In addition there were bulletins on sports at four branches, on new books at three branches, on Richard Mansfield at two branches, and on Augustus Saint Gaudens at two branches. Until further notice reading-room service in circulation branches on Sundays from 2 to 6 P. M., and on week-day evenings until 10 P. M., is arranged as follows: RIVINGTON STREET Branch....61 Rivington Street......Sundays and Evenings OTTENDORFER Branch.......... 135 Second Avenue......Sundays TOMPKINS SQUARE Branch.. ... • 231 East 10th Street......Sundays MUHLENBERG Branch.... ...209 West 23d Street......Sundays The following branches are open for the circulation of books on Sunday: ST. RAPHAEL Branch..... 501 West 40th Street.....10 A. M. to Noon 123 East 50th Street. .463 West 51st Street... CATHEDRAL Branch. SACRED HEART Branch...... 66 66 .... EAST BROADWAY Branch...... 197 East Broadway. .9 A. M. to 6 P. M. Except as stated above, circulation branches close on Sundays, and on week days their reading rooms are closed at 9 P. M. The ASTOR branch is open from 9 A. M. to 9 P. M., and LENOx from 9 a. M. to 6 P. M. except on Sundays. AMERICAN NAVAL AFFAIRS 1798-1802. The following letters to Commodore Richard Dale are printed from the original manuscripts in the New York Public Library. BENJAMIN STODDERT TO RICHARD DALE. SIR NAVY DEPARTMENT 13 JULY 1798. Enclosed you will receive an Act of Congress which passed the 9th Inst-and new Instructions founded upon that Act, authorizing the Capture of French armed vessels, wherever found. You may therefore allow yourself a wider range, & keep farther from the shores. The French cruisers have too good information of your cruising ground to come within your reach. You will try whether you cannot fall in with them two or three degrees farther from the Coast-indeed if you have sufficient confidence in your crew, and ship, (which I wish was better prepared) you may have a better chance of falling in with them coming on our Coast, or going off with their prizes, by standing as far to the Southward as Latitude 34, & as far Eastward as Longitude 65-which will be about one Degree Westward of Bermudas, & in the tract of the Enemy ['s] Vessels. The Cutter at New York of 14 guns will be prepared for Sea by the 20th Inst-The Captain will be ordered to join you, & I hope will be ready to do it on that day. You will Judge whether it will be most prudent to wait until you have this Vessel under your Command, before you venture so far as I have suggested. Capt. Dectaur in a better appointed ship than yours has been more fortunate than you have yet been-but let not that circumstance make you uneasy. Your Services have been highly advantageous in protecting the merchant Vessels, & in keeping in a great degree the Enemy from our coasts-and the confidence of the President, and your Country, in your vigilance, enterprise, & Bravery, is undiminished. The Coast from Cape Henry to Long Island, is still to be the object of your protection. It is not unlikely that in stretching farther South, you may fall in with Capt. Truxton. Congress it is expected, will adjourn in two or three days without a positive declaration of War. Yet we shall not on that account, be the less at War with the armed Vessels of France. But it is the policy of this Country & Justice requires, that we should not forget, that we are at Peace with all the rest of the World. You will therefore treat the Vessels, Citizens, & Subjects of all other nations, as you would wish to be treated by them. American Commanders, will not suffer themselves, to be outdone in Zeal & Bravery in the Service of their Country—nor should they, in their attention to the Duties of Hospitality & Humanity. If you should ever fall in with an American Vessel captured by an Armed Vessel of any Nation at War, the French excepted, you must not retake her. The Law of Nations forbids it, & we must respect that Law. It must be presumed that their Courts will render Justice. It is hardly necessary in writing to a Brave man who loves his Country, & is employed in her Service, to Suggest the propriety of inculcating upon the Minds of those under his Command, the Same Respect which he himself feels for our Government, Chief Magistrate, Congress, & our Laws. It has been too much the fashion with many of our Civil officers both at home & abroad to indulge themselves in the licentiousness of Villifying the Government & those institutions & those virtuous Characters, which it has been the honor & the happiness of our Country to have produced. This disgraceful licentiousness, I hope will never be tolerated in our Navy. How can we expect to Command respect to our Government, from other Nations, if we do not ourselves, set the example? It is time we should establish a National Character. Let that Character be, love of Country, & Jealousy of its honor & in Seamen, also veneration for our Flag. This Idea comprehends everything that ought to be impressed, & no more than ought to be impressed upon the Mind of all our Citizens, but more especially, of those who are also Seamen & Soldiers. Wishing you success & honor, I remain Sir Yr most obed Serv't BEN STODDERT You will still call at the Cape, of Delaware, every 10 or 12 Days, to receive any communication necessary to send you. Capt. RICHARD Dale. Enclosure in letter from Stoddert to Dale. JOHN ADAMS President of the United States. Instructions to the Commanders of armed Vessels belonging to the United States, given at Philadelphia the twenty eighth day of May in the Year of our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and ninety eight and in the twenty second year of the Independence of the said States. Whereas it is declared by an Act of Congress passed the twenty eighth day of May 1798 that armed vessels sailing under authority or pretence of authority from the Republic of France have committed depredations on the commerce of the United States and have recently captured the vessels and property of Citizens thereof, on and near the coasts, in violation of the law of Nations and treaties between the United States and the French Nation. Therefore and in pursuance of the said Act you are instructed and directed to seize, take and bring into any port of the United States, to be proceeded against according to the laws of Nations, any armed vessels sailing under authority or pretence of authority from the Republic of France, which shall have committed or which shall be found hovering on the Coasts of the United States for the purpose of committing depredations on the vessels belonging to Citizens thereof and also to retake any ship or vessel of any Citizen or Citizens of the United States, which may have been captured by any such armed vessel. WAR By Command, JAMES MCHENRY. [Endorsed:] Captain Richard Dale, Commander of the Ship Ganges. James McHenry, Secy. of War. BENJAMIN STODDERT TO RICHARD DALE. WASHT, 17 FEBY 1801. DR SIR: I have sold to Capt―or rather Lt. Shaw of the Navy, five lots-he pays me 1000 Ds in money the residue about 1500 Ds. one half in 9-one half in 15 months. Now it does not suit my affairs to wait 15, 9 or even 3 months for any money which it is possible for me to get sooner. And therefore I calculate that you will take Shaws notes for the distant payments, & will give me the money, deducting at the rate of one p ct. p month-which is more than you can certainly make in any other way. Shaw you know, is very good, & that he will pay punctually. In order to prevent delay I shall request him to make the notes payable at once to you, but if you prefer to have my name as an endorser, you may have it so, & the notes can be made payable to me. I have been able to attend so little to my own affairs for the last 30 months, that I shall find them on my retirement from office on the 4 March extremely embarrassed-With a great deal of property, I shall be puzzled to pay as soon as I ought to pay, a good many small Debts & some larger, merely because I cannot turn my resources to account as soon as I wish to do. This difficulty alone a[t] Prest. has interfered with my arrangements & put back my sales. The Election of Jeff for I fear that will be the result-& probably this Day, will create a shock, which will not pass away for three or four weeks. It is therefore that I impose on you, this req.-I suppose indeed there will be more People in Phila who would wish to invest their money in good private, in preference to Public, paper-for they will fear the Funds will go to the Devil under Jefferson's adm".but there is no danger of the funds, nor I believe of any thing else & I am not without hopes that good will arise out of evil. You have bot. no lots in the City I believe-I wish you would buy 10,000 Ds. worth from me, which in 18 months will be worth to you at least 20,000-but as you did not buy when you were on the spot I do not Suppose you will do it at a distance. You have seen my report* to the Naval Committee-it will I believe be adopted -Mr Jeff I understand is not adverse to it-Would you like to be one of the board of Navy officers; there is a bill before the House appointing 3 Captns but they must reside at Washington. Answer this question if you please. S. Smith will I have no doubt, succeed me, & will if he makes the arrangement pursue [the] one I shall suggest.—at least [I] believe so. I am with great esteem Dr Sir yr most obed Serv. [Addressed:] Capt. RICH DALE, Philadelphia. BEN STODDERT. THOMAS TRUXTON TO Dale. UNITED STATES SHIP PRESIDENT DEAR SIR taking it for granted that you will arrive at Hampton this Morning, I send the pinnace for you with an officer-and Shall be gratified by an early opportunity, of Congratulating you on your post-to the Command of the Squadron. I have the honor to be Dear Sir Your very ob't Servant. [Addressed:] RICHARD DALE Esquire. Hampton THOMAS TRUXTON. [Endorsed:] Thomas Truxton, on Giving up the Command of the US Ship President to Comdr. R. Dale. TRUXTON TO Dale. PERTH AMBOY 8th JUNE 1802 DEAR SIR I have just returned from New York and found on the table in my study your two favors of the 20th ult. and Ith instant. Mr. Stoddert is now at Boston and is so intri[n]sically a good man in all respects that I feel deeply and anxiously interested for whatever concerns him, but particularly so in disposing of his city lots, as it would relieve his mind from pecuniary embarrassments, occasioned by his long absence from home attending and devoting his whole time at Philadelphia to the publick weal-for which the powers that be would give *His report of 15 January, 1801, showing the condition of the navy and its expenses, and recommending the creation of a board of navy commissioners (Am. State Papers, Naval, v. I, no. 21). |