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whilst at Bourdeaux, a letter from the Consul-General of the United States, dated Paris, August 30th, in which the Consul informed him that the report of France adopting a more liberal system in regard to the flag and property of neutrals, was gaining ground every hour.

Dr. Logan, believing that this manifestation of friendship on the part of the Republic of France, would be highly acceptable to his country, he offered his services to Mr. Skipwith, the Consul-General, to be the bearer of his dispatches to the President of the United States. A duplicate of the same dispatches had been forwarded by some other channel. When Doctor Logan, therefore, after his arrival, presented them to Mr. Pickering, in place of being cordially received or thanked for his trouble, he was simply informed that they were of no importance, as their contents had been already received. Insinuations of treason were thrown out against him, and agreeable to the federal custom, Mrs. Logan was also reviled, a lady, in whose character, the utmost diligence of malice has not been able, more than in that of her husband, to discover a single stain.

To these slanderous accusations, Dr. Logan can oppose the blessings of hundreds of his countrymen, whom he has saved from the risk of ruin. At Bourdeaux he received, upon September 8th, 1798, an address subscribed by fourteen masters of ships, and other persons, whose property he had preserved from confiscation. He also procured

freedom for a considerable number of seamen. For these services, at the sitting down of Congress, in December, 1798, the whole federal faction broke loose upon him. Thatcher, Harper and Otis, attacked him with all their fury. As a vindication of his character, he published the following letter, dated Bourdeaux, September 8th, 1798:

" SIR,

"A habit of trade of many years standing with the United States of America, has, in the late difficulties between the two countries, enabled us to feel how much we are indebted to your laudable endeavors to prevent this country from acting hoştilely, after the late occurrences in America; and how much we are beholden to you in particular, for the convincing proof of the good intentions of this government, in taking off the embargo they had laid on all American vessels. Pray excuse this abrupt manner of delivering our sentiments; but as acting for our friends in America, we find ourselves more particularly obliged....we feel ourselves gratified in thus assuring you of our esteem; we wish you a successful passage over to America, and remain, Sir, your cordial friends,

"SKINNER, FENWICK & BROWN.

"To Dr. LOGAN, of

Philadelphia."

of}

In the beginning of this year, (1799) hostilities were openly commenced between the Republic of France and the United States. The first engage-/ ment of any importance, between the two powers, was fought on the 9th of February, by l'Insur

gente of 40 guns, Captain Bureaut, and the Constellation of 38 guns, Commodore Truxton. Victory proved favorable to us, and l'Insurgente was captured; but the glory of the day was clouded by an unfortunate accident, the death of one of the seamen on board of Truxton's vessel, occasioned by a stab, received from the 3d Lieutenant of the Constellation. Neale Harvey, was the name of this unfortunate young man, and Andrew Sterret, that of the officer. Whether Harvey actually deserted his station during the action, is a matter not ascertained but humanity must incline us to believe that Sterret thought so, before he plunged a sword into the bowels of a fellow-citizen. The affair, however, might have been buried in obli. vion, had not Sterret's imprudence urged him to publish it to the world, in a letter to his father.... "One fellow (says Sterret) I was obliged to run through the body, and so put an end to a coward. You must not think this strange, for we would put a man to death for even looking pale on board this ship." On this occasion we must certainly blame both the silence of Truxton and that of our administration. The duty which they owed to their country, ought certainly to have compelled a public investigation of the affair, which it is to be hoped would have turned out, notwithstanding its untoward aspect, to Sterret's honor; and removed from the character of that brave officer, a stain which will ever blot the most praise-worthy action he can perform. But Mr. Adams received the intel

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ligence with equal indifference as Truxton beheld it; and without any investigation which we know of, promoted Mr. Sterret with the other officers.

The day of Truxton's victory, which was on Sunday, is remarkable on another account. A motion was to have been made in Congress the Monday following, for a repeal of the Alien law of 1798....In order to promote this repeal, Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Duane, and several other gentlemen of Philadelphia, went to St. Mary's Church and placed upon the doors, petitions to Congress for that purpose, with the intention of receiving the signatures of those of the Congregation who were Aliens. No proceeding could have been more harmless, and unexceptionable than this; but the appellation of Alien was synonymous with Jacobin in the understanding of the tory christians. The alarm of sedition and treason was sounded in the church; the pious priest dropped the bible, and out rushed the federal mob. A desperado, of the name of Gallagher, at the head of several ruffians, attacked Reynolds, knocked him down, then kicked him, and mal-treated his friends in the same manner. The petitions were torn from the door, and a flaming report of the suppression of the Alien Riot, as it was called, appeared in the federal papers next morning.

The federalists, not satisfied with their victory, were determined, if possible, to accomplish the ruin of Reynolds and his companions. They therefore accused the former of an intention to murder

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Gallagher, and the latter of a riot and assault at St. Mary's Church, Their trial was brought forward the 22d of the same month, and, most probably, had it not been for several republicans who fortunately were upon the jury, they would all have been found guilty, and received the punishment which a partial court might award; but the sound judgment of the few prevailed over the bigotted prejudice of the many, and a verdict of acquittal was in consequence given.

Enraged at this verdict, the enemies of liberty and order resolved no longer to be trifled with the forms of law and the caprice of a jury. A band of upwards of thirty took the oath of vengeance. The names of the leaders of this conspiracy were, John Dunlap, J. B. McKean, Peter Mierckin, George Willing, Joshua B. Bond, Owen Foulke, Jonathan Robeson, Edward Shoemaker, John Singer, William Lewis and James Simmons. On the 15th of May they entered the office of the Aurora; one party with pistols in their hands, acted as centinels upon the compositors and pressmen, while an other party kept at bay several strangers who were in the office. Peter Mierckin, with several of his followers, then attacked Mr. Duane, the object of their malice. The former knocked him down, while the latter ruffians held his hands. Bleeding and senseless, they dragged him down stairs into Franklin court, and there satiated their vengeance by repeating their blows upon Mr. Duane and his affectionate son, a boy of sixteen, who threw him