The National Register. — London, England, 1813-02-21 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTI 4 S . ~:~ _• . • 3 Cur Mug, Constitution, anu tat o. PUBLISHED AT NO. 11, NEWCASTLE-STREET, STRAND. . ; POLITICAL DIS2UISITION. CONDUCT OF THE AMERICAN WAR• :_.-. --_..-. SUNDAY. FELittUARY 21, 15 13. PRICE Mil• lions sterling wa3 on its way from our ports to America, and would, if it had not fallen into the hands of privateers, have at best reverted to our warehouses, already over filled, and couttibuted to increase the distress of our manufacturers, by augmentiog the quantity of goods on hand, and dimitii,hing, if not totally suppressing, the demand for more. Our West India Islands, still deriving many necessary articles from the neighbouring continent, would have been exposed to severe privations by the sudden close of all intercourse in that quarter. And an interest of still greater importance would have been materially injured. Excluded, at that time, from almost all communication with the European Continent, except the Peninsula, Which, ravaged by' contending armies, did nut produce sufficient food for their support, we were compelled to draw supplies for our troops and those of our allies from America, until another source of subsistence should be opened either by negociation or by the events of war. To have hastened a rupture with the United mates at such a conjuncture would, therefore, have been curtailing our own means, without materially. if at all, impairing those of the enemy, We therefore remained satisfied with a par tial blockade of the American ports, which enabled us to allow that portion of trade which suited our convenience and interests, .and in a great measure to impede that which could only prove beneficial to our opponents, without bring ing the question of peace or war to a final decision. It is evident that such a line of conduct, on our part, al though u►►attended with brilliant triumphs, and perhaps even the cause of the capture of two of our frigates by vessels of superior strength, was such as became the circumstances' of the times. Policy may occasionally suspend the execution of the sword, and the Pen may 'be sometimes wielded to much advantage by the hand, which, according to an elo quent orator, " ought to launch the thunder." This was the case during the period which immediately preceded and followed the first acts of American hostility. To judge whether blame ought to attach to those who had the manage ment of the war, it is only necessary to inquire, whether the few losses which we have experienced at sea, althougl► painful to a nation accustomed to conquer, are of such a nature as to outweigh the advantages gained. What is called the indecisive character of our policy, may have occasioned the capture of two of our frigates,. by not shutting Pp the American war vessels in their ports; but it has secured -the highly profitable sale of five millions of British merchandise '—it has enabled us to place our West India island; in a si tuation to feel no inconvenience from the hostilities car ried on with the American contineut—and has amply sup plied the wants of our armies and allies abroad, These are benefits which ought to he laid in the scale, and then No 269. , ~~ The declaration of war issued, some weeks since, by' the PriLNCE REGENT against America, had clearly exposed the unreasonable nature of her enmity, and the perverseness of the party by whose unrelaxcd exertions during a series of years, the advantages of peace had at last been sacrificed for the disastets of war. It clearly strewed that every concession had been rejected, and that in their blind hostility, the Go_ war and conquest, Aural consequence In a rupture, with the real interests . to their presiding have since occurred, rtisans in America, They had no sooner role northern Con stir heroism. The conquest of Canada and Nova Scotia was so easy in imagina tion, that it was considered as a party of pleasure, rather than 4 serious operation. Friends invited each other as to a sport. lug excursion when the shooting season is come, and as the inconsiderable number of British troops, still further weak ened by the extension and division necessary to defend a vast territory on a variety of points, diminished the probability- of danger, ho‘ts of volunteers sprung up to gather cheap laurels. The Government, deceived by their zeal and apparent spirit, trusted their courage and perseverance, and instead of seeing them masters of Montreal and Quebec, beheld those brave warriors led captive on every side, by half their 'rum bas, and all their anticipated triumphs vanish amidst the gloom of repeated disasters. Had, at that period, a similar fate attended their vessels, it has been supposed that general despondency would have prevailed in America, and the call for peace would have become so loud and so unanimous, as to make itself heard and obeyed. But the interests of ou r trade, joined to the hope of preventing a final rupture by ex tending our conciliatory disposition to the utmost bounds of forbearance, induced our Government, although ap-' preltensive of war, to suspend its last tremendous effects un til our opponents should have lost every plea to assert the justice 'of their rause. A blockade by notification, enforced' by the presence of various squadrons at the mouths of the chid' rivers and at the most important points of the Ameri can coasts, would have called forth an immediate and unani mous declaration. of ‘var from the United States, which, in the circumstances of our trade and the situation of our West India Islands at the time, would have been highl to war interests. Merchaudize to the amount Vat. VI. No CCLXIX. :ern - the United States, bent on 1 1 , I i •mr. ants _ 4‘ ..,. , the latter, by land, as a nal of t N.-I? -,.... , out the , I yen for ' of the peogo ivfiose welfare wal trusted widom and pitriotistit The: , • .. . have . erne Gaf f .. ... .iit ha ar par . . - oft - mitt . ons. T Uff b ltt the 10.44 tinent wnu d fall an unresisting prey to the trade and the situation of our West ' benefits which ought to ue iasiu If, • - would base been highly prejudicial outcry .raised by inconsistent politicians, anticipating tiic iaudize to the amount of several mil loss of our naval supremacy, will appear what it really is, ar X.