Truth is always truth, and reason is always reason; these have an intrinsick and unalterable value, and constitute that intellectual gold which defies destruction; but gold may be so concealed in baser matter, that only a chemist can recover it; sense may be so hidden in unrefined and plebeian words, that none but philosophers can distinguish it; and both may be so buried in impurities, as not to pay the cost of their extraction.

Johnson, Life of Cowley.

THE AMERICAN REGISTER, or General Repository of His tory, Politicks, and Science. Part I. for 1808. Vol. 3. Published by C. and A. Conrad, Philadelphia.

THOSE productions, which, in the most remarkable degree, abridge the labours of the politician and facilitate the increase of national information, are such compilations of authentick documents, narrations of! important events, and descriptions of the causes by which they were produced, as result from the most patient industry, discerning knowl. edge, and candid investigation. These are indispensible qualifications for every historical writer; but more particularly are they to be requirquired, when the actions to be related, and the motives to be traced, yet retain the hues of political asperity and party feelings, which invariably tinge the most honest contemporary representations.

The American Register, as it proposes to relate the history of the present times with accuracy and faithfulness, might become a highly interesting work, even to the spectators of the events to which they refer, and to the future historian himself, provided its character in those particulars could be fully and satisfactorily established. Such a pure Chronicle of events, would serve as a guide-post to conduct the general historian with safety through the complicated cross-paths, by which party spirit has intersected the direct road of foreign and domestick policy which ought to be followed by the United States. We consider, in opposition to general opinion, that the histories of events which transpired ages before the narrations were composed, are naturally more remarkable for their dignity than their truth, unless the historian possess the inestimable advantage of such guides, as a true contemporaVOL. 1.

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neous chronicle must afford. The dignity of his history will often require the exclusion of inferiour circumstances, which had been magni fied into importance through the medium of party; but it requires more than human perspicuity to penetrate the obstacles which time and, prejudice have contributed to interpose, to intercept the sight of the: historian and prevent him from discerning the true complexion of anyʊ particular government. We estimate the work under review very highly, as it may be made to contribute to the future fame of this coun try when it shall really be distinguished by eminent men, and when its? administration shall be actuated by such a liberal and energetick sys->› tem of policy, as to inspire in the breast of its citizens, when the name E of America shall be mentioned, a glow of patriotism and ardourgained stead of exciting, as at the present time, the suffusion of shame, from an q acute sense of national disgrace,

The American Register,' was begun in 1807, and three semi-annual 1. volumes have already been published. The third volume we haver: thought proper to notice at this time, because it undertakes the discuseid sion of topicks of more than ordinary interest at this moment; andsu because we are afraid there are some dangerous conclusions to which vs a too implicit reliance on the integrity of the annals,' may possibly 10 lead. But before we enter into the examination of these points, wė (2 will give a brief outline of the contents of the whole work, the histor-e ical part of which only comes within our intention to investigate.s It is a comely volume of nearly six hundred large octavo pages. The 'Annals of Europe and America' make the first general head, and oc on cupy about one hundred pages with the history of American events; this we are happy to observe, because we wish our writers to leave the task of European history to those whose immediate connection and& affinity to the scene of events, render them more capable of attaining the necessary knowledge for the accomplishment of an end of such d vast magnitude and importance,

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Then follows 6 An abstract of the publick acts passed in the second§ session of the tenth congress of the United States. A journal of a voyage between China and the North-Western Coast of America,' then ensues. American and Foreign State Papers, which immediately succeed, make up three hundred pages of the volume, and the rest consists of an American Register of Deaths,' and a few pages of original and selected Poetry.' Thus it appears that the work is chiefly political; and according as its character for impartiality may be deter mined, it should rise in the estimation of the publick. The principal national topicks included in the Annals,' are the history of the attack on the Chesapeak; the discussions of the American and British Par governments, on the right of search, which was one consequence of that unfortunate affair; the mission of Mr. Rose, and the causes and consequences of the Embargo. The first chapter commences with an

account of the inconveniencies experienced by the United States from the former practice of the British, in placing squadrons before the mouths of our harbours, and examining all vessels which might come in their way. In which the author points out pretty fairly the reasons which induced the British to pursue the practice, as arising not only from the desire of restraining the commerce with France, but from the supply of provisions of which these ships in their cruises continually stand in need, and especially from the circumstance of French ships occasionally taking refuge in American harbours." Some remarks which drop occasionally from him in the course of this chapter, we should be disposed to contest if they were not of inferiour importance.compared with some of the topicks which we shall hereafter be obliged to discuss. Thus he speaks of 'the rights of a warring nation over neutrals' being all of them unjust. Does the author mean to assert that the right of search for contraband is unjust? Is the right of enforcing a blockade unjust? If so, the neutral would be authorised to supply one belligerent with arms and ammunition, to the detriment of another, even in a blockaded port; to say nothing of the apparent incongruity of terms, in the expression an unjust right. Again, the neutral is thus continually reminded that he is helpless and powerless.' Is a neutral of necessity helpless and powerless? with respect to us the ob servation is correct, but it does not follow that if we had a formidable navy we should contine so; or that any other neutral nations should be so considered.

The author mentions the case of the Leander and Whitby's trial, in terms singularly strong; and thus impeaches the impartiality of the British court martial. It is hardly necessary to add that captain Whitby was acquitted, nor is it easy to conceive that this particular charge could meet with any other fate, either from the passions or the justice of the court before which he was brought. If the justice of an English court, composed of officers whose honours are pledged for the performance of their duty is to be questioned, because the case might apply to all the judges as well as the offender, so a court established on a breach of discipline, or to examine any indecorous con. duct of an individual, might be vilified with equal propriety. Yet nothing is more frequent than condemnation for such offences, under such jurisdictions. 2013.

The second chapter relates to the deplorable affair of the Chesapeak and Leopard, which the author commences by the following singularly original remark. As long as mankind are endowed with the same passions, there never will occur a quarrel between individuals or nations, in which either party is wholly blameless. We cannot to question much at length, the truth of the assertion, but we state it merely to show, that the author attaches faults both to the Americans and English, in the circumstances connected with that catastrophe.

We are willing to admit this, though we cannot so readily agree to ma the reasonings of our author on the subject, nor to the causes to which t he ascribes the melancholy occurrence. He observes, the transaction which took place at that time, originated in the desertion of certain seamen from the British ship Melampus.' [Chap. II. p. 12.] And -then he proceeds to inform us of the circumstances attending that des sertion, the enlistment of the seamen on board the Chesapeak, and the demand made of them by the British consul at Norfolk. The en quiry which it is said the American government instituted upon the citizenship of the seamen is enlarged upon, and the probabilities respecting their unsupported assertions in relation to their nativity are weighed and compared, as well as the propriety of the conduct of the administration in ultimately refusing to deliver them up. Assuming the desertion from the Melampus to be the sole cause of Admiral Berk ley's proclamation which was evidently the immediate cause of the attack on the Chesapeak, the author, we think, will find it difficult to dis cover authority sufficient to maintain his assertion. As he has not conceived it necessary to cite the authorities on which his declaration is founded, and whilst we have official documents before us which speak a diffierent language, we hope to be excused, if we do not suffer the unsupported account of this writer to supercede the evidence of Berk ley's proclamation. So far was the desertion from the Melampus, from being the origin' of the transaction, that the proclamation, whilst it enumerates six vessels, deserters from which are assigned as reasons for the claim of search, the Melampus is not once mentioned. The vessels particularized were the Bellisle, Bellona, Triumph, Chichester, Halifax, and Zenobia (Cutter). In an historical narrative, where the most scrupulous correctness and fidelity are fairly to be claimed, such deviation from the principal official document in the case, ought certainly to have been supported by countervailing testimony. How far the American government were authorised to refuse to deliver the deserters from the Melampus, is nugatory, since the question at issue between Berkley and Barron, was not respecting those men, but many others; more particularly, five deserters from the Halifax, who first rose upon their officer, and afterwards insulted their commander in the streets of Norfolk. It is clear from the fact that Capt. Humphreys exceeded his instructions in taking men from the Chesapeak, who were not included in them, and therefore should it be settled by his punishment; but it cannot be admitted that the transaction originated in the desertions from the Melampus, when they seem to have been purposely omitted by Berkley in his proclamation. The evident attempt of this writer to screen the administration, in his relation of the facts in this manner, is preposterously absurd; they were unquestionably wrong in suffering British seamen to be enlisted on board their ships of war, but they were clearly right in refusing to suffer the search to be made. Jenkin Ratford was the only man on board the Chesapeak, who came

within the compass of Capt. Humphrey's

tered by another name, (Wilson) whistructions, and he had en

circumstance might have been unknown by Commodore Barron, and he is not obliged bliged to resort to theds necessity of justifying his denial by the disputed meaning of the word deserter. The American government therefore, e, might be more fully vindicated from the charge of prevarication and falsehood, unders true statement of facts, than by arrogant assumptions which do not contain st sufficient colour of truth to confer on them the appearance of plausibility ros

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The account of the action next engages the attention of our author, in s several particulars of which we discover some of those smaller laps es of correctness and deviations from authority of which we have before had occasion, and certainly have a right to complain, in this historical narration. Thus, the ensuing account directly contradicts the letter of Capt. Humphreys in regard to the time the action continued. Before these orders could be executed the Leopard commenced a heavy fire. This fire unfortunately was very destructive. In about thirty minutes, the hull, rigging and spars were greatly damaged,' &c. (page 17) Capt. Humphreys, does not allow the firing to have continued so long; he says with great precision at the expiration of ten minutes from the first shot being fired, the pendant and ensign of the Chesa peak were lowered." Our author does not expressly mention a circumstance which we consider to have been important, but leaves it to his reader's imagination, the formal offer of surrender, and the striking the American flag on board the Chesapeak. Future readers would not be able to discover these facts from any expression in the Annals.”

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*

In chapter III. the author proceeds to relate the astonishing effects of this melancholy event, which extinguished the fire of party asperity, caused every one to sigh for the indignity we had sustained, and produced unavailing attempts among some part of the people to heal the wound the national honour had received by the ill-directed revenge of exasperated animosity. The destruction of two hundred casks of water, the raising of the militia in the vicinity of Norfolk, were the principal warlike incidents which occurred. The author then n touches upon the court of enquiry instituted upon the conduct of Commodore Barron, and afterwards complains of the decision of the court martial in punishing him for a mere errour of judgment,' which the author considders very humanely to have been of such a kind, and in such circumstances as to be the most venial in itself, but most harmless in its consequences, that can be easily imagined." Its 'kind' is best known to Capt. Barron himself, the consequences' have only been to imbue the national character with a stain of disgrace so indelible, that neither time nor repentant tears will ever be able to eradicate it. [To be continued.]

*Letter to John Erskine Douglas, Esq. captain of his majesty's ship Bellona.