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"S * ..m',:, irii j iiiiii^—yi'i'my (f^x 'KT 7 ▲m^kFontioN \ ?• »■,,» T": "f -i-ziSf !3*:j;>; 4^i •■:•:.■,' TQE WAB. « ■ X ' ■ .^ . ■■■■ 'f 1 ^ 1 1 • ■ ,.(■?'. ; - t . 1 '''*■ >f, i*'" >:.= ;iQU^»- * NOTE. u*%' f \ Wd it wpuld litve Wen di««at, even If It *tr« demwe, w Bat 'the .l.w|« whJeh tarr been ""'"""'y '^'J^ TTeonduet nee—rf, -IfeSent, «n the fee* ^ the wortd, m«Wr •» « P^;^ stS^tTthe «-«!«- b p..«, M mud, u m --;J«' r,''^;'. iouW *t..n eSh w.th the pr««j* npuution T)f their wm« >ert '»«*«J'/?^'TL ,^^ ,«» the tfld««t «f • • -'^ 1. > I ' <'\. ; I I t I I ■>■*.■ !!vl^^»^.^--'^'^-'^^-^*^-^ ^97 »• * - iheUa IritbblMgotiManr bold the exporitiM ' ithe AmcriMB.!** •onduitiiMMMPf, ,*iMi tiM unwIUai Ih with the pi«m» Bth«t«U«M«f* u rv. .. '^•v AN BXPOSmOH ^ 'tif^. ▲NO 0H4}iA0Tflp| :, j Tir|( WAK fit* wnATO ^•^ «. ^y*^? "V *»« *e termlotUoii of dw ncgbtiatioot •*..*??•*• *• despatchei of the Amorican comminionert, which have been communicated by the prcttdent of the United Sutet, to the coogreu, during the present seuion, will distinel- ly unfold, to the attenUve and impartial of all naUoni, the ob- ject! and diepositions of the parties to the present war. The United States, relieved by the general p^iBcation of the treaty of Pans, from the danger of actual suH^ance, und«r the evils which had codspelled them to resort to arms, have avowed their readiness to resunle the relations of peace and Wiity with On^t BrUain. upon the simple and single tondition, of preserving their territory and their sovereignty, entire and unimpaired. 'rheir desire of peace, indeed. « upin termt of reciprocity, consis^nt with the ijjiii of both parties, a. wve- reign and independent oatwns,1Hnfc not, at' any time, been influenced by the provocations of an unprecedented course of hostiliti*4> by the Incitemenu of a suceessfuf campaign; or by Wo?Slo;?l '' -emedagain •othr.aSS^ul. trmJ >J« the Briusb oovernment, affer inviting "a discussion i^rttli the |overiimeni of America, for the CMciUatory adjust. SL!!^ V ^" w' ^^ *•'' P"* ^" *' ''^ •"«««d) to bring them to a favorable luue, upon principles of a peHect recipro? t^^^^>^^miA, the WiM>ed mStes of3c , .. .^•«P':^HB»«^*fl"ng my intenUon to acquire an increase ^peremptorily ffeaamidvd, as tho^iylica of I >'i { ^:t^ \ '^^. petce, conecMlons c a lw i l t ud iiMff«ljr for their y the treMy of 17t», ehould bo likhided, ae the allies of Great Britak, (a pariv to that trefMjr,) in the protected parificationi and nat deHaita, jbouodartae should b« settled for th^ Indiaii territory, upoo abilis, whieh wonld hava operated to surrcndtf, to a noMber of Indians, not, probabir. exceeding a few thousands, the righto ^ soverelnty, as well as of aoil, over nearhr om third of the terr it orial dominions of the United States, innabited by more than one hundred thoa* send of their citiicns.* And, mora recently, (withdrawing, la effect, that proposition,! they have offered to treat, on the basia of ^uitpwmttiMi when, by the operations of the .war, they hsd obtained the military possession of an impoiiMK port oiF the state of Massachusetts, which, it was known, c^^la never be the subject of a cession, consisteiitlv with the hom»r and faith of the American govemment.t Irius, it is obvious, that Great Brltaioi neither regarding ** the principles of a perfiect reciprocit}',** nor the rule of her own practice and profeseions, has indulged pretensions, which couldf only be heard, la order to be rejected. The alternative, either viiiidictively to protraei the war, or honorably to end it, has been fidrly given to her option; but she wants the magnanimity to decide, while her apprehensions are awakened, for the result of the congress at Vienna, and her hopes are flattered, by the schemes of conquest in America. There are periods in the transactions of every country, as wen as in the lite of every individual, when seu«cxamination becomes a duty of the hipiest moral obligation} when the go- vernment of a free peoplci driven from the path of peace, uid baffled in every effort to resain it, may resort, for consolMlon, to the conscious rectitude of its measures; ana when an appeal to mankind, founded upon truth and justice, cannot fiiil to en« gage those sympathies, by which even natkms are led to pnrti- • 8m the American aeiMtchm, dated tke ICth nd l*th of Aumr. 1814( the note -'f the Britkh commiuioam. daicd the IMi cff A«pM. ItAi the now ef the American commUstonen,d«tcd the Slti of Aenat, ltl4i the nott ^the British commiMionm, dated the 4tb of S^tembauItUi the note of the Anw. rican comroUsionm of the 9(h of Sqitemher, ISlli the note of the Britiih commiaafcmcn. dated the I9th of Scutcmbcr, 1814(. dw note of th» Anokaa camndHioncri. dated Ae 26th of fieiNcmber. ISUt thS,Mle of the MQah commisuencn. dated the 8th of October. 1814| and the |M« of the >*i# i aii conMniaiionen, of the llith of October, 1814. J*^*.,. "t S«e the note of the Dridtb commiationerB, dated the SUt of OcteM. J814i the note of the American comnHMOonen. dated the S4t)i of October, lBU^|»d { the note of the Britiih eomndiiinnew, dated the 31st of October, 1814. •1"-. J if «• timt» thM tiM vMiIsUm liklttdtd, r,) to the ftliould b« «faldh«v« rrebably. ninkNit oC rcfl tlwMi- irtwrlBgtm nthcbui* jmr, they & part of yqdd netrtr honor attd riout, thtt if « perfect irofceelone, d, ta order to protn« ven to her whUe her MDgresi at of conquest cooBtryi as sxMnloation MB the go- peace, and cootolatlon. D aa appeal t fail to en* cdto parti- «,!, ISUi tu 4»iheiioiBrf of *• " rtta Hi*. cipate in the feme and fortunee of each othcrt The United 8tat«it under thetc ImprcMiooe, are neither inieneible to the •dvantagei, aor to the dutict, of their peculiar tUueiion. They have but recendyi at it were, establiehcd their independence) and the volume of their national hiitory lies open, at a glance, to every eye. The policy of their government, therefore, whauver it has been, in thdr foreign, as well as in their domes- tic, relations, ii is impossible to conceal) and it must be diScult to mismke. If the assertion, that it has been a policy to pre- serve peace and amity with all the nations of the world, be doubted, the proofs are at hand. If the assertion, that it has been a policy to maintain the rights of the United States, but, at the same time, to respect the righu of every other nation, be doubted, the proofs will be exhibited. Ir the assertion, that it has been a policy to act impartially towards the bellige- rent powers of Europe, be doubted, the proofii will be found on record, even in tne archives of England and of France* And if, in fine, the assertion, that it has been a policy, by M honorable means, to cultivate with Great Briuin, those senti- ments of mutual good will, which naturally belong to nations connected by the ties of a common ancestrvt an identity of lan- guage, and a timilarity of manners, be doubted, the proofs will be found in that patient forbearance, under the pressure of ac- cumulating wrongs, which marks the period of almost thirty years, that elapsed between the peace of 1713 and the r iXture of 1811. The United Sutes had just recovered, under the auspici.* of their present constitution, (rom the debility which their revo- lutionary strug(^ had produced, when the convulsive move- ments of France excited throughout the civilized world, the minf^d sensations of hope and fear— of admiration and alarm* The interest which those movements would, in theaaselves, have excited, was incalculably increased, however, as soon as Great Briuin became a party to the first memsrable coalition against Fhmce, and auumed the character of a belligerent power} for, it was obvious, tlut the distance of the scene would no longer exempt the United States from the influence, and the evils, of the European conflict' On the one hand, their govern- ment was connected with France, by treaties of alliance and commerce; and the services which that nation had rendered to the cause of American independence, had made such im- pressions upon the public mind, as no virtuous statesman could rigidly condemn, and the most rigorous sutesman would have sott^t in vain to efbce. On the other hand, Great Briuin, leaving the treaty of 178S unexecuted, forcibly retained tAte A s — pojjg ypQQ ji^g northern frontier} and, slighting American ^:: ''■'f^ I evcty everturi to place die diplomatic wid commercial rcla* tiontof the two couatrict, upon a fair and friendly foundation,* leemed to contemplate the tuccett of the American revolu- tion, in a spirit of unestinBuikhable animosity. Her voice had, indeed, been heard from Quebec and Montreal, instigating the savages to war.f Her invisible arm was felt, in the defeats of general Harmar.) and general 8t. Clair.ll and even the victory of general Wayne| was achieved, in the presence of a fort which ^e had erected, far withlp the urritorial boundaries of the United States, to stimulate and countenance the barbaritlea of the Indian warrior .1 Yet, the American government, nei- ther yielding to popular feeling, nor acting upon the impulse of national resentment, hastened to adopt the policy of a strict and steady ocutralityi and solemnly announced that policy to the citizens at home, and to the nations abroad, by the |>ioclama- tion of the ltd of April, tr»3. Whatever may have be«n the trials of its pride, and of its fortitude) whatevei may have been the imputations upon its fidelity and iu honort it wiU be de- monstrated, In the sequel, that the American government, throughout the European contest, and amidst all the changes of the ol^ects, and the parties, that have been involved in that con- test, has inflexibly adhered to the principles which were thus, authoritatively, esublished, to regulate the conduct of the United States. It was reasonable to expect, that a proclamation of neutrality, issued under the circumsunces which have been described, would command the confidence and respect of Great Britain, however offensive it might prove to France, as contravening, essentially, the exposition which she was anxious to bestow up< on the treaties of commerce and alliance. But experience has shown, that the confidence and respect of Great Britain are not to be acquired, by such acts of impartiality and independence. Under every administration of the American Rovcrnment, the experiment has been made, and the experiment has been equally unsuccessful: for, it was not more effectually asceruined in the year 1812, than at antecedent periods, that an exemption froni the maritime usurpation, and the commercial monopoly, of Great Britain, coula only be obtained upon the condition of be- coming an associate, in her enmities and her wars. While the * See Mr. Adams' correspondence 't See the s|i«echet of lord Dorchester. i On the waters of the Miami ol" the lake, on theSlst of October, 1790. II St Kort Recovery, on the ith of November, 1791. K On the Miami of the lakes, in August, 1794 . have been the may have been it will be de- t government* the changea of ^edinthatcon- lichwere thua, >nduct of the nofneutralityt een deacribedf Great Britain, contravening, to beatow up* experience haa Iritain are not independence, overnmentt the as been equally ertained in the xemption from monopoly* of ondition of be* kra. VfhiXe the >ctobcr, 1790. neriean MCTetary of •d May and JuM> proclamation of neutrality waa atill in the view of the Briti*h miniater, an order of the Bth of June, 179S, iatued from the cabinet, by virtue of which, ** all veaacia loaded wholly, or in part, with com, flour, or meal, bound to any nort in France, or any port occupied by the armiea of FVance," were required to be carried, forcibly, into Englandt and the cargoea were cither to be aold there, or aecurity waa to be given, tnat they ahould only be aold in the porta of^a country, in amity with hia Britan* nic majeaty.* The moral character of an avowed deaign, to iniict Mmine upon the whole of the French ncople, waa, at that time, properly eatimated throughout the civilized world) and ao glaring an infraction of neutral righta, aa the Britiah order waa calculated to produce, did not eacape the aeveritiea of diploma* tic animadvcraion and remonstrance. But thia anreaaion waa aoon followed by another of a more hoatUe caat. In the war of 17M, Great Britain had endeavored to catabliah the rule, that neutral nationa were not entitled to enjoy the bcnefita of a trade with the coloniea of a belligerent power, from which, in the aea* aon of peace, they were excluded by the parent atate. The rule atanda without poaitive aupport from any general authority on public law. U it be true, thataome treatiea contain atipula* tioae, by which the partiea expreaaly exclude each other from the commerce of their reapectivecolonieai and if it be true, that the ordinancea of a particular atate, often provide for the ex* cluaive enjoyment of^ ita colonial commerce; atill Great Britain cannot be authoriaed to deduce the rule of the war of 17M, by implication, fromauch treatiea and auch ordinancea, while it ia not true, that the rule forma a part of the law of nationa; nor that it hiia been adopted by any other government) nor that even Great Britun heraelf haa uniformly practiaed upon the rule) aince iu application waa unknown from the war of 17M, until the French war of 1702, including the entire period of the American war. Let it be, argumenutively, allowed, however, that Great Britain poaaeaaed the right, aa well aa the power, to revive and enforce the rule) yet, the time and the manner of exerciaingthejMwer, would aflbrd ample cauae for reproach. Hie citiaena or the United Staica had openly engaged in an extehaive trade with the French iaianda, in the Weat Indiea, ignorant of the alleged exiatence of the rule of the war of 17M, or unappriaed of any intention to call it into action, when the order of the «th of November, 1793, waa ailentlv circulated among the Britiah cruiaera, conaigniog to legal adjudication, ** all veaaela loaden with gooda, the produce of any colony of * 8m the order fai cowicU of th« Bth of Junt, 1793,and the frnnomtrance of the Aofrkaa fovMiinMnt. - ■* ■ ■ ^' ' ^ ... I !< i! la. M France, or carrying provUioiM or tupplieii for the um ol any •uch colony."* A great portion of the commerce of the United fkatta waa ihue annihilated at a biniri the amicable diipoeltlona of the government were again disregarded and contemned) the Mnaibilitv of the nation waa excited to a hiah degree of retentment, by the apparent treachery of the Brittan order) and • recourse to repritale, or to war, for indemnity and rcdreaa, aeemed to be unavoidable. But the love of iuatica had asta* bliahcd the law of neutrality) and the love uT peace taught a letMu of forbearance. The American >6vernment, therefore, riaing tuperior to the provocationa and the paiaions of the day, initituteu a aiMcial miealon, to represent at the court of Lon* don, the injuries and the indignities which it hid suffered) ** tu vindicate iu rishts with firmness, and to cultivate peace with aincerity.'t The immediate result of this mission, was a trea* ty of amity, commerce, and navigationi between the United . States and Great Britain, which was signed by the negotiators on the 19th of November, 17M, and, nnally ratified, with the consent of the senate, in the year 179B : But both the mls> sion and ita result, serve, also, to display the independence and the tmpartialitv of the American government, in asacrt- ing its rights and performing ita duties» equally udawed and unbiassed by the instruments of belligerent power, or per* suasion. On the foundation of this treaty the United States, in a pure apirit of good faith and confidence, raised the hope and the ex- pectation, that the madtime usurpations of Great Britain would cease to annoy them) that all doubtful claims of jurisdiction would be suspended) and that even the exercise of an incontest* able right would be so modified, as to present neither insult, nor outrage, nor inconvenience, to their flag, or to their commerce. But the hope and the expectation of the United States have been fatally disappointed. Some relaxation in the rifjor, without any alteration in the principle, of the order in council of the 0th of November, 1793, was introduced by the subsequent orders oftheSthot Jannry, 1794, and the «5th of January, 1798: but from the ratification of the treaty of 179*, until the short respite afforded by the treaty of Amiens, in 1804, the commerce of the United States continued to be th.^ prey of British cruisers and Erivatcers, under the adjudicating patronage of the British tri- unals Another grievance, hnwever, assumed at this epoch, a form and magnitude, which cast a shade over the social hap. • »«e the Br.'lih order oF the Oih of Novemb*?, 1793. , . ., ,_.. t Setthe prebident'i mcmge to fhf lenatc, -,t the I6th of Aprtl, l7»t,nomi l»^ti^Ig Mr. Jay as envoy ixtraonllntsy to hi« Rvitaunir, msJcMy. T r the UM of any rce of the Unii«d :able dUpMllloM unci conumn«d| 1 lush d«gre« of irUUh order) und kty mmI rtdreM, |u«tlc« htd eiu* I peace taught a mcnt, therefore, •iont of the day, B court of Loo* lid tulfcrcdi " to ivate peace with •ion* waa a trea* ireen the United f the negotiator! ratified, with the Lit both the inU* he independence iment, in ataert- equally urfawed nt power, or per* Btatee, in a pure hope and the ex* eat Britain would M of juriidiction e of an incontett* leither intuit, nor I their commerce, d States have been he rigor, without council of the 6th lubsequent orders January, 1798i but il the ehort respite ! commerce of the ritish cruiseri and of the British tri< ned at this epoch, crthe social hap- hof A|irU,WM,nomi i»je»ty. pinesa, at well as the political independence of the nation. Th« merchant vessels of tne United Sutes were arrested on the hiah seas, while in the prosecution of distant voyagesi considtraoU numbers of their crewa were impressed into the naval service of Great Britain i the commercial adventures of the owners wer« often, consequently, defeated) and the lose of property, the em* barrassments of trade and navigation, and the scene ot domastle allictlon, became intolerable. Yhls grievance (which constU tuiee an important surviving cause or the American declara- tion of war) was earlv, and hes been incessantly, urged upon th« attention of the British government. Even in rhe year 170S, thev were told of ** the irritation thai it b»d K«cited) and of tha diflculty of avoiding to make immediate reprisals on their sea« men in the United Butes."* They were told *• that so many instances of the kind had happened, that it was quite necessary that they should explain themselves on the subject, and be led to disavow Nnd punish such violence, which had never been ex- perienced from any other natlon.**t And they were told ** of the ineoavcnlencc of such conduct, and of the impossibilitv of let* tiaf it M on, so that the British ministry should be made sensi- ble of tne necessity of punishing the past, and preventing the fttture.t" But after the treaty of amity, conunerce, end navi- gation, had been ratified, the nature and the extent of the ^iev- ance became still more manifest) and it was clearly and hrmly praaented to the view of the British government, as leedinf UMHroidably to discord and war between tne two nations. They were told, '' that unless they would come to some accommodation which might ensure the American seamen against this oppression, measures would be taken to cause the inconvenience to be equally felt on both sides."|| They were told, ** that the impressment of American citixens, to serve on board of British armed vessels, waa not only an injury to the unfortunate individuals, but it naturally excited certain emotions in the breasu of the nation to whom they belonged, and of the lust and humane of every coun- try) and that an expectation was indulged that ordera would be given* that the Americans so circumstanced should be immedi- ately liberated, and that the British officers should, in future, abetain from similar violences.") They were told, ** that the •I B« II * 8«e thakittr of Mr. Jtffanon, Mcretwr/ of itaM,tfo Mr. PlakiMjr, minism St London, dstad tht llth of June, I79t. ■■•tht l«it«r Arom the ssme to tho wme, dttcd the Uth of October, 1792. 8e« the letter from the tame to the wme, dsted the 6th of November, 17M. I the letter from Mr. Pi*)it(wy» minister at London, to the Mcretsry of rate, dated the ISth of March, 1793. C See ctie note of Mr. Jay, envoy extraordinary, to lord OrenvUlt, dste< tke 30i|i of Jidy, 1794. .-,' \ ■ , ■ ' ■ r "•fT" II \ ; i i t If subject WM of much greater importaace than kad been tupiMMd; and that, initead of a few, and thoee in many iattancet equivocal caeca, die American minister at the court of London had, in tine months f part of the years 1796 and 1797) made applications for the discnarge of two hundred and seventy-one seamen, who had, in most esses, exhibited such evidence, as to satisfy him that they were real Americans, forced into the British ser- vire, and persevering, generally, in refusing pay and bounty.*** They were told, ** that if the British government had any regard to the rights of the United States, any respect for the nation, and placed an^ value on their friendship, it would facilitate the means of relieving their oppressed citizens.**t ^^^y ^*^ told, '*that the British navsl ofiaers often impressed Swedes, Danes, and other foreigners, from the vessels of the United States; that they might, with as much reason, rob American vessels of the property or merchandise of Swedes, Danes, and Fbrtuguese, as seize and detain in their service, the subjects of chose nations found onboard of American vesseU; and that the president was extremely anxious to have this business of im* pressing placed on a reasonable footing.**:^ And they were told, ** that me impressment of American seamen was aninjinry^t very serious ma^itude, which deeply affected the feelings and honor of the nation; that no right had been asserted to impress the natives of Americai ^et, that they were impressed; they were dragged on board British ships of war, with the evidence of citiaenship in their ht^nds, and forced by violence therei to serve, until conclusive testimonials of their birth could be ob- tained; that many must perish unrelieved, and all were detained a considerable time, in uwless and injurious confinement} that the continuance of the practice must inevitably jproduce discord between two nations, which ought to be the friends of each other; and that it was more advisable to desist from, and to take cffiectual measures to prevent, an aclinowledged wrong, than fagr perseverance in that wrong, to excite against themselves tte well-founded resentments of America, and foKe the govern- ment into measures, which may very poniUy terminate in an open rupture.**|| Such were the feelings and the sentiments of the American * See the letter of Mr. King, minister kt London, to the MCietary of Mslfc dated the I3th of April, 1797. t See the letter froin, Mr. Piekering , lecietwrjr of ttatc^ to Mr. Kin(, miiditer «t London, dated the 10th of September, 1796. 1; See the lener from the unr to the ume, dated the Mth of October, 1796. I See the letter from Mr. M ihall, aecrctary of state, (now dUef iwtice of the Umted States,) to Mr. King, lioister at London, dated the tOth of Septeabtr, 1800. f idbccBtuppotcd; iitancet equivocal f Londoa hadf in made appHcatioiw nty«0M scament oca, as to taUafy the British ler- ay and bounty.*** nt had any regard et for the nation, ould facilitate the i.**t They were npressed viredea, lela of the United n, rob American redes, Danes, and ce, the subjecta of ueUi and that the is business of im- nd they were told, 1 was an injury «f 1 the feelings and iserted to impress i impressed! they with the evidence f violence theiw to birth could be ob- I all were detained confinement! that lyjprodttce discord be friends of each t from, and to take ^d wrong, than fay •t themselves tM force the govern* ly terminate in an B of the American » tht MOtUry of MU^ B Mr. Kii^t nipbtar at >th of October, IT96. now ckief iuttkeofthe dw 10th of Stpteinbw. tt l|0vemment, under every change of its administration, in rcla* tion to the British practice ofimpressment} and such the re- monstrances addressed to the justice of Great Britain. It is obvious, dierefore, that this cause, independent of every other, has been uniformly deemed a just ana certtun cause of wwt yet, the characteristic policy of the United States still prevail- ed: remonstrance was only succeeded by negotiation; aiM every assertion of American ripita, was accompanied with an ovev- ture, to secure, in any practicable form, the righta of Great Britain.*^ Time seemed, however, to render it aaore and more diiGcult to ascertain and fix the standard of the British righta, •! i^ according to the succession of the British chums. The ri|riit of entering and searching an American merchant ship, for Uie purnose of impressment, was, for awhile, confined to the case of British deserters; and even so late as the month of Febrtt« ary, 1800, the minister of his Britannic majesty, tk^n at Phila- delphia, urged the American government, ** to take into conai- deration, as the only means of drying up every source of com« plaint and irritatioof upon that head, a proposal which he had made two years before, in the name or his asajesty's govern* ment, for the reciprocal restitution of deserters.*t But this project of a treaty was then deemed inadmissible, by the presi- dent of the United States, and the chief officers of the esecu- tive departmenta of the government, whom he consulted, finr the same reason, specifically, which, at a subsequent period, induced the president of the United States, to withhold ilia ap- probation from the trea^ negotiated by the American, ministers at London, in the year 1800; namely: ** that it did not sufficient- ly provide a^nst the impressment of American sfamen}**| and ** that it is better to have no article, and to meet the con- sequences, than not to enumerate merchant vessels on the high seas, among the things not to be forcibly entered in search of deserters.*'!! But the British claim, expanding with aingular elasticity, was soon found to include a right to enter Ameri- can vessels on the high seas, in order to search for and aeise all British seamen} it next embraced the case of every Bri- tish subject; and, finally, in ita practical enforcement, it has * SeciMrtkuhrty, Mr. King's nropoutions to fcmlGrenviUc.wid lord Hawkn- bury, of the 13th of April. 179T, the 15th of Mtreb, 1799, the S5th of Fe- brauy, 1801, and in July, 1813. t See Mr. Litwn't nott to Mr. Pickeriaft the'iecretuy of Mat*, dated tlMith \. of Febrwry. 1800. I See the opinion of Mr. Pickering, lecretary of itate, enekMing the plan of a trnty, dated the 3d of May, 1800, and the opinion of Mr. Wolcott, accntaiy of the treaMUT, dated the lith of April, 180O. II See the o^nion of Mr. Stoddert, secietaiy of the navy, dated the S9d of April, 1800, attdtheoninkmaof Mr. Lee, attorney general, dated the MUi of Februaiy, and the 30th of Apiil, 1800. ■, ',-'^4«<^> > IS been extended to every mariner, who could 'not prove, upon the spot, that he was a cititen of the United Sutes. While the nature of the British claim was thus ambiguous and fluctuating, the principle to which it was referred, for jus- tification and support* appeared to be, at once, arbitrary and illusory. It was not recorded in any positive code of the law of nations; it was not displaved in the elementary works of the civilian; nor had it ever been exemplified in the maritime usages of any other country, in any other age. In truth, it was the offspring of the municipal law of Great Britain alone; equally operative in a time of peace, and in a time of war; and, under all circumaUnces, inflicting a coercive jurisdiction, upon the commerce and navigation of the world. For the legitimate rights of the belligerent powers, the United States nad felt and evinced a sincere and open respect. Although they had marked a diversity 'of doctrine among the most celebrated jurists, upon many of the litigated points of the law of war; although they \jni formerly espoused, with the example of the most powerful government of Europe, the principles of the armed neutrality, which were established in the year 1780, upon the basis of the memorable declaration of the empress of all the Russias; and although the principles of that declaration have been incorporated into all their public treaties, except in the instance of the treaty of 1794; yetf the United States, still faithful to the pacific and impartial policy which they professed, did not hesitate, even at the commence- ment of Uie French revolutionary war, to accept and allow the exposition of the law of nations, as it was then maintained by Great Britain; and, consequently, to admit, upon a much con- tested point, that the property of her enemy, in their vessels, might be lawfully captured as prise of war.^l^ It was, also, freely admitted, that a belligerent power had a right, with pro- per cautions, to enter and search American vessels, for the goods of an enemy, and for articles contraband of war; that, if upon a search such goods or articles were found, or if, in the course of the search, persons in the military service of the ene- my were discovered, a belligerent had a right of transhipment and removal; that a belligerent had a right, in doubtful cases, to carry American vessels to a convenient station, for further examination; and that a belligerent had a right to exclude Americsm vessels from ports and places, under the blockade of an adequate naval force. These rightt the law of nations might, • See the conespondence of the year 1792, between Mr. JefferMn, lea^y of state, aod the ministers of Great Britain and France. See also, Mr, JeSu' ■on's letter to the American minister at ?wn», of the same year, re^uo^ t^ie rccaD of Mr. Genet. • '■ >\-. .fi-,.^'''v ' m 'not prove, upon utes. thus ambiguous referred, for jue- :e, arbitrary and code of the law tentary works of in the maritime ge. In truth, it at Briuin alone{ imeofwar; and, irisdiction, upon ent powers, the nd open respect. :trine among the ited points of the oused, with the of Europe, the re established in l}le declaration <^ die principles of all their public f 1794; yet, the impartial policy It the commence- ptand allow the n maintained by pon a much con- in their vessels, * It was, also, .right, with pro- vessels, for the d of war; that, if nd, or if, in the irvice of the ene* ; of transhipment I doubtful cases, tion, for further right to exclude r the blockade of of nations might, r. Jeffenon, wcntaiy See also, Mr. Jelier> : year, requc«tia| Uift IS reasonably, be deemed to sanction; nor has a fair exercise of the powen necessary for the enjoymont of these rights, been, at any titne, controverted, or opposed, by the American govern- ment. But it must be again remarked, that the claim of Great Bri- tain was not to be satisfied, by the most ample and explicit re- cognition of the law of war; for, the law of war treats only of the relations of a belligerent to his enemy, while the claim of Great Briuin embraced, also, the relations between a sovereign and his subjects* It was said, that every British subject was bound by a tie of allegiance to his sovereign, which no lapse of time, no change of place, no exigency oilife, could possibly weaken, or dissolve. It was said, that the British sovereign was entitled, at all periods, and on all occasions, to the services of his subjects. And it was said, that the British vessels of war upon the hirii seas, might lawfully and forcibly enter the mer- chant vessels of every odier nation (for the theory of these pretensions is not limited to the case of the United States, although that case has been, almost exclusively, affected by their practical operation) for the purpose of discovering and impressing British subjects.* The United States presume not to discuss the forms, or the principles, of the governments esta- blished in other countries. Enjoying the right and the blessing of self-TOvernment, they leave, implicitly, to every foreign nation, the choice of its social and political institutions. But, whatever may be the form, or the principle, of government, it is an universal axiom of public law, among sovereign and inde* pendent states, that every nation is bound so to use and enjoy Its own rights, as not to injure, or destroy, the rights of any other nation. Say then, that the tie of allegiance cannot be severed, or relaxed, as respects the sovereign and the subject; and szy, that the sovereign is, at all times, entitled to the services of the subject; still, there is nothing gained, in support of the British claim, unless it can, also, be said, that the British sovereign has a right to seek and seise his subject, while actually within the dominion, or under the special protection, of another sovereign state, lliis will not, surely, be denominated a process of the law of nations, for the purpose of enforcing the rights of war; and if it shall be tolerated as a process of the municipal law of Great Britain, for the purpose of enforcing the rignt of the sovereign to the service of his subjects, there is no principle of discrimination, which can prevent its being employed in peace, or in war, with all the attendant abuses of force and fraud, to justify the seizure of British subjecu for crimes, or for debts; * S^the Britiah declaration of the lOth of Juiuary, 1813. -^ fil ill hi ! i ~,s minions of the British crown) and every other nation must enjoy the liberty of passage, upon the payment of a tribute, or the indulgence of a license! but what nation is prepared, fmr this sacrifice of its honor and its interests? And if, after aU, the right be now asserted (as experience too plainly indicates) for the purpose of imposing upon the United Statea, to accommo* date the British maritim»folicy,a new and odioua limitation of die sovereignty and independence, which were aeq\tired by tht l^rious revolution of 1770, it is not for the American govern* mentto calculate the duration of a war, that shall be waged, in resistance of the active attempts of Chreat Britain, to accom- pl'ish her project: for, where is the American citisen, who would tolerate a day's submission, to the vassalage of such a con* dition? But the American government has seen, with aome suroriie, the gloss, which the prince regent of Great Briuin, in his de- claration of the 10th of January, IStS, has condescended to bestow upon the British claim of a right to impreu men, on board of the merchant vessels of other nations) and the retort, which he has ventured to make, upon the conduct of the United States, relative to the controverted doctrinea of expatriation. The American government, like every other civilised govern- ment, avows the principle, and indulges the practice, of natural* ixing foreigners. In Great Britain, and throughout the conti- nent of Europe, the laws and regulations upon the subject* are not materially dissimilar, when compared with the laws and regulations of the United Stotes. The effisct, however, of such «»• turalisation, upon the connexion, which previously subaisled, between the naturalized person, and the government of the country of his birdi, has been differeptiy considered, at diflbr- ent times, and in different places. Still, there are oiaiiy r«- Itr that thall be i«|r«dlng no* ttntheardu* it.tooppoMj how &r theW pUeattd,bgr « of thtBrltUh Ittdi common ddUton to its ad eontf ntlont •kcreiMd tht mta trophy of «m which hat ieW|hwayof •, with the do- r naUon muit of « tribute, or ep«red,forthU f, nftcr nU, tho ^ Indicates) for I, toaccommo- tuallmltttlonof •cqulrcdbytha lerican iotyrn- dlbe waftdiln tain, to accom- len, who would of auch a con* aome aurprlaa. luin, in hia dc- ondaacended to mpreu men, on It and the retort, tctof the United of expatriation. IvIUned goveni- «tlce, of natural, ^ottt the contt- the tubject, are th the lawa and ever, of auch n» iottily aubaiaied, iremment off *• dered, al difer- e are mwy ^' ^ 11 V, " ipecta, la which a diveraltv of o|dnlon doea not eidst, and cannot irise. It is agreed, on all hand*, that an act of natnralixatloa It not a violation of the law of national and that, in particular, ,lt la not, In itself, an offence against the government, whoso jubjea is naturaliaed. It Is agreed, that an act of naturalisa* tion creates, between the parties, the reciprocal obligations of allegiance and prouctlon. It is agreed, that while a natural* ilea citizen continuea within the territory and jurisdiction of his adoptive government, he cannot be pursued, or seized, or restndned, by his former sovereign. It is agreed, that a oatu- raliied citisen, whatever may be thought of the claims of the sovereign of his native country, cannot lawfully be withdrawn from the obligations of his contnwt of naturalisation, by the force ,or the aeduction, of a third power. And it la agreed, that no sovereign can lawfully interfere, to uke from the service, or the employment, of another sovereign, persons who are not the subjects of either of the sovereigns engaged in the transac- tion. Beyond the principles of these accorded propositions, wlwt have the United Sutes done to justify the impuuUon of ** harboring British seamen, and of exercising an assumed right, to transfer the allegiance of British*, subjecto?'** The United States have, indeed, insisted upon die right of navigating the ocean In peace and safety, protecting all that is covered by their flag, aa on a place of equal and common jurisdiction to tUSi Muoas} save where the law of war Interposes the exceptions of vialtation, search, and capture; but, in doing this, they have done no wtonf. The United States in perfect consistency, it Is believed, with the practice of aU belligerent nations, not even excepting Great Britain herself, have, indeed, announced a de- temunation, aince the declaration of hostilities, to afibrd pro- tection, aa well to die naturalized, as to the native citisen, who, 2»ving the strongest proofs of fidelity, should be taken in arnsa y the enemy} and the British cabinet well know, that this de- termination could have no influence upon those councils of their sovereign, wMch preceded and produced the war. It was nbt, then, to ,** harbor British aeamen," nor to "transfer the allegi- ance of British subjecU)** nor to "cancel the jurisdiction of thefar legitimate sovereign;" nor to vindicate "the pretensioB that acts of naturalization, and certificates of citisenship, were aa valid out (^ their own territory, as within it;*^ that the U^ted Statea have asserted the honor and the privilege ot their flag, by the force of reason and of amu. But it waa to resist a qratenutic scheme of maritime aggrandisement, vrtiich, pre- * 8m Am BtWah dMlmtian of tlw 10th of Janmry. 1813. t Sm tkcM ps^Nfet inthr Bridik dMlaniion of the 10th of Juraux, 1813. « ■>, •cribing to every other nfttion the limits of a territorial boun* ' dary, claimed for Great Briuin the exclusive dominion of the seasi and whicht spuming the settled principles of the law of war, condemned the ships and mariners of tne United States, to suffer, upon the high seas, and virtually within the jurildic- tion of their flag, the most rigorous dispensations of the BHtish municipal code, inflicted by the coarse and licentious hand of a British press«^g> The injustice of the British claim, and the cruelty of the British practice, have tested, for a series of years, the pride and the patience of the American government: but, still, every experiment was anxiously made, to avoid the last resort of na- tions. The claim of Greet Britain, in iu theory, was limited to the right ofseelcing and imprcMing its own subjects, on board of the merchant vessels of the United States, alUiou^ in Altai experience, it has been extended (as already appears) to the seizure of the subjecu of every other power, saihng un- der a voluntary contract with the American merchanti to the seisure of the naturatiied citisens of the United States, sailing, also, under voluntary contracts, which everv foreigner, inde* pendent of any act of naturalisation, is at liberty to forgs in every country; and even to the seizure of the native citizens of the United Sutes, sailing on board the ships- of their own nation, in the prosecution ofa lawful commerce. The excuse, for what has lieen unfeelingly termed, ** partial mistakes, and occasional abuse,**^ when the right of impressment was prac- tised towards vessels of the United States, is, in the words of the prince regent's dechuation, *' a similarly of language and manners:" but was it not known, when this excuse was mered to the worhl, that the Russian, the Swede, the Dane, and the German; that the Frenchman, the Spaniard, and the Fortu* guese; nay, that the African and the Asiatic; between whom and the people of Great Britmn there e»stt no simiUrity of language, manners, or comcAexion; had been, equdly with the American citizen and the British subject, the victims of the. impress tyranny^f V* however, the excuse be sincere; if the real object of the imjMressment be merely to secure to Great Briuin, the naval services of her own subjects, and not to man herfleett, in ever)r practicable mode of enlistment, by ri^t, or by wrong; and if a just and generous government, profess- ing mutual friendship and respect, may be presumed to preitr the accomplishment, even of a legitimate purpose, by aseaas * S«e the Brituli declaration of the lOth of Januarjr. 1>I3. t See the letter of Mr. Pickering, tecretarv of atate, to Mr. King, miniiter at London, of the ie6th of October, 1796; and the letter of Mr. Manhall. acottarf of state, to Mr. King,, of the 20tb of September, 1800. fi 17 rttoriil bottiK niaion of the of the Uwof Jnited Suui* I the jttiMlc- oftheBHtieh iout hand of • cruelty of the art, the pride ittt, etiU. every It reiort of ae- ry, was limited a tttbjecu, oa itca, although, eady appears) rer, tailtog ua- erchaati to the Btatee, sailiag, foreigacr, io^- erty tofongam naUve cittzeaa ■ of their own . The excuse, mistakes, and nent was prac- in the words of if language aad ;use was offered i Dane, and the and the Porta* Mtween whom lo similarity of squally with the * victims of the sincere} if the secure to Great and not to man ment, by right, •nment, profess^ »umed to prefer rpose,by means «;. Kliig.mtol««rs» r. ManlMll. accittMT the least afDiciing and injurious to others, why have the over- tures of the United flutes, offering other aaeans as effectual as impressment, ibr the pulfMse avowed, to the consideration and acceptance of Great Britain, been forever eluded or rejectedf It hae been offered, that the number of men to be protected by an American vessel, should be limited by hertonnagei that British officers should be permitted, in British ports, to enter the vessel, in order to ascertain the number of men on board} and that, in caise of an additioik to her crew, the British sub- jects enlisted should be liable to impressment.* It was offered in thi'tolemn form of a law|that American seamen should be re- Slteredi that they should be provided witlrcertificaten of citisen* iplflnd that the roll of the crew of every vessel should be for- mally authenttciited.) Itwasofliired* that no refuge or protec- tion shotfid be given to deserters; but that, bn the contrary, they should be surrendered.il It waa ** again and again offer4di to con- cur in a ce'aVemioo, whi^h it was thought praaicable to be form- td, and which should Settle the queetions uf Impressment, in a manner thdt would be safe for £ngland; and satisfactory to the United 8tatcs.^f Ik was offeitd* that iwih party should prohibit its citiaens or subieitts', froih clai(3cktlnelv concealing or carrying nwayi fnnri the territories 6r colonies of thtf other, any seaman belonjMng to the other partyjl Andt conclusively, it has been offered Md^ declaimed by l^w, that f* aifter tnfe termination of the prbaeat war, it should not4>e bwful to Employ on board of any of the public or private Vessels of the United States, any p«r- Mw, except cititen^of the Uriited fltatesi and that no foreign- er should be adniltted tb*t>ecome^ a citiien'herealter, who had not, Ibr the continued term 6f live year*,, resided within the United fimies, without^ beings at- any time, ^during the - five yian; but df the <^rritpft of the United States."** It Is . manifiBst then, Uiat such: provi^ioin might be made by law; andf thatlioeh provision has been repeatedly and urgentnr proposed; as #ould,rth' aP ftttiiire times^ exclude firom the mari- of rate, to Mr. Phil aa^tlM fettarof Mr. mhy«- ■ ■■■■'■ . -. . *^8w tlw Imtr of Mr. JsAmmi, t«,«tLandM.,dMid the .UtIioC Japs. Kl .. ^ Mctttsijr e( m»t io Mr. King, mi^iiMr it Loadoo, duid tbs atfi ef ihas* •17f6. - '/■ ftss tks SCI «r cMfmnsMMl ths «8di of iHuf, 1790. - ^ tS«« ilMlMWriDf>Mr. IWwtal^ dscistair of rata, to Mr. Kiai, mUMarst I Sii ai^a|kt or> tfi^m 'Kfj^' ^'•twMA Mr._ndMri«f, Motta* PhUaddMto, in tb« « ,8sS-a^ latter oT Sir. Kist, ' arinlitar st Loadoa;- ,— ' .•*i.a,.i i«*^^ ' -3^* If 111 time .ervire of lh« United State*, both i"\p«WiciJ«d |n pjWite vetteU. every perw>o, who could, potelbjy, be claimed by Ore« bS m « native .ublect, whether he hnd. or bad not. Sen naturaliaad In America^ Enforced by the .ame wnc- tioneand wciiritie., which are employed to enforce Aeijmd code of Great Britain, a» well at the penal code of the United 8iatrt. the provUlon would afford the etrongert evidence, that MBrltiA»uVct could be found in tertlce on !»«'<\°f •» American v«.el. and, conaequently. whatever might be th« Brltith light of Imprewment, In U.e abetract, there womW w- Saln no pfiabl. motive, ^here «»«" »'•'?*^'l ^Tl^^? ' 3au.lble pretext, to exerclw It, at the eaoeole of the i^jrfcjn Tiaht of Tawful commerce. If, too, a. It hat .ometlrtea been Intinuated, there would, neyerthetew, be room for frauds and evaS^., it II .uftcieot to obeerve, that the American govertj. ment would alwaya be ready to hear, and to «<»«••. «W just compUinl: or. If redre.. were .ought and refuted. J V^' llmioary cour.e. that ought °«^«^«« \*rfi"|i JS*A^u2 which Owat Britain hat never purtued,) U w««W tftU ^ I j ftj power of the Brltlth government to retort to Itt own force, bf Eu equivalent to irar. for die reparation of i» wro-f/BW Great Britain haa, unhappfty, perceived In *« •««2»JJ»". J^ the overturet of the American government, contemiencjt inju- riout whTr maritime policy, and, therefore, w^AhoWt it, jt 3.e expend of her jugiice. She pe<*:eWea,^ perhaij., a lojtof Se AiTericmi nurte'ry for her ««imen, ''^•»« *« ». '^p^J aloit of the service qf American crewt, while the It at war; mH lot. of many ofthoteopportunitlet. which have enablfd Terti enrich J nivy, by Se tpoiU ofth. Amenc-J «»«. merce, without expoting her own commerce to the ntk ^rreta- '^T?ittt%"5^t"uni{ed Stare., in a.eaton of rqmteVI peace. invoWed in the evllt of a tute of war; and thuf wat the Ame- Scan flag annoyed by a nation «ill profcstmfe to chemh Ac aentimenuof mutuilfricndthip and retpect. wWchh^-been reeenUv vouched, by the faith of atblemn treaty. But Wife AmeriL S^veroment' even yet abrtained from vindjcatingju rtRhU, and from avenmng it. wrongt. by an appeal J J'jJJ- It^ratnot an in.en.ib.Rty to thoMs wrong.; nor a dr««J^^2;; tub oower: nor a .ubserviency to British mtereaU, that Ofa- lSeS?rt£a?per.i. in the council, of the UnUed-Statet: W, under all triaU, the American govemirient abstained ««»m,^ appeal to arm, then, a. it ha», repeatedly .ince done, In ita c^ t • See the letter of taitnictlonii from Mr Monroe. .«^"JJ»L«"2i52fl ^ ple«;^.e«ti.rie. fo, tmiing of P*»ce *l.h G«.t Brrt.m. uadif^^ a-^W* Sf tlM emperor Alexander. 3»ted the 15th of ApU, 1813. I! 11 and in private B clMined by id, or had not, le taote lanc- brce the penal of the United evidence, that n board of an might be the lere woti^kl re- be invented a ftheAmfncan ometinkee been for frauds and lerican govern- redreat, ev^ry refueed* (a pt«" n omitted, but IdetiUheintha tt own force, bf » wrong!. But lie acceptance of iMcqucnc<;a inju* wVtWioidt it, at crhape, a Iqm of the itatpeaca; le she is at war; eh have enablfd t American com* (the risk pfretn- f reputed peace, ug was the Ame* [ to cherish ^e wmch had been treaty. But Ihfc n vindicating its •PPf »J ? ?ffl* »r a dread of ml* leresu, that oN- nited.Statest wj.. itainied fromit** e done, in its epp' lisions with France, as well as with Great Britain, from the purest love of peace, while peace could be rendered compatible with the honor and independence of the nation. During the period, which has hitherto been more particularly contemplated (from the declaration of hostilities between Great Britain and France in the year 1793, until the short'lived paci- fication of the treaty of Amiens in 1(HM) there were not waat- ing occasions, to test the consistency and the impartiality of the American government, by a comparison of its conduct towards Great Britain, with its conduct towards other nations. The manifestations of the eitreme Jealousy of the French govern- ment, and of the Intemperate aeal of Its ministers near the United States, were co^cval with the proclamation of ncutraUtyt but after the ratification of the treaty of London, the seen* of vifilciice, spoliation, and contumely, opened by Franca, upon the United States, became such, as to admit, perhaps, of ito paral- lel, except in the coumporaneous scenes which were eshiblted by the injustice of her great competitor. The American n- vcmment acted, in both casee, on the aame pacific policyi In die aame spirit of patlenca and forbearance; out with the aame determination, also, to assert the honor and Independence of the nation. When, therefore, every conciliatory effort had failed* md When two successive missions of peace had been contemp- tuously repulsed, the American government, in the year 17M, annulled lu treatiea with France, and waged a naaritinae war agabst that nation, for the defence of Its citizens, and of Ita commerce, passina on the high seas. But as aoon aa the Ik^ waa conceivedi or a satisfactory change In the dispoaltiona of the French government, the American government hastened to send anotheir mission to France; and a convention, algned In the year 1800, terminated the subusUng diflRerencea Mtween tb«t two countrios. Nor were the United Statea able, durina'the aame period^ to avoid a coUisioti with the |ovemment of Spun, upon many tm- port^t and critical questiona of boundanr and commercei of Indbm war&te. and maritime spoliation. Preserving, however, their system of aMdcration, in the aascrtion of their rl|^, a course of amicable diacinaion and eiqplanation, produced miii- tual satlsAwtloof and a trtaty of frieadship, limits, and navMni- tion, was lornBed in the year 1791, bv which the citixena of the United Statea acquired a right, for the space of three years, to dtporite their merohaadlaea and effectt in the port of New Or- ItMM) with a njomisej either that the enjoyment of ^utt right ahoukl be inaBfinitel^ continued, or duit another part of the banlia of the lllaaiaaibpi should be assigned for an equivalent eataMiiibmenu Bu^ Wnca, in the year IMS, the port of Mew Or> r \'. Mf» The electa producadt even by a temporary auapanalon of ifta right of dapoaite at New Orleana, U|ion the intereata and faelingt ofthe nation, naturally auigeated to the American govarnnMnt* tha aapcdiency of guanflng againai their recurrence, by tha acquiaition of a permanent property in the province of l^uiai* The minitur of tha United Statea, at Madrid, waa» ac« cordingly, inatructed to apply to the government of Spain upon tha aubject) and, on the 4tn of May, 1809, ha received an an- awcr, attting, that **by tha ratroceaaion made to France of Louiaiana, that power rag^nad the province, with the limita it had, aaving the righta accjuired by other powerat and that tha United Statea could nddreaa themaelvea to tha French govern- ment, to negotiate the acquiaition of territorlaa, which might, auil their intereat.*'* But before thia reference, oAciiil intor* mation of the aame fact had been received by Mr. Vinkncy from the court of Spain, (n the month of March preceding, and tha American govemmeiit, having Inatituted a apacial rotaaion to negotiate the purchwe of Louiaiana from Frauce, or from Spain, whichever ahould be ita aovereign, the purchaaa waa, accordingly, iiccomptiahed, for a valuable conaidcration, (that I 'I waa punctually paid) by the treaty concluded at Paria, on tha 80th af April, 1805. Tha American government haa not aeeo, without aoma aen* aibilitj, that a tranaactipn, accompanied by auch circumatancea of general publicityi and of acrupuloua good faith, haa been I 'I denounced by tha pnnce regent, In hie dedaHM^on of the 10th of January, 1813,aa a proof of the " ungenarbut conidkict'* of tha United Statea towarda 8pain.t In ampU^catiott of the royal • charge, tha Britiah negotlatora at Qhent, have preauaed to imputa *« dbe acquiaition of Louiaiana, hy dia Uiiltad Statisa, t* a apirit of aggrandizaqaent, not neceaaaty to thair own aecnrityi'* •na to malnuin ** that the piiirehaae waa made againatttia kncnm conditiona, on which It had bean ceded by Spain to France;") that ** In Uie face of the protaatation of the min|stei: of hie catho* licmajcaqr at. Waahlngton, the preaident'of the United, Btatai I I I ■ I J 1 1 r ' i I III I I < n * 8ca Um leitar Cm Dm Padro CwiUot, ttai miabtw of 8|»in, lo MrX. 1^ nc/. tba miniMcr of tha UnilHl 8iatc«, datfd Uw 4tk of Max, 18D3, Awa whkh the pauandicd ii litcrallr iranlated. ^ 9m Om prince ragem • dwlararion of the lOth of Jaaaaijrt Ilia. ) See the note of the British commiuioncr% dated the 4th of September, 1114. Brit • z/ tf (1m Unltwl itent phic* of kin moit mH* L yitldlnt 10 [tht Kt olthc ofdspotlMto |Mn«lon of t^ It tnd fMUogf I govcrBOMiitt rrcocctby iho nee of LouitU drid»wu» «• of Spain upon lecivcd tn ■n- to France of ththeUmltoU II ftodihatthe rrench govern* , which might. I, oAcliil Intof f Mr. Wnkney preceding, end ipeclal mieeion rauce, or from purchnte «^**t denuUm, (that It Fkria, on the luMit tome ten* , clrcumatancei faith, hat been ion of the 10th :o^d|uct"ofthe Hk of the royal re preeumed to Mud 8tatJes« to •owneecoriqrt'* alDet the known ID to Flrance;*^ Iter of hit ci|tho* te United Btaiat ly Min, to Mr. C. !!»))• f7l809,Aeaiwhklik ry.im. '^ ,:[/ of ScptimbCT, IBie. ratlAed (he treaty of purchaeei*** and (hat ** there waa good reaton to beUcve, that many circumtiancct a(tending the (rant- tctton were loduttrioutly concealed.'f The American govern« meni cannot coadctcend to retort aepertloot to ni^utt, in tao» guage to opprobrioutt and peremptorily rejcctt the pretention of Oraat Britain, to interfere in the butlnete of the United Btatet and 8|>aint but It owet, neverthektt, to the claimt of truth, a ditdnci ttatement of the facta which have been thua mitrepreaenMd* When the tpecial mittion wat appointed to negotiate the purchase of Louitiana from France, in the manner already mmtioned, the American mbiateri at London, waa in* •tructed to explain the object of the mittioni and having made the enlanatioo, he waa attured by the Britith government, ** that tlie communication wat received in good parti no doubt waa auggetted of tl^c right oi the United Btatet to pur»ue, tepa> rately and alone, the objecu they aimed at| but the Britith government appeared to be natitled with (he prctident't viewt, o^iihla important tub|ect.**t At toon, too, at ■ the treaty of purchaeewaa concluded, before hottilitiea weft asain actually comamnced between Great Britain and France, and prcvioualy, indeed, to the departure of the FreiKh ambataador from Lon- don, the American minitter opcnlv aotiftad to the Britith go* venment, that a treanr had been ttgned, ** 1^ which the com- plete tovercignty of the town and territory of New Orleaaa, aa well aa of allXouitiana, aa the tame wat heretofore pottetaed by Spain, had been acquired by the United Siatet of Anaerlc^i and that in dn^wlng up the treaty, care had been taken to to fmme the aome, at not to infrin|e any right of Oraai Britain, in the navigatioo of the river MimiMippi.**!! la the aaawtr of the Brl- titft govemaatnt, it#aa eapUcitly dedared by lord Hawketbury, ** thM ha had recelircd hit majettvV coaiatanda to eiprcta the pleaaura with which hit majetty had received the intelligencei and to add, that hw majetty regarded the care, which had been takca CO to frame the treaty aanot to infringe any right of Oreat Britain in the navigation of the Mitejbaippi, aa the araet aalia- fiMtory evidence of a diapocition oa ilw part of the foverameot of the .United Biatea, corretpoadent with that which hit mi^ei« ty eatertaiacd, to nromoie aad improve that harmony, which to happily tubriaitd between the two countriee, aad which wm t SktiM Mtrai LmmIm, NwrMwref HlMthl of the BtiiklieMMMuioMrt, dtMd tbt IMi of SiMmitar. 1SI4. of tiM BrMth commiuioMurt, OmmI cIm ttk of Octobw. IS14. Aon tiM MCNtarr of tMi*. (o Mr. Kite, tho Anwricu mini- iMd tli* Wih of Jkmwv, lacSiMd Mr. Kiafi iMMrMihc dMdl Um Mik of April, ifll». of Mr. lUflf, tokiri UtwkMbwr.dalUtht IStkof M»r, IMS \ lyM I M conducive to ilwlr muiu«l b«iit*i.»*» Th« world will judgt. whcilitr, undrr tuch fircumtiancrt, th« BritUh gov«rnmcnl had Mv cauM« on lu own atcnnnt, to arraiin th« conduct of the Untied Buiee, in m«kin| lite uurchate of Louuienet end, cer> tainly, no meter ceuM will be found for the ■rreignment, on account «/ Hpeln. 11»e Bpeni»h government wiw apprleed of the intention of the Onited Btelee to negotiate ior th« purchaie of that province! iia amlMMMdor wltnceacd the pfO« greee of the negotiation at Parlt) and the conclualooof the tren> ty, on the Wih of April, 1803, wae promptly known and under- •too cncee, in relation to the validity of the Louisiaaa porchaae, • question of some embarrassment remained, in rotation to tha boundariea of the ceded territory, llits question, however, (he American govemoMnt always haa been, and always wiUbt, willing to discuss. In the most candid manner, and to aattte upon tne most liberal basis, with the govcmasent of Bpnin* U was not, therefore, a fiiir topic, with which to inflame the prince regent's dechirationi or to embellish the diplomatic nouaoi the British negotiators at Ghent.| The period haa anlvad, • Sm iha ktttr of lofd Htwknbarx. to Mr. King, dated tk* I9ili of Mqr, 1803. t 8m tha tetter of tko Mw^ete de Cue Ynje, to the AiMvkea menmr ^ ■istt. dMd tkt 16th of May, ISO*. i Boo ilM princ* rogtiit't doclsiatk m of ttit 10th of JMoarr, 1813. Bee ne iMi»a of Uw BrMth coosmiHkxMtt, dated 19lh Bipiwnber, 8tb Oetaker, IN*. world will judgt. I |ovfnim«nt Km t condMct of the lUlatiat mmI, c«r« I •rraignmtnt, on I WM apprUtd of igotUM i'or th* UncMcd th« pro- liMlonofth«tr«»> mown and undtr* rnt interpoMd oc iction, in Buropci r, IMS, that lh« irom the minUter ctty wei dlMMlf led Bute*. Not- towcvcr, the Sm< mmIoo of Lou(|i- St lldelfontoi u,w ifcr the poeseteloB •ety of purchMCi ni|o, topreeentto the lain of May, srcign," " that the ie had given to hia iana to the UDked ! art of the king, hlmtoabMMloa utth the moal tub* e tranaactioo.**! emcBtofaUdlffeif itiaM porchaae, a in relation to the ueedon, however, indalwaytwUlbe, mer, and to aettle Bcnt of Spain* I> inflame the prince iplomatic noMaof eriod haa anived, d«Md tkt IMi of MfK/, » AiMvku MKNiaijr of luutfjr. »1S. SWUM Mr, Stb fkukn, m*. when Spain, relieved from her Ruropean labor*, may b# ex- pected to bc*tow her attention, m But Mill the United Btatee, (eelinv a conetant inureet in the o|)iBion of enlightened and impartial natlona, cannot hetitate to embrace the opportunity, for representing, in the simpltciiy uf truth, the eventa, by which they have been led to take poaeee- •ion of a part of the Ftoridae, notwiihitanding the claim of Spain to tiie eovcrcignty of the eame territory. In the accepta- tion and underatandiogof the United Siatea, the ccMlonof Lou- iaiann embraced the cctuntry south of the Mi»»i»«ip|)l territory, and eaatward of tne river MiaaiMippi, and extending to the river Perdldot but ** their conciliatorv viewai and their confi- dence In the Ju tice of their cause, and in the success of a can- did dlacttasloti kind amicable neaotlation with a just and friendly power, induced them to acquiesce in the temporary continu- ance of that territory, under the Spanlah authority.*** When, however, the adiustmantof the boundaries of Louisiana, aa well aa a renaonable Indemnification, on account of maritime apoUatlooa, and the suspension of the right of deposlte at New Orbwna, seemed to be indefinitely postponed, on the part of Spnin, by events which the Uniud Stataa had not contributed to produce, and could not control) when • crMa had arrived • aubversive of the order of thinga under the Spankih author!- tlaa, contravening the views 6f both parties, and endanvering the tranqullliQr and security of the adjoinin* territories, bv the intrusive establishment of a governmeht, independent of filpniti, aa well as of the United States: and when, at a later period, there was reaaon to believe, that Great Britain, herself, design- ed to occupy the Floridna, (and she has. Indeed, actually occu- pied Fienucpla, forhoetlle purposea,) the American government, without departing from lurespect for the rights of Spain, and even consuithtgtne honor of that atnte, unequal, aa ahe then waa, to the task of suppressing the intrusive establishment, was impel- l«d by the paramount pnuciple of seU'-pre8er\'ation, to rescue its own riphts from the impending danger. Hence, the United Statea in the year 1810, proceeding, step by step, according to * 8m tha proclanuuion of the (nreiUletit of the United Statti, authoriaing go> vmMr Cisibome to Ukke poucaaion ot* the tcrrtiory, dated ibotTth ofOuubcr, l'»^'r-.«f«?^''+t' ^^....^. |ii ? i!U ■f i I i- •iL I il If ii, > the growing exigencies of the time, took poiMMion of the country, in which the f tandard of independence hud b|9en diip' phijred, excepting auch place* at were neld by a Spaniih fojhte. Sn the year |911, they authorized their president, bv'law, pro< vitionwly to i&cept of the pouesaion of Eait Florida fronk the local authorities, of to pre*occupy it against the attempt of a , foreign power to seize it. In 181S, they obtained the posseMicp "m Mobile, the only place then held by a8panish force in West Florida; with a view to their own immediate security, but without varying the (questions depending between them and Spain, in relation to that province. And in the year ISljL the American commander, acting under the sanction of the Wk of nations, but unauthoriBed by th6 ordera of his govemmaiit, drove from Pensacola the Britiih troops, who, in violation of the neutral territorv of Spain, (a violation which Spain, It is believed, must Herself resent, and would have resUted, • if the opportunity had occurred,) seiked and fortified that 8t«< lion,' to aid in military operations against tlie Unite^ Sutet. ' But ,all these measwies on safety ma necidssity wera franl^ly uiplained, as th^y oicurred, to the government of Spidn, and even to the govemmehi of Qreat Bh^in* antecedently to die declaration » .tw«4^ Chreat Britain and France, b t^ year 1803, werik Unliijl* ■ - "" ii ' I . "'• ' \ — ■ ""' '• •;' ' r' w •See thtkticr ftom tfcs tcqpetliT of ttttit, tj goveimr QUbonlti sii di» prendknt'* preckmnioa, dttcd die trth of Oeub*. ItlO: ' .«? V See theiirocec4in(i arthe«onvfMiaa of n««Us* usMmitted to die m&tmf of tnte, \» the governipr of the Miniaeipiii ttmAtf/ry, in his lettetef dMlnb m October. niOi end the ueiirer of ttao ■ccreauv of etste. doted ih« Iflth At M«> vember.^lBlOt , *;^ See the letter of Mr. Morier, Britiih chme d^aim. fo the aectfiw d^' state, doted the tSth of December. ISlOt and the secietarjr's aniwer. ^v^^^^ '. See the coneiptHidenoe between Mr. Monroe, and Mr' Foeteiv iBk minister, in the montks of July, Scptcmberi aiid November, 1*1 1^1^ ^^ ^^ ill •Seei tSeei icMioQ of the hiifl bqen (U»- SpanUh tottt. t. by law, pro- oriola from the ic fttttnpt of a the poBMuio^ I force in Weat t security, but Kreenthem and it goveramattt, I, in violation of irhich Spain, it 1 have rctiitea, brtified that ata* United Sum. tf were frankly int of Spidn, and tecedently to die set, thatthaj^of aW opt ceaae t» d «itu8!tmenu'*f nivd States, «^ be Jrewrdedny Ik Vinoicate, tfcwr putatioM of tNi ig'toAeiniiiini* irthy prehidicfa, I'dna that •!« t;ilmii^U# rere.rctt« -»#•■■ to «ht u ^ately foUoiMd hy a renewal of the aggreaaiont of the bcllig»> rent powiira, upon the commercial rights, and political indepen* dense, of the United States. There was scarcely, theretore, an fntenral, sepairitingthe aggressions of the first war, from the aggressions ot the second wari and although, in nature, theag* gressions continued to be the same, in extent, they becaoM in* calculably more destructive. It will be seen, however, that tht^ American government, iuflexibly maintained its neutnd and pa* cific policy, in every extremity of the latter trial, with the same good faith and forbearance, that, in the former trial, had distin* gttidKd iu conduct; until it was compelled to choose, from dm alteraativet of national degradation, or national reaistaace. And if Great Briuin alone, then became the object of the Ame» rican declaration of war, it will be seen, that Great Britain alone, had obstinately closed the do6r of amicable negotiation. The Americab minister at London, anticipating! he ruptinrt - between Great Britain and France, had obtaitied assurances from the British government, " that, in the event of n^ar, thiift instnii:tiona given to their naval officera should be drawn op with plainness and preciidott; and^ in gencrili that the rights of belUgerents should be exercised in moderation, and wim due rrapcct for. diose of neutrals*"* And in relation. to the impor* tant subject of impressment, he had actually prepared for slg* natvr^ with the assent of lord Hkwkesbury and lord St. Vi& ' cent, 8: convendon, to ^continue during fivt years, dedariMb :, that .** no a^man, nor scafiuring persoui sUouid, upon the big^ seal^ and Without the|urisdlctM« of cipher party, be dem«nde4 or taken out or any ahip, or vcksel, belonging to'^the cidifeiii or subjects of one of die parties, by the fubUc or private . armed ahuM, or aten of warc-beljnsging; to, orin the aorvioe e^ the Mier partyf^ahd that strict orders sh....;, 86 ■#« which is signed «>y.*»»« ';,'^'/,''5j^iJ~^., Smmuniw^^^ .nd rinted,o»receiving lord St. Vincent. c«n . .^ e fther to rt)«odon the «egj 'Wion. «^« ^^^^^.^^ .^^ U»e doctrine it P~?"«\*" *'u^^^^^^ the British go- ntisfaction to rec«ve a f?\«»\»*''J,7,^^^ ,i Wwhington, after ^emment. <^^«^^^^^,^y Z S EuS.pe%hich piSniud. in J^tt.ly been ^^^^Zk^Sc^Z^^^^^^*'*^ ~^- *iUlthep«c.tti2«»^th*A«em^^^^ British go W tfaekM, ^''•^^'^{Itic^vSSL The outrage of i«p~«|. rocnt 1»er«, in no »"**»'^«; '•'{"''ll-oetratcd «|»n the crew of mentWM .g>in, ^"^"'^"'"S*^^;^^^^ "X^enorm^^ .veiT American If es^Uwdwe^^^^ bloci^t. ettoW^he** ^^^ J k!^ IilSer in council, withoutllie mate object, and ^^^^J^^^^^dm^. de^Uf- i^plicajJonofa^«p2'«^or«^^^^ ^ ^,^^ I Sutea, partici^- t time, ttr|ed «!»« rwiHiinediiMiJe- bile aiea«« eyiy»- awtty ef *»«• ^^"^ •f . l!!^W#t ...'/ 87 otic spirit, which had opposed British usurpation in 179S, and encountered French hostility in 1798, was again pledged, in every variety of form, to the maintenance of the national honor and independence, during the more arduous trial Uwt arose in 180^. Amidst these scenes of injustice, on the one hand, and of reclamation on the other, the American government preserved iu equanimity and iu firmness. It beheld much in the conduct of France, and of her alty, Spain, to provoke reprisals. It be- held more in the conduaof Great Briuin, that led, uaavoida- bly<«(as had often been avowed) to the last resort of arms. It beheld in the temper of the nation, tdl that was requisite to justify an immediate selection of Great Britidn, as die ol^tt of a dcclawti^* of war. And it eookl not Hut behold in tht policy of France, the strongest motive to acquire the United States, as an- associate in the essting coniict. Yett these cohf siderations did not then, more than at any former crisis, suh> due the fortitude, or mislead the judgment, oftheAmeriesn government! but in perfect consistency with its neutral, as well as itsjMcific, system, it deasaadtd atoneoMnt, by remonstrances with Fhmce and Spidn ; and it sought the prescrvatioia of peace, by negotiation with Great Britain. It lias been shown, that a treaty propose^ cnsphatically, by tb« British minisier, resident at Philadelphia, ^as the means of drying up every source of complaint, apd irritation, upon the heatf of inqiressment," was Adeemed uttwilv iAidmissible,'" by the Amaricaat fovenimett, beca()'• Moctaiy of Mate, dated the SibcfPcfenmy, If^fM^^^J* >%i "^fc^tog' leSaiy of saw, to ths pwridrntegSi X8 of British muufacture into the United Statei, wm suspended, in proof of a friendly disposition}* but it was declared, that ** the suppression of impressment, and the definition of blockadesi were absolutely indispensable;'* and that, ** without a provisloD against impressmenu, no treaty should be contludea." The American envoys, accordingly, took care to communicate to the British commissioners, the limitations of their powers. Inllu> cnccd, at the same time, by a sincere desire to terminate the differences between the two nations} knowing the solicitude of their government, to relieve iu seafaring citiiena-flroro actual auflferance} listening, with confidence, to assurances and expla* nations of the British commissioners, in a sense favorable to their wishesi and judging from a state of information, that gave no immediate cause to doubt the suficiency of th<)N assurances and explanations) th« envoys, rather than terminate the nego* tiation without any arrangement, were willing to rely upon the efficacy of a substitute, tor a^positive article In the treaty, to be aubmitted to the consideration of their government, as this, ac* cording to the declaration of the Briush commlsaioners, was the only arrangementi they were permitted, at that time, to propose, or to allow. The substitute was presented In the form of a note from the British commisAkwers to the Ameriean en- voys, and contained a pledge, ^*ihat Instructions had been given, and should be repeated Md enfiftrced, for the observance of the greatest caution in the impressing of British seatnent that the strictest care should be tuen to preserve the oitlxens of the United States from any molestation, or inioryi and that immc^ate and prompt redress should be afforded^ upon any re> preseatatioB of injury, sustained by them.**t Inasmuch, however, as the treaty contained no provision against impressment* aind it was seen by the goveitimenti when the trea^ was under considerarion for ratification, that the pledge contained in the substit|ite was not complied with, butt on the contrary^ that the impressments were continued, with ludiminished violence, hs the American acas, so long after the alleged date of the instnictions, which were to arrest thcliii that the practical inefficacy of the substitute could not be doubl- ed by the government here» the ratification of the treaty irw necessarily declined; and it has since appeared, that after a change in the British ministry had taken place, it was declared by the secretary for foreign affairs, that no englge- nents were entered into, on the part of his majesty, as connect- ed with the treaty, except such as appear upon the face of it.} * Sm tht act of concm*. puMd the 18th of April, ISO61 snd tiw act n)l> ; !•«««( htpsMcd the 19th of Deccntbcr, 1806. f Sec the note of the British commitiionen, dated 8th of November. IBOe. i See Mr. Csnniog's letter to the American envoy 1, datvU itTth Ocioberi 1807. lutpcnded, in •ed, that "the )f blockadet, it • provision ttd«d.»' The Linicate to the •wen. Iniltt- lerminate the t solicitude of la flrom actual cea and espla* 9 favorable to tion, that gave |Mi aaturancea late thenego* I rely upon the e treatyi to be nt, aa this, ac* ilaaionerst waa that time, to ted In the form Ameriean en- one had been the observance Irltish seameni •ve the citlaena ijuryi and that 1^ ixfon any re< 1 no provision reitimentiwhen atlott, that the plied with, bntt ;on«lDued, with a long after the to arrest theltti Id not be dottbt* the treaty ym ired, that af^r place, It waa that no «nj^* :aty, as comeet* the face of It4 I6| tnd tht set itp* Novtmber. 180«. 27th Octobtr. 1«07. 80 The American government, however, with unabating solici- tude for peace, urg«d an immediate renewal of the negotiations on the basis of the abortive treaty, until this course was pe> remptorily declared, by the British government, to be •* whoUv Inadmissible."* ' But, independent of the silence of the proposed treaty, upon the great topic of American complaint, and of the view which has been talcen of ilie projected substitute; the contemporaneous declaration of the British commissioners, delivered by the command of their sovereign, and to which the American envoya refused to malce themselves a party, or to give the slightest degree of sanction, was regarded by the American government. as ample cause ol rejection. Jn reference to the fVench de* cree, which had bren issued at Beriin, on the 21st of Novem- ber, 1808, it was declared, that if France should carry the threats of that decree into execution, and "if neutral nations contrarj^ to all expecution, should acquiesce in such usurpal .tiona, his maiesty might, probably, be compeUed, however re- luctandy, to retaliate, in his just defence, and to adopt, in renrd to the GommeFce of neutral nations with his enemiis, the same measures, which^those nations should have permitted to be en- forced, against their commerce widihia subjccu:'* "that hu majesty could not enter into the stipulations of the present treaty, without an expUnation from the United States «f their intentions, or a reservation on the part of his maiesty. In the CM abovememioned, if k should ever occurTW « Uwt without a formal abandonment, or tacit relinquishment, of the unjust pretensions of Fitnce; or without Vuch SSifwd assurances udoo the part of the United States, as should iWe vZ%^ H ""J^yi *^ S*y ^«*» °« •ubmitto'S Frenchmnovatioos, m the established system of maritime law bis miyesty would not consider himself bound, by the oresenc IIJSTS'*".? ~««»"ow"» to ratify the ti;aty, or pSS e«r from adopting such measures, as might seem tecesJJry" to counteraciingthe designs of Uteenemy?»t" - !r^^^* ^ A. 5!r'"''r***'" of a power, to invalidate a solemn treaty at the pleasure of one of the partiet, and the menace of inai^n» punishment upon the United Stati.. for the oft^e. of mS nation, proved, in the event, a prehide to the irtma S S - r:s.,:;*s***^c^ Britain^^n *bou«odis,:£;%*d1SS^^ l«rwi.^''i.'*'"r**P'^P*'^*=»' *« Americanw^iiS to real deaigo of >uch conduct, it would be found f n the^" tSt * SMtbeiMielmtcr. .. . i«ilf**(^' 1** f *•" ^^^^ commlMiooen, dated the 3I,t of IWma«» I I I within eiffht dayi from the date of the treaty, and before it waa poinible for the Britiih government to have known the cffiut of the Berlin decree on the American |overnmeot| nav, even b«> fere the American government had itaalf heard of tnat decree, the destruction of American commerce was commenced by the order in council of Uie 7th of January, 1807, which announced, ''that tio vessel should be permitted to trade from one port to another, both which ports snould belong to, or be in possession of, France, or her alliest or should be so far under their control, •a that British vessels might not trade freely thereat *** During the whole period of thia negotiation, which did not finally close, until the British government declared, in the month of October, 1807, that negotiation was no longer admissible, the course pursued by the British squadron, atationed more im« mediately on theAnserican coast* was, in the Extreme, veu- dous, predatory, and hostile, llie territorial jurisdiction of the Unitea Butes, extending, upon the principles of the law of na- tions, at leut a league over the adjacent ocean, was totally dis- regarded and cootensned. Vessels emploved in the coasting trMe, or in the buainess of the pilot and tne fisherman, wera objects of incessant vic^nce} their petty cargoea were plundcr- 00} and aome of their aeanty crews were oft^n, either impress- ed, or wounded, or killed, bv the force of British frigates. Bri- tish ships of war hovered, m warlike display, upon the coast; blockaded the porta of the United Blatea, so that no vesisel could entert or oepart, in safety; penetrated the bays and rivers, and even anchoredin the harbors, of the United States, to exer- cise a jurisdiction of impreasment; threatened the towns and villages with conflagration; and wantonly discharged musketry, as well as cannon, upon the inhabitants of an open and unpro- tected country. The neutralitv of the American territory was violated on every occasion; and, at last, the American govern- nent was doomed to suffer the greatest indignitjr, which could be offiercd to a sovereign and independent nation^ ^n the ever memoraUe attack of aBritish fif^ gun ship, under the counte. nance of the British squadron, anchored within the waters of the United Butes, upon the friprte Chesapeake, peaceabfo pro- aecuting a distant voyage, llie British government affected, from time to time, to disapprove and condemn these outrages; but the oncers who perpetrated them, were generally applaud- ed; if tried, they were acquitted; if removed from the Ameri- can station, it was only to be promoted in another station; and if atonement were offered, as in the flagrant instance of die fri- gate Chesapeake, tie atonement was so ungracious in the nsan- *Ses llw onler in council of Jsnuaiy 7, 1807. , bcfort it was 'n the effect of nay* even be- Bf tnat decree, mencedbythc ch announcedc tm one port to in poMeisioa their control, iat*» which did not di, in the month er adoiiMibU, oned more im« extreme, vew- it^ctionofthe the Uwofna- iras totnUy dia* n the coutiag iherman, were were plunder- sither impresa- k frigates. Bri- pon the coast; that no veasel laya and rivers, Btates, to exer- die towns and 'ged muslcetry, pen and unpro- in territory was lerican govem- jT, which could uMf \n the ever der i9ke counte. in the waters of , peaceaUh^, pro- nment amcted, these outrages; lerally applaud- om the Ameri- r station; and if nee of the fri-' ous in the man- 31 Dcr. and so tardy in the result, as to betray the want of that con. ciliatory spirit, which ought to have characteriied it.* But the American government, soothing the esaspcrated spi- rit of the people, by a proclamation, which interdicted the en^ trance of aU British armed vesseU, into the harbors and watera of the United States.f neither commenced hostilities against Great Briuin; nor sought a defensive alliance with Francej nor relaxed in itt firm, but conciliatory, eflbrtt, to enforce the claims of Justice, upon the honor of both nations. The rival ambition of Great Briuin «and Fnmce, now, how- ever, approached the consummation, which, involving the de- struction of aU neutral righu, upon an avowed inrinciple of ac don, could not fail to render an actual state of war, compara- tively, more safe, and more prosperous, than die lanaginary state ofpcace, to which neutrals were reduced. The just and impartial conduct of a neutral nation, eeascd to be its shield, tBdTta safeguard, when tiie conduct of tiie belligerent powera lowarda each other, became the only criterion of die law of war. The wrong committed by one of the belligerent powers, was dius made die signal, for the pcfpeintion of a greater wrong by the othen end if the American government com- plained tobodi powers, dieir answer, aldiough it .never denied die causes of complaint, invariably retorud an idle and offen- sive inquiry, into die priority of dieir respective aggressions; or each demanded • course of reaiVMce, against its anmgo- nist. which was calcubtcd to prostrate die American right of aelKiovemment, and to coerce die United States, against their inicNst aiid their policy, faito beooming an associaU in die war. But the American government never did, and never can, ad- mit, diat a belHgerent power, " in taking steps to restrain the violence of itt enemy, and to retort upon Uiem die evils of their own it^ustice,**! is entided to disturb, and to <[«•«[•);• die rirfitt of a neutral power, as recognised and cataUuhed, hy the Uw of nations. It was impossible, indeed, dial the real fi^mirea of die miscalled remUatory aystem, should be long masked from die worldi when Great Britain, eVen m her actt ofplofesscd retaliation, dcdared, diat France was unabkto execute the hostile denunciations of her de crees;|| and when jultamine!!!!!^ mp«eik«aynk Lave.offiili« Drim; capnin WhUby. of """aSrSr^^^pSn-iwet itspMiiu ths frigtt. C|^«P«J«. wlA Mr. cSSi!S LondMi ifehMr. Roie.M wVihtofiow wtih Bb. £nluiw.M WmK- ^SMttevnoiuntionsf tbatdof Jiily.ltOr. ^^^ ♦ 8wth«o«kr«tacoiiilcUof «W7»hof JMWMjr, 1W7. ":>•* II Sm tht ordm in council vf iht 7ih of iwmtf, 1 fl.'r/w,;"^- . H* t,. 11 OrMt Briuun herself, unUuthinglv, Entered into the Mmc comincrc* with her enemy (through the medium of forgcrietf perjuric«t and UcenecO Ivom i9fcicn the had interdicted unof* fending neutrals* Im pride of naval euperioritvi and the cravings of commercial monoftolyi gave, after all, tne impulse and direction to the councils of the British cahin«t| while the vaattakhaugh visionary, projecu of France, furnished occasions ■ndMBlsmts, for aecompiishin| the obiecu of those councils. Ine British minister, rcsiuent at Washington, in the year ItOftt having distinctly recogniaed, in the name of his sove< reign, the legitimate principles ol blockade, the American go- vernment received, with some surprise and solicitude, the suc- cessive notifications of the 9th of Aunist, 18M. the 8th of April, iSM, and, more particularly, of the 10th of May, 1800, aimouBclngt by the last notification, ** a blockade of the coast, rivers, aacTports, froof the river Elbe to the port of Brest, both inclusive."* In none of the notified Instances of blockade. were die principles, thaf had been recognized in iSM, adopted Mid pursvadi aaid It will be recollected oy all Burope, that nei- ther at the dme of the notification of the 10th of May, 18O0| Dor at the time of escepting the Elbe and Ems, from the ope- ndoQ of ihatnotificatkNiit nor at any time, during the continu- ance off Ae Wench' war, was there an adequate naval force, acmally applied by Great Britain, for the purpose of maintain- ing a blockade, from tbe/iver Elba, to the pctrt of Brest. It waa, than, In the languaca of the day ** a mere paper blockade}'* a manifest infraetio* «('^the law of nations} and an act of pecu- liar injttatica to dM United States, as the only neutral power, against which It emild practically operate. But %hauver may have bean the sense of the Aaaeriean goverhment on the occa- aioni and whatever might be the disposition, In avoid making this the mund of«i open rupture with Great Britain, the casa assumaoa charattcr of the highest interest, when, independent of ita own li^Jurious eonietjuences, France, in the Berlin de* ciee of the Met of November, 1800, rvciied', as a chief causa fisr placing (he British islands in a state 6t Uoekade, *' that Great Briuin declares blockaikd, placec before which she has not a afasi^ vessel of wan and even places, which her lihited foives woidd be incapable of blockading; such as entire coasts, awl a whole emp|ret i^ uneqdaHed abuse of the right of blocl(- am, dwt had no odier object, than to interrupt the communicia* tioiM of^ilTerent nations} and tlo extend the commerce and in* • 8«S kid Hamwto't note to Mn Momo*. dsiedth* 9th of August. ISMi as< Mr. FoB't notM to lb. Moaroc, tiatad mptctivalytlit 8th of Ajinl uA tho Kkk t Sv«i«d Howiek'sooists Mr. Monroe, dated the 25th Septcnber, 1S06. -* ■.■tL. nio the ■■me n of forgcrietf crdkted unof< sritvi and the II, tnf impulM MU while the »hi'd occailoM >»e counciU. a, in the yew e of hit tove- American go- itude* the luc- M. the 8th of of May, 1800, le of the cuMt, of Brett, both I of blockade. ilM, Mtoptcd irope, that nei> olMay, 1806} from the op«« ig the continu* le naval force, e of maintain- t of Brett. It per blockadei** anactofpeca> neutral power, Whatever may at on the occa* avold making ritain, die cat* n, independent the Berlin de> I'a ckief cauta oekade, «'that which aiialuui ieh her tilAted It entire coapts, right of blocli- le commtmitn* imerce and in- M^ ■ Augntt, lSMiat< April and tht l%th lepteniber, 1M6. diistry of fclngtand, upon the ruin of those nation*."* The American government aimii not, and never hat aimed, at the juaiificutiun, either of (}reat Ilritain, a.r of France, in ttieir ca« reer of crimination and recrimination: but it is of tome im* portance to dbscrvc, that if the lilockudc of May, 1800, wat an unlawful blockade, and if the richt of retaliation arose with the first unlawful attack, made by a btiligcrent power, upon neutral rights, (ireat Britain has Vft to annwer to mankind, according to the rule of her own acknowledgment, for nil the calamitien of the retaliatory warfare. France, whether right, or wrong, made the British ivstem of blockade, the foundation of the Berlin decreet and i'Vance had an equal right with Ureat Bri- tain, to demand from the United Htsiten, an opposition to every encroachment upon the privileges of the neutral character. It it enough, however, on the present occasion, for the American g'lvernmcnt. to observe, 'hat it possessed nn power to prevent the framing of the Berlin decree, and to disclaim any approha- tion of itt principles, or acquiescence in itt nperationtt for, it neither belonged to Ureat Britain, nor to France, to pretcribe to the American government, thr time, or the mode, or the de- gree, of resistance, to the indignities, and the outrages, with which each of thote nations, in itt turn, assailed the United Sutes. But it has been shown, that after the British government poa- aetted a knowledge of the exittence of the Berlm decree, it au- thorized the conclution of the treaty with the United Htatet, which wat tif^ncd, at London, on the .list of December, 1800, reserving to itself a power of annulling the treaty, if Franca did not revoke, or if the United States, us a neutral power, did not resist, the obnoxious measure. It hat, also, been thown, that before Great Britain could possibly ascertain the determi- nation of the United States, in relation to the Berlin decree, th« orders in council of the 7th of Jrnuury, 1807, were itsued, pro- fessing to be a retaliation against France, "at a time when the fleets of France and her allies were themselves confined within their own oorts, by the superior valor and discipline of the Bri- tish navy,*'t but operating, in fact, against the United States, at a neutral power, to prohlliit their trade " from ord port to ano- ther, both which ports should belong to, or be in the potsession of, France or her allies, or should be to tar under thetr control, at that British vessels might not trade freely thereat. "f It re- mains, however, to be Mtated, that it wat not until the ISthof March, 1807, that the British minister, then residing at Wash- ington, communicated to the American government, in the * See the Berlin decree of the 21st of Nuvcmbcr, 1806. t Sec- the onlc't III ivjiiiicil oi'the (th Cit' Juiiuurv, 1807 ft • It 1<, name of hi» •overeign, the order* in council of Jftnuary, t«07, Wi»» nn iiUimtiiHMi, ihamrnnff ua. h. d « x|n lii'iiccd the •rvert-M diatrentr •. Iiom it"* own or* dem iiitl mi'i«M.'«, manilf^dv utiauihoriaed b; the law of n»- tltnhj" a-Hurtiiii » Wirt gi\en, "ihaino culruMe acquieacnc* oit tlH pait el tho L' i ^ iJ Htun » would render th'-m acreaaary to ihf protfidiiig^ oi' oov Itelligerint nation, through their rli;hi'. oi n«utri»lit\. jgiinut the comm*frce of ito •dver'iaryj' •iwl the riglit of CJic'ki Hiit;iii> to ia^ue tuch orderi, unleas M oni M «l blot kiulf, to III' unforced arc rding to the law of na* tlins, wat uiterlx deniid.t Tim candid and r»iilicit avowal of the aentlmenta of the Ani> riran governmcnti upon an orciuion, *n novel and impor* taitt in the hiatory of nations, f\ " not, however, make ita juet imprcHiiion up«.n tht? British cahnrt; for, without uaiigning any Dew provocati m on the pan of France, and compUiniog, mere- ly, that neutral powcra had not been induced tojnterpose, with dfici, to obtain a revocation of thi^ Berlin decree, (which, how- ever, Great Briuin heraelf had alRrmi'd to be a decree nominal ■ncl inoperative,) the orders in council of the llthofNovem* ber, 1807, were issued, declaring, " that all tht ports and places of Frunce and her allies, or of any other country at war with hi^ mtyeMy, and all other pons or places in Kurope, from which although not at war with hia majesty, the British flag waa ex- cluded, and all ports or placea in the colonit s belonging to hia m.ijesty** enemies, ahould, Irom thenceforth, be nuTiject to the same restrictions* in point of trndf! and navig uion, as if the same were actually blockudvd by bis majesty's naval forcca, in the most strict and ligoroun mMnner:'* that '*ull trade in articles which were the produce or manufacture of the said countries or colonies, should tic deemed and c iniiileredto be unlawfuU" but th:it neutrji veaseU should still be permitted to trade with France from certain free pons, or thnugh pons and places of the British dominions.^ to accept the lawlul enjoyment of • riglu, as the grant of a »U|>eriorj to nrosecute a lawful com- merce, under the forms of favor and indulgrnce} and to pay • * Sec Mr. CnkiM'* letter to the tccretsr/ of kcate, dated the IXth of March, lt»07 t See the kccrctary u( ttate't letter to Mr Crtkiite, datetl the SOthof Match, I See the order* in council of the Uih of Muvembcr, ISOZ. 7^' ^f ■ Ilk. imi I Anuary, 11107, Id b« pur»u«d, r4tii»n« of ihe v«rnmcnt wm cventt, which rrcil, in which of (he United im it^ own or« the liw of na« le acquietenc* lif-ni acrciairy through their itr. advcnary)*' deri, unlcM •• the Itw of nt* It i menu of the vt\ and imnor* ', make its juat t uKtigning anjr pUiniog, mere- ^nterpose, with :, (which, huw- decree nominal llthofNovem* )ori!i and placet rv at war with ipr, from which III flag waa ex- longing to hie e HuTiject to the ; ition, at if the laval forcet, in trade in articles lid countriet or unlawfuh'* but to trade with IS and placet of :njoyment of • a lawful com- :«} and to pay • the ISthof Much, ihcSOthof MMcb, I. *'■ " f ti tributt to Orcat Britain, for the privlleRct of a lawful transit on the oceiint were conccttlon*. which (trrat Brituiii W4i dit* poted, intidiuunly, to exact, by an appr.il to ih*: cupidity of in* dividualt, bu; wliich the Unitid Hia(r llic urdcr» iu council were, ihertfire, .ilti-red. in thit reapcct, at a aul)s>(|uint period^** l»ut the gtnniil interdict of neutral commerce. u|ipl\ing nt'ire (■•tpniully tu Am*TiC(in om* merce, wat ubttiiitifel) maimained, u^ninut all thi fnrt-c df rea* ton, of remumiranic, and of proirntaiiun, rropht^'d h) the American gnwrnment. when the aubjtrt w»t.<'k>ed in •n illtgal operation of the Ueilin decree, it wan not rven true, that at the date of the Hrit ah ordrra of lite 11th of November, 1107, a tingle applicatiop of (hat decree tn the commerce ut the United Statca, on the high aeaa. could have been known to the Britlih government(" while the Britiah govei nment had been officially informed by the American minitter at liundon, '* that •xplanationa, uncontradicted by any overt act, had been given to the American miniater at Paria which juatified a reliance, that the French decree would not be put in force againtt the United 8utct."t 'llie Britiah ordera of the 11th of November, 1807, were 4|uickly followed by the French decree of Milan, dated the 17th of December, 18U7, ** which waa aaid to b« reaorted to, only in Juat retaliation of the bHrl>aroua ayttcm adopted by England," and in which the denationalizing tendency of the urdcrt, ia made the foundation of a declaration 'n the decree, **th4t every ahip, to whatever nation it might belong, that shiuld have stub* mitted to be tcarched by an Engliah ship, ur to a voyaae to England, or thould have paid any tax whatnnever t(i the Eng- liah government, waa thereby, and for that alone, dcclart.d ti> be denationalized, to have forfeited the protection of iu aover« ign, •nd to have become Engliah pioperty. luhit-ct to cuptur> , :ta good and UwfiU priae: that the Dritiih iilxnds were pi r ed ii • atate of blockade, both by aea and lands and every ••hifi, of whatever nation, or whatever the nature of tta cargo mz^n be, that taila from the porU of England, or thoae of the Lnglith coloniei, and of the countriet occupied b\ £nglithti<> ' > and * Bm Mr. Canning's Icttar to Mr. PinikiKy.i'a Fcbriury, l^uS. t Sm Mr Enkiiw's letter to the tmciMy >•( tute, dt fd the iM of eluu^ ty, laoS) and tha aaaww of tin aecraitry of atat«,dattdilit S9Ui el Mm(a, 1»M aod prcKCCiiing u> KnuljnJi or f^ the Knotuh colniiici, or lo counirift oidipicd l>y rlitKlmh irnoni, •h')uidb« guod anil l4W< ful prii«! but iri«( ilif prn^uioiti ni ihr ilrcrce »nniilil b« abro< Elird )«ad D'lil. ill f.it-i, nn «i>(in lulhv Knglith itbould abide again \ thi |i iniipli'' o| ihr liiw ut' iinlinn*, whirb arr, nlto, the print i|ilc« ol jutiici* and bnnor.'"* In «ip|io>iiint», howrvcr, lo the Milan dorrr. u»H«llni»io (be Biilin ilcric*:, tbr AiiK'rican go\criiiiun( kiri-niioutlv iind iniccMtinf;!) cin|een under the cnnaideratiun of the Hriiith cabinet, and wer« artually prepar* fd lur pruniulgntion. it wan antiripattd, thiit France, in a seal* out pruntuiiunof the rcluliatory warl'ure, would soon p«-oduce ■n uit oi, ni least, equal injuiticr und hostility. The crisir rx< Ulrd therefore, at which the I'niivd Htntes were cumpell J tu del kIc, either to withdraw their seafaring citirenn, and tneir com met cial wealth, from the ocean, or to leave the interests of tbi- murincr tnd the merchant exposed to certain destruction; or to engagt* io open and active war, for the protection nnd defence of those iiilrrtsts. The principles and the liubits uf the Ame> rican ^vcrnmeni, were stdl disposed to neutrality and peace. la weighing the nature and the amount of the aggrcNsions, which had been perpetrated, or which were thrcaten«id, if there were unv preponderance to determine the balance, against one of the belligerent powers, rather than the other, as the object of a de- claruiion of wap it was against Great Britain, at leust, upon the vital interest of impressment, and the obvious superiority of her naval means of annoyance. The French decrees were, indeed, as rhnoxioua in their formation and design as the British or* der^; but the government of France claimed ond exercised no right of impressment; and the maritime spoliations of France, were, compuraiivcly, restricted, not only by her own weakness on the ocean, but by the constant und pervading vigilance of the fleets oi her niemy. The difficulty of selection; the indiscrc* tion of encnuntt ring, at once, both of the nflfending powers; an 1, above all, the hope of an early return of justice, under the d's- pensations of the ancient public law, prevailed in the councib of ihi Americiin government; and it was resolved to atteript * Seethe Milan decree of Uie ITth of Dcctiubcr, ItfOT. fL. S7 coloniei, or to SiKxl aiiil Imw« oiiUI b« abro* iild ahi(i« again arc, uUo, th« m, however, to , ihr Aiiivrif an t)i'il everv in- aitvil |>r(Cllrly ■in, on kimilar fiKiMuidIr ID the h iinitutin|{ the )»iinitcy ot pur> itflli^cnce, that Itcrii under the irtually prrpar- iitce, in a leal* d toon p^-oduce Thecritir ex- rt cumpell d tu r.rn^, and tnrir the interrnts of dcBtructionsor ion and defence iu uf the Ame> (y uiid peace. In rcHKion*, which ir there were ainBt one of the object of a de< least, upon the pcriorityof her • were, indeed, the British or* id exercitcd no lont of France, own weakness vigilance of the ii( the indiscrc* ig powers; anl, , under the d's* in the councib ed to attenpt the erescrvBllon of its neutrality and its pcacri of its citlarns, and Its r(«ourtc»i hy a voluntary sutptnaiun of tlie cninmrnu and navigttiuiii of the Uniird Htatcs. It i* true, that for the •ninur otitrngcs lommittvd, under the prctixt of the rule nf war iif l7Mt, the iiti«rn» of every drnominitMon li.irar IMO>, protcriiniiuiulredreniii it is true, thai ior the unpaiiillrUdcnorntitifi of tliu year 1H07, the citizens nf evcrv denomination again drmumli d from tlieir govcrnmrnt prointinn and rrdri'ni: hut it is, aUo, a truth, con* cluaivcly eslMbtiihtd \t\ every m.inilr iit might honor* ably retire, fur a time, from the scene uf eontlict and collision) but it could no long, r m iih honor, permit it< flu(r to he intuited, its citixens tu be cnil.ived, and it» property tu be plundered, on the highwav uf nations. L'nd* r the»e impre>i«i()ns, ihr restrictive system of the llnitetl Htales WH4 introduied. In Der, 1.HU7, un embiirgo wns impo!ied upon all American vvK«els and merchandise^* un priii* ciples similar to thowe. " '^ich originated and regulated the em* barp;o law, author) ..id lo ht< l;nd hy the president of the United Htates, in the vtar 1701: l)ui soon atterwurds, in the Senuine spirit of tnc policy, that procrihvd the measure, it wna eclarcdbvlaw, *'that in the eventofsuch peace, or suspensioa of hostilitiej, b part"! '^"^e pressure of the embargo was thought, however, su sever*; upon every part of the community, that the American government, notwithstand* ing the neutral character of the measure, determined upon some relaxation; and, accordingly, the embargo being raised, as to all other nations, a system of non>ii)tercoursc and non-im- portation waa substituted in March, 1801), as tu Great Britain and Fhincc, which prohibited nil voyages tu the British or French dominions, and all trade in articles of Britiith or French product or manufacture.^ But atill adhering to the neutral and pacific policy of the govcrnmenti it was declared, *' that the president of the United Htates should be authorised, in case either France, or Great Britain, should so revoke, or modify, * See the act of congrcu, paMcd the tid of December, 180/" tScc tbe act of cones', patted the 22d of April. IbOli 4 See th« sci«f ecjigit'i, psHtd th« tinttisy of March. ISO** I.i 38 her edicts, u ttiat tbey tltould ccmc to violate the neutral com- merce of the United Statfs, to declare the same by prodama* lion; after which the trade of the United States might be re- newed with the nation no doing.*** 'lliaae appeals to the ,jua« tice and the intercuts of the belligerent powers proving inettec* tual; and the necessities of the country increasing, it was finally resolved, by the American i{ovcmment, to take the hazards of a wnr; to revoke its restrictive system; and to excltide British and French armt- d vessels from the harbors and waters of the United States; but, again, emphatically to announce. '* that in case either Oreat Britain or France should, before the 3d of March, 1811, so revoke, or modify, her edicu, as that they should cease to violate the neutral commerce of the United States; and if the other nation should not, within three montha thereafter, so revoke, or modify, her edicts, in like manner,** Che provisions of the non-intercourse and non- importation law should, at the expiration of three months, be revived against ^e nation refusmg* or neglecting, to revoke, or modify, its cdict.f In the course, which the American government had hitherto pursued, relative to the belligerent orders and decrees, the can- did foreigner, as well as the patriotic citisen, may perceive an extreme solicitude, for the preservation of peace; but, in the publicttv, and impartiality, of the overture, that was thui spread before the belligerent powers, it is impossible, that any indication should be found, of foreign influence or controu The overture was urged upon both nations for acceptance, at the same time, and in the same manner; nor was an intimation withheld, from either of them, that ** it might be regarded by the belligerent first accepting it. as a promise to itself, and a warning to its enemy. **f £ach of the nations, from the com- mencement of the retaliatory system, acknowledged, that its measures were violations of public law; and each pledged itself to retract them, whenever the other ahould set the example*|| Although the American government, therefore, persbted in its remonstrances against the original transgressions, without re- gard to the question of their priority, it embraced, with eager- ness, every hope of reconciling the interests of the rival powers, with a performance of the duty which they owed to the neutral character of the United States: and when the British minister, * See the 1 1th teciion of the lut cited ut of congress, t See the act of congress, passed the 1st of Msy, l&IO. I Sec the corrrspondence between the secteiary of sttie, ud the Anwriean pdnisters st London and Paris. II See the docitmenu Uid bcfoiie caagttu firom tiote to time \if the pictidwt ^iwintcd. ' ,; re he neutral com* le by prodama- CI might be re* >eals to the jus- proving inettec* i)g, it was finally : the hazard* of exclude British d waurt of the ounce. '* that in before the 3d of ;u, as that they e of the United tin three months in like manner," importation law revived against , or modify* its lent had hitherto decrees, the can- may perceive an eace; but, in the , that was thus possible, that aoy ence or control* or acceptance, at was an intimation t be regarded by e to itself, and a IS, from the com* riedged, that iu ach pledged itself kcttbe example'tl e, persuted in its tions, without re* raced, with eager* fth« rival powers, ved to the neutral British minister, itt, ud the AmAan » time \tf the pitadest 39 residing at Washington, in the year 180f , affirmed, in terms as plain, and as positive, as language could supply, *' that he was authorized to declare, that his Britannic majesty's orders in council of January and November, 1807, will have been with- drawn, as respects the United States, on the 10th day of June, 1809," the president of the United States hastened, with ap- proved liberality, to accept the declaration as conclusive evi* dence, that the promised fact would exist, at ihe stipulated pe- riod; and, by an immediate procluroaiion, he announced, "that after the 10th day of June next, the trade of the United States with Great Britain, as suspended by the nonontercourse law, and by the acts of congress laying and enforcing an embargo, might be renewed "• The American gr)vernment neither asked, nor received, from the British minister, an exemplifica- tion of his powers; an inspection of his instructions; nor the solemnity of an order in council: but executed the compact, on the p«ri of the United States, in all the sincerity of its own intentions; and in'all the confidence, which the official act of the representative of his Britannic majesty, was calculated to inspire. The act, and the authority for the act, were, however, disavowed by Great Britain; and an attempt was made, by the successor of Mr. Erskine, through the aid of insinuations, which were indignantly repulsed, to justify the British rejec- tion of the treaty of 1809, by referring to thr American rejection of the treaty of 1806; forgetful of the essential points ot differ- ence, that the British government, on. the former occasion, had been explicidy apprized by the American negotiators of their defect of power; and that the execution of the projected treaty had not, on either side, been commenced.f After this abortive attempt to obtain a just and honorable re- vocation of the British orders in council, the United States were again invited to indulge the hope of safety and tranquilli- ty, when the minister of France announced to the American minister at Paris, that, in consideration of the act t^ the first of May, 1809, by which the congress of the United Sutes '*en* gaged to oppose iuelf to that one of the belligerent powers, whicli should refuse to acknowledge the rights of neutrals, he was authorised to declare, that the decrees of Berlin and Mj. Ian were revoked, and that after the 1st of November, 1810, they would cease to have effect; it being understood, that in consequence of that declaration, the £ngtish should revoke • Set the corrwpoudence between Mr. Enkine, the British miniatcr. and the secretary of state, on the 17th, i»th, and 1 9th of ApriJ. HHWj and Uie pieaident'* prudaination of the last d»te t See the corr*apondence between the «ecrefirr of Ma'*", and Mr, Jjclcsfir.. ■ K time, «♦ Great Britain should so revoke or modify her edicts, as that they ahall cease tu violate the neutral commerce of the United 8t»tes{ the president of the United Sutes should de- ^ Clare the ftct bv prodamationt and that the restrictions, previ- toutiy impoied, ahduld, from the date of such proclamation. *v"^ •*r *** diwontinued."* But, unhappilv, every appeal to the juatice and magnanimity of Great Britain was now, as here- j22Lu'"*" "*" fo-lom. She had, a^ this epoch, impress- 9dnita» the crews of American merchant vessels, peaceably na- vt^lHiK the hi^ seas, not less than six thousand mariners, who claimed to be pttaens of the U lited States, and who were de- nted all opportiinity to verify rheir claims. She had seized and coofiscated the commercial property of American citixens, to MincalculaUc amount She bad united in the enormities of France, to declare a great proportion of the terraqueous globe in ■ stete of blockade^ chasing the American merchant flag elTectu- nUy from the ocean. She had contemptuously disregarded the neutndity of th« American territory, and the jurisdiction of the American laws, within th« waters and harbors of the United BUtes. She was enjoying the emoluments of a surreptitious trade, stained with ev.-^ry species of fraud and corruption, which ^ve to the belligerent powers, the advantages of peace! while the neutral powers were involved in the evils of war. She had, in short, usurped and exercised, on the water, a tv- rahny similar to that, which her great antagonist had usurped and exercised upon the land, And, amidst all these proofs of ambition, and avarice, she demanded, that the victims of her usurpations and her violence, should revere her as the sole de- fend«r of the rijjhts and liberties of mankind. When, therefore. Great Britain, in manifest violation of her solemn promises, refused to follow the e^mple of France, by the repeal 6f her orders in council, the American government was compelled to contemplate a resort to arms, as the only re- maining course to.be pursued, for iu honor, its independence, ud Its safety. Whatever depended upon the United Sutes *P'"^»ve8, the United States had performed, for the preserva. *I***!Kff*'*' *» •■e»"^nce of the French decrees, as well as pf theJMtish orders. What had been required from France, in Its relHtion to the neutral character of the UnitedStttes, Franc* had performed, by the revocation of iu Berlin and Milan de- crees. But what depended upon Great Briuiq, for the purw I»Bea of justice, in the repeal of her orders in councU, was witbheldi^aod new evasions were sooa-ht, when the old were exhausted. It was , at one time, alleged, that satisfactory proof • See tMlKt or toflpen, puicd the 2d of Mwch, \%\\. 6 MirtW *, ti'.^VS, iXt 4 4t wu not afforded, that Prwice had rtpaalad her dter«c» against the commerce of the Unl^d Btateat as if aueh proof abne were wanting, to enaura tbt Mrfonnanca of tba SiMah nromba. At anooier tioae, it waa inaiated, thai the r^^tal of wm Ftrtaeh decrtoa, la ttieir operation agaim; tha ^^mi lialoa, In ordor to authoptae a demand for tha parfbriMMa m the Britiah pfo* miaa, aauat be toul, applying equally to their intamal, and tkair esteraal effectii aa if thr iTulimd Btut^, had aither tha ri|^tt ve the power, to imb«is£ upon Franca the law of her doaaaape in* stitutiona.t Ana it was, finally, insisiad, b a deapaieh from lord Castlcreagb, to the British minister, reitidlng at Washing- ton, in the year IMt, which was oflkially communicated to the American government, **that the decrees of B«riin and Milan must not be repealed singly and specially, in relation, to the United States) but must be repealed, also, as to all olhefneuiral national and that in no less ekteot of a repeal of the French de- crees, had the British government ever pledged itself to repoM the ordera in council}**! aa if it were intumbent on the United States, not only to assert her own rights, but to hecome die co- adJu<:or of the Bfititb government, m a gratuitous aaaertion of the rightt of all other nations. The congress of the United States could pause no bng^r. Under a deep and aflicting sense of the naticMsal wronri, and the national resentmentti. while they *' postponed demitive measures with respect to France, in the expectation that the re- sult of unclosed discussions, between the American minister at Paris, and the Fhinch government, would speedily enable them to decide, with greater advantage, on the couraa due to the rights, the interests, and the honor; of the country ;**|| they pro- nounced a deliberate and solemn declaration of war, between Great Briuin, and the United States, on the 18tb of June, But, it is in the face of all the facts, which htve been dis- played, in the present narrative, that the prince regent, by his dechmition of Jaauary, IMS, describee the United States aa the aggressor in the war> If the act of declarbg war, constitutes, in all cases, the act of original aggression, tne United tilMea must 8ub.nit to the severity of the reproach: but if the ttft pf A>claring war may be more truly considered, sr the result of * Sw tkt Goncspondaice between Mr. PinkaqrKad tin BritUh govarnnwiiU) « Sae du lettm of Mr. Erakine. I See the cart«t|iondmoa between the iccretujr 9t MM, *mi Mr. foum, ths Britith rainiiter, in Jane, I8lt. II See the jnttident'e mceMge of the lit of Janti Itlli sad tha npott of the ctfmmittee or foreipi reluioni. to wtia:n the nMMtft WMreteiwL g, ^. ^■i..^.- r««» agiiatt rilontvrsrc t»i Frmicb M, Inordtr Britlili pitH «l,Mdtktir tiM rli^tf or tpMcH from •t WMhitog- Icatcd to the n and Milan iMlott tothe »lhcr neutral B French d«- telf to repeal A the United come the eo« i aeeertion of le no longer, wronrjt end ltd definitiTe w that there- to minister at r enable them le due to ihe f}»»|| they pro- ttwt between 8th of June, tave been dis- regent« by hit Ibtitetatthe r* constlttttet. United JUMM I if thettft9f 4 the reiult of Ml lovwrnnwiiu) id Mr. roiMT. Um I tka npott of *• long suffering, and necessary self-defence, the American go- vernmeni will sund acquitted, in the sight of Heaven, and of the world. Have the United States, thenf ensUved the subjecu, confiscated the property, prostrated the commerce, inaultsd die iag. or vloUttddic territorial sovereignty, of. OrettBriain? Noi but, in all these respects, the United States nad suDfrod, for a long period of years, previously to the dccbration of war, the cMtumely and outrage of the British soverament. It h«s been said, too, as an anravation of the imputed aggression, 'Hat the United States chose a period, for their declaration of war, when Oreat Briuin was struggling for her own existence, agailosC a power, which threatened to overthrow the indepen- dence of all Europe} but it might b« more truly said, that the United 8ute«. not acting upon choice, bat upon compulsion, delayed the declaration of War, until the persecutions of Great Britain had rendered further aelay destructive and disgraceful. Qnat Brimin had converted the commercial scenes of American opulence and prosperity, into scenes of comparative ooverty and distrewi she had brought the exisunce of the United States, as an independent na^, into question; and, suraly, it must have been indifferent to the United Sutee, whether they ceased to exist as an independent nation, by her conduct, while she pro- fessed friendship, or by her conduct, when she avowed enmitv and ravenge. Nor is k true, that the existence of Great Bri- tain was in danger, at the epoch of the decbration of war. The American govemmen* uni(brmly entertained an opposite opini- on; and, at aU times» saw more to apprehend for the United Sutes, from her mr r ume poweV, than from the territorial now- ar of her enemy. ' ' « event has justified the opinion, and the apprehension. Bu^ what the United Stttes asked, as essential to their welfare, and evea as bene^^l to the aUies of Oreat Britain, in the European war. Great Briuin, it is manifest, might have granted, without impairing the resources of her own strength, or the aplendor of her own sovereignty; for, her orders in council have been since revoked; not, kit true, as the performance of her promise, to folfow, in thW^pect, the example of France, since she finaUyrested die obligation of tha^ promise, upon a repeal of the BVencKde- creesv as to aU nations; and the repeal was only u to the Unit, cd Swtes: nor as an act of national justice towards the United States* but, simply, a» ah act of domestic policy, for the special advantage of her own people. ... The British government has, also, described the war, as a war of aggraficusement and conquest, on the part of the United Slates; but, ^here is the foundation fi>r the charge? While the American gove7M»:';nt employt4 every means, to dissuade the i*W t Indimt, even tboM who lived within the territory, end were ■upplied by the botinty. of the United Rutce, from tekiDf any part in^ the war,* the ^rooti were irreeittible, thai the enemy pursued a very different coursetf nnd that every precai»tion would be nccetiarv, to prevent the effectt ol an offensive alli- ance, between the British troops and the savages, throughoot the northern frontier of «he United States. The military oceu, pationof Upper Caaada was, therefore, deeosed Indispensable to the safety of that frontier, in the earliest asovementaM the war, independent of all views of esunding the territorial boun- dary of the I'nited States. But, when war was declared, m resentment for injuries, which had b«en suffered upon me At- lantic, what principle of public law, what modification of civd- ized wiirfare, imposed upon the United States, the duty of ab- suining from the invasion of the Can«da»? It was there alone, that the United Sutes could place themselves upon an equal fooling of military force with Great Briuini and it was there, that they might reasonably encourage the hope of being able, in the prosecution of a lawful reuliation, "to restrain the vio- lence of the enemy, and to retort upon him, the evils of his own injustice." The proclamations issued by the American com- manders, on entering Upper Canada, have, however, been ad- duced by the British negotiators at Ghent, as the proofs ofa spirit of ambition and aggrandisement, on the part of their go- vernment. In truth, the proclamations were not only unautho- rized and disRpproved, but were infractions of the positive m- Btructions, which had been given, for the conduct of the war w Canada. When the general, commanding the north western armv of the United States, received, on the a4th of June, 18i«, his first authority to commence offensive operations, he was especially told, that "he must not consider himself authorized to pledge the government to the inhabiunu of Canadp, further than assurances of protection in their persons, property, and righu." And on the ensuing 1st of August, it was emphaticaliy declared to him, •• that it hart become necessary, that he should not lose siriit of the instructions of the a*th of June, •• ^ny pledge beyond that, was incompatible with the views 61 the govemment.**$ Such was the nature of the charge of Ameri- can smUtion and aggrandizement, and auch the evidence to support it. The prince regent has, however, endeavored to add, to • 8m the procecdinctai ths co«;.^as. hcU with th* Inai«M, duriac tht «xpe- «tion under brigadier mntni iluUt u>d the ttJk delivered by the prMidem of tiic Vnitod StatM. to the Six Natjoni.st Wuhin|ton, on tb^ 8Uiot AorU, l»iA t See the docmnewi laid before congreM on the I3th fune, I8I«. . i 8m the letter frwn the Mucury o( the war depMtr,ent, to brigadier fcnefSI Hull, dated the 2ith of Jtme, aiid Uw 1%4 nf Augiut, 1012. ^ the the tioi • of I apii :ii val< poll the its AU nert Ct»i or 1 ovei El 1 top and two cipl gov intl the Fra thei But cess uf u tion revc coui pret inl to til the turei duri ced of c« deer •8 fatij %b \ jr, and w«r« I uikiof ray the enemy preoMidoii BeMivc alU* Uirottghoat ilituy occu^ idUpcoMbl* MDtftJif the itorial boun* declarcdt in upon the At- ion of civil- duty of ab- I there alone, >on an equal it was there, being able, rain me vio* lit of hie own lerican com- er, been ad« it- proof* of a t of their go- mly unautho* t pokitive in- of the war in korth western )f June, 1812, ions, he was If authorized inadp, further property, and i emphaticaliy hat he should June, as any views dithe rgeof Ameri* e evidence to d to add, to , durinc the «xpc- be pNtudent of ttic 9fAiirU.1813. iSli > bri(MUer|ciM|sl these unfounded accusations, a stigma, at which the pride of the American government revolts. Listening to the fsbricn- tions of British emissaries! gatherinff scandala from die abuses • of a free preset and misled, perhaps, oy the asperities of a party •piriti common to all free govemmentsi he affects to trace thi* ori|in of the war to ''a marled partiality, in pdliatiog and assisting tht anressive tyranny of France}'* and " to the pre- valence of such councils, as associated the United States, In policy, with the government of that nation.*'* Tlie conduct of the American government is how open to every scrutiny} and its vindication is inseparable from a knowledge of die facu. All the world must be sensible, indeed, that neither in the ge- neral policy of the bte ruler of Francd nor in his particular tuament of the United Butes, could then exist ray political, or rnrional foundation, for the sympathies and associations, overt, or cUmdestlne, which have been rudely and unfairly sug- ^3sted. It Is equally obvious, that nothing short of the ag> Essive tyrmny, exercised by Great Britain towards the United tet, could have counteracted and controlled, those tendencies to peace and amity« which derived their Impulse, from natural and social causes} combining the affections and interasts of the two nations. ThcHmericra government, faithful to that prin- ciple of public law, which acknowledges the authority of all |;ovemmena established de fxtos and conforming iu practice, in this respect, to ;he example of Europe} haa never contested the validity o.' Uku governmenu successively established in France} nor refraeaed from that intercourse with either of diem, which the iust interests of the United Sutes required. But the British cabinet is challenged to produce, from the re- cesses of its secret, or of iu public, archives, a single instance uf unworthy concessions, or of political alliance and combina- tion, throughout the intercourse of the United States, with the revolutionffry rulers of France. Was it the inBueoce of French councils, that induced the American government to resist the pretensions of France, in 1798, and to encounter her hostilities in 1798) dtat led to the ratification of the British treaty in 1796} to the BrMsh negotiation in 1806, and to the convention with the British tsioister in 1809? that dictated the impartial over- tures, which were made to Great Britain, as well as to Fnhice, during the whole j^eriod of the resetictive system? that produ- ced the determination to avoid making any treaty, even a traaty of commerce, with Friince, until the outrage of the Bambouillet aecree waa repaired?! that sanctioned the repeated and urgent ' ' ' II I ' I 1 . 1 ■ II * ^*>>« BritUk deetantion, of the iOth of JmvMty, 1813. t.awtlie iiutructkNu fsrom the Muet»ry of state to the Aewricsa aisitter U Fans, dated the 29th 5Uy, ISia. * ¥ 4(i eflhrti of the American government, to put an end to the war, ■ImoAt M eooo at it was declared^ or that, finally, proonpted the explicit cemmuakation, which, in purauasea of inttnic* tiona, waa made by the Amr riean miniiter, at St. Fatarabtirgh, lo the court of Ruaaia, atating, •* that the principal aiiliijactt of diaiMaioo, nrhleh had long been aubtiatins between tkt Unltad Btakaa and France, remained upaettlad) that there wna no iai* ■MdiaM proaptdt*' that there would bt a aidafaclonr aattlancnt of themi but ^ii, whatever th4 avant, In thu ratpact, might be, it wai not the intention of the goveraaaant of tha United Sutca, to enter into any more intimate connesiona widb Franca} that the government of the Uniud Btatct did not aiiUclpala any event whatever, that could produce that eflbct) and that the American miniatcr waa the more haftpy lo find hiouclf autho< riaad by hit governnient lo avow ttiia intefltiooi aa diiiirent rcprcaentationa of their viewa had been widely circuUlad, aa irtll in Eur^, aa in America.*'* Bot» while every act of the American government thut falalfieathe charge of a aubaarvicnev to the policy of France, it may be Juatly remarked, thai of aU the govemmenta, maintaininf a nccaaaary relation and inter, course with that nation, from the commencement, to the recent termination, of the revolutionarf iatablishiiBnta, it haa happen- ed, that the government of the United Biatee haa laaat eihiDited marka of coodeiicenaioh and concesaion to the auccaaaive ru- lari. It ia for Great Britein, more partictllarly, aa an accuser, tp examine and explain the contittency of tha reproaches, which she haa uttered against the United States, with the course of her own conduct) with her repeated ncgotiaUona, during the republican, aa well aa during tne imperiid, sway of France} with her solicitude to make and to propose treaties; with her interchange of commercial benefiu, so irreconcilable to a state of war« with the almost triumphant entry of n French amtm^sador into her capital, amidst the acclamationa of the populaces and with the prosecution, instituted, by the orders ofthe king of Great Britain himself, in the higliest court of cri* minal jurisdiction in his kingdom, to punish the printer of • Szctte, for publishing a libel on the conduct and duuracter of e late ruler of France! Whatever may be the sotfrca of thcsa symptoms, how'ver they may indicate a subservient policyi AUch symptoms have never occurred in the United otateBj^ throughout the imperial government of France. The conduct of the United States, from die moment of de* daring the war, will serve, as well as their previous conduct, to rescue them from the unjust reproachr . of Great Britain. * See Mr. Monroe** letter to Mr. AiUnu, dued the lit of July, ISlSt sad Mr. Adams' Irttet to Mr. Monroe, da^cd the Ihhof December, ISli. snd to the w«r, lUy, promptwl BM of Inttruc* u Fattrtbarght ,. \ftX siAtiectt of •en tlM United if WM no \m- lory MitUmcnt twpwt, might t of the Uaited MwhhFrrac*} >twitkl|wtcwy I) and that the thlmMlfnutlto. 00, M dUbrcnt y ciraiUted, M every Mt of the >f»ettbB«r»iency rfced, that of lU iadon nnd inter* ent, to the recent iU, ith«» b*PP*"* MleMteshioitcd M tucceeeive ru. y, M an nccueer, the reproMhee, Btatee, with the ted negotiatioMt imperid, ewajr of prupote treatice; to irreconcilable entry of n French clMnationa of the ed,^ythe ordera g^at court of cri« 1 the printer of a I and chnracter ot heaonrrceof theae, Abservtent policy, le United Sttten,' ie moment of de- previouB conduct, of Great Britain. ofJttly.W«»Mdiir. ■>er. I»l«. When war waa declaredi th« ordera in council had been mam* tained, with iaeaorabk hoatiUty, until a thouaaad American veaaela and ihtlr cargoea had been aflied and coniacatcd, un« dar Ihehr oparatioai tha BrlUah miniatar at Waahington had, iHth peealiar aoUmnity, announced that the ordara would not ba fapaalad, but upon condltioM, which the Aaacricao govern* naant had net Ae right, nor the power, to fulfil) and the ICoro* paaa war, wbkh had rand, with Httle Intermiaaloo, for twenqr yean, thnManad an inoainita continuance. Uider theae cirw cuoMtancaa, a repeal of the ordera, and a ccieation of the inju- rUa, which they produced, were eventa beyond all rational antkipation. It appcara, however, that the ordera, under the influence of n parliamentary inquiry into their eiecu upon the trade and manuiKturea of Great Britain, were proviaiooally reped^ on the tSd of luna, IttS, a few daya aubaaiiuent to the Aiiorican declaration of war. If thia repeal had been mnda Inown to tfia United Statea, before their reaort to armt, tilt repeal would hnva arrcated it) and that cause of war being removed, the other aaacMlal cauae, tha practice of imprcaa- ment, would hava been the auMect of renewed negotiation, under the auapicioua Influence of A partial, yet important, act of reconciliation. But the declaration of war, having announ* cad tha practica of impreaament, aa a principal cauae, peaca could only be the reeolt of an espreaa abandoomeut of the practicei of n eunnanekin of the practice, for the purpoaca of negotiation) or o'n ceasation oi actual auflerance, inconac. quence of a pacification in Europe, which would deprive Chraat Britain of every motive for continvlng the practica. Hence, when early intimationa werf given, from Halifio, and from Canada, of a disposition, on tti^ part of the local authoritiea, to enter into an armistice, the power of thoec au* thoritiaa Waa so doubifnl, the objecta of the armiatice were ao limited, and the immediate advnntagca of the measure, were ao entirely on the side of the enemy, that the American govern* ment could neit, consiatently witn ita dutv, embrace the propo*.; sitiooa.* But some hope of an amicable adjuatmeni area io«' spired, wlifn n commanication waa rc(leived from admiral Warren, hi September, 181S, stating that he waa comnumdcd by hie government, to propose, on the one hand, **tlMt the government of the Uiiited Statea ahould, instantty rcadl th*ir lettera of asarque and reprisal ngainat Briti^ chtpa, taythsr with all orders and inatruetiona for any acts of hoatUll^ W^* *8m tiMltwn ftma tbt dimniMum of «ms to Mr. IimmH. 4uti fkk and lOth Awnt, laiS, ud Mr. Grthtm'i iMmann4iM «f a caarcmiioa witk M». Baktr. um BritWi ■tc iwu jr at kfutoi, wcIomJ ia Um Imi ictur. Mr. MoMM'f ktier to Mr. RuMcl. tl»t«4 ibc S(Ut of Aug om, Uli. «v«r agtintt Um ttrrlturics of hit «ujc»ty, or ihe per»ona or property of hU aubjccui** ud to promiM, on iht other hand, if th« AmcricM gnvtrnmcnt acaaitMtd in tbt prtctding pro* potUion, that InttruciUNM thould b« iaavad to tha BritUh aqua- drooa, to dUcoatlnua hoatiUiiaa afidaat iha Unitad trtataa and their citiMoa. Tkia ovartura, however, waa aubject to a further qualifica^iea, **ih$i ahould tha AflHrlcaa govcmmant accede lathe propoaal lur tcrailaaciag hoaiiUtlea, the Brltiah adaiial waa auihoriaad Ift arranga witn tha Amarican fovemmam, aa to the revocadott of the lawa, which interdict tha comaMrce and ahipeof war of Ortat Britain from tha harbors and waura of the United Suteai but that in default of auch revocation within the reaaonabie period to be agreed upon, the ordera in couQcii would be revived.*** Thr ^aaerieao govemnaent, at once, espreaaed a diapoaition to embrace the general propoaition for a ccsaatien of hoatiiitiea, with a view to ucgotiatMli de« clared that no peace could be durable, unlaaa the eaaeotial object of impreaamcnt waa aiHuatedi and oferad, aa a bnaia of the adjuatnaant, to prohibit tne emplojriDent of Briiiah auMecta in the naval or commercial acrvice of tha United Statcai but ad- hering to , ita determination of obtaining a relief from actual aufferance, the auapcnaiun of the practice of imprcaamant pand« Ing the propoacd 'armiatica, waa de a mad • nacaaaarjr conae- quencei lor ** it could not be praaunaad, while the pnrtlaa were ennged in • negotiation to adjjuat analcably thia Imporunt difference, that tha United Statea would admit tha right, or acquiaacc in the prartice, of the opposite party) or that Great Biitain wouU m unwiUing to rcatrain her cruiacra from a practice, which would have the atroogeat affect to defeat the negotiation.**! 80 iust, ao raaaonable, ao Indiapenaable, a pre- liminary, without which the citisena of the United Statea. navi. gating the high acaa, would not be pUced, by the armiatica, o« an equal footing with tha aubjccta of Great Britain* admiral Warren was not authorinad to accept) and the effort at an ami- cable adjuatmcnt, through that channel, waa neceaaarily abortive. But (png before the overture of the Britiah admiral waa made, (a few dliya, indeed, after the (declaration of war,) tha rehwtance with which the United ^tea had resorted to arma, waa manlfbated bv the eteps taken, to arrest the progress of hoatHitias, and to hasun a reatoration of peace. On the S6th of Juna, 1811, tha American charge d'affaires, at London, waa inatrUcled to make the propoaal m an armiatica to the Britiah • 8m thi tetter of adniM Wmtoi. to tiM Mcmary of MM. 4swd M HsMbs, tiM SOth of Smumbar, Wi. . ^i t 8m the tetter of Mr. Moum, to aimifsl Wuiea. dated the S7tb ef Oi^ bw,WI«. ., A.t?> *.i ' the perttoni or c other hamli \t preceding pro- M BrUUh tqua- liMd tratMmd bjecttoafiirtlMr pcrfiiMnt MCtde British ftdailisl govsrvmaac, •• i the commerce rbore muI watert •uch revocation », the orders in govemmentf at tncralpropoaition ncgouatiati de- m eteential otiject M a basic of the Iritish suMeeuIn id Buust but ad- relief from actual mprcscmeot pend- Aeccscarf aonse- B Uic parties were y this important mit the right, or rtyt or that Great r cruisers from a feet to defeat the ilisp«nsabU,apr«. nited8utea.aavi. I,, the armistice, o« I I Britain, admiral I M ef ort at an ami- rcessarily abortive. ritish admiral was •tion U war,) the I resortad to arms, St tha pwgrsss of ace. On the Mtl ... at London, wm ttice to the BriUsb 40 gDvcmment, which might lead to an a^justmettl of alt dHfcr* ences, on tho single condition. In the event of the orders in coua* ell baii^ repealed, that lestructions should be Issued, suspend* lag tha practice of imprewmeat duringtha armistice. Thispro« p such was not the designi or the course, of that ^>vemmcnt. The American envoys wsra Imosediately appointed, and arrived at CkMtenburgh, the de- stined scene uf negotiation, on the 11th of April, lUli, as soon as the season admitted. The British government, though regulariy Informed, that no time would be lost on tha part of the United States, suspended the appolntasent of ita envoys, twtil ^ actual arrival of the American eavc^s should be for- ■sally «MBm«nicatcd. Hiis pretension, however novel and hiausalctons, was not permitted to obetruct the path to peace* The British government nest proposed to transfer tha ncgotia* tioo ftt>m Qottenburgh to Ghent. This change, also, nbtwlth- t, * 8m tkt iMtvra from the tumatr of uut, to Mr. Mmmt, imti the tSth of hm, m4 t7tli of July. l»:it. fV ' tke conwpoadMm bttwoon Blr. Bemll, and laid CaatlmBth, iiDtA iui§^x tat Sop ttwi tor. ISlKi and Mr. RiumU'o Immt* to tk* mututifmvtam, flSiM no pmn bor, ISIx. I fM the cwT MP oaJo n c e bot««M Mr. Monroe and Mr. Daiehkol^ la i ='5Wt>, "■^t #' 1 • I MMtdinf th« ntcfMary dflay, wm •Howcrt. The American ctivovf, •rrivlng ti OncM on the S4ih of June, rtmtkncd in ■ mon\(y\nm •tnu of autptnM ind csptctailon, lor th« arrival of lh« Brititn envoyii, until the Oih of August. And from tho p«rio4 of opening the ncaotiaiiona, to the date of the Um J«< •Mtch of the Slat of Octotwr, it haa been seen, that the wlMtle of ine diplomatic ahlil of the Briiiah ■ovemmcni, haa conai^tcd in conaunaing lime, without approaching any conclutlon. 'lYia pacification of PiM'ia, had, auddenly and unexpectedly, placed •I the diapoaal of the Briiiah government, a great naval and military lorcct the pride and paaainna of the nation were art- fully excited againM the United Htatcai and a war of dcapi iat« nna barbaroua character wan planned, at the very momeiii that the American govemmenti finding ita maritim*' t-i*lft«n« relicv- Sthe course of cvenu, from actual tuferAncc, under tha :c of imprcMment, had authorized ita envoys to waive atipulntiooa upon the aubjett, which mighti otharwiae, have been indiaprnaabte precautmna. Hitherto the American govenment haa shown tha justice of Itacatiaai ita respect for the rights of other naiionat and ita in* bermt love of peace. But the srencs uf the war^ will, alao, exhibit a atriking contrast, between the conduct of the United Stntra, and the conduct of Great Britain, 'llie same insidious policy, which taught the prince regent to describe the American government aa the aggreasor in the war, has induced the Bri- tiah BDvemaacnt f clouding the daylight truth of the transaction) to caU the atrocities of the British fleets and armies, a retalia* tlon upon the example of tha American troops in Canada, llie United flutes tender a solemn appeal to the civilised world, againtt the fabrication of such a charge) and they vouch, In sup* port of their aopcpl, the known morals, habiu, and purauits of their pcoplei Uie character of their civH and political institu* tions; and the whole career of their navy and their army, as humnne, ^^ it is brave. Upon what pretext did the British admiral, on the ISth of Augustf 1814, announce his determi* nation, " to destroy and lay waste surh towns and d^tricta, upon tlte caast, aa nsight be found assailabla V** It was the Jiretext of a request frnp the governor general of the CaiMdaai or aid to carry into eflect measures uf retaliation) while, in fact, the barbnmus nature of the war, had baen deliberately settled and prcacribed by the Br itivh ck'nnet. What could have bean the loun^tion of such a request? The outrages, and the irre* gularities, which to14t utd Mr Monroe'* answer of the 6th Sept. 1»14. 4 •8m| the 4th r tGeJ I Sat] fht Mth e Amcrictn «m»lncd In • he MrW«i of Ind from th» f the tr,» '•• \x the wVtitU off Km contW>wd clutWm. •!'*»• cwdly, p»«««^ r««t navtl •no «ton«rerc •«• ir o( detpii»w y muoMitv ih«» c\'\%«M r«Ucv- >nct,aadcr Uw nvoyi to wa>vo (lit, oihtrwitc, fi tht ju»iU« of oMi •nd U» in- w.r, Witt, n^w, ct of the Uniwd «»m« iotWlou. beihcAmerkwi nduced «he llrt- th« traoM»eW«») ■mitt, • ««"}'•• civili«ed world, (y vonch,to»«P: k, tod purtuiu of polUkiti in****"- i ih^irwrnyM did the Driuth ice hii determi" , and dittricu, !♦'♦ It WM to« iiofthtCM»«l«»» ionjwhiU,inf««»j lelibcrately •««•«<» could have be«n ,M», and the irre- * of national ho^ warfare, w""" wap to b« lamanted, dUavowfd, and rcfMlrcd, br a hut and honorable governmenti but if disavowal be made, and if repara- tion be uflerfd, there la no foundation for retaliatory violence. " Whatever uimuthorlsed Irrrfnilariiv may have been commit- ted ky any of tht troopa of the tnited Btatee* the Americnn go* vemmcnt haa been read/, upon principlea of eacrtd and eternal obligatlttn, to ditavowi and, aa far as it miKht be practicable, to rapolr.'** In every known Inaunca (and they are few) ih« offrndera havt been aubjected to the regular Investigation of n military tribunal) and an oftc^r, commanding • party of atrac- Siera, who were guilty of unworthy exc««^ea, was immediately Umlseed, without the form of a trial, for not preventing thoeo eaceweea. Hie deatruction of the vtllaga of Newark, aqjacent to Fort Oeorge, on the 10th of December, IIIS, wae long tub* aequeni to the pillage and conflagration committed on the ihorea of the Chesapeake, throughout the sumnncr of the same yeari ■nd might fairly have been alleged as a retaliation for thosO outrages) l)ut, in fact, it waa Justified by the American coa»* mander, who ordered it, on the ground, that h became necea* aary to the miliury operations at that placaif while the Ameri- can government, as soon as it heard of the act, on the 6th ol January, INI k, instructed the general commanding the norrhetn army, •* to disavow the conduct of the oAccr who committed lt| and to tranemit to governor Prevost, a copy of the order, under color of which that oficer had acted.'*! Thia disavowal was accordingly communicated) and on th« 10th of February, lOH, governor Prevost answered, ^* that it had been with great aatisfaction he had received the asaurancc, thatthe perpetration ofthebumingof the town of Newark, was both unauthoriicd by the American government, and abhorrent to every Ameri* can feeling) that if any outrages had ensued the wanton and un- justifiable destruction of Newark, passing the bounds of iust retaliation, they were to be atuibuied to the infliience of irri- tated paaeions, on the part of the unfortunate sufferers by that event, which, in a state of active warfare, it has not been pos- sible altogether to restraint and that it was as little congrnial to the dispoaition of hit majeaty's government, as it wan to that of the govomment of the U. 8tates,deliberatf ly to adopt any {dan of policyt which hadfor its object the dev i!it;ttton of private proper- * Sm tiM Icittr from the M et ets ry st wsr to brigwlitr f ciwrtl M'Lsn, dat«4 the 4ik of OciolMr, ISIS. t GtiMTtI M'Lura'i Ictmt to the Mcretmry st wsr. diitcd Dtc 10 uid 13, I81X i Sm iht Ititer fram (ht »|m Mmral WUkimoa. 4sted rlMMtharJsmiaiy, Ills. •4* ■*'■ ■■ ■ I I 1 '. l} *,%! i^toA ^W tt 6li ty.*** But the dtuvewiil of the Ancricm government was not the only expiation of the offence comanittca by its oScer( lor the British government assumed the prpvince of redress in the indulgence of its own venseance. A few dajrs after the burning of Newark, the British and Indian troops crossed theNianra,for this purpose} they surprised and|seited Port Niagara, and put ita farnson to the swordt they burnt the vUlaoes of Lewistown^Maa* chestciT, T\iscaroni| Buialo, and Bkck Bocki slaughtering and abusing the unarmed inhabitants! until, in aliort, they had laid waste the whole of the Niagara frontier^ Icvdling every house andevery hut, and dispersing, beyond the means of shelter, in the extremity of the winter, Uie male and the female, the old and the young. Sir George Pirevost himself appears to have been sated with the ruin* and die havoc, which had been thus inflicted. In his proclamation of the Itth of January, 1 Stir, he emphatically declared, that for the burning of Newark, » the epportunity ol punishment had occurred, and a full measure of remliadon hiid taken place)'* and ** that it was not his intention to pursue further a system of warfare so revolting to his own feelings, and so little congenial to the British character, unless the future measures of the enemy should compel him again to resort to \t."i Nay, with his answer to the American general, already mentioned, he transmitted ** a copy of that proclama* tion, as expressive of the determination, as to his future line of conduct;'* and added, ** that he wan happy to learn, that there was no probability, that any measures on the part of the Ameri* can government would oblige him to depart mm it."| M^here* dien, shall we search for the foundation of the call upon the Bri- tish admiral, to aid the governor of Canada in measures of reta- liation? Great Bri:«in forgot the principle of retaliation, when her orders in council wcro issued against the unoffending neu* tni, in resentment of outrages committed by her enemy; and aurely, she had again forgotten the same principle, .when she threatened an unceasing violation of the lawjs of civilised war- ftre, in retaliation for injuries, which never existed, or which tile American government had explicitly disavowed, or which liad been already avenged by her own arms, in a manner and a idegree, cruel and unparalleled. The American government, after all, has not hesitated to declare, tiiat "for the reparation of injuriea. of whatever nature they may be, not sanctioned by * 8Mlk« htm of major gamni Wilkiaion» to sir George Pravott, dated the tSth of Jwivary, 1814, and the anawcr of sir Goom nevoit, dated the lOth of I Fcbruaiy, I&14. t See air Gootm IVmott's pnclaimtioa, dated at Qmbeci the 12th of Janua- »y, "I*. , 1 See the tetter of sir George PMvott to getwn! Wilklnion, dated the lOth ofl P^niary, iai4| tad the Briinh fnicial oideni of the 28d of Febiuar)r. 1814. *...S *^- J5... ft rernroent wa« ay its officer; FredrcMlnthe the burning of btNingiWtfo' m, Mid pot Its wittowoiMMi* lughtcring and .they had Utd ig every house Kofahelter, in emale, the old >pears to have had been thus mary, 181*, he Newark, « the full measure^ of K>t hia intention ting to his own laracter, unlesa e1 him again to nerican general, that proclamap his future line of learn, that there irt of the Ameri* >m it."t ^here, call upon the Bri- aeasures of reta* retaliation, when unoffending neu* her enemy; and aciple, .when the of caviliaed war- existed, or which ivowed, or which n a manner and a ican government, for the reparation not sanctioned by Tge Pircvott, dated the svott. dated the 10th of kee, tiM 12ih of Janus* iMon, dated the 10th of | dofFcbiuary.lStV the law of nations, which the mlliury or naval force of either power might have committed against the otherv it would al« wave be ready to enter into reciprocal arrangemcnu; presuming that the Britith government would neither expect^ nor propose, any which were tmt reciprocaL'** It is now, however, proper to examine the character of the warfare, which Great Britain has waged against the United Sutea. In Europe, it has already been marked, with astonish- ment and indignation, as « warfare of the tomahawk, the scalping knife, and the torch; as a warfare, incompatible with the usag«s of civilised nations; aa a war&re, that, disclaiming all mural influence, inflicts an outrage upon social order, and gives a ahock to the very elements of humanity. All belligerent nations can form alliances with the savage, the African, and the bloodhound: but what civilized nation has selected these auxiliaries, in its hostilities? It does not require the fleets and armies of Great Briuin, to lay waste an open country; to bum unfortified towns, or unprotected villages; nor to plunder the merchant, the fiirmer, and the planter, of his stores: these ex* ploits may easily be achieved by a single cruiser, or a petty privateer; but when have such exploits been performed on the coasts of the continent of Europe, or of the British islandst by the naval and military force of anv belligerent power; or when have they been tolerated by an^ honorable government, as the predatory enterprise of, armed mdividuals? Nor, is die de- struction of the public edifices, which adorti the metropolis of a country, and serve to codtmemorate the taste and science of the age, beyond the sphere of action of the vilest incendiary^ as wul as of the most utumphant conqueror. It cannot be forgoitten, indeed, that in the course often years paat, the capi- tals of die principal powers of Europe have been conquered, and occupied alternately, by the victorious armies df each odier;t Md yet, there has been no instance of a canflajgratioa of the palaCiat the temples, or the halla of justice. No: such examples have proceeded from Chrvat Britain alone: , a nation so elevated in its pride; so awful in its power; and so affected in its tepdemeas, tor the liberties of mankind! The charge is se> ver«i^, but let the fiKts be adduced. 1. Great iftritain haa violated the principles of social law, by insidious attempt*!, to excite the citizens of the United States into acts of contumacy, treason, and revolt^ agmnst their government. For instances * See Mr. Monroe's kttcr to adminl Cochraaa, dated tha 6th ef September, t Sec Mr. Moimc's letter to adndnl Cochtam, dated t^ 6th of September 1»W. i. « . - ... . . . *,^ V. ^Sr -t, If # /-t % «*^- ■.-'»*>M>fc«^. A..VM H No soonf r htd tht American gnvernment impoacd the re* «trictiye«yi.tem upon its citiscnt, to escape from the rage and depretlauon of the bcltiprerent powera, than the British govern- ment, then protessing amity towards the United States, issued an order, which was, in effect, an invitation to the American citizens to break the laws of their countrj-, under a public pro- mise of British protection and patronage, •' to all vessels, which ahould engage in an illicit trade, without bearing the cttttomary ahin's documenu and papers."^* , Again: Durin(^ i period of peace, between the United States and Ckcat Britain, in the year 1«09, the governor general of the Canadas employed an agent (who had previously been en- Imaged, in • similar service, with the Itnowledge and approba* tion of the British cabinet) " on a scdret and confidential mis. sion," into the United States, declarlnf, "that there was no doubt, that hit able execution of such a mission, would give him a claim, not only on the governor general, but on his mv festy's ministera." The object of tha mission, was to ascer- tain, whether there existed a disposition in any portion of the citiiena, ** to bring about a separation of the eastern sutea from the general unioni and how far, in auch an event, they would look up to England for awistance, or be disposed to enter into « connexion with her.*' The agent was instructed *• to insinuate, that if any of the citizens should wish to enter into a communication with the Britiah government, through the ^vemor general, he was authorixed to receive such com- rounicxtion; and that he would safely transmit it to the gover- nor general "t He was accredited by|p formal instrument, un- der the seal and signature of the governor general, to be pro- duced, "if he saw good ground for expectine, that the doing •omi^tteadto a more confidential communication, than he could, otherwise, look for;" and he was furnished with a cipher, " for carrying on the secret correspctadence.f The virtue and patric^sm of the citizens of the United Sutes, were superior to the aru and corruption, employed in this secret and confi- dential misaton, if it ever was disclosed to any of them; and the mission itself terminated, as soon as the arrangement with Mr* Erskine was annoimced \ But, in the act of recalling the secret emissary, he was informed, *< that the whole of his let- ters were transcribing to be sent home, where tfiey could not * See the iiiMnictioiu to the coramuden of Britisk shipt of wsrmd ni«B- tM». dated the 11th of Aord, 1808. t See the tetter from Mr. Ryluid, the tecretiUT of die fovemor nnanL t* Mr. Hcwjr, dlttd the 86th af Juiiiwy, 1809. ] Sre the letter of sir Jamet Cmir, to Mr. Henrjr, dated Fcbnunr 6, 1809. i8«theiaiBetetter. udMr.ft^kuid'sletterof tteSfithof Januuy, I80». 11 m f ,* »j ,m the rage and British govern- i Stiteg, Uiurd > the American er a public pifto« veateli, which ;theetittomarx i United States mor general of iouely been en* e and approba* >a(idential mis- M there was oo n« would give but on his lav was to ascer- portlon of the eastern sutea an event, they e disposed to iras instructed I wish to enter nentt trough ive such com- : to the gover- nstrument, un- al, to be proo that the doing ition, than he with a cipher, rhe virtue and were superior ret and con biishcd principles of moratiM' andjusUce, the esscnttal-dilfer- encc between ordering the offensive acts to b* done; and reap, ing the fruit of those acts, without eitiier expressly, or tacidy, condemningthem. Again: These hostile auempta upon the peace and imioa of the United States, preceding the decbruton of war, haw been .followed by aimilao- nsachinatioos, suibsequent to that event. Ttit sovcmor general of the Cnnadas has endeavored, occa- sionally, in his procUmations and general orders, to dl stt itadf the miUtia of the United States, from the performance of the duty, which theyowed to their injuivd country} and the dforu, at Quebec and Bali&z, to kindle the flame of ctvU war, have teen as ucesaant, aa they have been insidioua and abortive. Nay. the governor of the island of fiarbodoes, totally foraeiM of the boasted artida «f the British magna charta, m bmx of foreign nserchanu, found within the Briush di>miiH«M» upon • S" J^- *y^*» •««». d««* U« 3601 «f iliM. )S09. raiH^lm«lhi«latdLiv«i]Mal(9tirCk«aa Pmmm. «bi(4 the iCtkaf IsililV. Kyhad't kntt of tbcMtk ef Jaamj, 1«09. 4 \^ -' %, .-.-■■ " Mk - - • ■ • * ••■'^# m m i-**. -5siii.- the breaking out of hotUUtiM, resolved tluit ever^ American merchant* within hi* jurladieiton at dif declaration of war, •hould, at once, be treated as a prisoner of wari because every ^aen of the United States was enrolled In the anilUia} because the nllitia ^ the United Sutes, were r«f die war| with sava- ges, pirates, and daves. The British agency, in exciting the Indians, at all times, to commit hoetilitiesupon the frontier of the United States, is too notorious, lo admit of a direct and general denial- It has some- times, however, been said, that such conduct was unauthorised by the British government; and the prince regent, seizing the single instance, of an indmation, aUifBd to oc given, on the • 8m tiw fcmurktMe »wt nqwr, iMMd by fovtrnw B«ckwkh, «t Butadoct., onthe Wthof November, ISW. ^^^v,aw^i t Set the praduBstkm of the governor of Bemnit, dsttd dw14ih ofasttO' WTf 191«( iM Hm iiistractioM from the Mtab. ttemmj for fimifii sTstK, d»wd November 9, WW. ^ ^ . «. w * w-v 1 See the mtmn from the pre*idcnt to cengrtu, dttsA the IIUi of Tt^mmty, 1S13. •». •ver^ American [•ration of WMr» I bce«ute every milUic} becmiM sd to serve their Ich they perticu- »*atl the eMtee, the view of »ir tlon»»» ned to the colo- 6l!l, the British hori«ingthe go* grant licensee to rtalloQ of certain the instructions, f provided, thst medc) Imm the t« confined to the iiere was retson tot be fulfilled, if n the other p«rts ktitsted to (dace idignation, **the ihe world) intro* i equally distin* the depravity of ksdve the tt7S of le adversary na* at partSf tiic one lanity and honor, war| with sava* , at all times, to Ited States, is too lial- It has some* vas unauthorised gent, seizing the oe given, on the Bkwkh, «t BMfUdo cfc . Md dw 14th of iuta* ry tot fuitl|U MHuK, the llth «f Fffhvwiy. 67 pan of >lr James Craig, the governor of the Canadas, that ai attack was meditated by the Indians, has allirmcd, ihui •• ,hc< .h!7f-. ifi""'"fi^'''* ''?'!'""» *" "«*''"''^« measures agulnal the Cnited Statea, wa» void of foundation, that, before the war •«f !^' f P '7 the moat opposite had been uniformly pursutd, and that proof ot thu was tendered by x\Ir. Foster to the Aine. man government."* But is it not known in Europe, as well as in America, that the British Northwest Company maintain a constant intercourse, of tradf, and council, with the Indian,; that their interests are often in direct collision with the interests ot the inhabitants of the United States, and that by means of the mimical dispositions, aad the active agencies, of the com- panv (seen, understood, and tacitly sanctioned by the local au- thonties of Canada) all the evils of an Indian war may be lUied tipon the United States, without the authority of a formal or- aer, emanating immediately from the British government? Hence, the Ainerican government, in answer to the evasive protestations of the British minister, residing at Wushington, frankly commumcated the evidence of British agency, whi. h had been received, at different periods, since the year 1807: and obwrved, that whatever mav have been the disposiiion of the British government, the conduct of its subordinate agents had ' tended to excite the hostility of the Indian tribes towards the united States; and that in estimating the comparative evidence on the subiect, it was . Kiposiible not to recollect the comrauni. cation lately made, respecdog the conduct of sir James Craia, m another important transaction (the employment of Mr. Hen' ry, as an accredited agent, to alienate and detach the citizens °* •.?•?"»•="'»' «e«ion of the union, from their government^ which, It appeared, was approved by lord L!verpool.»»t The proof, however, that the British agents and military of. ficers, were guilty of the charge, thus exhibited, become con. elusive, when, aiibsequent to the communication, which was made to the British minister, the, defeat and flight of geueral ftx>ctorVarmy, on the of placed in th^S session of the Amencan commander, the correspondence and papers of the British officers. Selected from the documents. which were obuined upon that occasion, the content* of a few letters wiU serve to characterize the whole of the mass. la these fetters, w ritteg|y Mr. M'Jgee, the BriUsb agem, to co- •'"" " ' " — ^— ._X1— .— — ... . . - II [ .-1 ■ t See Mr. Monn^tter to ftlr. Foster, dated the 10th of Jiine, 181«. f i I iooel England, the commander of the Britith troooe, super. icHbed, '^on hi. «.je.ty's .ervice.' '"^ dated dunn. d.c n^^n^^ of July and Augiwi, 179*. the period of general Wayne a luc- cesiful expedition again.t the Indians, it appeara, that the acalpa taken by the InUian* were sent to the Brit Uh eattbhshment at ,he rapid, of the Miami;* that the hostde OP*™""""-/^**^* Indian, were concerted with the Briti.h a^entt and ofice, nf that when certaia tribe, of Indian, "having completed thi !,elt. they carried with scalp, and priwnera, and being without provision., reaolved on going home, it 7»* »«"»«'?»^**» *1" ?" maie.ty'. po»t. would derive no .ecunty, from the late great in- flux of Indian, into that part of the country, t»»««W «n«y PJ"" «i8t in t:.eir resolution of 7»»'n»«?^»9»°<»°»^, *?,,,*/ British agent, were immediately to hold a council at the Olaxe, in order to try if they could prevail on the I^ke Indian, to re- main; but that without provision, and ammunition being .ent to that place, it wa. conceived to be extremely difficjdt to keep them iogether;"i and that "colonel England waa "»aking great exer- tion. to supply the Indiana with provi».on..»|| But the Ian- KuaKc of the correapondencc become., at length, «o plain and direct, that it .eem. imposaible ^ avoid the concluaion of a govtmmental agency, on the oart ol Great Britnm, in •dv'.mg. Siding, and conducting, the Wian war, while •h« P'«"^^ friendship and peace toward, the United State.. " »«>»»»•'• sent, (say. Mr. M'Kee. to colonel BogUmd,) to view the .itu^ tionof the American army; and w now mtuter <"»« '*«?««» Iiubans. All the Lake Indian., from buganadownwarda, rfiould not lose one moment in joining their brethren, a. eveiy acces- sion of atrtogth, t. an addition to their .pintt.'f And again. " I have been employed aeveral day. in endeavoring to «ix Uie Indian., who have been driven from their village. •«»dc°T fields, between the fort and the bay. Swan creek « l^"'"*/ aereed upon, and will be a very convenient place for the deli- very of pVovi.iona, &c."*« Whether, under the vanou. proof. r f. W-.:.t . ' .. :. ...w;«» imllan hofttilitie. asaw.t the uic present narrative, the prince regent fore the war began, a policy the mo»t o pposite had been um . • See thm letter from Mr. M-Kee t? colonel £n|^. <>»ted the «d of Ju'f' * t See the letter from the Mwne to the same, dated tie 9«>i •S Jaly, 1794.^ ^ See the lame Utter. ' ' ^ See the same letter. ' ^ ,_^ ij I^SenTrfrS^m Mr. M-Kee tocolond tin^^ni.d^t^the ISthof Au- *^"» See the letter from the wme to the $amc, dated th.||^h of August, 17M- M>mi luper- g tnc months 'ayne'ft sue* lat the scalp* blithmcnt at itioot vf the nd officer tf mpleted thi eing without ued, that hu late great iii' kid theyper- ; that "the It the Glaze, ndiant to re> being sent to to keep them great exer- Jut the Ian- so plain and iclttsion of a , in advising, he professed M Scouts arc iew the situa* one thotuand irardst should I every acces- [ And again: ring to fix the l^s and com- ic is geuerrfly : forthedcli- various proofs es against the the course of on, that,** be- ad been uni- d the 8d of Julf. f Jaly, 17M. id the IStbof Au- l» of August, 179*- formly pursued," by the British government,* is to be ascribed to a want of information, or a want of caiulor, ilu* Americ<«ii government is not disposed, more particularly, to in- vestigate. . . But, independent of these causes of just rompUmi, ..^smgin a time of peace, it will be found, that when the war was declar. ed, the alliance of the British government with the Indians, was avowed, upon principles, the most novel, producing conse- quences the most dreadful. 'Hie savages were brought mto the war, upon the ordinary footing of allies, without regard to the inhuman character of their warfare} which neither spares age, nor sex{ and which is more desperate towards the captive, at the suite, than even towards the combatant, in the field. It seemed to be a stipulation of the compact between the allies, thatthe British might imiute, but should not control, the fe- rocity of the savages. While the British troops behoid, with- out compunction, the tomahawk and the scalping knite, bran- tlished against prisoners, old men and children, and even against pregnant womeot and while they exultinglj', accept the bloody scalps of the slaughtered Americanssf the Indian exploits in battle, are recounted and applauded 1^ thfj British general or- ders. Rank and station arc assigned to them, in the miliUry movements of the British ari-^v; and t^ie unhallowed league was ratified, with appropriate Slems, b> intertwining an Ame- rican scalp, with the decorati f the m.v:e, which die com- maoder of the northern jirmv, w. t!te Unittd States found in the legislative chamber oflrork, the capital t«f Upper Canada. In the single scene, that succeeded the batvle of Frenchtown, near the river Raisin, where the American troi>p8 were defeated by the allies, under the command of general FhKtor, there will be found coocentrar<:d, upon indispuuble proof, an illus- tration of the horrors of the warfare, which Or?at Briuin has pursued, and still purtues, in co.oi»eration with die savages of the south, as well as with die savages of the north, The Ame- rican army capitulated, on the 2ad of January, ISiSj yet, after the faidi of the !lritish commander had been pledged, ia the terms of the cairvitulation; and while the British officers and sol* diers, silently and exultindy, contemplated the scene, some ot the American prisoners of war were tomahawked, some were shot, and some were burnt. Blany of the unarmed inhabitants • See tUe ttrince Kfrak** dcclsration of the lOih of Janusrjr. 1813. t Sea the fetter from the Amcrkaa gcnent HwrUon, to the British general Pwstor. _ See a letter from the British roejor Muir, Indisn sgent, to colonel Proctor. dated the te6th September, ISU, and a letter from eotonel St. George to colo^^. Proctor, dated the ii»th of October, 181«, fimnd siiiong colonel Proctor** paipers. I Ml of ihc ^lichigiin territory were mansacredi their property wan |iluiuli-re(l, a*))! their horses were dettroyed.** The deiid bodies of the mangled AtncricaiiH, were expuncd, unburicd, to be de* vciured tiy dogH and swinei •• because, oi the llritish ofRceri dcilartd, the Indiann would not permit the intcrmenti"t >tnd Dome of the Americans, who Hurvived the carnage, had been extricated from dani^er, onty by being purchased at a price* •■ n part of the booty belonging to the Indians. But, to complete this dreadful view of human depravity, and human wretched* ne^B, it is only neceaaary to add, that an American physician, who was despatched with a flag of trucci to ascertain the situa- tion of hi^ wounded brethren, and two persons, his companions, were intercepted bv the Indians, in their humane mission} the privilege of the flag was disregarded by the British otBcersi the physician, after being wounded, and one of his companions, were made prisonerst and the third person of the party was killed.^ But the savage, who had never known the restraints of civi- lized life, and the pirate, who had broken the bonds of society, were alike the ol)ject8 of British conciliation and alliance, for the purposes of un unparalleled warfare. A horde of pirates and outlaws had formed a confederacy and establishment on the island of Barraturia, near the mouth of the river Mississip- |>i. M^ ill Europe believe, that the commander of the British i'orcrs. addres'.ed the leader of the confederacy, from the neu- tral territory of Pcnsucolu, •♦ calling tipon him, with his brave foltowerK, to enter into the service of Ureat Britain, in which he hliouUl have the rank of captain; promising that lands should be given to ihem all, in proportion to their respective ranks, on u |jeuci- taking place; aHsuring them, that their property should be gunnmteed, hiuI tbcir persons protected; and asking, in re- tiiin, that they' would cease all hontiltties against Spain, or tha iillit-H of (iieat Hiitain, and place their nhips and vessels, un- der the l)ri(tccom|Mii)ing itt t Hce the n hclai report of Mr. U«ker, the agent for^ priwiien, to brigs- diir general Wiiicheaier, dated the 20th of February, m9 \ In udditioi) to this description of savage warfare, under British auspices, see the :':icis contained in the correspondence between geneial Harrison, aiid general DrummonJ. II bee th^ letter addressed by Edward Nichols, lieutenant-colonel commanding llik Britannic majest) 's forces in the Gorillas, to Moiksivur Laiitte, or the com-- mwdfuit at Uarrutaria, dated the 31st of August, 1»U. •^^ opcrty wt« tlcHtl bodies d, to b« de* fuh oflicera enij"t *<»** I, hadbe«n ; a price t M to complete \ wretched- . phyticUn, in thetitua- :ompanioni| miuiont the ;Uh otHcerat companionSf B party wai tints of clvi- Is of suciety, alliHDce, for le of pirates Ijiishment on er Mississip- f the British om the neu- ith his brave |ini in which lands should 'ivc ranks, on perty should siting, in re- gain, or the vessels, un* intilthecom- a guarantee inly to exem- Ince, that the [tlves. oathc3l>t boiicn, to brigs- |tiih tutpicci, Me (I, and general commanding iitte, or the com- et pirate should spurn the proffered alliance ; and, acconlinqly, Lnfitte's answer was indignantly given, by a delivery of the tit> ter. containing the British proposition, to the American govcr* nor of lx)ui«lana. lliercrwerc other sources, however, of support, which Great Britain was prompted by her vengeance tu eropluy, in oppnni* tion to the plaineat dictates of her own colonial policy. The events, which h^ve extirpated, or dispersed, the white popula* tion of 8t. Bomingo. are in the rccullectionof all men. Al- though British humanity might nut shrink, from the infliction of similar calamities upon the southern states of America, the danger of that course, either as ar. incitement to a revolt, of the slaves in the British islands, or as a cause for retaliation, on the part of the United Htates, ought to have admonished her against its adoption. Yet, in a formal proclamation, issued by the commander in chief of hit Britannic majesty's squadrons, upon the American station, the slaves of the American planters were invited to join the Briiinh standard, iti a covert phraseolo- gy, that afforded but a slight veil, for the real design. Thus, admiral Cochrane, reciting, ** that it had b*ten represented to him, that many persons now resident in the United States, had expressed a desire to withdraw therefrom, with a view of en- tering into hi* majeaty*H service^ or of being received aa free tettlert into some of hi>i majesty's colonies," proclaimed, that *' all those who might be disjiosed to emigrate from the United States, would, with their familicii, be received on board of his majesty's ships or vessels ot' war, or at the military posts that might be established upon, or near, the coast of the United States, when they would have their choice of either entering into his majesty's sea or land forces, or of being sent y uiiiiaginn Irniair liunuri liy hiiiniit^ iin|irulri ird t ilti«i, inwn*, vilUgri, M«l houa««i anil Uy l*\ lOK w«M« wlmir «li«uii u ol m\ uiiri'«ip«r liana* dai*** but iha fnllacv of tha prrtaM haa alrtatly bttn •xno»rd. It will b« rtcolkcttd^ howrvcr, that tha art of burning Newark waa InaUHManaoualy dlaavuwtd by tha American govrmmanii that It occurrtd Im Dtctmbar, t It ti and that air Uaorgr Pre* voat himaalf Mknowledgad, on the lOthof Kabrunry, tNIK that Iha meiaura of rctaliatioa, for all tha pravloualy imputed mia- comluct of the American trou|m, waa then full and cum|ilrtr.| Between the month of February, lit k, when that acknowlcdK* ment waa nia«lc, and tlio month of Atigutt, 1N14, whan the Hri* ti»h admiral*! drnunciation waa iuueu, what are tha outrages upon tha part of the American truo|w in Canada, to ^tmrily a rail for rruliatiunf Not it waa the ayatem, not the incident, of the war} and intelligence of the ayitent had lieen received at Waahington, from the American tigenta in Europe, ,with refe- rence to th« oper jtiona of admiral Warren, upon the ahorea ol the rhcaa|wake, long before admiral Cochrane had aurmcdcd to the rnmmand of the Oritiah Beet, on the American atulinn. At an appropriiitr iutroduetion to iliu kind iK>M-d. burning New«rk cMt ipivf n»m«nH lir i>€orgr Pre- ru«ry, H»l>« ♦*)>* ty imputed mU- I und eomjdrtr.t hat ackiwwledi^* 14, wh«n the »ri« arfllht outragitt ida, to jii«»dy a not the iacidcnt, iMsn received »t iropc, ,wUh refe. on the shore* ot had nurrrcdcd icrican atalinn* il of war, which nivihitants of the ^laiid, under the at could not fail nd generout apec- merican merchant pUcea, hao guaa »d been employed f returning home; of the condemna- era in council; or the other caauaU be treated a» pri- tually impressed, one of their num- ities agunst Great iment ha d afforded kunut I a. I*'*' . _ ,, iucd the lOtU of re- ^vcfy faritily lo till* drpnrlurc of llir «Rmf •liiii, n«i wr|| m nl rvrry oUirr «I.«M, «>l llriiitli auliin t^, Irom ihr I mini Htalfi«| tor a naaonaltlr ptriod, alirr llir tlriliirAii'in of war.* Iloi this Nit of kMJiiMiir, for whi< Il • vrn llir |irriiral ol rrlsltation haa not brrii advanced, waa urrnnpniiird li^ Nn lomhat auiiinM ilirir countrv ami dirir fricndsi and rvrn wlim ihe Britiah government tartlkly and reluctantly rccognired tha riiiicnahlp of impreaacd Ainrricana, Ui a number nscccding lUOtf at a ainglr naval statitm, and diswilssad thrm from its service on the waicrt it waa only to immura th«m aa prisoners of war on the shore. 'Ilieae iinforiunate p«rs«^ms, who had passed into the power of thr i)ritif , practically, ineffectual, and which, indeed, the whole of the British navy would tic unable to enforce and main* tain.| Neither the orders in council, acknowledged to be ge* nerally unlawful, and declared to be merely retaliatory upon France; nor the Berlin and Milan decrees, which placed the British islands in n state of blockade, without the force of a single squadron to maintain itj were, in principle, more ioju* rious to the rights of neutral commerce, than the existing block- ade of the United States, 'llie revival, therefore, of the system, without the retaliatory pretext, must demonstrate to the .. orld, a determination, on the part of Great Britain, to acquire a commercial monopoly, by every demonstration of her naval *Bte Mr. Besaley'a comapoadeiice with tb« Britiih Kovernmant, ia Ociofarr, Ncvtmbcr, ami Dtccmbcr, ISIS. See, alto, the act of conne**, puwd the Cth of July, 1812. t 8«e theletur from Mr. Beaslrv, to Mr. M'Le&y. dated the 13t)i of &Urck, 1815. I See the succeiiive blyk a d et announced bj the Britith govcmiacnt, and tlte sucucMivc naval commaip^ on the American station ■j**;. *' »«• *'.. a^mmj^.^^- M power, ilte trtulc oi (he tnited Htairi with KuMiSt ^nt\ with otht-r northern |iy inu i)jiri.ui«m ol tli« Urilith .trilrr* \'\ 4 ■t.in'u of iha y vcr her podtctaiooa comt io contact with tha territory uf the t'rtited StaUe. But npproachinB nearer to the acenet of plunder and violenc«i of cruelty and conftagration, wiiich the British warfare exhibit* on the coaat of the t'nitcd Statvt, it mu»t be again asked, what •eta of the American government, of itt ships oi war, or of ita armies, had occurredi or were even Hlleged, as a pretext, for the perpetration of this series of outragc«f It will not be asserted, that they were sanctioned by the usages of modern war; because, the sense of all Europe would revolt at thu assertion. It will not be said, that they were the unauthoriaeJ excesses of the Britiah troops) because scarcely an act of plunder and violence, of cruelty and conllagrution, has been committed, except in the immediate presence, under the positive orders, and ^vith the personal agency, of British offictrH. It must not be again insi- nuated; that they were provoked by the American example; be- cause it has been demonstrated, that all such insinuations are without color, ond without proof. And, after all, tne dreadful and disgraceful progress of the British arms, will be traced, as the effect of that animosity, arising out of recollections connect- ed with the American revolution, which has already been notic- ed; or, OS the effect of that jealousy, which the commercial en- tvrprise, and native resources, of the United 8utes, are calcu- latcd to excite, in tlte councils of a nation, aiming at universal dominion upon the ocean. In the month of April, 1813, the inhabitants of Poplar Island, in the bay of Chesapeake, were piUaged{ and the cattle and other live stock of the farmers, beyond what the enemy could remove, were wantonly killad.^ " In the same month of April, the wharf, the stores, and the fish- er>', at Frepchtown Landmg, were destroyed, and the private itoresi and storehouses, inthe village of Frenchtown,wcre burat.t • 8m the ilepoaition of William Seari. t 8m the Uei»ob«ioni of FrUby AnUcrton and Cordel|^niungton. M'M' »«>^*w**4 63 luuia, anil wi(h lOrilicU, viul il« l»y iwv ojiritition •r, US ir iiii4lly »;h thv ret iliuto* :»»«. /ind tlio K«(i oy the trade nattdiii of Kit* lin, hcrtcir, with Hicil trnd« with ren » clMiidcfttine citUenti, whtrc* territory of tho ler and vlolencei wnrfare exhibit* Itk'in asked, what ol war, or of it» a pretext, for the not be nsierted, !rn war; because, ■crtiui). It will excesseB of the ler and violence, ed, except in the r», and ^vith the Lit be again inti* can example; be- iniinuationa are all, tKe dreadful vilt be traced, as lections connect- ■eady been nolic* comincrcial en- Itatet, are calcu- ling at universal of Poplar Island* 1 the cattle and lie enemy could )res, and the fish- and the private )wn,wereDurDt.t linnington. In the same mnnJh of Anril, iho enemy lan.lrd repcntedly on Hharp'* lilund, Mnr, ;-rivate pr»»pir;y hud ulwass bi-eti re si»citi;d," hastily replied, •' tht. ai ih« Americans wrtnt- the feelings of decorum, as well a* of humanity. ** A defer v. i^ ;« and un- resisting town was given up to indiscriminate piiMge; though civilized war tolerates this o,i\y, as to fortifi*:d places carried by assault, and after summons. Individuals, male and female, wore stripped naked; a sick man was stabbid twice in the hos- pital; another sick man was shot in h s bed, and in the arms ol his wife, who was also wounded, long after the retreat of the American troopr; and females, the married and the oingle, suflered the extremity of pergonal abuse from the troops of the enemy, and from the infatuated negroes, at their instigation.'*^ ■ Sec Jacob Oibtun's deposition. t Sc« ihe dcpoiition of wUUsm T. KiUpwtriclc. Jsmet Wood. Rosanns Moore, and R. Maiiiticld f See ihe dcpoiitioni of John Stavely, William Spencer, Jothus Ward, James Scsnian, Kichard Darnaby, P U Chaiidlear, Jonathan Greenwood, Jotin All«n, T. Robcrtion, M. N. Cannon, and J. 1'. Vesrey. J See general Taylor'i letter to the secretary at war, dated the 3d ot July, ISli. See the letters from general Ta)i«r to admiral Warren, dated the ^9th of June, 1813i to gencnd sir Sidney Ucckwitb, dated the 4th and 5tb ot J «i--'»<,«., - jt.. 5 i .r>.„.^l.ii^.S&„ uv ); m The fatt, tliat these atrocities were committed, the commander of the llriush fl'.'et. admiral Warren, and the commander of the Uriiish tro(>ps, sir Sidocy Beckwith, admitted, without he- ^sitation;* but they resorted, as on other occasions, to the un- worthy and unavailing pretext of a justifiable retaliation. It was said, by tht Uriti.sh general, " that the excesses at Ilamp* ton, were occasioned by an occurrence, at the recent attempt upon Craney Island, when the British troops in a barge, lunk by the American guns, clung to the wreck of the boat; but se- veral Americans waded oif Irom the island, fired upon, and shot these men." 'llie truth of the aaiertion wa« denied; the act, if it hnd been perpetrated by the American troop$, was promptly ^'laavbwcd by tlieir commanden and a board of offi- cers appointed to investigate the facts, after staiin^^ the evidence, reported '* an unbiassed opinion, that the charge against the American troops was unsupported; and that the character of the American soldiery for hunianity and magnanimity, had not been committed, but on the contrary confirmcd."t l^e result of this ioqu;ry was communicated to the British general; repa- ratkon was demanded; but it was soon perceived, that whatever might personally be the liberal dispositions of that ofTicer, no adequate reparation could be made, as the conduct of his troops . was directed and sanctioned by his government.^ During the period of these transactions, the village of Lew* istown, near the capes of the Delaware, inhabited chiefly by fishermen and pilots, and the village of Stgnington, seated up« on the shores of Connecticut, were unsuccessfully bombarded. Armed parties, led by officers of rank, landed daily from the British s^up^ron, making predatory incursions into the open country; riJKng and burninff the houses and cotuges of peacea- ble and retired families; pillaging tlie produce of the planter and the farmer; (their tobacco, their grain, and their cattle;) committing^ violence on the persons of the unprotected inhabit tants; seizing upon slaves, wherever they could be found, as booty of war; and breaking open the co£Sns of the dead, in to the secretary of war, dated the 2d o^ Jul/, 18)3; and to captain Myna, oflhc last date. See, aino, the letter from major Crutchfield to governor Barbour, dated the 2Qch of June, ISlSj the letters from capt. Couijcr to lieutenant governor Mallory, dated iii Jul^i I41&( the re^jort of Messrs Grifiinaioi^ Lively to major Crutch- iield, dated the 4th of Jul}', 1813; un4col. Parker'iiwHicatiun intlie Enquirer. * i^e admiral Warren's letter to gi^nerai Tuylor^ Alibd the 29th of June, 1813; sir Sidney BtcteKith's letter to general Taylor, date4.the same day; and the re- port of capt. Myers to general Tavlor, of July i, ISlS. f See the report of the proctedingsof the board of oiEceis, appointed by thage. neral order, ot^the IstolJuly, 1613. }3et general Taylor's letter to sir Sidney 'Deckwith, dated the 5th of Jdy, 3j.M«l the answer o|.the following day. . bf \W 'A .J5,V i^- »..«(iAl»*«*il -»»-•.'<"*'■ **Z~ ' .' J - n iAil the commander commander of led, without he- ions, to the un« retaliation. It :e9!ieB at Ilamp* recent attempt n a barge, lunk liQ boat; butse- Sred upon, and yaa denied; the :an troopt, was a board of ofli- ini^f the evidence, rge against the he character o( inimity, had not ."t ITie result kh general; repa- d, that whatever r that ofTicer, no uct of his troops 4 t village of Lew- bited chiefly by gton, seated up« ully bombarded. 1 daily from the 1 into the open Lages of peaces- ! of the planter nd their cattle;) >rotected inhabU iild be found, «• of the dead, in :aptain Myers, of Ihc r Barbour, dated the int governor Mallory, riy to major Crutch- liun intlie Enquirer. ! 29tk of June, 1813; ime dayi and the re- >, appointed b> thage^ ted the 5th of My, %^ ?t - •« yi" *- 3 67 search of plunder, or committing robbery on the altars of a church at Chaptico, St. Inagocs and Tappahannock, with a sacri- legious rAge.^. But the consummation of British outrage, yet remains to be stated, from the awful and imperishable memorials of the capi- tal at Washington. It has been already observed, that the massacre of the American prisoners, at the river ilaisin, occur- red in January, 1818; that throughout the same vear, the deso- lating warfare of Great Britain, without once alleging a retalia. tory e](cuse,-made the shores of the Chesapeake, and of ii« tri- butary rivers, a general scene of ruin and distress; and that in the month of February, IfaU, sir Gcorj^e Prcvost himself, ac- knowledged, that the measures of retaliation, for the unauthoria- •dbumingofNewark,inDecember,181S,andfor allthe eacess- es, which had been imputed to the American army, was, at that time, full and complete. The United States, indeed, regarding what was due to their own character, rather than what wan due to the conduct of their enemy, had forborne to authorize a just re- tribution; and even disdained to place the destruction of New- ark to retaliatory account, for the general pillage and conflagra- tion which had been previously perpetrated. It was not without astonishment, therefore, that after more than a year of patient suffering, they heard it announced in August, 181^, that the towns and districts upon their coast, were to be desirdyed and laid wa»te, in revenge for unspecified and unknown acts of de- struction, which were charged against the American troops in Upper Canada. The letter of admiral Cochrane was dated on the isth, bul it was not received until the 31st of Au^^ust, 1814. In the intermediate time, the enemy debarked a b6% of about 5 or 6000 troops at Benedict, on the Patuxent, and by a sudden and steady march, through Bladensburgh, approached the city of Washihgton. This city has been selected for the seat of the American government; but the number of its houses does not excised nine hundred, spread over an extensive site; the whole number of its inhabitants does not exceed eighr. thousand; and the adjacent country is thinly populated. Although the neces- sary precautions had been ordered, to assemble the militia, for the defence of the cir % a variety of causes combined to render the defence unsuccessful; and the enemy took possession of Washington, bnl^n^evening ^of the 2hth of Atfgutt,1814. The commandei-s d£,^im: British fbrce held, at tK|^tinie, admi- ral Cochrane*s desoli^ing order, although it was^^en' unknown to the government and the people of the Uiiited States; but conscious of the danger of so distant a separation from thei;^^ Britisl^ fleet}^ andLdesifous, by every pta'Ufible artifice, tp^detcar \ the ^itia(eo8 frodpyittg to arms against the invaders, they-ilisa* ,'( ,1 VI* . i- wtmm V I OS I vo',ved ail design of injuring private persons and property, and gave ab&ui anccs of pioittiion, wherever there was submission. Cicntral liusa and ndmiral t*otkf»iirn then proceeded in person, to direct and superintend the business of touflagration; in a place, wliith had yielbed to their amt, which was unfortified, and by whith no hostility was threatened. They set fire to the capitol, within whose walls were contained, the huUii of the congress of the United States, the hall of their highest trihuiiul tor the udministrition of justice, the archives of the kgi*lauire, and the national library. They set fire to the ediri*:c, which the United States had erected for the reaidence of their chief magistrate. And they set fire to the costly and extensive build* ings, erected for the accommodation of the principal oti&cers of the government, in the transaction of the public business. These magnificent monuments of the progress of the arts, which America had borrowed from her parent Europe, with all the tesiimonials of tasu: and literature which they contained, iwere, on the memorable oi^ht of the ijMtth of August, consign- ed ta the flames, while Bruish officers of high rank and com- maita, united with their troops in riotous carousals, by the light of the burning pile. But the character of the incendiary had so entirely superced- ed thi- character of the soldier, on this unparalleled expedition, that a great portion of the munitions of war, which had not been consumed, when the navy yard was ordered to be de- stroyed upon the approach of the British troops* were left un- touched; and an extensive foundery of cannon, adjoining the city of Washington, was lelt uniniureds when, in the night of the 23th flift August, the army Huddcnly decamped, and return- ing, with evident mark.^ of precipitation and alarm, to their ships, left the interment of their dead, and the care of their wounded, to the enemy, whom they had thus tnjuredandiotuU- ed, in viu}ation of the laws of civilized war. I'he counterpart to the acene exhibited by the British army* was next exhibited by the British n tvy. Soon after the mid- night flight of general Euss frum Washington, a squadron of British ships of war ascended the Potomac, and reached the town of Alexandria on the 27th of August, 1814. Ttie ma- gistrates, (iiresuming that the general destruction of the town was intended, asked, on what terms it te^|>t be saved. The raval comnAaoder declaredV'** that the^tah' conditions in his power j[o oifer,*' were such as not only re^iiired a surrender of all naval atid ordnance stores, (public arid private,) but of all the shipping; and of all the merchandise in the city, as well'as such as had been removed, since the 10th of August." The cuiH^lipaS| (herefore^t amovioted (o tiit^ntirf plunder of j^ev '%. {4 *. ^ M i.iiirt j^> % -*' si- iti ..flft* .|y.t ^^^ . h- ' * « ■ . I ' y - d property, and was submission, cdcd in person, iflitgration; in a waft unfortified, ;y set fire to the the halli of the highest tributiul the l^gi*Iamre, ) cdicitrc, which e of their chief extensive build* icipal oi&cers of ublic ■ business. !» of the arts, liurope, with all they contained, jgust, consign- \ rank and com* ats, by the light iirely supercede :led expi-'dilion, which had not lered to bede- )s> were left un- adjoining the in the night of ed, and return* niarm, to their tie care of their urcdandiotuU> \ British army, after the mid* a squadron of md reached the 814. Itie ma« an of the town itf saved. The inditions in his a aurreodt^r of ate,) but of all city, as w.ell'tt9 AUguut." The iuoderof 44«1» C9 andria, an unfortifif d and unresisting town, in order to save the building!) from Utsiruciion, The cajuiuliuion was madej and the entm} bcrc away the iruits of his prt:dutoty enterprise, in triumph. But even while this narrative Is passing fronj the press, a new retaliaiory pretext has been formed, to cover the disgrace of the scene, which waa transacted at Washingiuo. In the address of the governor in chief to ths provincial i>arliament of Canadai on the 2'lth of January, 1815, it is asserted, in ambigious Un- guage, ** thati as a just retribution, the proud capital at Waiih* ington, has experienced a similar fate to that iniii.tetl by an American force «t» the seat of gevcrnment, in Upper Canada." The town of y(.rpviDcial library, were destroyed by the American force, k|j|mi occurrence which has never been before presented to the vttlr''df the American govennneilt, by its own cheers, as matterijf information; nor by any oFthe military '*^ ■' " ' ^ ' I III I ■ L m ill - ^— i^— I I I r. . i * See the tet^erifrom general DcMiram tothe tecKtary of«war, dated the 27t|i ai^SSthof Apiii, 1813. t Ste tlic Itmr i'rag conaiodore Chauncy to the wsgBOXi of the naigf, dstc4 ■ the^mof At.|«.t^».|^..^ .,,., • . ^^ , ^-^: '% 4 i -'*; tt- ',F*""v 3'«- 70 .# 'i .. • or chll vhoritipsof Cnnada, as m»«cr of compUint; it i«an occt vn^c which no Americim commnnder had in any degree authorized or approved; and it is an occurrence which the Ame. rican government wouJd have ceaiiured, and repaired with equal promptitude and liberality. But a tale told thu« out uf date, for a «p«ct«l purpose, eannot cumtnand the confidence of the inteiliseet and the candid tuditort for, even if the fact of conflagration M true^ su«piciun must at> tend the cauaefbrto long a concealment, with motlvea ao strung for an immediate disclosure. When air Oeurge Prevoat* in February,191l*,acknowledged, that the measure of reudlation was full and complete, for all the preceding misconduct icnpttC* cdtottie American tn>ops, was he not Apprized of every Mcti whkh hed occurred at Yorki the capittl of Upper Canada^ i\ the months of April and August, 18ta? Yet, neither then^ nor •t any antecedent period, i^or until the Mth January, tUS„ waa the slightest intimation given of the retaliatory pretext, which b now offered. When the admirals Warren and C<»chrane were employed in pillaging and burning the vUlafea, on the ahorea of the Chesapeake, were not all the ret;«iiatory nrateita* for the barbarous warfare known to those conMnandwir And yet, ""^ the fate inflicted by an AmericavA force on the seat of gfr* vemment in I7pper Canada," was never suggested in justificn* tion, or excuse? And, finally, when the evpeditiou wni formpdi in August, 1S14, for the destruction of xhe public edifices at Washington, was not the "Bimilar fate which had beei.' inflicted by an American force on he seat of government, in UpL«r Ca« nada," known to admiral Cochrane, as well as to sir ueorge Prevo9t» jjfhb called upH th« admiral (it is alleged) to carry into effect, me7i<«ures of retaliation, against the inhabitants . of the United States? And yet, both me call, and the compliancCi are founded (not upon the destruction of the public edifices at York, but) upon the wanton destruction committed l>y the Ante* rican ar'ny in Upper Canada, upon the inhabitants of the pro* vince, iorwhcm alone reparation wa» demanded. Avi obscurity, then, dwells upon the fact alleged by sir George Prevost, which has nor been dissipated by inquiry. Whether any public edifiice was improperly destroyed at York, or at^hat pe« riod the injury was done, if done at aU* jand by what hand it was inflicted, are points that ought tojppfe been stated, when the charge was made: surely it is eiKN]^, on the part of tiw American government, to repeat, that tilt fact alleged was ne« ver before brought to its knowledge, for ihvestigation, disav*^*|«''■| W*'' w^l.'»i^M>■ ^.^^^ ; i'-, t n kj^Ulnt} it is an in any degree 'hich the Ame> red with equal irpose, cannot i:«ndidtuditori Hciun mutt at* ktiveaao strung |e Prevoatt in of retAliation onduGt iinpttCo I of every Mcti Mr Canada, \n ther ihen« nor aryi iSlft, waa nrctext, which and C«»chr«ne iltaget^ on the itory ntiiesta, nandefir And the seat of g&* «d in jait&ficft* :i wtti formal bile edifices at bca.' in0actcd in UpL*■■ imm>mm w ft may extend to all tlic Icgiiimatc sj'Sji'ft* o^ her sovescignty ^ sh4 her comcneice, withoit emiang'; ring th ■ indep^ndtnce and peace of eve«y other gmruiment. A haliince of power, in this retpcct, it MS 'l« af.J honor .'.bk tui'mtsi t'.i^re- fore, peaci;- it at the choice of (irtiti Ui-nnmi but if she still ^fatertiaim tvpon war, the United 8?atK», reposing upon the just- ntm of their causet upon the patrioitam of their citizens( upon '*ht di^rioguished vaktr of their If ; .d and naval forces} and, above #1, upon the dispensations oi a h-neficent Providence} are i>«»dy to maintain the contest, for ♦^e preservation of the national independence, with the sr^iao energy and fortitude, which were displayed in acquiring it. <■•;■,•, v %* - 4* ;--'*i'* ''^. VfAtwaafwtWt February 10, litS. ^^^ 'if V; i' ■J^ *' * ^*# 1^1 *;M -•!*■»,« i..^ *■ -:^:. i »• r^'^'^-v^-^^'^l^^^l iliiri M jii tflflf i lirT lflU'nMT' r'-" '"'^ ■«— .m iii .««»«»^ ovcvcign!) ^ sHii epi^ndtnce and i' power, in this e iunii: tind the over i!h? tttar ?; 'Jia iiV'Uvidiiat n«*nt», by ^»hich, 5eJ.. -■"?>» k may iK tkii'msi t?,j<;re- { but if she still g upon th«: just- ircitizens( upon val forces} and, ent Proviticncet escrvat'.on of the f and fortitude. ■:':■'(■■. X.-- f} ,4r» ■■ ■ . • ''-■.■'* • •\ I