active, and conspicuously successful. St. George Tucker, of Virginia, also, wrote an able dissertation against slavery. A duty on the importation of slaves was laid by New York, in 1753; by Pennsylvania, in 1762; and by New Jersey, in 1769. Virginia, the first state concerned in their introduction, was also the first that set an example of their exclu sion; having, in the year 1778, amidst the perplexing scenes of civil warfare, passed an act to discontinue their entry into her ports. In 1780, Pennsylvania made a law for the gradual abolition of slavery; a law, which, although it did not allow all the natural rights declared in her constitution, has the merit of being the earliest legislative proceeding of the kind, in any nation; and, soon afterwards, there was instituted in the same state, a society for promoting the abolition of slavery, for the relief of free negroes unlawfully held in bondage, and for improving the condition of the African race. All the states, north and east of Maryland, have since made laws for their gradual emancipation. On the adoption of the federal government, congress was authorized to prohibit, at the end of twenty years, the importation of negroes, into any part of the United States; and, accordingly, no arrivals have legally occurred since 1807. In 1820, a society for colonizing free people of colour, began a settlement at Sierra Leone, on the coast of Africa. A heavy grievance, however, is yet to be removed. Virginia, as well as every other American republic that still sanctions domestic bondage, will, we confidently anticipate, at no distant period, make arrangements, to unloosen, by degrees, the fetters, which are no less alarming to the master, than galling to the slave. Let us not only declare by words, but demonstrate by our actions, "That all men are created equal; that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights; that, amongst these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Let us vener

ate the instruction of that great and amiable man, to whom, chiefly, under Providence, the United States are indebted for their liberties; the world, for a common home: "That there exists an indissoluble union between virtue and hap piness, between duty and advantage."

[After the third edition of this history had been published, the Author was favoured with the following letter, from the distinguished philanthropist, Mr. ROBERTS VAUX:]—

Philadelphia, &mo. 18, 1824.

TO WILLIAM GRIMSHAW, ESQ.

RESPECTED FRIEND-Yesterday, on looking over for the first time, thy "History of the United States, &c." I was struck with an error, or rather an omission in point of fact, in regard to the original promulgation of sentiments which led to the abolition of negro slavery in Pennsylvania. In page 300, of the third edition, of thy History of the United States, a very just notice of the amiable and excellent John Woolman, and the equally beneficent Anthony Benezet, is to be found; but, for the fidelity of history, it is due, to say, that these valuable men were by no means the first to awaken reflection, upon this important subject. As early as 1698, a settlement of Friends, (or Quakers) near Germantown, expressed their opinion of the unrighteousness of human bondage, and conveyed that opinion to the yearly meeting of Friends, soliciting its attention specially to the consideration of the practice. In 1718, Benjamin Lay publicly protested against the inhuman custom, and was aided in the same cause by Ralph Sandiford. For a more particular account of the labours of these benevolent individuals, I would refer thee to Memoirs of their Lives, which I prepared, and had published a few years since. Thy useful work will no doubt be generally read in our country, and from its character seems to be well adapted for schools; it is important, therefore, to give it every possible degree of authenticity; and to this end I would call thy attention to a correction of the part alluded to, in a future edition.

Very respectfully,

ROBERTS VAUX.

CHAPTER XIV.

General Jackson appointed governor of Florida. Inde pendence of the South American Republics acknowledged. Piracies suppressed by the American squadron. Loss of the Hornet.

In pursuance of an act passed at the termination of the sexsion of congress in 1821, providing for the temporary government of Florida, according to the laws then existing in that province, and authorizing the president to take possession; on the seventh of March, he appointed general Jackson govcrnor of the territory, and invested him with the powers formerly exercised by the Spanish governors. Elijeus Fromentin was appointed chief-justice. The Spanish authorities reluctantly yielded their respective commands, on the twentysecond of August, the last day allowed by the treaty for that purpose: manifesting a disposition to embarrass, as much as they possibly could, the operations of the new government. In the spring of this year, the independence of the

1822. South American republics, and also of the state of Mexico, was recognized by congress, and an appropriation made to defray the expenses of establishing with them a diplo matic intercourse. This recognition was not without a beneficial influence upon the European powers. Slowly and cautiously following the example of the United States, Great Britain, in the year 1824, recognized the republics of South America, as independent nations. Six years have elapsed since the last hostile banner of Spain has been furled in the southern republics; yet still their governments are unsettled, and there exists internal discord, attended with the effusion of human blood.*

Desperate gangs of pirates, of various nations, and of all colours, infested the American seas, from the year 1818, to 1823, to so great an extent, as to render the navigation extremely perilous; their robberies being often accompanied with the most cool-blooded and barbarous murder. Their principal haunts were on the northern coast of Cuba, from one-hundred to two-hundred miles distant from Havana. There, they found a region uninhabited, beyond the opera tions of the Spanish authorities, indented with numerous narrow inlets, affording secure places of retreat for their small

* A. D. 1830

vessels, and inaccessible to ships of any considerable size. The pirates had their agents at Havana and Matanzas, to give them notice of the sailing of merchant vessels from those ports; and any that ventured to sail without convoy, almost invariably became their prey.

To protect their commerce in those seas, the measure first pursued by the government of the United States, was to station there the Congress frigate and eight small vessels. This force, in the year preceding November, 1822, captured and destroyed more than twenty piratical vessels on the coast of Cuba; but it did not fully effectuate the purpose, not being provided with the means of following them into their re cesses, and breaking up their haunts. The proper species of vessels, was, however, at length supplied. In December, congress made provision for an armament, to consist of light vessels and boats, calculated to pursue the pirates into their retreats; and accordingly, an additional force, consisting of the Peacock sloop of war, a steam galliot, and ten small vessels, carrying three or four guns each, was despatched to the West India seas, and, with the fleet then on that station, placed under the command of Commodore Porter.

1823. The armament sailed in the ensuing February, for St. Thomas, the place of their first rendezvous; and having been divided into four squadrons, it was sent to reconnoitre the northern coasts of Cuba and St. Domingo.

High praise is due to the officers and seamen employed in that expedition. Scarcely ever was there undertaken a more harassing service. A long and continued exposure to a tropical sun by day, and deadly chills and damps by night, threatened the lives of the little bands, who were seeking, in open boats, and vessels of the smallest size, the haunts of the freebooters amongst the rocks and shoals of the unin habited coasts of Cuba and St. Domingo. It was performed, however, with so remarkable zeal and success, that, at the end of sixty days from the commencement of his operations, the commodore, in his official despatches to the secretary of the navy, was enabled to say, that there was not a pirate afloat in the region of Matanzas, the scene of their greatest depredations, larger than an open boat; and that not a single piratical act had been committed on the coast of Cuba, since he had organized and arranged his forces.

1824.

It is with regret, that we have now to record an affair, which involved the gallant commander of the American squadron in difficulties, the most serious, as re

garded his own standing in the navy, and might have produced consequences still more unfortunate to his country. We allude to an affair which occurred at Foxardo. In October, 1821, lieutenant Platt, in a small schooner, was cruising off the island of St. Thomas, about thirty miles eastward of Porto Rico, when a company of American merchants, re. siding in St. Thomas, informed him that their store had been broken open, and property to a large amount stolen from it, requesting his assistance, and offering, for its recovery, a reward of a thousand dollars. Suspicious circumstances induced a belief, that the property had been carried to Foxardo, a small town in Porto Rico. Lieutenant Platt engaged with zeal in its restoration; and, taking on board the clerk of the house, proceeded to Foxardo, and made known his character and business to the authorities of the town. But as he appeared before them in the dress of a private citizen, and on an affair in no way connected with his official duty, he be came himself an object of suspicion, and was detained, with circumstances of some indignity, until he could send on board his vessel, and produce his uniform and his commission, when he was released, without having obtained any information or assistance, as to the object of his pursuit. On commodore Porter's return from the United States, whither he had gone on account of the ill health of some of his crews, the lieutenant reported to him the circumstances of this unfortunate proceeding. The commodore, viewing the treatment experienced by his lieutenant as an insult to the American flag—an inference in which we do not concur with that gallant officer-immediately proceeded with three ships to the harbour of Foxardo; landed with a party of marines; took possession of a small fort which guarded its entrance; marched to the town, and demanded an apology, such as he himself should dictate, for the insult suffered by his lieute nant; in case of refusal, threatening the destruction of the place. The Spaniards were thus intimidated, the required apology was given, and the commodore re-embarked."

'This transaction was at variance with the commodore's in structions, which required him, by all the means in his power, consistent with the honour of his government, to cultivate a good understanding with the Spanish authorities in the West Indies. Lieutenant Platt's undertaking to recover the lost goods of the St. Thomas merchants, was entirely out of the line of his duty. Appearing at Foxardo in the character of a searcher for stolen goods, he forfeited his claim to any