LETTERS OF A FRIEND TO THE NATY. 79 



complement of men until the month of June. Perhaps some unac- 

 countable hallucination has possessed the mind of the commodore. 



The " Citizen," in continuance, says to the secretary, " The pres- 

 ident is further informed that you had not yet attempted to organ- 

 ize the scientific corps for the expedition, but you intimate that 

 this duty may be performed as soon as accommodations can be 

 afforded them in the vessels. Strange incongruity this ! In the 

 first place, the vessels are finished, and receiving their crews ; in 

 the next you tell us that the organization of the corps is delayed 

 until the vessels are finished and ready to receive them^ The 

 last sentence is a pitiful fabrication of the " Citizen," and is not to 

 be found in the secretary's report. The language of the secretary 

 is, " the scientific corps may be organized as soon as accommoda- 

 tions can be afforded them in the vessels of the exploring squad- 

 ion." 



The accommodations for the scientific corps will be something 

 different from the mere finishing the vessels so as to receive their 

 crews. The Independence was finished, and her crew on board, 

 before the accommodations for Mr. Dallas and his family were pre- 

 pared. But it is disgusting to pursue farther these pitiful mis- 

 representations. 



The " Citizen" in No. II. vents some terrible threats, which 

 have not yet been carried into execution. He says to the secre- 

 tary, " Permit me to call your attention to the very last paragraph 

 in the able report to which I have alluded" (a report from the com- 

 mittee of commerce) ; " it is much to the point, and you may draw 

 instruction from it. Yea, more, it will furnish you with an argu- 

 ment to refute the contemptible fabrication of the weak marplot- 

 ting enemies of this truly national enterprise, who, in the face of 

 two hundred pages of printed documents, have had the effrontery 

 to say the expedition would have little or nothing to do with the 

 protection of commerce in the regions to be examined. I will 

 give the authors of this device a loithei'ing review before I have 

 done. Let them prepare for it. I know them, and may feel it my 

 duty to drag them from their dark retreats, perfectly regardless 

 who may be found in their company, or what aspect they may 

 wear when exposed to the fair face of day." Who these miscre- 

 ants are I cannot imagine, and the " Citizen" does not think proper 

 to inform us. Perhaps he means the members of Congress who 



