[Non-Sequitur]

The U.S.S. Constitution was part of the U.S. squadron, and the complaint was made that she was inappropriate for the duty. She was fast enough to run down any slaver, but a larger squadron of smaller, fast steam-assisted sloops and packets like those the Royal Navy used would have been a more-efficient deployment of resources. It was alleged that Southern influence in the Navy Department was responsible for the inefficiency of the American operation compared to our British counterparts

I believe you're referring to the USS Constellation, one of the last U.S. ships to take a slaver. The Constitution had been laid up in 1855 and converted to a Naval Academy training ship in 1857.

[lentulusgracchus]

No, I was referring to Constitution's tour(s) in the slave patrol off the hump of Africa in the 1840's and 1850's. Until, as you say, her retirement.