Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1807-03-02
Bp tta g3aLs.


WAsHINGTON, FEB. IS.
General Eaton, o., athcatT4F before hhe
Committee IF Claims o4 the mn inst.
f4ug Qddre8sed ne Ciuir.
Sir.-Onk review AT tie statement,
accompanying my petition of fO Feb
1904, now before the honour.bIe COM
mittee, / cannot find paragraph
which needs correction, or mcd7fca-
ton. That statement surveys the
chief round and right Of my claims.
Have the goodness, Sir, to pass atten-
lively over il, and to carry forward,
in the examination, few WI tile events
which have since occurred ID establish
the correctness of the measures there
adverted 20. 1t Will satisfy you that a
perseverance in those measures has
given hcaCe-to this country, and en,an-
ciIa ipH to three hundred Of our fcl-
low citizens and that, while ii has
done something to stamp a good
impression upon the pirates Of
Blrbary it has saved your treasury
more than a million Of dollars. Nv
reward,hichcrto, is Penury md wounds,
| ought nog perhaps, to say This it
carries something nich faYoursof re.
proach ; this 10 not mean. iii
have TO where been refused indemnity.
On tie contrary, three years ago, when
as vet the effects Of my arrangements
had no. been realized, your committee
expressed an opinion that I had goeH
J5nHded claim uton the g2rernmrlt.
But the delay, in the decision nectssa-
fly to reimbursement of my expendi-
lures, has greatly distressed me
in my individual coucerns--Ex-
rendiures Of which my country now
reapS the benefit, and Of which a vast
majority of my cOuntrymen appear to
be very sensible.
do not present myself here to ask
aims, nor to expect gratuities-ror yet
to draw your sensibility to awaken
consideration for All the sacrifices To
which Welded in standing 10 tie du-
ties Of my station at the court Of par
ticular despot, and on the coast Of
savage enemy: You cannot make me
such indemnify. You cannot, Sir, un-
der any shape can present the claim,
award me a remuneration for the saCri-
fees Of property incident to the 7eXa-
tons impositions and prescriptions
which the Bey Of Tunis practised on
me in consequence ofmy resistance to
his unWarrantable exaCuons against the
United States. You cannot bring back
To me nine years Of active ife--You
cannot restore to me the strength of all
arm. But for actual disbursements
for the benefit Of our common country,
whether voluntary or extorted, I have
right again to resort to your Justice,
and to believe that this Justice viii be
no longer DELAYED.
Il is only fiji here, therefore, that
ayow the perfect confidence ! feel, Sir,
n the disposition and in the righteous
ness Of this committee to give my
claims a deliberate and seasonable re-
view and an equitable award.
With regard, however, to the last
item Of my charge, it should be re-
marked-thi8 7Jas not originally infen-
ded 10 6e brought against The Unit a
States. had faith that the honor Of
the'court Of Sardinia would redeem the
paper of nobIeman charged with the
high trust of a national negociator
and, in ease Of failure here, had conf
dence in the exertions Of the son Of
that nobleman TO reimburse me the
cash was compelled to paw, as hrs
surety, for the redemption Of the child
Of his affection, and for the honor of
his family. should, undoubtedly,
have realized these condolences, had
not dispensation of the government
Of the United States, (unacquainted
with the usage Of that country
released the surety held At Tunis