The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-01-04 00:00:00

AMERICAN CONGRESS. THE COMMITTEE TO WHOM WAS REFERRED THAT PART OF TUE PRESIDENT ' s SITsSAGE, WHICH RELATES TO OUR FOREIGS AFFAIRS, EEG LEAVE TO REPORT IN . PART— Ti , at they have endeavoured to give to the subject submitted to them, that full and dispassionate consi deration, which is due to one so intimately connected with the interest, the peace, the safety, and the ho nour of 'their country. Your Committee will not encumber your journals I and waste your patience with a detailed history of all I the various matters growing out of our foreign rela tions. The cold recital of wrougs, of injuries, and aggressions, known and felt by every Member of this Union, could hare no other effect than to deaden the national sensibility, and render the public. mind cal lous to injuries with which it is already too familiar. Without recurring, then, to the multiplied wrongs of partial or temporary operation, of which we have so just cause of complaint against the two great bel ligerents, your Committee will 'only call your atten tion, at this time, to the systematic aggression of those powers, authorised by their edicts, against neu tral commerce; a system which, as regarded its prin ciples, was founded on pretensions that went to the subversion of our na!ional independence; and As/bleb, although now abandoned by one power, is, in broad and destructive operation, as still en forced by the other, sapping the foundation of our prosperity. It is more than five years since England and France, in violation of those principles of justice slid public law, held sacred by all civilized nations, commeticA this unprecedented system, by seizing the property of the citizens of the United States, peace al)ly pursuing their lawful commerce on the high sets. To shield themselves from the odium which such outrage must incur, each of the belligerents sought a pretext in the conduct of the other—each attensptitig to justify his systcut of rapine as retalia tion for similar acts on the part of his enemy. As if the law of nations, founded on the eternal rules of justice, could sanction n principle, which, if engraft ed into our municipal code, would excuse the crime of see robber, uptin the sole plea, that the unfortu nate object of his rapacity was also a victim to the injustice of another. The fact of priority could be true as to the one only of the parties ; and, whether true or false, could furnish no ground of justitica- Con. The United States, thus unexpectedly and violent ly assailed by the two greatest powers in Europe, withdrew their citizens and property from the ocean, and cherishing the blessings of peace, although the occasion would have fully justified war, sought re dress in en appeal to the justice and magnanimity of the belligerents. When this appeal had failed of the success which was due to its moderation, other mea sores, founded on the same pacific policy, but apply ing to the interests, instead of the justice, of the bel ligerent', were resorted to. Such was the character of the Non-intercourse and 'Non-importation Laws, which invited the return of both powers to their for mer state of amicable relations, by offering commit.- cisl advantages to the one who should first revoke his hostile edicts, and imposing restrictions upon the other. France, at length, availing lierself of the proffers mad., equally to ber and her enemy, by the Non- Importation Law of May, 1810, announced the re. peal on the Ist of the following November, of the Decrees of Berlin and Milan. And it affords a sub ject of sincere congratulation to be informed, through the official organs of the Government, that those De crees are, so far at least as our rights are concerned, really and practically at an end. It was confidently expected, that this act on the part of France would have been immediately followed by a revocation on the part of Great Britain of her Orders in Council. If our reliance' on her justice had been impaired by the wrongs she bad inflicted ; yet, .when she had :plighted her faith to the world, that the sole mo tive of her aggression on neutral commerce was to be found in the Berlin and Milan Decrees, we looked forward to the extinction of those Decrees, as the period when the freedom of the seas would be again restored, In this reasonable expectation we have, however, been disappointed. A year has elapsed since the. French Decrees were rescinded; and yet Great Bri tain, instead of retracting pari passu that course of unjustifiable attack on neutral rights, in which she professed to be only the reluctant follower of France, has advanced with bolder and continually increasing strides. To the categorical demands lately made by oar Goverameut for the repeal of her Orders in Council, she has affected to deny the practical extinction of the French Decrees ; and she hat, moreover, if& vanced a new and unexpected demand, increasing in hostility the Orders themselves. She has insistel, through her aces .dited Minister at this place, that the repeal of the Orders in Council must be preceded, not only by the practical abandonment of the De crees of Berlin and Milan, so • far as they in tinge the neutral rights of the , United States • but, by the renunciation on the part of France o f: the whole of her system of commercial warfare against Great Britain, of • which those Decrees originally formed a part. This system is understood to consist in a course of measures adopted by France, and the other powers on the Continent, subject to or in alliance with her, calculated to prevent the introduction into their ter . ritories of the products - and manufactures of Great Britain and her Colonies, and to annihilate her trade with them*. However hostile those resolutions may he on the part of France towards Great Britain, or however sensibly the latter may feel their effects, they are, nevertheless, to be regarded only as the expedients of one enemy against another, for which the United States, as a neutral power, can in no re spect be responsible : they are, too, in exact con formity with those which Great Britain has herself adopted and acted upon in time of peace as well as war. And is it not to be presumed that France would yield to the unauthorised demand of Americai - . what she seems to have considered as one of the most powerful engines of the present war. Such are the pretensions upon which Great Britain founds the violation of the maritime rights of the Lulled States—pretensions not theoretical merely, .t 00 I, .„ - - t ~, t ' 4.- ~, . it 4 .. : THE STATESMAN. but followed up by a desolating war upon our um protected commerce. The ships of the United States, laden wth the products of our own soil and labour, ,navigated by our o‘N citizens, and peaceably pur- Imi a lawful t lade, are seized on oer own coasts, at the ng very mouths of our harbours, condemned and confiscated. Your Committee, are not, however, of that sect whose worship is at the shrine of a calculating ava rice. And while we are laying before you the just complaints of our merchants against the plunder of their ships and cargoes, we canuot refrain from pre senting to the justice and humanity of o r country the unhappy case of our impressed seamen. Although the groans of these victims of barbarity for the loss of (what should be dearer to the Americans than life) their liberty—although the cries of their wives and children in the privation of protectors and pa rents, have, of late, been drowned in the louder clamours at the loss of property; yet is the practice of forcing our mariners into the British navy, in vio lation of the rights of our flag, carried on with un abated rigour and severity. If it be oar duty to en courage the fair and legitimate commerce of this coantry,by protecting the property of the merchant, then indeed, by as much as life and liberty are more estimable than ships and goods, so much more im pressive is the duty to shield the persons of our sea men, whose hard and honest services are employed, equally W 11.4 those of the merchants, in advancing, under the mantle of its laws, the interests of their country. To sum up, in a word, the great causes of COM. plaint against Great Britain, your Committee need only say—That the United States, as a sovereign and independent power, claim the right to use the ocean, which is the common and acknowledged highway of nations, for the purpose of transporting, in their own vessels, the products of their own soil, and the acquisitions of their industry, to a market in the ports of friendly natio:ls, and to bring home, in re turn, such articles as their necessities or conveni ence may require ; always regarding the rights of Belligerents, •as defined by the established laws of nations.—Great Britain, in defiance of this incontes tihle right, captures every American vessel bound to or returning from, a port where her commerce is not favoured : enslaves our seamen, and, in spite of our remonstrances, perseveres in these aggresions. To wrongs so daring in character, and so disgrace ful in their execution, it is impossible that the people of the United States should remain itidifferent. We must now tamely and quietly submit, or we must re sist by those means which God has placed within our reach. Your Committee would not cast a shade over the American name, by the es,pression of a doubt which branch of this alternative will he embraced. Ths oc casion is now presented ;-hen the national character, misunderstood and traduced for a time by foreign and domestic enemies, should be %indicated. If we hare not rushed to the field of battle like the nations who are led by the mad ambition of a single Chief, or the avarice of a corrupted Court, it has not pro ceeded from a fear of war, but from our love of justice and humanity, That proud spirit of liberty and independence, which sustained our fathers In the successful assertion of their rights against foreign aggression is not yet sunk. The patriotic tire of the Revolution still burns in the American breast with a holy and unextinguishable flame, and will conduct this nation to those high destinies, which are not less the reward of dignified moderation, than of' exalted valour. But we have borne with injury until forbearance has ceased to be a virtue. The sovereignty and in. dependence of these States, purchased and sanctified by the blood of our fathers, from whom we received them, not for ourselves only, but as the inheritance of our posterity, are deliberately and systematically violated. And the period has arrived, when, in the opinion of your Committee, it is the sacred duty of Congress to call forth the patriotism and resources of the country. By the aid of these, and with the blessing of God, we confidently trust we shall be enabled to procure that redress, which has been sought for by justice, by remonstrance and forbear ance in vain. Your Committee, reserving for a future report, those ulterior measures, which, iu their opinion, ought to be pursued, would, at this time, earnestly recommend, in the words of the President, " That' the United States he immediately put into an armour and attitude demanded by the crisis, and corre sponding with the national spirit and expectations." And, to this end, they beg leave to submit, for the adoption of the House, the following Resolutions : 1. Resolved, That the Military Establishment, as authorised by the existing laws, ought to he immediately completed by fil ling up the ranks and prolonging the enlistment of the troops; and that, to encourage enlistments, a bounty in lands ought to be given in addition to the pay and bounty now allowed, by Y. That an additional force of ten thousand regular troops ought to he immediately raised to serve for three years; and that a bounty in lands ought to be given to encourage enlist ment. 3. That it is expedient to authorise the President, under pro per regulations, to accept the service of any unniber of volun teers, not exceeding fifty thousand, to be organised, trained, and held in readiness to act on such service as the exigencies of the Cos eriunent may require: 4. That the President he authorised to order oat, from time to time, such detachments of the militia, as in his opinion the public service may require. 5. That all the vessels not now in service belonging to the Navy and worthy of repair, be immediately fitted up and put in commission. 6. That it is expedient to permit our merchant vessels, owned exclusively by resident citizens, and commanded and navigated solely by citizens, to arm, under proper regulations to be pre scribed by law, in self-defence, against all unlawful proceedings towards them on the high seas. The Countess of CHAOLEVILLE has established a school on the Lancasterian Plan, at Tullamore; and Lord CHARLEVILLE has behaved with, great liberality in promoting it. The Countess Dowager of OKMOND and Ossoal has established one at Castlecomer, which is likely to convey the blessing of instruction to numbers. The Lrlneesterian Belfast School has 500 children in it. Many of the Nobility and Gentry are proposing to follow the laudable example. A great number of French Officers, taken in the gallant business of General lIzLL, at Merida, have been lauded, at Plymouth, from the St. Korona° and ipollo, and are gone to Mill Prison, previous to their going on parole up the country. Several sick and convalescent British Officers are come home passengers, and are gone iuto the country for the recovery of their health. TO-MORROW, JANUARY 5, 1812, WILL BR PUBLISHED, Price Sixpence Halfpenny, A NEW SUNDAY PAPER, ENTITLED THE CONSTITU'T'ION.—At the commencement of a new Publication, it is di common practice to make professions which are not only incompatible with the under taking, and impracticable in performance, but coturary to the vievrs of the parties concerned. The CONSTITUTION It 'il l stand upon a different ground, and, without disgusting the l'ublic with a high-seasoned Bill of Fare, will furnish them with all the IMPORT ANT DOMESTIC INTELIAGRNCE of the preceding week, together with a concise Summary Alt Foreign News, by ; w hich the Readers of a SUNDAY Par Ea will be enabled to ! form an accurate opinion of those Important and Interesting Events, which are constantly influencing the Political aspect of ancient States and Empires. The Polities of the CONSTITUTION will be founded upon the same principles as those of the Statesman, which, since its establishment, have been unifurinly INDEPLNurvr atxl free from Ps r y Faction. The Proprietor of the CONSTITUTION, suffering under Mi nisterial persecution, has been a S ATE PnisoN Ea in his Ma jesty's Gaol of Newgate for upwards of TivELvE MoNTos, and has another year yet to serve, for to o alleged Libels ; he can, therefore, feel for the wrongs and tippres,lons of others, and shall continue his exertions in exposing all those Pu sue DE LINQUENTS, who prey upon the industrious p art of the Com munity, and who are the chief promoters of the destructive ' War in w'hich this Country is unfortunately engaged. The CONSTITUTION will be Printed and Published at an early hour on Sunday morning, at the STATESMAN OFFICE, No. 87, Fleet-street, where Orders and Communications are received, and by all the News Dealers in Town and Country. A rr Mail,. . , a Dublin 1 O O O 0 'fermi O Mt% OF STOCKS TIIIS Rank per Cent. Cons. 3 per Cent. Red. 63f 4 per Cents. 71 5 per Cent. Navy Long. Ann. 16 15-16 Due. O.Vti AT ON F. O'CLOCK. India Bonds ENcliequer Bill M. Idis. 1 par Ditto !;.ti. ri pr. Otrintuin ('agfols for Acct. Lottery Tickets 4:21 5 THE STATESMAN. LO S SATURDAY, JANCAItti 4, 1812. DREADFUL SHIPWRECKS. We are extremely sorry to state, that not only have no satisfactory accounts been received of the St. George, but great fears are entertained as to the safety of the Defence, the Hero, and the Grasshop per sloop of war.—The two last are even said to have been lost off the Texel, and the gallant Captain NEWHAM, of the Hero, and all his crew, except eight, are said to have perished. Dispatches to this effect are stated to have been receivedat the Admiralty from Admiral FoLET, Commander-in-Chief on the Downs station, in which he, the Admiral, says, that he had received information of this melancholy calamity having taken place in a tremendous storm ; and that such bad been the violence of the gale, that the Grasshopper, Capt. FANSUAW, beat clean over the wreck of the Hero, and west ashore. The Captain and his Officers and crew were saved, but they were made prisoners of war in Holland, and the Grasshopper taken possession of by the enemy.— ' Both vessels, it appears, had struck on the H lak Sand, near the place on which the Minotaur was lost ilast winter.—The Lieutenants of the hero, whose Joss their country has to .deplore, were, Messrs. CHARLES lIITCHINS, JOHN MITCHELL, Joint MEAD , . WAY, JAMES WILCOX, and JOHN NORTON. Since writing the above, we have received Paris IPapers to the V instant, which, we lament to state, ; not only confirm the loss of the Hcro, but also mention the total wreck of three other vessels ; off the coast of Holland, which we have little doubt wi?t funs out to be the St. George, the Defence, and the Grashopper. Ten transports belonging to our fleet, are also represented to have been driven upon I the banks of the Texel. " The intelligence, in fact," says an article from Amsterdam, " which is received from that island (i. e. Texel), state', that it is surrounded by wrecks." The enerns' vessels appear to have been extremely attentive to our I countrymen on his trying occasion. Two of their brigs and a privateer are said to have saved one Ihuudred and thirty-six men from of the wrecks ; Ibut although the Carvain of the p iva!oe.• saw the Hero and two other ves. , ls perish, it was impo , ,s;ble, I such was tho awful state of the nenther, to afford 'them any assistance. The following are the details of this dreadful lietarence, as given in the 313ni tear, of the 30th December AMSTERDAM, DEC. 26. " We have received from the Texel details, which cannot fail of being aillicting to humanity, occasion ed by a gale of wind experienced in the North Sea.— The ships overtaken by this temp est, formed, as it jappears, part of a convoy of neare than 100 sail re , turning from Sweden to England, laden, it is be lieved, with warlike stores. At break of day, the 25th of December, after a most dreadful night, a frigate, two brigs, and a ship of the line, were per ceived at about half a league distance from the cosset of the Toad. The ship of the line was entirely dismasted. Two brigs have been driven upon the coast, where they were wrecked. Two brigs belonging to his MAJESTY, and the privateer Fara, saved 136 men from a ship which was shipwrecked, and have brought an English brig into the Helder. The Captain of the Purct declares, that he saw a 'hit, of the line, which he believes to be the Hero, and two brigs, perish, without it be ing possible for him to render them the least assist. ance. The men Saved from the wreck add, that ten transports have been driven upon the banks of the Texel. The intelligence, in fact, which Is received from that islandatate, that it is surrounded by wrecks. come thirty men who gained the island by swimming were sayed."—(ileniteur, Dec. 30.) The French Papers likewise contain official reports from their armies in the Peninsula, down to the 11 ult. From a dispatch of SCCIII.T, dated " Camp b e . fore Valencia, 'id Decent!) , r," it appears that the ac- count which we noticed in the last Lisbon Papers of his having raised the seige of that place, was, as wo then stated, entirely unfounded. The operations of the enemy against Valencia are proceeding with the greatest vigour. Instead of General GIRARD having shot himself, as was asserted in the Portuguese Jour nals, he appears, from a report of SULLT, to have regained, in some measure, the favourof that Marshal who now writes of him in the following manner:— " I informed your. Excellency, that if Gen. G taw. should return, I would displace him from the com -1 mand of his division 7 and have him brought to a Ii Court-Martial. Considering, notwithstanding what he has done, since his surprise, to bring back the re mains of the two battalions, and save the eagles; considering likewise that the light cavalry had not i : established a guard to discover the defile by which the enemy penetrated, I hare thought that waiting fur ,ll ther instructions from your Excellency, to confine myself to deprive him of hi; command, and sendin4 him to Cardoune, where he will remain unempinyei till a new dispceition." OFFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FROM THE IMPERIAL ARMIES IN SPAIN. ARMY OF jATALGNIA. General DECAY has set out frora Geronne for Bar celona, where a large convoy of provisions has ar rived. lie had an engagement with the insurgent:, whom he defeated, and resisted, with the loss of se veral thousand men. ARMY OF ARRAGON. LETTER FROM MARSIM COUNT SUCRET TO Tnn PRINCE OF WAGRAM AND NEUFCHATEL, MAJOR- GENERAL. " Camp before Valencia, Dec.?. " Sin, —Since my last report, the works have been carried on with the utmost activity. The re doubt, No. 3, has been finished and armed. The convents of the Capuchins, and of llope, which were taken from the enemy, have been repaired, and placed in a state of defence, to serve as points of support to our trenches. The enemy made three sorties to re take the Gras, and establish his communication with the sea. General Baoscaorsat, with the 117th re giment, constantly repulsed them with considerable loss. The place tires a great deal, and is not sparing of ammunition, but does us no harm. Our besieg. ing equipage is formed, and convoys arrive every day. Generals HARISPE and BONPARD have taken some hundreds of prisoners upon the right of the Gua dalaviar. The Chief of Squadron, CALSoN, has, In Ar. ragon, _defeated the cavalry of L' ENIPECMI,DO, and taken 50 horse. The Chief of Battalion, HVOSAV, has surprised the hand of Caminito, at Montfort, and taken three Officers and 40 men. I expect Ssvrao• Lis' division to-morrow, which is to bring a large convoy for the besieging park of artillery. A hope in the confie of a few days to have most important levents to announce to your Excellency. I sent your Excellency a list of prisoners sent to Joea, since I entered the province of Valencia. Your Excellency will see they amount to 7500, to which are to bi added 2500 prisoners in the hospitals of Sarragossa." ARMY OF THE SOUTH. LLTTELL mom THE MARSHAL DVLE OF DALMATIA TO XIS SERENE lIIGIINESS TILE PRINCE OF irAGRAX ♦ND NEC FCIIAT£I.. " SEVILLE, Nov. 16; 46 The reports which I had the honour of making on the 2cl inst. to your Excellency, upon the surprise which General GIRARD experienced on the morning of the 28th October, presented no details. The honour of our arms is saved; the eagles have not fallen into the power of the enemy. The re main* of the two battalions have gained the fifth corps, with Generals Ginian and Ormartot - sxt and the Staff of Army, which was with this rear-guard. According to the rt.ports which have reached me, our loss consists of 400 infantry', 120 cavahv, horse, and 25 artillerymen, who belonged to the three pieces taken. General BRUN was in march far from Arroyo de Molines, at the head of 150 horse of tit , - 20th regiment of dragoons, when the enemy attacked the village. He instantly vendee:l his steps, and executed, with much valour, three charges, but the forces were too disproportionate; his horse were overthrown, and he had the misfor tune to fall into the enemy's power. The I)uka n'Anecenetto was also dismounted in a charge, and, in falling, received two bayonet wounds. It is said they are not dangerous. His brother, a Lieute nant in the 27th, received permission to visit him at the advanced posts between Elves and Campo. Mayor. I greatly regret, that among the brave men that the army has for a time lost in this un fortunate rencontre, we have to reckon General BRUN and the Duke n'Aiinestarno, so much distio guished for their valour and merit. I have the honour to inclose your Excellency, a report from General Count D'ERLON, dated 4th instant, to 'which is joined a copy of that from General Giniato, of the 2d. " Your Excellency can, therefore, inform Li; MAJZsTY of all the details respecting this event, which have hitherto reached me, to which I will add those I may receive. The conduct of the Gene ral of Division is too reprehensible not to give room for a strongly marked disapprobation. I informed your Excellency, that if General Gtzta,au should return I would displace him from the command of his ditisieu, aud have him brought to a Court Mar. tial. since 1 two b like guard pe neti strucr i , 1• U 1 Jepril Cardc new 4 D:visi to tW Line. 4.lte s( will s rive dated his si from ItEPO situ 11 ar 13a re, al' E.