By whose wide tie, the kindred sons of men Like brothers live, in amity combined, And unsuspicious faith; while honest toil Gives every joy, and to those joys a right Which idle, barbarous rapine but usurps. Oh, peace! thou source and soul of social life, Beneath whose calm, inspiring influence Into the well-piled armoury returns! Why, then, has war so long made a charnel-house of this fair world? St. James, chap. iv. 1, can solve for us this problem : "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members ?" As or hired a small sloop that had just arrived at St. Thomas, from thence, loaded with tobacco and coffee. soon as she had discharged her cargo, he put two lieutenants and thirty-five men on board, well armed, with four or six small six-pounders, with orders immediately to proceed to the same place she would have returned to had he not engaged her, retaining one or two of her former crew as pilots. On her entering the small harbour, the pirate discovered and knew her, and made all possible sail to prevent her communicating with the shore before he captured her, expecting to find specie or dry goods, in return for the tobacco and coffee that she had taken to St. Thomas. As he approached the sloop to nearly a short parallel distance, he shewed symptoms of suspicion on discovering the guns, (all the hands were concealed but the pilot ;) but he then had too much headway to escape, which he attempted by wearing; but the sloop got outside of him, and gave him a discharge of musketry, which was kept up with all the vigour possible, killing eleven of his crew the remainder laid flat down, and refused to assist in either fighting or navigating the vessel; their sole anxiety was to escape from the shower of balls that was passing over them. Under these circumstances the pirate displayed the most astonishing coolness and indifference to his life, which called forth the unqualified admiration of the officers and men opposed to him. Magruder, the second in command, (the first was Lieut. Prendergast,) informed me that he saw the pirate, alone on his legs, steering his vessel, (a small sloop or schooner,) occasionally running forward to get up his square-sail, haul it up a little, then return to his helm, get the vessel's head right, put the tiller between his legs, load his fusee and fire it,-again run forward, get up the square-sail a little more, return to his helm, load Lieut. again, and so on, until he got up the sail, and discharged his gun fourteen times; when he at last succeeded, unassisted, in outsailing his opponents, and running his vessel on shore, when the surviving seventeen of his crew leaped overboard. Some of them were killed and wounded before they reached the shore. I am not certain whether the six-pounders were fired or not, but the pirate escaped unhurt. The pur The firing alarmed the country ; the magistrates ordered out the militia, and had them stationed as quickly as they assembled, to assist in taking any of the pirates that might land. The Americans soon followed, and succeeded in taking or killing all but the chief, of whom, for a short time, they lost all trace, until they fell in with a herd in great distress, who complained of a man, with a curious hand, three fingers growing together, having compelled him to exchange clothes, and to give him the charge of the cattle, which he was now driving towards the interior, in his assumed costume. suers immediately knew this to be the one they were in search of, and recollected having more than once passed him without suspecting who it was, so well did he act his part, and such unconcern did he shew. In a short time they again discovered the pretended herd. Two or three of the foremost in the pursuit attacked him. He made a wonderful defence. One or two attacked him with swords for some little time; while a third, seeing how obstinately he fought, fired his blunderbuss, loaded with slugs, at him, which took effect in his shoulder and knee. He nevertheless continued to fight with his other hand, until the one who fired at him struck him with the butt-end of his blunderbuss on the ribs a most severe blow, which brought him to the ground. They even then had difficulty in securing him. He and the other prisoners were sent to St. VOL. VIII. NEW SERIES. John's, the capital of Puerto Rico, to be tried. The Americans returned to St. Thomas, after being in great distress from the leaky state of the sloop, and the heavy rains that fell during this expedition; the deck, as they expressed it, leaked like a riddle. After their return, Capt. Sloat determined to visit the pirate, and sailed to St. John's, Puerto Rico. He was admitted to the cachot, where the pirate was confined, thirty feet below the level of the sea, in the Moro Castle. He found him quite composed, and busily employed in taking all the possible care he could of his wounds, although he was then under sentence of death. Capt. Sloat informed him that he visited him in consequence of the account his officers gave him of his dauntless courage, and cool presence of mind under danger that had appalled all his companions, and also, his wonderful exertions in working his vessel alone as he had done. Capt. S. expressed his regret that such qualities should have been so badly applied. The pirate said, he had been so long accustomed to be fired at, that it never gave him the least concern. He had a firm conviction on his mind that he would not be touched. He mentioned further, that that consciousness kept him always cool and collected in action. He once determined on quitting this mode of life, and becoming a citizen of the United States; but that, a few days after sailing from St. Domingo with that intention, he was wrecked on that island, in the hurricane of 1819. He was the only one saved on board; but he lost the vessel, cargo, and specie, of great value, which was his all. This reduced him to a very low and desperate state, obliging him to associate with a few lawless characters like himself. They embarked in small vessels, or boats, and captured whatever vessels they could. He mentioned having killed about four hundred persons with his own hands, during the preceding eight Ꮓ years that he had been outlawed; but he declared that never, to his knowledge, had he killed a native of Puerto Rico, his birth-place. He appeared touched by Capt. Sloat's sympathy, and declared that he had created feelings in his breast he thought never could have existed. He made an unreserved confession of all that he had done himself, but would give no information that would lead to the detection of others, although he had himself, in a manner, been betrayed, the particulars of which I cannot recollect. When he was taken out to be shot, there was not the least concern visible on his countenance. He fell without a struggle; and all the companions of his lawless life who had been taken, were similarly condemned, and underwent the same fate. On the above "Sketch," which we have extracted from a newspaper, we shall make two remarks: 1. That animal courage and heroism may be, and very often are, attached to the blackest crimes. Here is a hero, who has killed four hundred persons with his own hands. This, probably, exceeds the feats of Napoleon or Cæsar, though, probably, not equal to Alexander's; and perhaps not one of them exceeded the pirate in the arts of war, stratagem, and deception. Where is the difference in the heroes, except that the others "have commanded greater gangs, and made greater havoc of human life?" In patriotism, the pirate excelled Cæsar and Napoleon. What torrents of Roman blood were shed at the command of Cæsar! Napoleon's first laurels were won in fighting against his native country, Corsica, and his adopted country, France: and Alexander's first famous action was achieved while fighting against the Greeks at Charonea, where he was the first to break the "sacred band;" and he destroyed the city of Thebes, and sold the inhabitants for slaves. But the pirate was a conscientious patriot, and "never to his knowledge had he killed a native of Puerto Rico, his birth-place." If the courage, conduct, and patriotism of Alexander, Cæsar, and Napoleon, deserve a statue of brass, the same qualities in the pirate deserve a statue of gold, as far exceeding them. 2. How mistaken have mankind been, in endeavouring to subdue the stubborn hearts of their fellow-creatures by violence and physical force; by a vindictive spirit, which seeks always to punish, and never to reclaim! Probably, this man became an enemy to his race, by being punished for some trivial fault with undue severity and a vindictive spirit, when he might have been reclaimed by kind treatment and sympathy. To declare a man an outlaw, is to bar his return to innocence, and make him for ever a robber and a murderer. We first make men enemies, and then punish them for being so; and the punishment increases the enmity, until the death of one of the parties ends the conflict. Extracts from a Memoir of ABEL THOMAS, of Pennsylvania. [Concluded from p. 31.] In 1781, with the unity of the monthly meeting of Exeter, and having Amos Lee for his companion, he visited meetings in Virginia and Carolina, passing through very great difficulties, as the country was much infested by a lawless, murderous banditti, who, for the sake of plunder, frequently shot down innocent people as they were riding along the roads. When at Camden, in South Carolina, they were taken up as prisoners by the American army. Being kept with the soldiery several days, they at length obtained a discharge, as appears by the following extract of a narrative which he sent to his friends, viz. "To Friends of Exeter Monthly Meeting, Berks County, Pennsylvania. "DEAR FRIENDS,-I believe it my duty to give you a short account of the reason of my long stay from my family and friends, and why I did not return with my companion, and the reason why my companion left me; as also to give you to understand, that I am afflicted, but not forsaken. When we came to a meeting at Pedee, in the south part of North Carolina, a large American army passed by us into South Carolina, and encamped in the road to a little meeting not far from Camden. I thought I saw clearly, that it was best for us to follow them, and we gave ourselves up, as prisoners, to the captain of the provost-guard. The officers gathered about us. Our horses were taken from us, but our saddles and saddlebags we had with us in our confinement. Our papers were soon demanded, and read over, and we were closely examined; some of our papers were sent to the head-general. They gave us to expect we should have a pass to go home, if we would promise to go; but I could not make such a promise, being bound in spirit to do my endeavours to visit Friends in South Carolina, if not in Georgia. In the time of our confinement, we had the company of several officers, one at a time. They behaved civil, but were full of talk and foolish imaginations concerning us. Let me never forget my Master's kindness in a time of need; I had talk enough for them all, which they could not gainsay or condemn. At length they concluded, yea, one of them told me, that I was a crafty fellow, chosen by our Yearly Meeting in Pennsylvania to survey the southern states, to the disadvantage of our country, and for the advancement of the British troops, or words to that effect. We were often pressed to promise to go home, which I as often punctually refused; giving them such reasons for it which they could not answer. "We gave ourselves up to the captain on Sixth day in the afternoon, and on First day morning following, about an hour or two before day, there was a great stir in the camp, the officers riding to and fro, ordering the soldiers to make haste and parade ready to march. When our captain had got his men in order, with many prisoners, he honoured us so much as to rank us next to him, and so he marched on with his naked sword in his band, and we following him. We marched near twenty miles, and then encamped. When we first set out, I was thoughtful how we should get along, for several reasons, if they marched far. We had eaten sparingly the day before, and then had but a little more than one biscuit and a little piece of meat between us both, and had our bags and great coats to carry; and what made it seem more trying, the sand was deep and slavish, and my boots stiff and heavy. "We marched fast. I ate but little more than half a biscuit that day, and yet could not perceive myself hungry or weary. I found freedom to be cheerful in conversation with the captain and with his men. The officers passing and repassing, generally took notice of us. Some of them asked how we were. I answered as I felt, with as much cheerfulness as I could. We were now encamped in the wilderness under guard, but had liberty to walk out, one at a time. I went out that afternoon, from tent to tent, amongst the officers, making known to them our circumstance, where we desired to go, and what our business was. One of them promised to let us go in the morning. I returned to my companion, laid down by him, but could not sleep, although I had not slept much for several nights. "The next morning I went to seek the officer who had promised to give us our liberty, and after some time found him, and put him in mind of his promise. He seemed to quibble, and put it off. I thought he intended to weary me out, that so I would promise to go home. I went to the head-officer, and made my complaint, and he, in a friendly way, told me that we should soon be released. Soon after, that officer who had promised us a permit, called me to his tent, and wrote a pass for us; and when he had read it to me, my spirit was raised with zeal for my Master's honour, and so I told him that I was not to fear or be frightened by men when in my Master's cause. Must we indeed go right home without a guard? Nay, send a guard with us for the safety of thy country. Yes, we have concluded to go homeward about one hundred and fifty miles, to a settlement of Friends about New Garden, and when we have visited them, if I find my mind easy to return home to my wife and children, I shall be glad; but if I find my Master hath any more service for me in this part of the country, I desire to be enabled to return to South Carolina, if not to Georgia, visiting my friends; and if I should return through this army, and when thou seest me ride on, then remember what I tell thee now. Officer-If you return here again, you may expect severity. Answer-I do not fear what your army can do to me, for I know that you can have no power over this body, except you receive it from above for some good end. He then looked me in the face, and perhaps saw the tears begin to run down my cheeks; he gave me his hand, and wished me a good journey, got on his horse, and rode off. "Our horses were given to us; we parted with our captain (of the provost) as with a friend, and with a raised voice bid his men farewell, and wished them a better way of living, which they returned, with gladness for our release. We had about sixty miles to a friend's house at Pedee, from whence we came. "I am in a few days intending to set out for South Carolina again, not knowing what may befal me there. My greatest concern is, that I might be profitable to my Master. The reason of my beloved companion leaving me--I first proposed it to his consideration for your sakes, lest you might be uneasy; and after considering and looking at it, found freedom so to do. It is no small cross for me to part with him; we have travelled together in love, as brethren in tribulation. My love to you all, my friends and neighbours. "ABEL THOMAS. "New Garden, North Carolina, Fifth Month, 6th, 1781." Abel, after this, not feeling easy to omit making a further essay towards the fulfilment of his prospects of religious duty, proceeded to South Carolina, where the trials of faith, and the remarkable deliverances vouchsafed to him, in this perilous travel, are in some degree set forth in the following relation : "In a thankful sense of preservation by a strong arm through many dangers and deep conflicts, both within and without, which I met with in my journey through South Carolina and Georgia, do I write these lines, in order to encourage the weak, the poor afflicted people of God, to trust in his powerful arm, which doth work salvation and deliverance, and by bringing strange and unexpected things to pass. He is greatly to be feared, and loved, and adored, by his afflicted children. They who know him, and do their endeavour not only to know, but to obey, have no reason to distrust his care and great power to preserve, not only from being taken by the secret and subtle invasions of Satan, but also out of the hands of bloody and unreasonable men. "When we came near South Carolina, we were told that the country was all in an uproar. Scouting parties from both sides were riding to and fro, killing one another, and also peaceable men which they found travelling, except they knew them to be on their side; and that they had |