Introductory 33 



trading ; and by the latter, that a man who happened 

 to be on the sea should have the same protection 

 accorded to a man who remained on land. Nomi 

 nally, neither of these questions was settled by, or 

 even alluded to, in the treaty of peace; but the im 

 mense increase in reputation that the navy acquired 

 during the war practically decided both points in our 

 favor. Our sailors had gained too great a name for 

 one to molest them with impunity again. 



Holding views on these maritime subjects so radi 

 cally different from each other, the two nations could 

 not but be continually dealing with causes of quar 

 rel. Not only did British cruisers molest our mer 

 chantmen, but at length one of them, the 5o-gun 

 ship Leopard, attacked an American frigate, the 

 Chesapeake, when the latter was so lumbered up that 

 she could not return a shot, killed or disabled some 

 twenty of her men, and took away four others, one 

 Briton and three Americans, who were claimed as 

 deserters. For this act an apology was offered, but 

 it failed to restore harmony between the two nations. 

 Soon afterward another action was fought. The 

 American frigate President, Commodore Rodgers, 

 attacked the British sloop Little Belt, Captain Bing- 

 ham, and exchanged one or two broadsides with her, 

 the frigate escaping scot-free while the sloop was 

 nearly knocked to pieces. Mutual recriminations 

 followed, each side insisting that the other was the 

 assailant. 



When Great Britain issued her Orders in Council 

 forbidding our trading with France, we retaliated 



