trage required." (American State Papers, 1806-08,
pp. 183, 184, 248-252.)[181]

Such is the American State Paper account of this affair, published some
years afterwards; and from this it will be seen that what was asked by
the captain of the _Leopard_ was what had been granted by all neutral
nations to belligerents--to seek for and take their own deserters on
board of neutral vessels, in order to prevent neutrals from being, or
suspected of being, in collusion with either belligerent party. The
American Government being in sympathy with the French Government during
the whole of its twenty years' war with England, sought to change and
evade this hitherto undisputed usage of mutually friendly nations in
regard to belligerents. The _Chesapeake_ seems to have been selected to
make up a cause of war with Great Britain, by the warlike proceedings of
the President before communicating with the British Government on the
subject. The American people had nothing but a complete perversion of
the facts of the case until years afterwards.

It is plain from the true version of the affair that the captain of the
_Leopard_ acted courteously and fairly, though in excess of the
authority granted by the British Government; that he offered the same
facilities to the captain of the _Chesapeake_, in regard to examination
for deserters, that he asked himself; that the commander of the
_Chesapeake_ stated what he knew to be untrue when he asserted that
there were no deserters on board the _Chesapeake_, which he knew would
be detected on examination of his crew.

In all the American accounts and discussions on the question, they
ignore the usage or customary law of civilized nations as to neutral or
mutually friendly nations in respect to belligerent powers, and are
silent as to France and England being at war with each other, and that
in encouraging desertions from the English ships, and then claiming them
as American citizens, they were playing into the hands of Bonaparte
against England.

It appears that President Madison, without awaiting or asking
satisfaction or explanation on this affair of the _Leopard_ and
_Chesapeake_, forthwith prohibited the anchoring of British war ships in
American waters, and then sent a special messenger and communication to
the American Minister in London to demand satisfaction of the British
Government for the alleged "outrage" upon the _Chesapeake_. But did the
British Government show the passion and viol