legislative bodies, and not altogether inattentive to the forms of their proceedings....but much time has elapsed; since that other duties have occupied my mind; in a great degree it has lost its familiarity with this subject....I fear that the house will have but too frequent occasion to perceive the truth of this acknowledgment. If a diligent attention, however, will enable me to fulfil the functions now assigned me, I may promise that diligence and attention shall be sedulously employed. For one, portion of my duty, I shall engage with more confidence, because it will depend on my will and not on my capacity.

"The rules which are to govern the proceedings of this house, so far as they shall depend on me for their application, shall be applied with the most rigorous and inflexible impartiality, regarding neither persons, their views or principles, and seeing only the abstract proposition, subject to my decision. If, in forming that opinion, I concur with some and differ from others, as must of necessity happen, I shall rely on the liberality and candor of those from whom I differ, to believe that I do it on pure motives. I might here proceed, and with the greatest truth, to declare my zealous attachment to the con.. stitution of the United States; that I consider the union of these States as the first of blessings; and, as the first of duties, the preservation of that constitution which secures it. But I suppose these declarations not pertinent to the occasion of entering into an office whose primary business is merely to preside over D

the form of this house. And no one more sincerely prays, that no accident may call me to the higher and more important functions which the constitution eventually devolves on this office. These have been justly confided to the eminent character who has preceded me here, whose talents and integrity have been known and revered by me through a long course of years, have been the foundation of a cordial and uninterrupted friendship between us; and I devoutly pray he may be long preserved for the government, the happiness and prosperity of our common country."

The apparent liberal and patriotic sentiments displayed in the President's speech, had the immediate effect of conciliating the friendship of many who had been his most violent opposers; the sound of words was to supply for a few days, the place of virtuous deeds, and the services of Washington were to be eclipsed by the laboured periods of a studied oration. A writer in the Argus, breaks forth in the following strain of unthinking panegyric: "Who can peruse this address without giving it his most unreserved approbation? It is so long since the citizens of America heard an acknowledgment, on the part of their Executive, that all power was derived from the people, that they had almost forgot their government was a representative one....not less pleasing must it be, to hear him place in a light bordering on ridicule, the diamonds, robes, and other ornaments and decorations of royalty; a striking contrast this, to the example of his predecessor

in office....may he persevere in it, uninfluenced by the menaces or machinations of artful and designing men." One might have supposed this to be the language of ridicule and not sincerity, had not the author been a clergyman, who has since figured as one of the warmest espousers of the Hamiltonian faction.

As the most distinguishing features in Mr. Adams's administration, have been his predilection for the English Government, and his avowed hatred to the French, it may not be improper to give a fair statement of the conduct of both these nations, to this country, previous to the election of 1797. This will assist to develope the secret bonds which were so firmly to unite the President of a free country with a British King. The most striking mark of regard. which the English paid to Americans, was the respect shewn to our commerce, by insulting indiscriminately, during the year 1796, almost every vessel which displayed the flag of the United States. To enumerate all the deeds of this nature would. occupy several volumes....a few of the most glaring instances will be sufficient for the purpose..

The schooner John, of Salem, Captain Philip Saunders, had been on a voyage to Jamaica; while he lay there, an English officer, and five men, from a sloop of war, came on board to impress his crew. Only one of them happened to be on board besides the mate and a boy. The rest were on shore on business. The gang took the sailor. On being told that he was an American, they replied that they

knew this, but wanted men, and would have them whatever might be the consequences. Captain Saunders went on board the sloop of war to reclaim his seaman. The commander, in an insolent manner, ordered him back to his own vessel, desired an account of the wages due to the hand, and to send them and his clothes to the sloop....in case of noncompliance he was threatened with a flogging. The rest of the crew were secreted on shore, by the Captain, for ten days, till the sloop of war sailed, as her declared design was to impress the whole. During this period the schooner lay exposed to the weather as well as the insults of the sloop of war, without any person to take care of her except the captain, his mate and the boy....the sloop's crew consisted of eighty seven-men; of these thirty-five were said to be Americans, who had been impressed in the West-Indies. This story is related in the Salem newspapers of the 8th of March, as also by Mr. Callender, who concludes his account of it by observing, that such, at the distance of twenty months, was the success of Jay's appeal to the magnanimity of George Guelph, and of his kissing the hand of "the meat, drink, snuff, and diamond-loving Dame."

In the spring of 1796, Captain Samuel Green made a voyage from Norfolk, in Virginia, to Marti-. nico. He commanded a fast sailing schooner, of three hundred barrels burthen; and carried a cargo for the British at that island. On his arrival, the consignee shewed him a bill of sale of the vessel,

and told him he was no longer master, because the schooner was bought for the British government, and to be fitted out as a privateer. If Captain Green chose to remain on board, he was told he might have employment;, this offer he refused. Several of the sailors were impressed by the British.... others were enticed to enter as volunteers in the different ships.

Jacob Peterson, master of the sloop Polly, of Philadelphia, on the 29th of January, 1796, arrived at Cape Nichola Mole, where he had scarcely cast anchor when the Syren, a British sixty-four, pressed one of his best seamen. On the 31st he sailed for Jeremie. While he remained in that port, about nine o'clock in the evening of the 9th of February, Captain Reynolds, of the Harriot, a British armed ship in government service, manned his boat and pressed several American seamen from different ships in the harbour. He be gan with the ship Carolina of Baltimore, Captain Luther.

Next day Reynolds went on shore, swore that he would that night make a sweep among the Americans. The latter, hearing of his threat, assembled themselves into two vessels that lay in the harbour, one of them the brig Richard and James, of Philadelphia, and the other the schooner Eliza, of Baltimore. About nine o'clock in the evening, a boat full of armed men was observed coming from the Harriot towards the Eliza. She was hailed and enjoined to keep her distance. Reynolds caused