihe case abovementioned. The number of men employed on an average, including large and small vessel E, in foreign trade, is about six tor every hundred to, is of shipping. In saying a: above, that we have always been very careful to employ Amarican seamen, 1 mean to be understood (that We have carefully avoided employing Englishmen) we have employed Efaites and Swedes, and of other nations. I have never had any men impressed or taken by any other nation, except when my vessels have been taken, which has been by the French as welt as English. Yours. CA LED LORING. Stifetk.ee, JOEL BARLOW. Pat is, Dec. 23, 1811. Sin The Due tie Ciidorc this in timing entered again on the «uhji-cl of my conli field officers, -- by giving them civil appointments, or removing them in various ways, and thus by the regular operation of the ot the land, a Frenchman may soon get to the command of a regiment Uw But dentin) letter qi the ] 5ih. 1 *j> 5t ii prised the young men sent out will enlist also as of Sir Wm. Hamilton, formerly Minister at the Court of Naples, and the particular friend of Admiral Nelson, has published that she is in reduced circumstances, states certain losses she has sustained, and asks t'oi recompense. The widow teb.lSlh, ro before ldU. Peace. Sworn EBEN. PARSONS. Suffolk, It, A-L8X. · Townsesd, / Feb. liSth, 1813. to before ['his is the only Amei'ieaiij imrjrcslr'1 f«»ni Sworn Alex. Townsind, / Ftate. the employ nl either il'tiit gunvL-mwn esatn led Ijj On. GiiinaiuUe, win lui u"t i turned.--- Bo-