the lieutenant.

The boat was soon alongside; and the British captain, white with rage,
leaped to the gangway, and was shown to Lieut. Macdonough's cabin.

"How dare you take a man from a boat of his Majesty's ship, sir?" was
his salutation.

"'Dare' is not a word to be spoken to an officer of the United States
navy," responded Macdonough. "As for the man, he is a citizen of the
United States; and I propose to protect him, at all hazards."

"I'll bring my frigate alongside, and sink your beggarly little
craft," shouted the visitor, with a volley of oaths.

"That you may do," responded the American; "but while she swims, the
man you shall not have."

"You are a hair-brained young fellow, and will repent this rashness,"
cried the irate Briton. "Do you mean to say, that, if I had been in
that boat, you would have dared to commit such an act?"

"I should have made the attempt, sir, at all hazards."

"What, sir!" shouted the captain, greatly enraged, "would you venture
to interfere, if I should now impress men from that brig?"

"You have but to try it, sir," was the pithy response. And the British
captain returned to his frigate, vowing all sorts of vengeance, but
nevertheless did not again annoy the American ship.

While the popular clamor against the hateful right of search was still
at its height in America, Great Britain unwisely added yet another
outrage to the already long list of grievances complained of by the
Americans. Notwithstanding the danger of Barbary pirates and British
impressment, the merchants of the United States were carrying on a
thriving trade with France. England, then at war with the great
Napoleon, looked upon this commerce at first with disfavor, and
finally with such intense hatred that she determined to put an end to
it altogether. Accordingly, she issued the celebrated "Orders in
Council," forbidding all traffic with French ports. For such action
the imperious nation had no authority by any principle of
international law. Her blockade of the French ports was very
imperfect, and easily evaded. It is a perfectly well-established
principle of the common law of nations that a blockade, to be legal,
must be complete and effective; otherwise, it is known as a "paper
blockade," and neutral vessels are justified in attempting to evade
it. Instead of posting blockading vessels at the entrances of French
ports, to warn off all vessels, Great Britain contented herself with
licensing hordes of