The National Register. — London, England, 1814-10-02 00:00:00

OCT. 2. continurdly cticreased. How much .more unexpected must therefore have been the.blow struCk in thelheart of America by the hands which a few monthrbefore had planted the British colours on the wills of Toulouse ! 'lt will hardly be credited by surrounding nations, that in so short a period our .w.►rriors were able to vanquish the best Commander of the falling European D:lpot, and to, devote to destruction the conquered metropolis of his American imitator, the am bitious Nladirmts, The dread -of our power will encreare, when it is Seen that neither ti►ue nor distance oppose any barriers to our vengeance, and that British thundercau strike at once both extremities of the wor?'d. To America this exemplary chastisement, however severe•; it may at first appear,' w:ll prohahly prove a source of perma nent good. It will open her eyes to her weakness, and to•! the imbecility of her inlets. It %YEI show her that in a vain aitempt to gratify their own ambition, they have sacrificed her dearest interests, and have not even possessed sufficient abilities to guard their own. It will, we trust, make her rise against the Government that has proved her bitterest enemy, and the capture and destruction of her metropolis will be avenged by the downfall of its true author, the President, under whose sway she can neither expect pros; erity. at home, nor peace dbroad. • On Tuesday morning, Capt. Wainwright, of the Ton nant, arrived at the Admiralty with dispatches fi our Sir Alexander Cochrane ; and Captain Smith, arrived at Lord Bathurst's Officp with dispatches from Major-General Ross, announcing the capture of the City of Washington ; the destruction of all the public buildings, arsenals, dock yards, &c. with a frigate ready to launch, and a sloop of war. This glorious achievement was preceded by the total defeat of the A merkan army, in their position at Bladend)erg, and the destruction of their flotilla, under the command of Commo olore Barney. - The Park and Tower guns were fired in ccle blation of this happy event, and Bulletins, and an Extraor clinary Gazette were published, the latter of which our read ers will find in another part of our paper.—We understand that the flUtish troops which had been re-embarked after their return f. omWa,hington, were about to leave the Chesa peake, as the unhealthy season was commencing; and it um supposed the squadron would proceed with them to the notthwaid. American Papers were received on Wednesday, bringing advices from Baltimore to the 26th of August, and from Boston to the ed ulti►ro. They fully acknowledge all the disasters narrated in our Extraordinary Gazette.—lt appears that besides the destruction in Washington, the British trewps deinolished the Cannon Foundry at George Town. They state, that our loss in men was much greater than their IDWA, and Aluty .egregiously magnify •ar munalhirs is action. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 431 The American ,Pap ,. rssleplore the fate of the Capital, and express their fears and apprehensions for the safety. of Bald more, and other places. An article from Boston, in a Phi- ladelphia Paper, gives a very clear account of the capture of Washington, and the confusion of the inhabitants on the ap proach of the British. A small division of the latter entered the City about nine o'clock at night, and passing the first house, which had been occupied by Mr. Gallatin, a volley was fired from the windows, which killed General Ross's horse, under him, one soldier, and three others. Th• house %vas immed:atcly set on fire, after the inhabitants had been taken out, and the consternation of the Citizens now became general, who were seen flying in all directions, ap palled-with fear, and trmbling with dismay. Justice is done in the American Papers to the humane conduct of General Russ and Admiral Cocklmtn, who pledged themselves that private property should be spared, and their promise was religiously observed. The Public Offices, in the course of an inur, presented a dreadful spectacle of smoking ruins.— The confusion and alarm created by the fate of Washington is strikingly manife , ted by the apprehension of similar dia. asters occuriog at New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bal timore. A t each of those places, public meetings arc con vened, imrotent resolutions passed, associations formed, an& . dlillings commenced, but with a selfish degree of individu-' ality of care, that precludes every idea of collective interest, aggregate strength, or combined effect. The rapidity of the movement of the British against Washington, is duly appreciated by the American narrators of the event, while their own sluggishness, and want of arrangement, must excite the disgust of the people ag ainst the Commanders and against the Government. Mr. Madison, and . Armstrong. the Secretary of War, who were on the field of battle at the commencement of the action, soon disappeared. General Winder is ridiculed by the soldiers for his inability to com mand the army that should have defended the capital, and Armstrong is laughed at for the choice of ground. Had the war, been a war of aggression on the part of this country. we should have deplored the destruction of the public (ices of Washington ; but it should be recollected that the Senate House, the Clouse of Representatives, and some other public buildings, were set on fire by the British troops, in retaliation for the excesses committed by the enemy in Ca ! nada. A remarkable circumstance is mentioned in the American Papers, that the Island of Nantucket, furming pact of the State of NTassachuvAs, in consequence of an application from the .Magistrales to Sir A. Cochrane, had been, by art arrangement conclude:l between Captain Newton of the Nimrod, and the Authorities of the place, declared neutral, and authorised to hold communication with the Continent of Amerita, by means of ships licenccd by the lit itish Comman der. All the Government property in Nantucket bad been given up to the British. This is opening the duo to a schism in the American States, and is a measut e which may lead to important consequences.—The following is a passage in one of the Washington Papers the day previous to the capture of the City :—After describing the march of many troops, the writer adds, " In a few hours thousands or brace men will be prepared to resist the host of mercenaries that now threaten us. Arrayed in defence of all that renders life a blessing., and for protesting fi'ont insult and desolation the 111-:fropolis of their Country, hallowed by the renczable name If Wo:hing ton, every arca nerved with neve irraistibk ! U