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CONGRESS.
t
MOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
ShPTEMHBK 28.
boux nr to dderifr*.
Mr. Fifu ofVt. said lie believed it was
the pr3dffcc of’ the Britis> commanders, on
land and water, to use every means in
their power { induce oor men to dtfert
their guns. A dnedl retaliation of fitch
piaflices would doubtless be julbfi ble.
But, Mr. F. faiil, the resolution he was
about to submit had a different motion.
.It was well known that desertions from
the enemy were very frequent; and that
those deserters were ((rangers in our coun
try, without means of employment, or of
purclnffng lands on which to labor for an
botuTt livelihood. It was as wejl known
that we have an rxtenfive much
exposed, and a great quantityl of wild
lands, the !ettlement of which Would he
very desirable. In order to authorise an
enquiry into the expediency of flispofing
oftliis fpecicsof pcrlhns so that thfv nriglt
be useful rather than burthenfotie to tic
community, he pro|M>sed the Allowing
——rsorve :
Resolved , That tire eommictee on the
Public Lands be inJlrudted U) enquire into
the expediency of giving to each drfi rtcr
from the Britilli army during the present
war, one hundred acres of the Public Lands,
such deserter adimlly fettling the fame;
nd that tlie committee have leave to report
by bill or otherwise.
Tli queffion to take this motion into
cohfideration, the Yea® and Navs having
been required by Mr. Oakley, was decided
ai follows:
For eonfideration 82
Againrt it 45
On the fuggeftinn of Mr. M'Kee of
Ky. the resolution was amended so as to
rj;ier the fnbje f\ to the committee on Mil
itary Affairs, within the scope of whose
duties it appeared to iiiip more properly to
Come.
The Yeas and Nays having been order
ed on the prffago of the resolution.
Mr. O.iklcy of N. 2*. laid he had nfkeJ
for ttie Yeas and Nays on the quefhou of
tonfidering this resolution, to mark his
oppoiitmn to it inev-ry Urge. With deep
regret, he might truly lay, had he seen
this resolution before the House. He
had Imped, to wliatevrr extent of facrifice
Congress might determine to go in the
prosecution of this war; altho’ we might
all agree to lay down onr lives and for
tunes in its support, we (hall Itill retain
something like national honor. He was
furry to lie a propofuinn before this
House which he considered to be levelled
tt tli;- root of it. He did not speak from
extciifivc knowledge, but lie believed lie
was jollified in faying it was the only
proportion of the kind e**r fobmitred to
any Legillature. He did not know, at
leult, that it had ever entered into the
scope of policy of this government to en
couiage tlie tonimiflion of crime by those
muff likely to perpetrate it. The ranks
of the enemy were known to be filled by
ragamuffins of -all defexiptipns ; and, by
tlie adoption of fueli a measure as that
prophst and by this resolution, we fliould make
a dire<Tt appeal to the worll paffinns of the ,
word men. Are we reduced to this ‘
Have we not resources to maintain an o
pn and manly con tell wjthout appealing
to this mod unheard of and disgraceful
courlc ? If such policy were pursued by ,
the government, Mr. O. laid he ffionld j
forever despair of a fuctcfsl'ul issue to the
eon ted in which we are engaged. He
hoped gentlemen would reflect deeply on j
this fptjjeid, before they gave their con
sent to this enquiry.. If confiJcrations
fufficienti) powerful to arrefl the irens
uvedo not press upon t!ic feelings of men, ,
it would be in vain for him to urge them. ;
There were, he fa id, fome propolitions 1
which outraged at once so greatly all ;
the feeling of honor and propriety, that it ,
oppose them bv nr- i
gunient. Since tlie resolution had been !
introduced, there mud be fome realisms to i
urge or juffify its adoption. But could
the invitation to and encouragement .of
treaibn come fairly within the scope of
onr views ? Shall tlie United States af
ter having year after year held out their
condtuft hs an example of public faith and
honor; after arraigning the enemy at'the
bar of nations for his disregard of judice
and so liis viol.itious of the rules of war
fare ; shall the United States, after all
this, go as far beyond the enemy in his
violations of the utages of war, as he lias
bej*ond all other nations! Shall we, by
so doing, draw a veil over thr atrocity of
his af\s, and place us on an eminence of
guilt which no nation ever before reached ?
He called upon gentlemen by their re
gard tor their own honor and the charac*
ter of the nation, to dop this prohibition in
its outset. The house, by their vote to
coulider the resolution, bad already gone
too far in famdioning a proportion which
(h ikes at tlie root of thole principles which
bind togetlwr the civilized world. It
■would be to offer a bounty to treafpn.—
He did not know to what it might lead.
There was enough of bitterness and ani
mofitv already infused into this war.
Our enemy now affetl (for affectation he
mud fuppol’e it) to accuse us of a Viol <tion
of the ulages of civilized warfare, and pre
sume to place their fevered measures on
the ground of retaliation. Adopt this
measure, and they are judified for every
me'if Ire of atrocity to which tliey may
think fit to rtfott. It will not be in your
mouths hereafter (laid Mr. O.) to com
plain of the burning and ravaging of your
towns, or of the unreasonable rupture of
negoctntions. He called upon gentlemen 1
.then to reflett wlwthcr tlie adoption of this
measure would rot infufe into the present |
conted a to nper which w ill defeat all hopes
of an early peace.
Mr. Fijk of Vt. denied that this propo
’ fition was of the charaftcr ascribed to it;
I and fa;d that he was not confdous of pos
seffing i a dispoiition to fan&ion a*v such
measures. What dots the pro
pose ? That tlie deserters coming among
[ us, indead of becoming iniifancas to soci
ety, may be provided with means’of
becoming good citizens. But, fays the
■ gentleman from N. Y. this is a violation
t of all principle. I have never Underdond
• that nations at peace with each other were j
precluded from receiving each other# de- j
, lerters; and it is underito'id, that, when J
;we are at war, we may not provide the
means of support for thos” from
our enemy ? Did g ntlenien ®due, in
order to m.iintaip this ideal national# dig
nhy, this high Handing among tiatiors,
that we (liquid return to the enemy those
deserters who come withirt our lines ? \
; Would the gentleman from New-York ;
advocate such a meafiuc l And wiiich is t
mod criminal, if criminality can attach
to such conduft. to fuller them when com
ing among you in time of peace, or pro- |
vide the means nrcfffary to prevent their I
being a burthen to the community in i
! time of war ? If we take the firff (ftp of •
i receiving dderters, why not take the otli- ‘
‘er which is now proposed t But the gen- I
tlunan had said, this would I* inviting ;
delerters from the enemy. Mr. F. said 1
they were already invited by tlie- nature
of our mffitutions, by the freedom and ’
, protection they afforded to strangers. 1
’ And would the gentleman change nur )
form of government, left in its present ■
lhape it Ihould tempt the foldiert. of the
enemy to dtfert t The resolution propos
es to introduce no new principle. We :
do now receive deserters ; and there is no
gentleman who will rife in his place and
* move that all deserters be sent back, Tlie
gentleman supposes tlie measure to lie ,
j without precedent. Let the gentleman
read Lord Wellington’s /proclamation,
whiifl in Spain, offering a tybwnty to eve
ry deserter from the Frenclfarmv of twelve
crowns, i his precedentlhad been set by
the very nation with w/ioin we are at I
war. Admiral Cockbu/i, too, had r.ot
long ago publillicd a pirclamation to all
who wiliicd to leave tie country to ap
point a place of rendezvous, and fie would
furnifli tlie means t</ carry them off.—.
Look also at General Bi ifbane’s proclama
tion to the people jli Vermont and New
• York, inviting th/n all to flay at home,
in other words, 16 defect the ffandard of
their Country, Jn d to turnifh his army
with provilionsf &c. 6tc. Gentlemen
might even lo back to times of peace,
anu fee Gmilaf condutYon the part of the
enemy. LX/ring the exigence of our em
bargo law,Mich was pretty oppreflive in
its operation on our present enemy, tho’
to be lure, his friends in this country
spoke very lightly of its eflecl. they invi
ted our citizens to violate it, off! ring them
protection and fafe conriuO in so doing,
not only to any Britilli jx>rt, but to any
port wiiatever. Whatever new dilfinc
tinns may be drawn on this bead, yet if
we look at the effetl of measures, a more
direCt invitation to reliellion, even in time
of peace with us, could not lie imagined.
From fome cause or other, a great deal of
sensibility was always exhibited in this
• House when certain lubjedls were touch
ed. Ihe Houle was told again and a
gain to beware of provoking the enemy’s
wrath. I his kind of false sensibility was,
Mr. I', said, tall vanilhiog. Alk-the citi
. zens of Flattiburgh, Butfaloe, Havre-de
grace, Hampton, Georgetown, and this
; place, whether they had rather the war
, Ihould he earned into the enemy’s territo
ries or he Ihould be permitted to carry it
into ours. i hey would one and all de-
I tide in favor of the fonnrr. The people
begin to find we are at war with a nation
, whom no ccinfidorations of peculiar rnodes
-1 ty or guierolity prevent from carrying in
j to effect any measures to which her power
, •* adequate. Still, however, could dis
: honor attach in anv way to the me dure
; which he proposed, he would not fnpjxrrt 1
i it. But even humanity demanded such a
provilioti. The deserters from the ene- 1
my now infelling our cities were at once 1
a burthen to*themfelves and a nuisance to
society ; but planted on our own 1 rentiers,
they would not only form a barrier agahdt
lavage incurlions, but would become -uj'e
ful citizen®. Mr. F. compared the ‘ad
vantages ot thus diminilhing the enemy’s
effective force with the expence of doing
it in any other v;ay, and drew a condu
fion favorable to bis motion. He was de
termined to support tlii® war by every pro
per and honorable measure ; and he con.
fidered this one of that delcriptioh. Dc
lertions fro;n the enemy, he laid were dai
ly and numerous. Something like five tir
fix hundred men bad alreadv deserted
from the enemy St Plat;{burg—nunv of
them ufeful, enterprizing men, who wilh
to become citizens. My with, laid Mr.
F. is to make them ufeful, by giving
them the means of support by lioneft in
dustry.
Mr. Grosvcnor cfN.T said, that as he
was bound to believe that any gentleman
who made a motion in this Houle conlid
ered it honorable and proper, vhen he pro
nounced the measure, now proposed, to lie
dishonest, dishonorable and inexpedient, he
did mean to retk£l perfonallv on thole
who moved or advocated it. He did think
so, and lie did conceive alio that the fug
gcflions offered againll by the gen
tleman from New-York had been in no de
gycemet by tlie mover. How had they
been met ? ‘ Tlie gentlemen talked about
tlie crimes of Britain; and seemed to infer
because file bad violated principle >n one
way, we might in another, lliis resolution
1 would indeed at once reduce us to the
lame depth of guilt ui which the gentlemen
fay our enemy is wallowing. The mee
fure embraced in the motion befote the
House. being in the nature of retaliation
was different from all other such measures.
It was wicked in itfeff bccatile it encour
aged crime. It could not therefore be
jollified on that ground, nor indeed on any
other. For his part, Mr. G. said, lie had
voted againfl tlie eonfideration of the mo
tion, because in principle it was wrong,
and therefore lie would not et'en enquire
into it. Without regard, be said, to tiie
infmuation of particular ftnfibilit.es, the
uhia! cant in this house. on such nccafions,
lie fliould candidly difeufs this qur ltion.—
If he knew himfjlf, he obfervrd, there was
not a gentleman on the boor who would
go further than he would at this moment,
to refeue the country from the dangers
which environ it, to repel the foe that tram
ples on the foil. Bat. let tire danger be
what it would, unless tlie exigence of the
nation was absolutely in jeopardy, be could
not, under any pretence, mnfent to pros
trate its honor and dignity by plunging in
-1 :c crime. Thequeflioo, then, arose wheth
er thr propof-d measure was or was not of
a rrimina! nature; and this queffion lie
I wiOied fairly to conlider. What was this
! proportion which was to lx* adopted as a
| national principle, as a portion of our na
> tinnal morality, to our character,
1 notv and forever? He asked gentlemen to
1 f.iy if they nould,by adopting this propor
tion. offer a bounty for the comniifTton of
crime. Letgentlemen look into the books
on nationaflaw, thev will find desertion to
be an offeree of so black dye that not
even enenies are to encourage it. It is
an off ence in regard to which it is a com
mon cxpitjfion, that men lovt the treason
but hate tie traitor. A nation muff re
ceive the Taitcr bat bates him at the fame
time; liesiufe the crime of deserting tlie
allegiance which a man owes to this coun
try is ore of the deeped dye, one which
you me daily pirnifhing with death on
your ‘rentier. It if now proposed to offer
a beauty on an offence, to which your
ownjiaws have decreed the punilbment of
deatfi. Wby dop here ; Why not offer
a bounty to every man who commits trea
fofi of hny kind ? Why flop there ? Why
not at bnce adopt die principles of the Old
Man <jf the Mountain, as he is called, and
offer a bounty for the aflVdination of the
king, governors and generals of your ene
my ? Why dop fliort on giving a bounty
on desertion l Why not at once give a
bounty for the affaffipation of every man
in your enemy’s camp, and pay the perpe
trators of the crime when their daggers
reek with their blood? There is little or
no difiintlion, in principle, between thtfe
ofTtnc s. Mr. G. repeated that ie was
ready, and gentlemen would find it in his
conduct.,to travel every honorable length
in defending Ins country. But nothing
Ihort of prelerving the independence of tiie
country, andirrt til. that mdependence was
prodrate on the ground, ctxild induce him
to adopt a meafure.embracing * principle
like this. And what would gentlemen
gain by it ?. It was already univerfaliv un
der Hood that the foldiecs cf tlie er.emy de
serted whenever they could. Bur fay,that
by this measure we g.iined ten thoul’and
men—would it be a feather in the scale;
would this indemnifv us for the black dis
grace which it would damp on the very
forehead of the country ? But look at tlie
further conftquenees, said he. Believe
you that the enemy will not retaliate ?
i’hat after you have committed this crime
agamft 1:11 man nature, !}ic would not enter
the southern department of your country,
ai’d kindle a fne which you could not
quench ? Tiris (be had not yet attempted,
though (he had the prw c r. Relieve you
(lie would not capture youruuofFeiuling cit
izens on the ocean, and keep them a.t hos
tages till you delivered up those whom you
bad enticed away ? Yes. fir, (lie would
not llav her arm. Look at the further
conlt-quence of fttcli a measure. We are
to fettle theferagganiuffiosonourfroiiticrs.
Was there a man who believed that these
men, who Were picked from the jails of
Europe, these lix-jramy .nsn, would fettle
down as farmers ? Nc; thev were men
of clifr.jlute lives, nteo’motacquainted with
tlie ftefui aits. Mr.G.faid he would tint
offer inducements to such poor wretches to
commit a crime, (or which, if dete£hd,
tl.pv would luftlr death. The gentleman
had talked of humanity ; was there any
humanity in this? In its cotilequences, as
well its its principles, it was utterly objec
tionable. Whenever tlie nation is puffed
to the lad extremity, such a measure
might jrrefent a queffion for eonfideration ;
but we are fiat driven to this extremity.
This country is abundantly capable of de
fence. Let its means be brought forth
the people are ready and willing to raise
their arms in its defence. There was no
occasion for such degrading measures as
this. ( v
Sir. Sharp of Ky. commenced fome
remarks by faying, that on all fnbjefts re
quiring the deliberation of Congrcfs, he
was pleased to fee afentiment of jealous
regrtrd so- the national honor and charac
ter pervading the House, and feltdifpofed
to allow the fincentv and candour of eve
ry gentleman who made professions of it.
After hearing very attentively, however,
all that had been said 011 this fubje£l, and
giving due credit to the ingenuity of gen
tlemen, whose arguments are certainly ve
ry specious, his mind had not been con
vinced but that tlie measure now proposed
to the House perfectly comported with the
national honor. It was true, indeed, that
when we confute the conduit of nations,
and those usages which have the force of
laws, we (hall find many traits which do
not quadrate entirely with the principles
deemed honorable iu fochl life. But in
conlidering fubjeds of this kind, we muff
difentar.gle our minds from the considera
tion of municipal laws which have no'bear
ing on this fqbjed. Treason is a crime of
,! M#*# M t * f
. P „ withdraw ;
adegiance from v> „ . rar ,<Lr it ■
f , one nation and transicr it (
to that nations , • „ U *rea-i
son againfl t^M^ 1r ! ,T, ' V, . url , t 0
, • ■ . fovertipr authority >.O
winch allegianc w p ut how
ougat we to cf crin , e? Tiro’ a
crime country, it
no enme xgam( that Mhc deserts
lur defection j-. fo , dlerfrom our enemy
ts finely no end Uie uM States,
and therefore a at ali _
Mr. S. examm dat fome , en?th t)ic n a- %
ture .*t alleg.dr of thp ob ], g -, a ]oUS it
n.ipo a . qJ. a criminal of any ‘
kind was partic . ... 1 tv.
‘ r- lating m his crime, amt tx
ronnng but it |,-.d
ft” ,be rt of al! nations ,o r,We
delerters from I, . , _,. r
mit them to fef^ ,r
baved ,s good \ le amon -
nice principles f ,-. 6 1 „ k..j
,•, J r t iit honor VK gentlemen had
Jaw down, cxtff .... b , j ,
r ’ • tided tar enough, would im
pure on a natif , . b
i ,jn the necessity of reltormg
to an enemy HL , • , .■■ _
. „ <is deserters, and enabling
him to pumlb tt . ’• , ,
Ts , „ ‘ heir offence with death.—
f, howeser, m, Mj , wr may
ST i's and comfort, and afford
other induce,nf 1 ’ we aS^f
, - x uts as those which, the gen
tlemen s, ar , . .
, 1 Vjw—~-K-a>oecate Ip onivcr/ui
ly on the foidf-rs of our enemy. In so
doing, the principle wiiich is not contro
verted is extf led hut little further than
at pn sent, s‘ in its moral conlVqiience*
is certainly if so enlarf-ed as to affeill the
national hono. The force of the enemy’s
examples had b -en passed over in fiience
by the gentler, an, and tiieir corredlnels
tacitly adnrited 1 their authority de
nied only by the general intimation that
such conduft W3S contrary to national
law*. The proposed measure therefore de
rived firengtii from the preceding condudl
of the enemy. But, examine all liiftory,
ancient and modern, what had been the ufu
a! course of all nations at war? To weak
en the hands of their opponents & (Length
en the hands of thtmfelves. Perhaps pre
cedents derived from the revolutionary war
might not Ire considered by gentlemen as
bearing ,111 this {mint, since Britain then
claimed us as her colonies. RecoJleH,
however, her proclamations inviting our
citizens to withdraw from their allegiance.
Our hiflory, it is true, is not ample owing
to tlie recency of its date. But it will be
recollected that in the war with Tripoli,
our gallant officer conducting the war 011
the land united himfelf on that occasion
with a j - slender to the Tiipolitian throne,
and took advantage of his rebellion to di
vide the forces of the enemy. Who cen
sured that adt? Who blamed Eaton for
bis conduct l And yet it was thus onlv
that the Dey was compelled to come to
terms which he had btlore refufed. This
measure was clearly diflingnilhable. Mr.
S. said, from a bounty for afiaffination, to
■which it had been likened. Employing
pet foils secretly to kill an eneinv was a
warf.re worthy only of savages ; it was
an unmanly way of getting rid of thole
whom an army dare not meet in a field of
battle. But to withdraw foidiers from an
enemy’s flandard was not of this charac
ter, and was beficles more correct under
preftnt circun.ftances, inasmuch as the en
emy’s arpiy is not composed of foidiers of
his own country, but of foidiers from Ger
many and other countries, men who owe
no national allegiance to Britain, but are
mere mercenaries in her ranks—who fight
for thole who pay them belt. They are
calculated to be the mod dangerous ene
mies, but are willing to dt fert tbnr lead
ers and join our flandard ou fufficient in- ‘
ducemenvs. If they employ men owing
them no allegiapr.e, have we not a right to
withdraw them it rve can, and employ
them to (lengthen onr’ own frontier?—
As to the objection that they would not
fettle, that objedVion is refuted by tl,e
terms.of the resolution, which require ac
tin'! settlement on the land. Let gentle
men acquainted with the revolutionary
war recoilett how many of the good citi- •
zens of Pennfyjvania and otfiprfcttes uere
deserters from the Britiflt ranks, Hefiians,
Germans, &c. and have become among
our bed and wealtbieft and moss n'.'.-fiil cit- ;
izens. Mr. S. concluded bv oMerving,
that this was a clear queffion of expedien
cy, yerfidPy ryithin che scope of onr poli
cy, not contrafy to national honor, merit
ed the attention of the House,. and ought
to be referred as proposed to one of its com
mittees.
After rejecting amotion made by Mr.’
Bradly ofVt . to lay the motion nl*de on
the table, the queffion on its adoption waj
determined as follows :
For the motion 80
Agaisff it jj
So it was adopted by the House.
BOUNTY TO RE-CAPTORS.
Mr. King cf Mass, adverted to the
law palled in 1813, allowing a bounty lor
prisoners taken by private armed veflels,
remarked that by recent dccifi.rns of the
proper authority, it appeared that tlie pro
visions of this ac\ dki not extend to the ca
ses of re-capture by private armed veflels,
certainly a meritorious class of cales, and
equally entitled, with others, to remunera
tion for theirrenterprizes. To colletff the j
fenle of tlie house on the propriety of
extending this provision to embrace such
cases, he moved the following resolution ;
Kevolved, That the committee on Na- j
V3l Affairs be inftrudlcd to enquire into :
the expediency ot extending tbe provifion* ,
of the a t\ entitled “An adl allowing a ‘
bounty to the owners, officers and crews
of the private armed velfels of thrrUnited
States,” pafled on the ad Auguff, 1813, to
such officers and crews of merchant vcffirls
of the United States as have recaptured,
or may re-capture the fame frojn the
enemy.
AUENCMP-‘T tthe CONST!TUTI<^V t
Mr. Jackson of Va. fiiJ it would Ire
recollefted that at the lass session he had
the honor to pfopofe a resolution roamtr.A
the Conffitntion of the United States, f>e
now renewed it that it might be decided
. on during the present fcllion oP Congress.
He then efftred a motion, in the usual
form, to amend the Conffituticn, embrac
ing the following proportions?
1. Congress lliall have power to lay
a tax or duty, not exceeding to per ct.
ad valorem, on articles exported from any
Bate.
• 2. Congress (hall have power to make
roads in any Ante.
3. Congress lliall have power to make
’ finuls in any state, with the consent
’ of the ffate through wiiich the fame fiial!
pass.
4. Congress shall have power to eflablifh
a National Bank, with branches tbereol in
> every date.
Mr. Jackson moved to refer these prop
ositions to a committee of the whole on
’ the ffate of the Union ; and gave no
tice that he fliould call lor the onn
■ fideration of the last of them on Fri-
day next.
j From tl>e„ Buffalo G***ttc f Sept.
’ tATF. AND I NT” NESTING FBoM CANADA.
“,
The following articles are taken from a
Quebec paper in our poficilion.-
“ Re-Caionizadon” does notfeem to be
the order of tiie day, at Qntliec. The
i specimens of fighting exliibited in the
: present campaign, is evidence to them,
! that they have an enemy ‘* not to be
; contemned.” These articks coming as
1 they do, from the official papt*r ot Sir
j George Prevofl, will be read with inter
-1 est.
This Quebec paper, with many other va!u
, able documents, were intercepted this
i fide of Kingston !
Quebec, August -23, 1814.
! We may every moment expecl intelli
gence from Europe, on the queffion of the
continuation of the war, or of a peace wirli
the United States, as a short time must
bring tlie depending differences between the
. two countries into such a ffate, that .the
negor.iators may, in forenftc language,
be be at issue; and it can not take
any great length of time to try that issue-
As the American negotiators will undoubt
edly be well informed of the force sent
out to America by Great Britain, that
knowledge muff have its due weight in
lowering the American tone. This ct.n
fideratinn, added to the very moderate dis
poiition evinced by Great Britain, in the
late European treaty of peace, and which
disposition appears to be fyflematic, holds
out strong ground for believing that tire
United Kingdom will meet tbe United
States with temper and fueli a coufiliaiory
spirit as, we think, will bring tbe war to
termination.
Ufa new boundary between the Cana
das we coni’efs, whatever may be our whil
es, we are not very fanguhie in our ex
pectations. With all our strength it would
be raflmefs to attempt to penetrate any
diftar.ee in the enemy’s country. Such a
measure would inf affably expose obr army
to be taken in the rear, and produce perhaps
another Saratoga difalter ; therefore, the
urmoll that can be done muff be on tire
American border. That from this coun
try, cannot be much, and therefore tiie ad
vantages from which we should have t*
set up a claim to more territory cannot be
of a very impressive nature.
On tiieir seaboard much mifehief might
unqu(;ftionabl> be ir.fli&ed on them, hr the
■ nature of thqftiffement; but this though'a
lot's to them, would be no acquisition ta
us; and when once that mifehief is sc
■ complidied, there ends the extent of our
power. They would have nothing more
tn fe,ir, & only evince, perhaps, more per*
tin city in their refiffance to our claims.
Rendering desperate and inacceflible to
further attacks their unbending Omit would
onlv become more ftubbom. id a tarre- ‘
pin fyffem thev have been pretty much ac
cuffi'med ami muff hy th'r time, be able
to reconcile their minds to it. Their
country is fufficiently abundant to keep
them from (buying, and luxuries, for a
time, they might make up their minds to
renounce. If” then, in addition to their
being (hut out from the Eaff India trade,
they ihould be, in tonic degree, curtailed
j in the fiiheries, we ‘fear that it is as much
as we can look for. It more be required
and infilled on, the war, rve think, must g
y .on ; but our prelent impression is that
peace is not very diftatit. We may Ire
! mistaken. Prescience we pretend not tb:
but every man has a right to an opinion ;
we claim no more.
On the Niagara frontier the war, for
the moment appears to (land flill ; but
this can he considered as no more than a
fliort calm before a storm. Our troots
1
may very veil healloved a little respite .
They have lately seen and felt severe
service . They have at present, an ene
my to contend vitb, not to be contemned
by them. Even tbe heroes of Spain ,
■ Portugal and France , may require a lit
tle breathing time ; but a day will tome
1 when they may be expected to rife in their
might, and woe to themlon whom their
j ami lliall fall.
From tbe Burlington Intelligencer.
By his excellency Lieutenant General
j Sir George Prevoft, Baronet, Cnpt. Gene
; ral, and Governor in chief of his tnajefty’s
j North American Provinces, and Command
; er of the force*.
A PROCLAMATION.
The Commander of HMBrittannic Ma
jesty’s Forces, which l*k*#qjiitf-r£d the ffate
of New-York. makes known to its peace
able and unoffending hrhab’tanM, that
j they have u.oCaqfc lot ahutt f.-ym this sit-