Star. — London, England, 1813-04-16 00:00:00

MN "a'REFLEGTIWCY ON THE CONDUCT OF THE AMERICANS, OM 15* THE SITUATION OF OUR•AFPAIPS IN CANADA. • . The brilliant achievements of our little army id Canada, in repelling the attacks of our American enemies, have of late been so conspicuous as to claim the attention of the Mother Country, much as she is occupied in the contemplation of the grand and in . terestinr events which are now passing on the Con tinent; and in the Peninsula. Interesting as these events are, it is to be hoped, that Government will shew they possess minds sufficiently capacious to em brace and attend to the interests of the British empire in every quarter, and in all their bearings. We have now upon our hands a fresh foe, and, give nse leave to add, a bitter ataxy: the English, in general, are not aware of this. Nothing is more na tural than for people to judge of others by themselves. The English have, generally speaking, no enmity to the Americans ; on the contrary, they still preserve for them that kind of warmth of feeling of which a good-natured Mall COMA divest himself towards his relatives, though he may have been ill treated by them. The Americans, on the contrary, have a deep-rooted enmity to Britain, and they imagine (judg ing of others from themselves) that we are equally inimical to them. I shall, in a few words, attempt to explain the causes of the hostile spirit of America. A state of warfare stronj excites the passions of ' hatred and revenge : this is particularly the case in civil wars and rebellions. Did it act only on people of mature age, a short time (by consigning them to the dust) would cure the evil : but unfortunately it acts most powerfully on younger minds. The bitter sketches, the execrations and reviling.s which in our younger days we hear our fathers pour nut on the enemies of our country, are listened to with avidity, and make an -impression never to be eradicated.— This.applies strongly to the Americans. The gene rality of the present dent men of America were boy during the American war, and were accustomed to associate in their minds with the idea of an English man every thing that was abominable—every thing that their headstrong and misguided parents were in the daily habits of saying, while venting their rage on the English. The American peace followed. It is not now necessary to investigate whether their suc cess was owing to oar misconduct, or to their valour ? suffice it to know, that the Americans universally think it is to flair yaw, they owe every thing ; and all those who have been inAmerica must recollect, the abnost every second man be meets with, lets him know, that he thinks himself the son or relation of sine ;WO who seopsred the English ; and (they very often insultingly add) they could conquer them again if necessary. I shall abstain frost any discussion as to the correctness of this opinion ; sacs it to say, that it gni:up...the fact is so. The renewed intercourse consequent upon the en satioa of hostilities, had not existed long enough to soften the irritation of their minds, when the French revolution broke est. America was not behind the sesta' the world in rejoicing at an event that seemed fraught with happiness to mankind ?.—she opened her arms to France. The pan the French had taken in the American war, had produced a national feeling of gratitude (the selfish views of France were not attended to), and in proportion as Englishmen were hated, Frenchmen were loved. The minds of their young men filled with animosity to England, and with kindness to France, lavished the affections of their hearts upon French republicans, in whom they now more than ever imagined they saw friends and brothers. Their old men, their Jeffersons and Madi. sons, nourished and countenanced those notions— alas ! how fallacious—how delusive ! But notwith standing their fallacy, made evident by the horrid conduct of the French, no one conversant with the human heart will suppose that a change of sentiment would speedily ensue. No.—The heart dings to its early impressions with obstinacy, and is wonderfully slow in acknowledging even to itself, and still slower in confessing to the world its errors, or adopting a different line of conduct. To minds impressed as theirs were, every com mercial dispute or misunderstanding tvould serve to ireitate and infante. Unfortunately the state of the commercial world was such asto produce many oeca lomat dispose. The commercial regulations which iitiezdattfdimay conduct of the French rendered it mos isa,ap. the English to adopt, often interfered with the Antogions MilliMtne. The distracted state of Europe opened *Orkin.old for American specu laiille and industsh wiOda wok crowped with success and with weal& Amain sionsiewed herself with sow selkompluanori—.the attlibutod to her own superior merits alone, what she ought to have attri -buiti not a little to the circumstances in which the European powers found themselves. Tom being dependent colonies, the United States In s fews.years bye a considerable commercial pews; I, and tbkintildoolitof their rise had the same e ik ce . this* aukkiiikelieftwastraes OA individuals. , may, csai si a rb kw u r ostioseelwrivarter; and is ow? qtaaatmdmiraisodinito areesded with ours, so that * maids** dorsi of toonnurcial jealousy Thuo4lop modoropition of their minds to Vowel with Gtule Arittio—for which I trust I have s a sisfagtogilip monsentod; was, from an unfortunate c hi of events, ansply supplied with materials of a esture much more cakuleteti to inflame than to sooth —• Odle the hatred of the Americans to the English, we shoold find it in the tenduet of those who were received in America and became citisens and who had either been banished froMbence fair their treasons and climes, or whose perverted judgments aad heated imaginations had led them to believe that America would yield them more rational liberty and greater happiness than they could enjoy in Britain. The most criminal of those characters, and those who possessed the greatest talent became Editors of Newspapers; and thus disseminated with rapidity their pestiferous sen timents. Their unnatural hatred to the country of their fathers was thus planted and spread over a soil strongly predisposed to nourish it :—the fruit now appear s. It %%ere to be wished that all Governments would be ruled by those high sentiments dr honour which regulate individual conduct—that they would cease to league with (what they think) the stronger against' the weaker state, and to prefer unprincipled and ♦i ciatcd connections with the greater commercial advan- , tage, to honourable and virtuous with the lett. The Americans thought that the French were more powerful than the. British, and although the Government of France is the most vicious and cor rupt which ever existed, and is diametrically opposite in principle to the Constitution of the Americans, yet they court France in preference to England. They tell you that France must naturally be a better cus tomer to them than Britain, having a greater number of wants which America can supply :—they thus sa crifice principle to interest. To all these sources then we must trace the hos tility of America to Britain and her predeliction for France—to these we must attribute their forbearance when insulted by France, and their being so trem blingly alive to the smallest aggression . on the part of Britain ; and, finally, the precipitation with which they have hurried themselves into war with us.— Their evil passions have got the better of their judg ment, and you may rest assured we have no where more inveterate foes than the Americans. lam con vinced, that although there are many good, liberal, and hospitable men in America, highly susceptible of private friendship to Englishmen, yet Great Bri tain, as a nation, has probably not one friend in America. When I hear people talking of our FRIENDS in America who are to bring all things round as they ! ought to be, I have scarcely patience to listen to them. I will venture to a".artn, that if the people in France durst speak out as the Americans do, we should find a great many of them crying out for peace ; yet I doubt whether any man would be con sidered in hisdound senses who should be eternally talking of our friends in France, and recommending our trusting to them to bring about peace for us on honourable terms without our fighting for it :—and yet I am convinced that the seeds of hostility are as deeply implanted in the one country as in the other. —lf we want an honourable peace with either, we must fight for it. By shewing America the whole extent of the injury we can do her, she would learn the value of our friendship. The Canadians know pretty nearly the amount of the forces now on their frontiers, and they have the greatest confidence that they are at present a match for them :—but our force consists not of regular troops alone, we depend greatly on the Militia and Volunteers, who are composed of merchants, lawyers, farmers, mechanics, and labourers. They detest their enemy, and the volunteers submit at present to mill. tary discipline and to every privation, in order effec tually to resist him. But they may get tired of a military life, and may wish to return to those pur suits by which they get their livelihood. It is to be feared that we shall nor, in that case, have sufficient force to defend so many points as the superior num bers of our enemy may enable him to attack. It therefore seems extremely desirable, nay absolutely necessary, that the mother country should send relief in some shape or other. A powerful naval force should be maintained on the Coast of America, not for the purpose of nego• dating or temporising—no--they must dash into their harbour: and waters, destroy their batteries, bring out their ships, and burn their arsenal: and towns.—This would bring them to a proper sense of our power, and of their own danger. It would act, as a diversion, so powerfully, that they would feel the necessitT of drawing ff their troop: from the Canadian frontier to defend their towns and the coast. It is worthy of remark, that the great bulk of the Americans are entirely mistaken as to the power and resources of Great Britain ; d they will remain to, until they are made to feel them : then, and only then, shall we have any chance of an honourable and last ing peace. They seem at present to believe, that whenever they choose to hold up their finger to Bri tain, she will be ready to make peace with them on 41most any terms. I fear this is a good deal the case : but it is from a spirit of peace and affection, and not from any want of power. We have the *steps, and could let them feel that we are terrible as enemies— giving them such a peace only as our superior weight in the scale of nations entitles us to dictate. The Americans are an active, energetic people, who will do much in proportion to their means— these, however, they greatly overrate ; but we should not hold them cheap—they will profit by experience. Disaster and defeat will tea:h them their wants ; to of which their Means are capable. ilust-diere cad W no doubt that out powers of tilisvaste ate greatly superior to theirs : that :etiolate far us to do to 'give these a proper direction. Let us place no such confidence is the pace party of America, as to slacken our own exertions. We must act with great energy—a line of conduct that will encrease their clamours for peace. because it wig make the advantages of it be more generally felt.— Permit me to illustrate this by the following consi derations: We have in this country a number of men who are constantly declaiming against our own Government, and panegyrising France—so much so, that they are very roundly accuses of being friends of the French. They are always preachidg up peace, and endea lvouring to make converts to their opinions. Now let me ask, what line of c 3 duct on the part of France would be most likely to make those Men change their opinions and behaviour ? It would be a tame, tem porising warfare; the evils of which no one felt, and where no individual personal tear was excited. But if the French, by daring and energetic meastires, were to threaten our firesides, then would the cla. mous for peace be heard in all quarters, especially I from the timid, the dastardly, and the disaffected.— So will it be is America—the more they are beaten, the more they will cry- out for peace. It America is left at full liberty to direct all her ef forts against Canada, it is much to be feared that that I province will sooner or later be over-run ; for though 'the troops of the line will certainly do their duty, it is to be dreaded that it is not in the nature of volun teer corps, or even of Canadian Militia, to continue l effective in a protracted warfare. Confidence to a certain degree may be put in them, but it would be well - not to forget the peculiar character of such a kind of force. The more the subject is considered, the more necessity will there appear for a powerful diversion by sea. This is most assuredly both the I speediest, the cheapest, and the most effectual wdy of serving a colony, the value of which has been more and more felt every year, so that it well merits an exertion to serve it. I suspect that the American Government have been induced to go to war with us for reasons which they do not declare either to their own people, or to the world in general. I conceive that it is their highest wish to drive every European power from North America. It is true they are in no want of territory, but they wish to have no rival in what they presump tuously call their part of the world. I say presump tuously—for it should not be forgotten, that it was ours before it was theirs. The Canadas, Hudson's Bay, and the Floridas are what they aim at, and will acquire as soon as they are able. It will much [depend upon ourselves when that shall be. We have now an opportunity of sinking them considerably in the scale of Nations, and it should not be neglected. Before concluding, may I be permitted to statethe high sense the Canadians entertain of the military character of the brave and lamented General Brock. They owe him much ; for to his prompt and ener-• &retie measures are certainly to be ascribed the pre servation of Upper Canada. The battle of Niagara, where the General, like a second Wolfe, expired in the arms of victory, is a noble instance of the gal. lantry of our little band of heroes, and it will not detract from their merit to know, that the ilmerleatu fought desperately. They were the assailants, and they attacked with all the energy with which a brave people ought ever to attack their foes. Theyfired rd hot shot upon the town, and would certainly have burnt it to ashes, had not our cannon silenced their battery. This shews the temper of the Americans, and should be a lesson for us how to act. Still it is presumed the good natured people of this country will be for treating than and their towns with great tenderness. This is not the way to make a lasting and honourable peace with America. AN OLD CANADIAN. Sir THOMAS ?Lumen was, on Wednesday, sworn in at Lincoln's Inn-hall, Vice Chancellor of England. Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East India House, when the six Directors elected on Wed nesday took the oaths and their seats. ROBERT THORNTON, Esq. and the Hon. WILLIAM FULLER TON ELPHINSTONE, were chosen Chairman and De pray Chairman for the year ensuing. HANSEATIC LEGION.—The outrages committed in the shape of military despotism throughout the whole of Geunany, did most heavily fall on those parts which were forcibly annexed to France, and amongst which the Hanseatic towns are most conspicuous: from the happiest state of independence, they fell, an unwil ling sacrifice to the most unprincipled violence of the vilest of mankind ; but even before the arrival of the brave Russians did the inhabitants rise against their in famous oppressors, and now thousands and thousands are flocking to the standard of Liberty, that of the Hanseatic Legion, of which a small body from Ham burgh have already actually marched out to meet the enemy. The general distress, however, naturally occa sioned by a seven-years French spoliation, and especi ally the want of arms and accoutrements, in short, the 1 necessity of losing not a moment's time in organizing a certain force,; make an immediate Meeting of those Germans settled in this country, and capable of af- I fording assistance, most advisable, for the purpose of forming a general contribution towards so glorious an object, in addition to the liberal subscriptions al ready raised in those Hanseatic Towns. This Meet ing will take place on Tnesday next, 9.oth April, at twelve o'clock, at the City of London Tavern, as well for all Germans as for those natives who can, fed for a general cause. - -..l • • Yesteiday d butnerout Meeting of the Electors of Nirettainster was held in Old Palate Yard, pursuant Fittiolic advertisement, for the purpose of congra tulating her Royal Highness the Princes of Wales off her 66 escape frdm thelate conspiracy formed against her honour and her life." At one o'clock Mr. Minnie, the High Bailiff, 1 7, opened the business of the day, when I . Mr. WisitanY addressed the Meeting, by stating the enormity of the offence with which her Royal I #.7, Highness had been charged, by a fail and wicked attempt to deprive her, not only of li:e, but of what was to her infinitely more dear, her honour. The charges, it appeared, originated with a female accu: ser, and even were entirely the product of her own " impute and distempered imagination, but when fully a examined, seemed ton gross to impose even upon chil dish credulity. For a considerable time-base insinu ations of a vague import,were sedulously circulated, .; by unworthy individuals, but for some time no per son could accurately ascertain their amount. At length, hoviever, they assumed a specific character, and a tangible shape, and our revered Sovereign, with that love of justice and virtue which had distill guished him Throughout his long life (dfolaime) com rained an enquiry into the truth of ihe charges to four Noble Lords of bigh political honour and pri. vote integrity. That enquil was made not only with the view of ascertaining the truth, and in justice to her Royal Highness and every other person, but with a view to protect the future peace and safety of , these liingdoms.—(Ap i t/easer.) Those Noble Lords ' t faithfully discharged the high trust committed to them, and by their reports to his Majesty fully ac quitted her of the least act vf eriminAlity, and even of these acts.of levity imputed to her, and her Royal ' Highness was, in consequence, publicly received at Court, and treated by his Majesty in a becoming, t parental, and affectionate manner. It would, he be lieved; have been a pleasure to every person who' • heard him, that other individuals had followed so wise and high an example—bet the &thy ribaldry t . which afterwards issued from the press, had almost brought Royalty itself into contempt, and thereby had nearly effected what our enemies never could ac- e complish. 'Her Royal Highness, however; tortified by conscious innocence, silently submited to the un paralleled calumnies, until her restricted ituercourse with her Royal Daughter (the future Queen of these Realms), forced her into a correspondence which at terwards compelled her to appeal to the two Houses of Parliatr4iit. t..f the reception her application met with its the House of Lords, he should say nothing,• because there they said nothing about it--(al largh.) But the House oft:on:mons met they just wishes of her Royal Highness with Stoical coldness—the feelings of the men mere lest in the fan-drawn intricate calcu lations of the p ; liticians. Unfortunately, a worthy Representative of Wesminster (Sir Francis Burclztt)' was absent, from indisposition, or, it was more than probable, that he woull have discharged his duty in a manner that would have done honour to himself and given satisfaction to his Constituents (4p/i/aere.) Another Member, however, who had at alt times been the firm advocate of justice and the friend of the people, took the matter up with honour to himself, • and in justice to tl;c country, he meant the Member' for Bedford (Mr Whitbread.) That Honourable Gentleman cenducted Itimseli towards leer Royal, 'Highness, in a matter of considerable cklicacy ; with. out giving offence in any one quarter, and secured to himself the approbation of every honest Englishman, (Applauses.) Her R0y.,1 Highness had, probably, depended too much upon ignorant or rnain.bus ad. visers, but now he had the satisfaction of intoirning the meeting, that she availed herself of, and was guided by, the advice of a most able Lan•yei; at though, he was sorry to say, no longer a ltepresen: tative of the People, in whose behalf his splendid ta lents had been so often and so c•insTicuously exerted. (Cries of name, name.) He meant Mr. l'auligliam.— (Loud aprlauses.) He could not omit th tt opF2rtu. nits of adverting a little to the nature of that tribu nal to which the situation of the Piincessnf Wales had' been last referred, and which nei.her, convicted eat acquitted her. It was not a Court, w high, so fir as he knew, the Constitution did not recognise. It , was not a Court of Privy Council, for it was com posed of Privy Councillomand no Privy Councillors. It was not a Consistory Court, for it was composed' of Bishops—and no Bishops. It was nut a Cabin-lc Council, for it was composed partly of Ministers, in deed, but he could call them no Statesmen—(Conti aged Infighter.) The conduct of Ministers, on the whole, appeared very suspicious and mysterious, and seemed to indicate, that " something was rotten in the state of Denmark." One Minister declared her RoyaleHighness innocent; another said he knew no thing.about the inquiry ; so that among them they contrived to involve matter of plain fact in a perplex ing mystery. He would, however, ask, why those Ministers, who thought her Royal Highness innocent, or who were left in darkness on the subject, did not act in a statesmanlike manner, and represent their sen timents to the Prince Regent, whose Royal ear had been so greatly abused, and should their opinion be' disregarded, resign their situations for the enjoyment of the grateful privacy of distinguised retirement ? (Great applause.) He should not longer trespass on th• attention of the Meeting, but conclude by mov ing the following Resolutions, on which an Address should be founded, to be presented to her Royal Highness: Ist. Resolved, That it is the undoubted right of every British subject te retain the reputation, rights, and immunities of buso cone, until convicted of guilt before a tribunal recognized byths law, known to the people, and possessing that glorious and in dispensable attribute of freedom and justice—a trial by Peers; and that this Meeting view, with deep regret, any attempts to introduce Tribunals unknown to the Constitution, unauthorised by the Law of the Land, and therefore possessing no constitu tional power to enforce the attendance of witnesses, se power to punish persona giving false evidence, or po one requisite of Court of Justice. idly. Resolved, That this Meeting feel the gnatest horror at • the late nefarious conspiracy agairst the honour and the life of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales; and, ful y convinced tress every document before the Public of her Royal Highness's banacence, do resolve, that a loyal and huntble Address be pee tented to her Royal Highness, expressive of their happiness at her complete triumph over her enemies. idly. Resolved, That the Address read this day be signed* . Arthur Morris, Esq. High Bailiff of the City and Libertieese Westminster, on behalf of this Meeting. Mr. HARM seconded the Resolutions ; and on a •r _w►4loP • r