1815. Ghent rati THE treaty of peace and amity between Great Britain and the Feb. 17. United States, concluded at Ghent, was ratified by the president. Treaty of By the first article of this treaty it was agreed, that there shall fied. be a firm and universal peace, between his Britannic majesty and the United States, and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, and people, of every degree, without exception of places or persons; and that all hostilities, both by sea and land, shall cease as soon as this treaty shall have been ratified by both parties. By the third article, all prisoners of war taken on either side, as well by land as by sea, shall be restored as soon as practicable after the ratifications of this treaty. By the fourth article, the decision of the conflicting claims of the United States and of Great Britain to several islands in the bay of Passamaquoddy was referred to two commissioners, one to be appointed by his Britannic majesty, and one by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the senate; and it was agreed, in the event of the two commissioners differing upon all or any of the matters referred to them, or of their not acting, they shall make report or reports to their respective governments, which report or reports they agreed to refer to some friendly sovereign or state, to be then named for that purpose, and engaged to consider such decision to be final and conclusive. By the ninth article, the United States engaged to put an end, immediately after the ratification of the present treaty, to hostilities with all the tribes or nations of Indians, with whom they may be at war at the time of such ratification, provided they shall agree to desist from all hostilities against the United States; and his Britannic majesty, on his part, entered into a correspondent engagement on the like condition of their desisting from all hostilities against him and his subjects. The tenth article has respect to the abolition of the slave trade: "Whereas the traffick in slaves is irreconcilable with the principles of humanity and justice; and whereas both his majesty and the United States are desirous of continuing their efforts to promote its entire abolition; it is hereby agreed that both the contracting parties shall use their best endeavours to accomplish so desirable an object."1 for Vermont, in whose behalf he acted a decided part. He published the Natural and Political History of Vermont, with a Map of the State, 8vo. Lond. 1798; and Statements applicable to the case of the Olive Branch (the vessel in which he was captured on his return from Europe), Philad. 1807. Jennison's MS. Biography. 1 American State Papers, 1811-1815, pp. 655–665. The treaty was signed 60 VOL. II. 1815. Commer cial convention. Hostile acts A convention to regulate the commerce between the territories of the United States and of his Britannic majesty was signed at London on the 3d of July. By the first article, a reciprocal liberty of commerce was agreed upon between the territories of the United States of America and all the territories of his Britannic majesty in Europe. This convention was ratified by the president on the 22d of December.1 While the United States were rejoicing at the return of peace, their attention was called to a new theatre of war. By a message from the president to the house of representatives with a report of the secretary of state, it appeared, that the Dey of of Algiers. Algiers had violently, and without just cause, obliged the consul of the United States, and all American citizens in Algiers, to leave that place, in violation of the treaty then subsisting between the two nations; that he had exacted from the consul, under pain of immediate imprisonment, a large sum of money, to which he had no just claim; and that these acts of violence and outrage had been followed by the capture of, at least, one American vessel, and by the seizure of an American citizen on board of a neutral vessel; that the captured persons were yet held in captivity, with the exception of two of them, who had been ransomed; that every effort to obtain the release of the others had proved abortive; and that there was some reason to believe, they were held by the Dey as means by which he calculated to extort from the United States a degrading treaty. The president observed, that the considerations, which rendered it unnecessary and unimportant to commence hostile operations on the part of the United States, were now terminated by the peace with Great Britain, which opens the prospect of an active and valuable trade of their citizens within the range of the Algerine cruisers; and recommended congress to the consideration of the expediency of an act, declaring the existence of a state of war between the United States and the Dey of Algiers; and of such provisions as might be requisite for a vigorous prosecution of it to a successful issue.2 War de. clared against Algiers. A committee of congress to whom was referred a bill "for the protection of the commerce of the United States against the Algerine cruisers," after a statement of facts, concluded their at Ghent 24 December, 1814, by Gambier, Henry Goulburn, William Adams, plenipotentiaries on the part of his Britannic majesty; and by John Quincy Adams, J. A. Bayard, H. Clay, Jona. Russell, Albert Gallatin, plenipotentiaries on the part of the United States. 1 American State Papers, xi. 14-19. This convention was signed by John Q. Adams, Henry Clay, Albert Gallatin, plenipotentiaries on the part of the United States; and by F. J. Robinson, Henry Goulburn, William Adams, plenipotentiaries on the part of his Britannic majesty. 2 American State Papers, 1811-1815, pp. 666-668. report by expressing their united opinion, "that the Dey of Al- 1815. giers considers his treaty with the United States as at an end, and is waging war with them."1 In March, war was declared against the Algerines. An expedition was accordingly ordered to the Mediterranean, under the command of commodore Bainbridge. The squadron in advance on that service, under commodore Decatur, lost not a moment after its arrival in the Mediterranean, in seeking the naval force of the enemy then cruising in that sea, and succeeded in capturing two of his ships, one of them the principal ship, commanded by the Algerine admiral. The American commander, after this demonstration of An honourskill and prowess, hastened to the port of Algiers, where he able peace. readily obtained peace, in the stipulated terms of which, the rights, and honour of the United States were particularly consulted by a perpetual relinquishment, on the part of the dey, of all pretensions of tribute from them. The impressions thus made, strengthened by subsequent transactions with the regencies of Tunis and Tripoli, by the appearance of the larger force which followed under commodore Bainbridge, and by the judicious precautionary arrangements left by him in that quarter, afforded a reasonable prospect of future security for the valuable portion of the American commerce which passes within reach of the Barbary cruisers.2 On the 1st of September, the president, having received in- Proclamaformation that sundry persons, citizens of the United States, or tion. residents within the same, and especially within the state of Louisiana, were conspiring together for a military expedition or enterprise against the dominions of Spain, with which the United States were at peace, issued a proclamation, warning and enjoining all faithful citizens against any participation in those unlawful enterprises, and commanding all persons concerned in them to cease all farther proceedings therein, as they will answer the contrary at their peril. The president recalled the attention of congress to the great Roads and importance of establishing throughout our country the roads and canals. canals which can best be executed under the national authority; observing, that considerations of political economy are strengthened "by the political effect of these facilities for intercommunication, in bringing and binding more closely together the various parts of our extended confederacy." The guard of the depôt at Dartmoor in England, by order of Massacre at the agent, fired upon the American prisoners, and killed 7 and Dartmoor wounded 60 of them. The prince regent, by his minister lord 1 American State Papers, 1811-1815, pp. 667–670. The President's mes sage was sent to the house 23 February. 2 Message of the President to Congress, 3 December, 1815. prison. 1815. Castlereagh, in a communication to the American ministers at London, expressed to the government of the United States his deep lamentation of this unhappy occurrence, and his desire to make a compensation to the widows and families of the sufferers.1 On the 4th of July a treaty was made between the United States and the Dey of Algiers.-On the 2d of September a treaty was made between the United States and eight Indian tribes at Detroit. Treaties. Algerines. Canal. Harvard Review. Vessels wrecked. Gale. An Algerine frigate, of 44 guns and 600 men, and an Algerine brig of war, surrendered to the American squadron on the 18th of June. A water intercourse with Concord in New Hampshire was opened by way of the canals on the Merrimack. The first boat of the Merrimack company arrived at the landing at Concord on the 23d of June,2 The office of College Professor of Greek was established in Harvard College, and John Snelling Popkin, D.D. was inaugurated Professor. A Professorship of Greek Literature, was also founded, and Edward Everett, P.D. was inaugurated Professor. The Massachusetts Medical College was erected in Boston. At this college the professors of the Faculty of Medicine of the University in Cambridge give lectures three months in the year. The building contains the cabinet of anatomical preparations, the chemical apparatus, the apparatus and specimens used in midwifery and materia medica, and the medical library-belonging to the University.3 The North American Review was commenced at Boston.* The Massachusetts Peace Society was formed.—American missionaries sailed from Newburyport for Ceylon. The prize ship General Wellesley was wrecked off Charleston, South Carolina, in January, and between 50 and 60 Lascars and Seapoys (nearly the whole of the crew) were drowned. The Sylph, a British sloop of war, was wrecked on Long Island, and of 117 souls on board, only 6 got safe to land.-On the 23d of September there was a violent gale in New England. 1 American State Papers (3d edit.), xi. 82, 179-183. Report of the Commissioners appointed to investigate the circumstances attending the massacre at Dartmoor, dated at " Dartmoor Prison, April 7th, 1815," the day after themassacre. 2 Moore's Annals of Concord. 3 In 1810, the Medical Institution was extended to Boston, with the condition that the Professors should give suitable lectures at the University, as should be required. 4 Of this work 26 volumes have been published. Similar publications had preceded this: The Monthly Magazine, and American Review, commencing in 1799, and extending to several volumes, printed at New York; The Monthly Anthology, and Boston Review, edited by a Society of Gentlemen, begun in 1802, and closed in 1810, printed at Boston; The American Review of History and Politics, and General Repository of Literature and State Papers, begun in 1811, printed at Philadelphia. John Carroll died at Baltimore, in the 81st year of his age;1 1815. David Ramsay, at Charleston, aged 66;2 Richard Alsop, at 1 Archbishop Carroll was born in Maryland in 1734. His parents were Catholics of distinguished respectability. He was six years at the College of St. Omer's, in Flanders, whence he was transferred to the Colleges of Liege and Bruges for the higher branches of literature. All these colleges were under the superintendence of Jesuits. In 1769 he was ordained priest, and afterwards became a Jesuit himself. On the suppression of the Jesuits by the pope, in 1774, he retired to England, and lived in the family of lord Arundel; and the next year he returned to his native country. In 1776, at the solicitation of congress, he accompanied Dr. Franklin, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and Samuel Chase, their three commissioners, on a political mission to Canada, with a view of inducing the people of that province to preserve a neutral attitude in the war between the mother country and the United States; but the mission proved unsuccessful. The Roman Catholic clergy having been always under the superintendence of a spiritual hierarchy, established by the see of Rome, in England, they had solicited the Pope to place them under a similar one in this country. In compliance with their wishes, and by the unanimous recommendation of his clerical brethren, Mr. Carroll was appointed Vicar General by the Holy See, in 1786, when he took up his residence in Baltimore. In 1789, the Pope appointed him bishop over the Catholic Church in the United States; and in 1790, he repaired to England for consecration, and on the 15th of August he was consecrated at Lulworth Castle, in Devonshire. Returning the same year to Baltimore, the seat of his episcopal see, he assumed the title of Bishop of Baltimore. He was the first Catholic bishop in this country. From this period until his death, he devoted himself to the performance of the duties of his new station, "in the faithful superintendence and care of his extensive diocese, which he governed with exemplary zeal and discretion." The degrees of Doctor of Laws and of Divinity had, many years before, been conferred upon him by several Universities in the United States; and a few years before his death, he was raised to the archiepiscopal dignity. "The archbishop's patriotism was as decided as his piety." Biographical Sketch of Archbishop Carroll, in the American Quarterly Review, i. 19-24. 2 Memoir of David Ramsay, M.D. prefixed to his Universal History," America," vol. 1. and Thacher's Medical Dictionary, Art. RAMSAY. Dr. Ramsay was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1749. He was educated at Princeton College, and took the degree of bachelor of arts at the age of 16. After devoting some time to the general cultivation of his mind, he began the study of physic at Philadelphia, and attended the lectures at the College of Pennsylvania. He commenced the active duties of his profession in Maryland, where he continued one year, and then went to Charleston, South Carolina, with a letter of very high recommendation [from Dr. Rush. He soon acquired celebrity in his profession; but his diversified talents and active mind soon took a wider range. From the commencement of the revolution, he was an ardent patriot, and exerted all his powers to promote the independence of his country. From the declaration of independence to the termination of the war, he was a member of the legislature of South Carolina. For two years he was a member of the privy council, and with two others of that body was among the citizens of Charleston who, in 1780, were banished by the British to St. Augustine. On an exchange of prisoners, after an absence of eleven months, he was sent back to the United States. In 1782 he was elected a member of congress; and 1785, Mr. Hancock being unable to attend, Dr. Ramsay was elected president pro tempore, and for one year discharged the duties of that station with ability, industry, and impartiality. In 1786 he returned to ⚫ Charleston, and resumed the duties of his profession, and his historical labours, in which he continued to be occupied during the remainder of his life, "The predominant trait in the character of Dr. Ramsay," says his biographer, philanthropy." The experience of his philanthropy and beneficence in early life, in the attentions received from him at Charleston, and in letters of introduction, which he spontaneously offered, to the highly respected family was |