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DESULTORY.
Late U. S. Brig ARGUS.
, The following appears in a Sou
thern paper. An American offi
cial account of the action between
the U. S. Brig Argus , Capt. Allen,
and the British {loop Pelican , has
never yet been publiffied. We
have understood, and we believe
from a correct source, that the
mod important faffs relative to the
capture of the Argus have never
appeared before the public, because
the senior officer of that vessel re
mains a prisoner of war in England.
In the mean time we lay before our
readers the following (latement,
which, we are credibly informed,
is told by an officer of the'Argus,
Cow at (we believe) New-York.
After the battle had raged for
fotne time and when it was mo
mently expe&ed, from her {batter
ed situation, that the Pelican would
surrender, the Britifli frigate ——
hovd in fight, close aboard—soon
after, {he commenced a heavy fire
upon the Argus, who quitting the
Pelican, engaged the frigate; but
her crippled (late precluded the
possibility of contending with the
lead hope ofefcape—she according
ly surrendered to the frigate and
the surviving senior officer went on
board of her, and presented his
{word to the commanding office!',
who said, “ how dart; you, fir, pre
feut your sword to me, when the
Pelican had taken you ?” The A
inerican lieutenant replied that “-he
did not expett such treatment from
a British Officer ; rather than sur
render his sword to an officer of the
Pelican, he woold throw it over
board”—and accordingly did so.
It was with difficulty that this officer
afterwards procured his parole.
(Weekly Register.)
New Pork, March 11.
The First Squadron. The Con
flellation is hourly expected here
from Norfolk, and the Guerrier
soon from Philadelphia ; and the
whole iquadron will fail from this
port for the Mediterranean. The
second squadron will rendezvous
and fail from Boston. They are
to carry the ransom and tribute mo
ney to Algiers ! Col.
The Frigate - Macedonian, the
capture of which so mortified the
Britifh,’ and the blockade of which
in the Thames has cost their gov
ernment no very trifling sum, is
now warping down the river to N.
London, together with the United”
States, to prepare for sea. Several
officers from the Britifli squadron
, have been on board of them find
the peace, to bid a final adieu to
their favorate frigate. The British
iquadron are under failing orders.
The Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States adjourned on Saturday
lad, after having cleared the dock
et of about fix*v cases, some of
them of great importance.
John Fergufqn is appointed May
or of ‘the city of Nc.v-York, vice
Dewitt Clinton. Mr. F. is a deci
ced Republican.
We are happy to learn that the
patriotic date of Ohio has, with a
liberality deserving high commen
dation, a (fumed the payment of its
quota of the Direct Tax for the
current year
A History of the IVar, which has
terminated, between the U. S.
of America and Great Britain, u
already in.the press at Philadelphia,
by JohnConrod, & Cos.
Demo. Press.
It is said, that after the figningof
the treaty of pence at Ghent, lord
Gambier, one of the Englifn nego
ciators observed to ours,
“ Gentlemen you have made a
good bargain, for, we {hall have to
restore to you New-Orleans and
offered a bet of seven thousand guin
eas that it was then in poKc ffion of
the British. Mr. Clay, oik of our
negotiators, immediately t4ok ir tip
and the money was ffaktfl. My
lord Gambler, we guess has found
out ere this, who has loft the “ Tel
love Beys.” (Sav. Rep.J
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
The following mod interefeing
Message was on the 20th ult. trans
mitted, by the Proficient of the U.
States, to both Houses of Congress:
To the Senate and House of Rre
presentatives of the U. States.
I lay before Congress copies of
the Treaty of Peace and Amity
between the United States-and hi’
Britannic MajeTy, which wqs sign- ;
ed by the Connnilfioners -of br>m
parties at Ghent on the 24th- of
December, 181 4, and the ratifica
tions of which have been duly ex
changed.
While performing this acf, I con
gratulate you, and our conflituents,
upon an event which is highly ho
norable to the nation, and termi
nates with peculiar felicity a cam
paign signalized by the mod bril
liant fuc cedes.
The late war, although reluc
tantly declared by Congress, had
become a necefiary resort, to affei t
tile rights and independence of the
nation. Ir has been waged with a
1 success which is the natural rcfult
j of the legislative counsels, of the
j patriotism of the people, of the
: public spirit of the militia, and of
the valor or the military and naval
forces of the country. Peace, at
all times a blefling, is peculiarly
welcome, therefore, at a period
when the causes for the war have
Sealed to operate; when the go
vernment have demonfttrated the
i efficiency of its powers of defence;
and when the nation can review its
conduit without regret, and with
out reproach.
I recommend to your care and
beneficence, the gallant men whole
achievements, in every department
of military fen-ice, on the land and
on the water, have so essentially
contributed to the honor of the A
r*
rhevican name, and to the reitera
tion of peace. The feelings of
conscious patriot!fm and worth will
animate finch men, under every
change of fortune and rurfuit; but
their country performs a duty to
itself, when it bellows ihofe testi
monials of approbation and ap
plause, which are, at once, the re
ward, and the incentive, to great
actions.
The reduction cf the public ex
penditures to the demands of a
peace tikblifhmetit v. ill, dbub’tlefs,
engage the immediate attention of
Congress. --There are, however, I
important cotvfiderarions which for
bid a sudden and generabi revoca
tion of the mean;rcs that have been
produced by the war. Experience i
has taught us, that neither I:he pa
cific difpofitiens of the American 1
people, nor the pacific character of
their political infliturions, can alto
gether cxemnt them from that fir if?
U? A
which appears, beyond the ordinary
lot of nations, to be incident to the
atiuai period of the world ; and
| the fame faithful monitor demon
j Urates that a certain degree of pre
: paration fgr war, is not only indif
: penfible to avert disaster in the on
i set, but affords aifo the best security
; for the continuance of peace. ihe
I v.ifdom of Congress will, therefore,
| I am confident, provide for the
j maintenance of an adequate regu
lar-force ; for the gradual advance
; of the naval efiablifhment ; for
improving all the means of harbor
i defence; for adding difeipiine to
i the diuinguifhed bravery of the
’ militia, and for cultivating the mii
itarv art, in its essential brnache*,
J 7
under the liberal patronage of gov
ernment.
The refourecs of our country
were, at all times, competent to the
attainment of every national ob
ject ; but they will now be enrich
ed and invigorated by the atiivitv
which petite will introduce into all
the feenes of domestic enterprise So
labor. Ihe provrfion that has been
made for the public creditors, du
ring theprefent session of Congress,
muff have a effect in the
establishment of the public credit,
both at home and abroad. The
reviving interests of commerce will
claim the legislative attention at the
carlieft opportunity; and such re
gulations will, I truss, be feafona
biy devised as flull secure to the
United States their just proportion
of the navigation of the world, —
The melt liberal policy towards,
other nations, if met by correspond
ing dispositions, will, in this refpefl,
be found the molt beneficial policy
towards our ft Ives. But there is
no fubjeCt that can enter with great
er force and merit into the delibe- *
ration of Congress, than a consi
deration of the means to preserve
and promote th<? manufactures
which have sprung into exillence,
and attained an tin,paralleled ma- ,
turity throughput the United States
during the period of the European
wars. This fonree of national in
dependence and wealth, I aqxio.q-fly
recommend to the prompt and cc.r
ftant guardianship of Congress.
The termination of the legisla
tive session will soon fepara'e you,
fellow-citizens, from each other. &
reflate you to your conflituents.—
I pray you 16 bear with you the ex
prellions of my I anguine hope, that
the peace which has been just de
clare! w;li not only be the founda
tion of the mol friendly intercourse
between the Unired States arfd G.
Britain, but that it will also be
productive of happiness and har
mony in every lection of our be
loved country. The influence of
your precepts and example muff be
every where powerful ; and while
we accord in grateful acknowledge
ments for the protection which Pro
vidence has bellowed upon us, let
us never ceafc to inculcate obedi
ence to the laws, and fidelity to the
union, as conllituring the palladi
um of the national independence
n 4
and prosperity.
JAMES MADISON;
Washington, February 18.
AN'ACT
Fixing the military peace eftablfli
ment-ofthe Unired States.
Be it enabled by- the Senate and
House cf Representatives of the U.
States rs America in Congress assem
bled, That the military peace ef
tablilhment cf the United States
lhall confiff of such proportions of
aitii’erv, in lap try, and riQeipennct
exceeding in the whole, ten thou
sand men, as the President of the
United States {hall judge proper,
and that the corps of engineers, as
at present enlisted, he retained.
§ 2. Be it further enabled, That
the corps of artillery {hall have the
fame organization as isprefeibed by
the act passed the 13th cf Match,
one thousand eight hundred and
fourteen ; and the regiment of
light artillery the fame organization
as is preferibed by the act passed
the twelfth day of April, one thou-hi
land eight hundred and eight; and
that each regiment of infantry and
riflemen, fnall confiff ofone colonel,
one lieutenant colonel, one major,
one adjutant, one quarter-master,
one pay in after, one surgeon, & two
far geo ns* mates, one ferjeant major,
one quarter mailer ferjeant, two
principal musicians, and ten com
panies ; each company to confiS
of one captain, one firff lieutenant \
and one second lien ten ant, four fer
jeants, four corporals, two raufi
cians, and sixty-eight privates
§ 3. Be it further enabled , That
there fliall be two major generals,
and four brigadier generals; tha
major generals to be entitled to two
aids-de-camp, and the brigadier
generals to one aid-de-camp each,
to be taken from the subalterns qJ
the line, four brigade infpeflors, &
two brigade quarter grafters, and
such number cf hospital surgeons
and furgeons’ mates, as the fcrvice
may require, not exceeding five
surgeons and fifteen mates, with
one iiewart and one wardniafter to
each hofpiral. Tiic brigade in
spectors, appointed under this ach,
ffiall be taken from the line ; and
the brigade quarter masters, the
adjutants, regimental quarter-maL
ters, and paymasters, from the sub.-
alterns of the line.
§ 4. Be it further enabled, That
the compensation, fobftftance, and
clothing of the officers, cadits,
non-commissioned officers musi
cians, artificers, and privates com
posing the military peace effabliffi.
ments, flral! be the fame as are pre
feribed by the acf, entitled “ An a&
fixing the military peace eftablifli
ment cf the United Stares,” passed
sixteenth March, one thousand
eight hundred and two, and the
a<ft. entitled “ An act to raise for a
limited time, en additional military
force, ” passed twelfth April, one
thousand eight hundred and eight;
and that the major generals (hall bs
entitled to the fame compenfatioa
as is provided by an act entitled
“An aft to raise an additional mil
itary force,” passed eleventh Janu
ary, one thousand eight hundred £
twelve.
§ A. And be it further enabled*
That the President of the United
States cause to be arranged, the
officers, non-com miilioned officers,
musicians, and privates, of the se
veral corps of troops now in thn
service of the United States, in such
a manner as to form and complete
out of the fame that corps author
ized by this act, and cause the fu
pernumerary officers, non-commis
sioned officers, musicians, and pri
vates to be difeharged from the ser
vice of the UnitecJ States, from and
after the firff day of May next, or
as soon as circumffances may
niit.
SG. And be it further enabled*
That each commissioned officer,
who fliall be deranged by virtue of
this a&, there fliall be allowed and
paid, in addition to the pay and
emoluments to which they will bt*
