ntion, Pennsylvania had
ordered a State Convention to consider it. Verses relative to the
"dragging" were soon published. One extract recited:

"It seems to me I yet see Barry
Drag out McCalmont."

But McCalmont undertook the "dragging" of Barry into Court. On October
13, 1787, he applied to the Supreme Executive Council and the Council
directed the Attorney-General to commence a prosecution against "Captain
John Barry and such other persons as shall be found to have been
principally active in seizing James McCalmont or otherwise concerned in
the riotous proceedings." Ben Franklin, President, was one of the eight
who voted for the resolution. The Attorney-General began suit but at the
Council meeting, February 16, 1788, he requested the advice of the
Council "relative to the suit carried on by their order against Captain
John Barry." The Council informed him it did not wish to interfere, but
left the matter with him to do as he judged best.

So nothing more was done about the suit. By this time Captain Barry was
on the high seas on his way to China in the merchant ship "Asia," in
which he had sailed on January 7, 1787. It returned to Philadelphia,
June 4, 1789. So Captain Barry had been away over two years. Eight years
afterwards, on July 7, 1797, the "Asia," commanded by Captain Yard, when
returning from Bengal, was captured in sight of Cape May, New Jersey, by
the Spanish privateer "Julia," commanded by Don Baptista Mahon, a name
indicating Irish descent. She was valued at $800,000. But the next month
she was recaptured by an American privateer off Havana.

Columbia claims her soldier love and Ireland joys to own
The boy who sailed from his Wexford home undaunted if unknown;
Columbia guards his latest sleep--hers was his manhood's noon.
Ireland's the vigorous cradling arms and tender cradle croon;
For Ireland paints the dreaming boy on the lonely Wexford shore,
In 'customed clasp may meet the hands of mother and foster-mother
Above his grave, who was loyal to each as each unto the other.

--_Margaret M. Halvey._

CHAPTER XVII.

CAPTAIN BARRY OFFERS HIS SERVICES TO PRESIDENT WASHINGTON IN CASE OF
WAR AGAINST THE ALGERINES.

In 1793 France and England engaged in war, seized each other's vessels
on the American coast and often within American waters. The Algerines
were committing depredations on American commerce. Hence a naval force
was necessary. When Congress assembled in December, 1793,