ADDRESS. 9 



and summer's heat in the probationary war with France, that we 

 were trained by the wise hand of a superintending Providence for 

 the war of Independence. Then it was, that from a state of utter 

 debasement, we raised ourselves to the rank of a maratime nation, 

 and with vessels equipped, for the most part by individual enter- 

 prise, made ourselves more formidable to English commerce than 

 France with all her naval force had ever been. From the vessels 

 captured, near two thousand in number, from the enemy, our army 

 was supplied with clothing and ammunition at two of the most 

 critical periods of the revolution ; and Washington himself ex- 

 pressly says, that the army would have inevitably been forced to 

 retreat, and perhaps disband itself when besieging Boston, had not 

 two English ships, laden with military stores, been captured by 

 Captain Manly in Boston harbour. This occurred when there 

 remained but two barrels of gunpowder for twenty thousand men. 

 Many other instances might be adduced to show how invaluable 

 was the aid afforded by our infant marine at that eventful crisis in 

 our past history. 



At the close of the war, commerce began anew upon a more 

 enlarged scale, and higher enterprise ; but there were numerous 

 obstacles in the way, until after the adoption of the federal consti- 

 tution. Prior to that period, a committee of marine had managed 

 all our maritime affairs, and their energies were often wasted in 

 considering first principles, now so well established. In 1794, the 

 first proposition for forming a navy was made in congress under 

 the constitution. In 1798, all our naval force was called into 

 requisition, and covered itself with glory ; and subsequently 

 secured the admiration of the world, in humbling the fierce cor- 

 sairs of the Mediterranean. Thus our commerce had been in 

 some measure protected, and our national honour defended, before 

 the war of 1812. 



While trammelled in the fetters of colonial dependance, the 

 colonists had shown themselves eager to perform everything 



