PREFACE. 



Ixxv 



equally undeserved, and equally dangerous to the 

 interests of religion and liberty, in the United States. 

 He therefore felt himself called upon, not only to 

 defend his own character, grossly, indecently, and 

 falsely aspersed, but to arrest, as far as possible, the 

 injury attempted to be done him, by proving the ig- 

 norance, prejudice, and malevolence of the assailant. 

 How far he has succeeded, the public will judge ; 

 and he rests not without the hope of an honourable 

 acquittal — at least at the hands of his countrymen. 

 To them, and not to enemies, smarting under the 

 recollection of repeated defeat and disgrace, he 

 leaves the decision. 



Captain Porter having been stigmatized, in the 

 British prints, by British officers, and even by- 

 British diplomatic agents, as having dishonoured 

 himself by a breach of parole ; having also been de- 

 clared by admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, in the 

 presence of his captains, whom he had called to- 

 gether for the purpose, " out of the pale of honour," 

 and not entided to quarter, if taken : it has been 

 thought proper to notice this aspersion here, al- 

 though not included among those of the Quarterly 

 Review. The following letter will set the subject 

 at rest. 



I/. B. M. Ship Tonnani, off Chandelier Mams 



Sir, 



I HAVE the honour to acquaint you, in 

 reference to my letter of the 7ih of September last, 

 that the lords commissioners of the admirahy have 

 been pleased to signify to me, that the American 

 government had a perfect right to release Captain 

 Porter, and the crew of the late U. S frigate Essex, 

 from their parole : ivhich^ according to the determi- 



