f he seized the first opportunity, as he
ought, to run away from his tyrants, and was taken, he was severely
whipped; and for a second attempt the punishment was doubled, and for
the third he was hanged, or shot.

It happened on our declaration of war, chiefly on account of this
atrocious treatment of the sailors, that thousands of our countrymen
had been impressed into the British navy, and more or less were found
in almost every ship; most of these informed their respective
captains, that being American citizens, they could not remain in the
service of a nation, to aid them in killing their brethren; and in
pulling down the flag of their native country. They declared firmly,
that it was fighting against nature for a man to fight against his
native land, the only land to which he owed a natural duty. Some noble
British commanders admired their patriotic spirit, and permitted them
to quit their ships, and go to prison: while other captains, of an
opposite and ignoble character, refused to hear their declarations,
and ordered them to return to what they called _their duty_; which
they accompanied with threats of severe punishment if they disobeyed.
But some, whose noble spirits would have honored any man, or station,
adhered to their first determination, _not to fight against their own
brothers; or aid in pulling down the flag of their nation_. These were
immediately put in irons, and fed on scanty allowance of bread and
water; for if any thing can bring down the high spirit of an hearty
young man, it is _the slow torture of hunger and thirst_; when it was
found that this had not the effect of debasing the American spirit,
the young sufferer was brought upon deck, and stripped to his waist,
and sometimes lower, and--Oh! my pen cannot write it for indignation!
resentment, and a righteous revenge shakes my hand with rage, while I
attempt to record the act of villany. Yes, my countrymen and my
countrywomen, our noble minded _young men_, brought up in more ease
and plenty than half the officers of a British man of war, are
violently stripped, and tied fast and immoveable by a rope, to a
cannon, or to the iron railing of what is called the gang-way, and
when he is so fixed as to stretch the skin and muscles to the utmost,
he is whipped by a long, heavy and hard knotted whip, four times more
formidable and heavy than the whip allowed to be used by the carters,
truck, or carmen, on their horses. With this heavy and knotted
sco