stranger was ascertained to be a ship on the starboard tack, under easy canvas, and close-hauled. Half an hour later, she was distinctly made out to be a frigate, and no doubts were entertained of her being an enemy. The American ship kept running free until she was within a league of the frigate to leeward, when she began to shorten sail. By this time, the enemy had laid his main-topsail aback, in waiting for the Constitution to come down, with everything ready to engage. 4. Perceiving that the Englishman sought a combat, Captain Hull made his own preparations with the greater deliberation. The Constitution, consequently, furled her top-gallant-sails, and stowed all her light stay-sails and flying-jib. Soon after, she took a second reef in the top-sails, hauled up the courses, sent down royal yards, cleared for action, and beat to quarters. At five, the chase hoisted three English ensigns, and immediately after she opened her fire at long gun-shot, wearing" several times, to rake and prevent being raked. The Constitution occasionally yawed' as she approached, to avoid being raked, and she fired a few guns as they bore, but her object was not to commence the action seriously, until quite close. 5. At six o'clock the enemy bore up and ran off, under his three top-sails and jib, with the wind on his quarter. As this was an indication of a readiness to receive his antagonist in a fair yard-arm and yard-arm fight, the Constitution immediately set her main-top-gallant-sail and foresail, to get alongside. At a little after six, the bows of the American frigate began to double on the quarter of the English ship, when she opened with her forward guns, drawing slowly ahead, with her greater way, both vessels keeping up a close and heavy fire, as their guns bore. 6. In about ten minutes, or just as the ships were fairly side by side, the mizzen-mast of the Englishman was shot away, when the American passed slowly ahead, keeping up a tremendous fire, and luffed short round on her bows, to prevent being raked. In executing this manoeuvre, the ship shot into the wind, got sternway, and fell foul of her antagonist. While in this situation, the cabin of the Constitution took fire from the close explosion of the forward guns of the enemy, who obtained a small, but momentary advantage from his position. The good conduct of Mr. Hoffman, who commanded in the cabin, soon repaired this accident, and a gun of the enemy's, that threatened further injury, was disabled. 7. As the vessels touched, both parties prepared to board. The English turned all hands up from below, and mustered forward, with that object, while Mr. Morris, the first lieutenant', with his own hands endeavored to lash the ships together. Mr. Alwyn, the master, and Mr. Bush, the lieutenant of the marines, were upon the taffrail of the Constitution, to be ready to spring. Both sides now suffered by the closeness of the musketry; the English much the more, however. Mr. Morris was shot through the body, the bullet fortunately missing the vitals. Mr. Alwyn was wounded in the shoulder, and Mr. Bush fell dead by a bullet through the head. It being found impossible for either party to board, in the face of such fire, and with the heavy sea that was on, the sails were filled, and just as the Constitution shot ahead, the foremast of the enemy fell, carrying down with it his mainmast, and leaving him wallowing in the trough of the sea, a helpless wreck. 8. The Constitution now hauled aboard her tacks, ran off a short distance, secured her masts, and rove new rigging. At seven, she wore round, and taking a favorable position for raking, a jack, that had been kept flying on the stump of the mizzen-mast of the enemy, was lowered. Mr. George Campbell Read, the third lieutenant, was sent on board the prize, and the boat soon returned with the report that the captured vessel was the Guerriere, 38 guns, Captain Dacres, one of the ships that had so lately chased the Constitution, off New York. 9. The Constitution kept wearing to remain near her prize, and at two A.M. a strange sail was seen closing, when she cleared for action; but at three the stranger stood off. At daylight, the officer in charge hailed, to say that the Guerriere had four feet of water in her hold, and that there was danger of her sinking. On receiving this information, Captain Hull sent all his boats to remove the prisoners. Fortunately, the weather was moderate, and by noon this duty was nearly ended. At three P.M. the prize-crew was recalled, having set the wreck on fire, and in a quarter of an hour she blew up. Finding his ship filled with wounded prisoners, Captain Hull now returned to Boston, where he arrived on the 30th of the same month. 10. It is not easy, at this distant day, to convey to the reader the full force of the moral impression created in America by this victory of one frigate over another. So deep had been the effect produced on the public mind by the constant accounts of the successes of the English over their enemies at sea, that the opinion, already mentioned, of their invincibility on that element, generally prevailed; and it had been publicly predicted that, before the contest had continued six months, British sloops-of-war would lie alongside of American frigates with comparative impunity. Perhaps the only portion of even the American population that expected different results was that which composed the little body of officers on whom the trial would fall; and they looked forward to the struggle with a manly resolution, rather than with a very confident hope. 11. But the termination of the combat just related far exceeded the expectations of even the most sanguine. After making all proper allowance for the difference of force, which certainly existed in favor of the Constitution, as well as for the excuses that the defeated party freely offered to the world, men on both sides of the Atlantic, who were competent to form intelligent opinions on such subjects, saw the promise of many future successes in this. The style in which the Constitution had been handled; the deliberate and yet earnest manner in which she had been carried into battle; the extraordinary execution that had been made in a short time by her fire; the readiness and gallantry with which she had cleared for action, so soon after destroying one British frigate, in which was manifested a disposition to meet another, united to produce a deep conviction of self-reliance, coolness, and skill, that was of infinitely more weight than the transient feeling which might result from any accidental triumph.-Naval History of the United States. Other Naval Victories.-In October the sloop Wasp, Captain Jones, captured the Frolic; but scarcely had the prize been taken possession of, when an English ship of 74 guns hove in sight, and captured both vessels. Just one week after (Oct. 25th), the frigate United States, Commodore Decatur, after an action of nearly two hours, west of the Canary Islands, compelled the Macedonian to surrender. A little more than two months later, the Constitution, then commanded by Commodore Bainbridge,* gained her second victory, in the capture of the Java. The action took place off the coast of Brazil (Dec. 29th), and lasted nearly two hours. The Constitution.—The gallant Constitution, or “Old Ironsides,” as she was affectionately called in the navy, continued in active service during this war. Cooper remarks, “In the course of two years and nine months, this ship had been in three actions, had been twice critically chased, and had captured five vessels-of-war, two of which were frigates, and a third frigate-built. In all her service, as well before Tripoli as in this war, her good fortune was remarkable. She never was dismasted, never got ashore, or scarcely ever suffered any of the usual accidents of the sea. Though so often in battle, no very serious slaughter ever took place on board her. One of her commanders was wounded, and four of her lieutenants had been killed, two on her own decks, and two in the Intrepid; but, on the whole, her entire career had been that of what is usually called a 'lucky ship.' Her fortune, however, may perhaps be explained in the simple fact, that she had always been well commanded. In her two last cruises, she had probably possessed as fine a crew as ever manned a frigate. They were principally New England men, and it has been said of them, that they were almost qualified to fight the ship without her officers." Old Ironsides.-O. W. Holmes. [The following lines were called forth by a rumor that the frigate Constitution was about to be broken up as unfit for service.] Ay, tear her tattered ensign down! And many an eye has danced to see And burst the cannon's roar; The meteor of the ocean-air Shall sweep the clouds no more. * William Bainbridge was born in Princeton, N. J., in 1774. In 1803 he was in command of the frigate Philadelphia when that vessel struck on a rock and was captured in the harbor of Tripoll. He and his crew, of more than three hundred persons, were taken prisoners by the Tripolitans and held in captivity nineteen months. He died in Philadelphia, in 1833. 2. Her deck, once red with heroes' blood, Where knelt the vanquished foe, When winds were hurrying o'er the flood, 3. Oh, better that her shattered hulk Set every threadbare sail, And give her to the god of storms- Operations of American Privateers.—In the belief that the navy of the United States would be entirely destroyed or captured by that of England, it had been decided, at the beginning of the war, to lay up our ships to save them. But, happily, that policy was soon departed from. American privateers, too, scoured the ocean, and British commerce suffered in every direction. During the year 1812, more than three hundred vessels, with not less than three thousands prisoners, besides valuable cargoes, were taken by the Americans. Opposition to the War.-The war was unpopular with very many, particularly the Federalists, who thought that the administration could have avoided it; and that it greatly imperilled the interests and safety of the country without any corresponding advantage. In February, 1813, a resolution offered in the House of Representatives to raise twenty additional regiments in order to prosecute the war, met with considerable opposition. Henry Clay, then a member of the House, however, sustained the administration and defended the policy of the war with all his characteristic eloquence. The following is an extract from his great speech on that occasion. Necessity of the War of 1812.-Henry Clay. 1. THIS war was declared because Great Britain arrogated to herself the pretension of regulating our foreign trade, under the delusive name of Retaliatory Orders in Council-a pretension by which she undertook to proclaim to American enterprise, "thus far shalt thou go, and no farther "--orders which she |