I do not present myself here to ask alms, nor to expect gratuities-nor yet to draw on your sensibility to awaken a consideration for all the sacrifices to which I yielded in standing to the duties of my station at the court of a piratical despot, and on the coast of a savage enemy. You cannot make me such indemnity-you cannot, sir, under any shape I can present the claim, award me a remuneration for the sacrifices of property incident to the vexations, impositions and proscriptions which the Bey of Tunis practiced on me in consequence of my resistance to his unwarrantable exactions against the United States-You cannot bring back to me nine years of active lifeyou cannot restore to me the strength of an arm. But for actual disbursements for the benefit of our common country, whether voluntary or extorted, I have a righ, again to resort to your justice, and to believe that this justice will be no longer delayed.

It is only fit here, therefore, that I avow the perfect confidence I feel, sir, in the disposition and the righteousness of this Committee to give my claims a deliberate and a seasonable review, and an equitable award.

With regard, however, to the last item of my charge, it should be remarked-this was not originally intended to be brought against the United States. I had faith that the honor of the Court of Sardinia would redeem the paper of a nobleman charged with the high trust of a national negociator: and in case of failure here, had confidence in the exertions of the son of that nobleman to reimburse me the cash I was compelled to pay, as his surety, for the redemption of the child of his affection, and for the honor of his family. I should, undoubtedly, have realized these confidences had not a dispensation of the government of the United States (unacquainted with the usages of that country) released the surety held at Tunis for the debt, and been construed by the Chev

alier Porcille as a generous acquittal of the debtor.* A reimbursement ought to come from the Court of Sardinia to our government. Papers touching this transaction are submitted with my other document.

The heavy expences incident to an appeal to this Chancery for such a length of time as I have been before you, and at so great a distance from my home; together with the circumstances of these private funds lying so long useless to me have necessarily laid me under pecuniary responsibility to my friends. The suspense of another year must lodge me in a prison!

If you find, sir, that I have been upright to my country let my country, by a reciprocity, now enable me to ranson myself.

I have the honor to be,

with perfect respect,

Sir, your most obedien servant,
WILLIAM EATON.

In May, GEN. EATON was elected by the inhabitants of Brimfield, a representative in the legislature of the state of Massachusetts: the first session of which commenced the last of that month, which however, he was unable to attend, having been summoned to attend the court about to sit in Richmond, (Vir.) for the trial of Aaron Burr and others. The trial was very long, and in Richmond he spent the greater part of the summer. Here his intemperate habits became more confirmed; and a very great proportion of his time was spent at the card table; at which he lost large sums of money; besides considerable sums in betting on the issue of Burr's trial.

Great pains were taken by Burr and his counsel to invalidate the testimony of EATON, but without success. Much was expected from the presence and relation of Col. Caither, of whom mention is

*This was a debt of 17,000 piasters, due to the United States, which Mr. Jefferson kindly relinquished by his own imperial will.

made in a former part of this volume, but the evidence of EATON, remained uninjured.

At the commencement of the second session of the legislature of Massachusetts, in December, GEN. EATON took his seat. The town which had sent him was decisively federal, and expected from him a course of political conduct agreeable to their wishes. He had the reputation, generally, of being of the Washington school; but the delivery of a speech in which he condemned the conduct and, impeached the integrity of Chief Justice Marshall; and in which were uttered many expressions and sentiments offensive to the purity of federalism; occasioned the withdrawing of confidence in both parties.

By a vain attempt thus to secure the good opinion of both, parties he lost the political esteem of both. Nor less was diminished the personal esteem generally entertained for him at the commencement of the session. He was invited to the tables of some of the most respectable characters in Boston, where his deportment was such in many instances, as soon to render him an unwelcome guest. He governed his glass with little jealousy; and at such times, as is usual, his "wit was out."

In the spring of the year 1808, GEN. EATON, was summoned to attend the United States district Court in Philadelphia, as a witness in the trial of a person charged with being concerned with Burr. On his return he learned, to his disappointment and mortification, that he was not reelected to the legislature of this state; the equivocal part he had taken the last session having alienated the confidence of the town in his political firmness.

Several of his letters to some friends in Washington betray his wishes and expectations of receiving some high military command in the army of the U. nited States. His disappointment in this respect; the refusal of the town of Brimfield again to send him to the General Court, and the derangement and embarrassment of his domestic and pecuniary con

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cerns; so preyed upon his mind that he seems from this time to have given himself up to the despair of promotion, of mending his fortune or reestablishing his character his habits of intemperance became more constant and excessive; and excepting in moments of hilarity he appeared to view the world with gloom or indignation.

In the month of August, his son Eli E. Danielson, who had accompanied him in his expedition to Derne, and to whom he was particularly attached, fell in a duel at New York, in consequence of a quarrel with a brother officer in the navy. Information of this misfortune was received in a letter from Mr. Babbit; to which GEN. EATON, gave the following answer.

DEAR SIR,

Brimfield, Aug. 14th, 1808.

THE sympathy you manifest in the event which occurred on the 5th instant, so afflicting to myself and family, receives our unaffected acknowledgments.

I wished Danielson might have lived to the usefulness of which he was capable.-But who can parry the arrow of death! The when and the where we receive the shock is of less consequence than the how. I have always flattered myself that your friend -could not die unlike a brave man but it pains me that the ground of his fall had not been marked with more usefulness to his country.-Brave, great and experienced men may sometimes find it necessary to their reputation that they meet in personal contest; this may be justified where the fate of a nation is depending; such occurrences are rare but the trivial disputes which excite ardent young men to put life up at a game of hazard, cannot be reconciled to principles of morality, patriotism, nor character. Danielson wanted no tests of his bravery young, as he was, experience had tested this. I lament more the

:

absence of his prudence than I should the loss we feel had he fallen in the legitimate field of glory.The manner of Hamilton's death added nothing to the lustre of his fame; and the circumstance of Burr's killing him gave no man the more confidence in Burr's honesty nor patriotism: the catastrophe satisfied no one on the merits of the cause which produced it. Individuals may slaughter each other honorably by the laws of chivalry-all that society can pronounce on this exhibition of courage is-Alas! The absence of Commodore Rodgers at that eventful moment is much to be lamented: His presence would have overawed the extremity which has brought affliction to the concerned for the deceased, and a loss to the service of our country-I most devoutly hope that this unhappy incident may prove a caution to the young gentlemen of your profession, against sudden sallies of passions.

Any thing in detail which you can state concerning the melancholy death of my son and friend, will confer on me a peculiar obligation. I have received no communications from Mr. Boyd, nor Mr. Evans, on the subject.

Lieut. FITZ H. BABBIT,
U. S. Navy.

I am, Sir, &c. WILLIAM EATON.

That GEN. EATON was in almost all respects in principle a genuine disciple of the Washington school of politics is certain. The acquittal of Burr however in some measure soured his mind, and the hope of promotion in the army, by gratifying the ruling administration, occasioned at times a considerable swerving from his convictions. In the autumn of this year he however boldly denounced the general. policy and measures of Congress. The following speech, made in town meeting in Brimfield, is worthy preservation as an exhibition of his oratorical