The National Register. — London, England, 1814-01-30 00:00:00

J AN. 50. encountered, have presented achievements of our naval arms as brilliant in their character, as they have been important in their consequences. On the Lake Erie, the sqnadron under the command of Captain Perry having met withl the British squadron, of superior force, a sanguinary conflict ended iu the capture of the whole, The con duct of that Officer, adroit as it was daring, and which was so wen seconded by his comrades, justly entitles them to the admiration and gratitude of their country, and will fill an early page in its na val annals, with a victory never surpassed in lustre, however much it may have been in magnitude. On the Lake Ontario, the caution , of the British Commander, flivoured by conttaencies, frustrated I the efforts of the American Commander ta bfing on a decisive ac tion. Capt. Chauncy was able, however, to eqablish an ascend- 11 ancy on that important theatre, and to prove by the manner in which he effected every thing possible, that opportunities only were wanted for more shining display of his own talents, and of gal- lantry of those under hie-command. The suceess on Erie hay. hug opened the passage to the territory of the enemy, the Officer commanding the North-Western Army transferred the war thither, and rapidly pursuing the hostile troops, flying with the savage as sociates, forced a general action, which quickly terminated in the capture of the British and dispersion of the savage force. This re sult is signally honourable to Major-General Harm isem, by whose mi litary talents it was effected. T. Johnson, and his mounted volunteers, whose impetuous ' onset gave a decisive blow to the ranks of the enemy ; and to the spirit of the Volunteer Militia, equally brave and patriotic, who bore an interesting part in the scene ,• more especially to the Chief Magistrate of Kentucky, at the head of thrbo, whose heroism, sig.' naliaed in the war which established the independence of his coma try, sought at an advanced age a share:in hardship and battles, for maintaining its rights ;111(1 its safety. The eileet of these successes has been to rescue the inhabitants of Michigan from their oppres sions, aggravated by gross infractions of the eapitalation which subjected them to a foreign Power, to alienate the savages of nume rous tribes fromn the enemy, by whom they were diappointed and abandoned, and to relieve an extensive region of country koin a merciless warfare, which desolated its frontiers, and imposed on its citizens the most lirjassing cireumstatees. In consequence of our naval superiority on Lake Ontario, and the opportunity afforded by it of concentrating our f orces b y seater, operations which had been previously planned were set on foot against the possessions of the enemy on the St. Lawrence. Such, however, was the delay punctured in the first instance by adverse weather of unusual violence and continuance, and such circumstances attending the fiat movenn me of the army, that the prospect at one time so favourable was not realised. The cruelty of the enemy, by enlisting the savages into a war w ith a nation desirous of mutual emulation iu mitigating its calamities, has not been confined to any one quarter, wherever they could they have been hurled against us. No exertions to effect it have been spared. On our smith-western border the Creek tribes, who, yielding to our persevering endeavours, iwere generally acquiring more civilized habits, became time unfortunate seduction ; a war in that quarter has been the consequence, infuriated by a bloody fa naticism recently propagated against them; it was necessary to crush such a war before it could spread among the contiguous tribes, anti before it could favour enterplizes of the enemy in that vicinity. With this view a force Weis collected into the ser vice of United Slates from the states of (korgia and 'l'enuesse, which, with the nearest regular troops and other corps front the Mis , issippi territory, might nut only chastise the savages into pre p-ace, bat make a lasting impression on their fears. Time progress of the expedition, as far as it is yet known, cor responds evith the martial zeal with which it was esponsed, and the bt.st hopes of a satisfactory issue arc authorised by the complete s;:e c e ss with which a well-planned enterprise was executed against a holy est . hostile savages, by a detachment of volunteer militia of Temmesse, under the command of the gallant Gen. Coffee, and by a still more important victory over a large body of them, gained under the immediate command of Major-General Jackson, an officer equally slistinguished for his patriotism and his military t.dentsm. Time systematic perseverance of the enemy in courting the aid of the vaffes in a!I quarters .had the natural effect of kinsiiing their ordimuy propensity to war into a passion, which even amongst those least disposed towards the United States was ready. it not employed on our side, to be turned against us ; ;r departure from our protracted forhe4rance to accept the services tendered by them has been forced upon us, but in yklding to it the retaliation has been mitigated as 'Mali as possible, both iu its extent and in its character, stopping opow7:. ~~ ...- THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 69 far short of the example of the enemy, who ewe the advimtagen they have occasionally gained in battle prineiplily to the number of Vieir savage associates, and who has not controuled them either from their nsual practices of indi,criminare masacres on defence. !CAS inhabitants, or f r om oceans of carnage, without a parallel, on prisoners to the British. arms ) guarded by all the laws of humanity and honourable war. For these enormities, the enemy are ecinally responsible, whether, with the flower to prevent them, titer want the will, or, with a knowled.ze of the want of power, they still avail themselves of such instrtnnert•t. In other resp( ts, the enemy are pursuing a course which ');Tentens ronsagnev.es most afflicting to humanity. A stamlin„; :aw of Great ii itaiu naturalises, as is well known, all eroplo)e(; with con.litions limited to a shorter period thin 1;y the United States, and nalura!ised subjects. In a con 400as British Province, regulations promulgated since the com mencement of the , lar, compel citizens of the United States, being, then under eertain circumstances, to bear arms, whilst, of the na tive emit:rants from the United States, who compose much of the population of the province, a nomber have actually borne arind against the United States within their limits, some of whom, after having done so, have become pri,oners of war, and are now in our possession. nevertheless, with the The British Commander in that Province, sanction, as appears, of his Government, thought proper to select from among the prisoners of war, 'and to send to Great Britain for trial as criminals, a number of individuals who had emigrated frem the British dominions, long prior to the state of war between the two nations, who had incorporated themselves into our political society, in the modes recoonized by the law and practice of Great Britain, and who were made prisoners of war, under the banners of their adopted country, fighting for its rights an I safety. Tho protection due to these citizens requiring an effectual interposition in their behalf; a like number of British prisoners of war' were put into confinement, 'with a notification that they wool .1 rxperstnca . ivhAtevre violence Might be committed on II e Art erican prisoners of war sent to Great Britain. It was hoped that this necessary consequence of the-step unadvisedly taken on the part of• (heat Britain, should Lave led her Government to reflect on the inconsist envies.ot its conduct, and that a sympathy with the British, if not with the American sufferers. would have arrested the creel • career • opened by its example. This was unhappily not the case.: In Vio lation both of consistency and humanity, American officers and.noo coMmissioned officers, in double the umber of the Britit II soldiery . Confined here, were ordered into close coutisiement, with formal no. tire. that in the event of a -retaliation far the desalt which might he iniaieteil on the prisoners of war sent to Great Britain for trial, the officers so confined would be put to death also. It was notified ;it the same time, that the Commanders of the British fleets and minks on our coasts are instructed in the same event, to proceed with a • destructive severity against our towns and the inhabitants. That no doubt might be left with the enemy of our adherence to the IT - taliating resort imposed upon us, a corresponding number of British officers of war in our hands were immediately put into close tom finement, to abide the fate of those confined by the enemy, and the British Government has been apprised of the determination of this Government to retaliate any proceedings against us contrary to the legitimate modes of warfare. It is as fortunate for the United States that they have it in their power to meet the enemy in this de- , plorable contest, as it is honourable to them that they do not join in it, but under the most imperious obligations, and with the I.n. mane purpose of effectuating a return to the established usages of • war. The views of the French Government on the subjects which have town so long committed to negociation, have received no elucidation since the close of your late Session. The Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States at Pat is has mint been enabled, by propel op, . 'umilities, to press the objects of his mission, as prescrioed be hi instructions. The Militia, always to be regarded as the great bulwark of de- , ' fence and security - for free states, and the Constitution haVing • wisely committed to the National Authority-a use of that force, as the best provision against the unsafe military establishment, as writ as a source peculiarly adapted to a country having the extent ea: the exposure of the United States, 1 recommend to Congress, are ! vision of the Military Laws, for the purpose of securing mole er% fectuallY the services of all detachments called to toe employmeut, and placed under the Government of the United States. It will deserve the consideration of Cong r es s al o, wuether, among other improvements in the militia law, justice does not require the expeue re gulation, under the due precautions) foudeffayin; • . . A ' ,14 , • c! , . , - A