to express all in a fewer words, _I
was a Federalist of the Boston stamp_. These are the outlines of my
preconceived opinions, which I carried with me into Melville Prison,
at Halifax. I was not the only one by many, who entered that abode of
misery with similar notions. How often have I wished that Governor
Strong, and his principal supporters, were here with us, learning
wisdom, and acquiring just notions of men, things and governments.

But to return from the Governor and Council, and other great men of
Massachusetts, to the British prison ship at Chatham.--The British had
been in the habit of pressing the sailors from our merchant ships,
ever since the year 1755. The practice was always abhorred, and often
resisted, and sometimes even unto death. We naturally inferred that,
with our independence, we should preserve the persons of our citizens
from violence and deep disgrace; for, to an American, a whipping is a
degradation worse than death.--Since the termination of the war with
England, which guaranteed our independence, the British never
pretended to impress American citizens; but pretended to the right of
entering our vessels, and taking from them the natives of Britain or
Ireland, and this was their general rule of conduct;--they would
forcibly board our vessels, and the boarding-officer, who was commonly
a lieutenant, completely armed with sword, dirk, and loaded pistols,
would muster the crew, and examine the persons of the sailors, as a
planter examines a lot of negroes exposed for sale; and all the thin,
puny, or sickly men, he allowed to be Americans--but all the stout,
hearty, red cheeked, iron fisted, chestnut colored, crispy haired
fellows, were declared to be British; and if such men showed their
certificates of citizenship, and place of birth, they were pronounced
forgeries, and the unfortunate men were dragged over the side into the
boat, and forced on board his floating hell! Not a day in the year,
but there occurred such a scene as this, somewhere on the seas; and to
our shame be it spoken, we endured this outrage on man through the
administration of _Washington_, _Adams_,[E] and _Jefferson_, before we
declared war to revenge the villany. If an high spirited man, thus
kidnap'd, refused to work, he was first deprived of victuals; and if
starvation did not induce him to work, he was stripped, and tied up,
and whipped like a thief!--and many a noble spirited fellow suffered
this accursed punishment. I