The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-05-19 00:00:00

AMERICA HENRY'S MISSION. [FROM TuE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCtIt, Tilt GOVERN- V EttrimENT orriclAL JOURNAL.] The Report of thy Committee of Foreign Rela tions on this st bject is now before our readers, to. gether with the testimony of the Gentleman whom we have heretofore stated to have been examined be fore that Committee. It appears that Mr. lleery's character, to which objections have been offered by . Mr. Foster and others, was not taken into consde- - ritiou ley the Committee, who conceived the docu ments to bear on their face such marks of authenti city as could not be resisted. It will be seen also, if such ronl., ;nation he needed, that strong circum. sr:mil , : proof is atforled by Count Crilion's' tests. snotty in support of the statements of Mr. Henry, who appears to have stood as high in England as in this country, and was equally distinguished hi London as in &Mou l in both of which he frequented the best so. ciety. We have seen it intimated, in certain Prints, that Henry's disclosuresare unimportant, because no names are given of those with wh6m he held correspondence , during his mission in this country ; and we should not be surprised to find this report adduced to prove that there bas been no such intercourse. The Commit. tee, it will be observed, have not taken any steps to implicate any . persons in this country who may be snproccd to have been concerned in this plot; but as they have not implicated, neither have they exone rated, nny—and perhaps it was not within the strict line of their duty to have done either the one or the othor. hi relation to this point, we may be per vaittA to remark, flat we have been disposed to at. tact, importance' to this disclosure, - not at all be cause it may incidentally impliCate some of our own ‘ cilizens,'but as exposing the treacherou+ conduct of a nation covertly seeking the destruction of the only free Government on earth—es elucidating the real ,canse and motives of the policy observed by Great Britain to us, taking into view her contemporaneous proclamation, during 'the Embargo, admitting into . her ports American vessels without clearances, &c.; Canning's official sneers in his intercourse with our Minister in London—Ershine's assurance of the sin __ - .verity of his Master's inclination to favour the inte rest's of this country, and maintain with us unceas- Ang amity—the appeal from our Government, ad s dressed particularly to the people of the Eastern Sec tion of the Union, by the publication of Canning's letters in Boston—and other circumstances which the recollection of oar Readers will supply more readily than our pen. When we review this tissue of de ception—when we tetlect on the conduct of Britain, tendering in one hand the calumet of peace, whilst the other held the poisoned chalks to our lips, we emphatically feel that a nation, likes man, May smile, and smile, and be a villain." Thc disclosures made by Mr. Henry have hrcu held up to ridicule as unimportant, and, with the same grace as a froward child breaks out into a hysterical laugh, to conceal thesorrow its little heart is too stub born to avow, we have seen some who have affected to laugh at their contents. If this merriment be . atfccted, it is childish and unworthy of men of sense and character ; if not, it is worse. In the same spirit in which Nero fiddled when Rome was. in • flames, thoughtless men may smile at the approach of the hydra of foreign influence which threatens to devour them 1 as far be it from us to envy them, as to participate in their amusement. This is not the first time that ridicule has been resorted to where the recoil of weightier weapons has been dreaded. But • In this case, the arrow is so light and ill sped that it glances from the object at which it is aimed, re bounding on those who use it—for what can be more ridiculous than to manifest hatred for the agent in this plot, in the same breath that the principal is de. fended, or what snore absurd than the declaration, that these documents are forgeries, and Henry him- self unzcorthy of credit, at the same time that his whole budget is ransacked, and this man's private letters exposed to view, to exculpate from participa tion in his views those whom no one has censured as concerned A futile attempt is made to stifle the force of — Henry's evidence, to screen from the public eye the damning facts be exposes to view, by magnifying the amount of the compensation said to have been made by our Government to Mr. lleury for his disclosure. Supposing all that is said to be true, how can that pos.iibl, detract from the atrocity of the act disclos ed, ana which is tacitly confessed even by the British Minister?--When a man is convicted of house. breaking or murder, it his conviction less important to society beeause,a reward was paid for bis detection or apprehension ? On the same principle it is that services such as Henry has rendered us are rewarded by Governments. What honest industrious man, that in the silent dead of night has found his house in pastes, his property menaced with instant destruc. l l tien t s and only saved by the interposition of Provi. deuce, but would freely give a tithe of his weekly .earnings for the discovery of the incendiary? Ue know not what Henry has received for revealing to our Government the incendiary agency for separating this, Union ; but this we know, that those who hold this Union cheap will think the secret purcluised at a price too dear. Of one fact We venture confidently to assure our readers; that whatever compensation • Mr. Henry may have demanded from our Govern meta for the communication of his credentials, he j might • from another quarter have commanded five ' times as muck for their suppression. Although many may say, with the lion. Mr. I Quincy, that the ['resident has done worthily in lay- ing the affair before Congress, in our view he has only performed an act of obvious and imperative duty, imposed by the awful solemnity of his oath to seprort the Constitution of the United States. If the President knew of the exist ace of evidence of a plot to sever the Union , to destroy the Co n stit u ti on he had sworn to support—was he not bound to ob. taiu it ?—Wheat obtained, "mild he have faithfully diieharged the duty confided to him if he had i.e.', (rained from laying it before Congress ? If tots ought he to have refrained from so doing from an Appreheiision,of offending those who those to con.' sitter themselves as implicated ? If he had concealed It, hp h a d become an accomplice in the crime; by .disclosing it, it is no fault of the President, however • .It afar be a cause of regret, that the feelings of some • respectable individtsals of keen sensibilities appear to bisre been unintentionally wounded, e'llg, , , , , i f 6... . • I I i ,li• ;• I ) 1 A 1 ., t! R , I ~+! °' .~ 1~ M j L 1 I • r• t 1111111111:' " ' TILE STATESMAN. In the Press, nod speedily will be published, Price 5•. r INIE Trial and Condemnation of SIX UNFOL. TUNA l'E PERSONS, who were Tried, Xtmvietetl, nod Guillotined, all in.tote d.ty, in ['drib, &trine the Helga of Rot,-•pietre, fur negoeititiog a Limo of ONE HUN [TED THOUSAND POUNDS, fur the use of Three of the English Proem. • • • A Copy of the BOWD will oho be given, et jib a SPECIAL AOH gesttNT subjoined thereto, ninon% erns the Alvin (wit", watt one of the !tenons snillot toed ) to otegociate the LOAN, In Share* of 10.)1. each, the Interest of w high %as made vaymble nt • Notary'' , no Pert, whu was also guillotined. 'Fhb Publl• cation will likewite contain other rcoulikahle circumstances which took p;ace in Londoo,reintive tothiwestnoorstinery Ade. To be had or J. Dick, ZI, Bolywell-strect, Straad ; uud all other Bookselters iu the United Kingdoro. ll.* Several Shwas atllltt. each in tie abilve Loan to be dis posed of, uud the Particukro biuwu by appl it% us above. A rr. Mai's. Doe. 1 . 1 0 ,• • ambs .., .. ,• , u oLisboa 1 • • • • • • Gnerntey •• • ..... 0.111.1.0.• •H. • 1 1 Jersey .. 1 ,, Anholt WnIT-TMEED 4lf Holiday it the Platte eftee. THE STATESMAN. LONDON: TUESDAY, IItAT tO ) 1812. UREA nrut. EARTHQUAKE IN .SOUTH,AMERICA. .- - .... _ ST. P11.R1028, MARTINIQUE ) APRIL 19, 1812. A most dreadful account was received hare yester day by the way of CONON that the city of Canteen and the town of La Guyra were destroyed by an earthquake on the 26th ultimo. Seventeen churches are said to have fallen at Caraccas in a minute, and, al it was Holy Thursday, they were no doubt full of inhabitants. P&ivate buildiN;s, no doubt, also fell in great numbers from such a shock-14,000 persons are said to have perished there. At La Guy*. few, houses are said to remain, and about 1400 persons t to have perished. The Congress and people e loy ed in the Federal Government were at Valet' . 1 1 believe and expect they have escaped this dreadful visitation. Whatever opinions may be entertained with regard j • to the exultation of some individuals on accosnt of • the demise of Mr. Placevsy we canuot help con sidering this at .a proof of the degraded state Of our countrymen, and of their having WA . that generous and manly spirit Which used to characterise Britons. But while we view the matter in this light, we are compelled to attribute this extraordinary change, to the dreadful state of public affairs, broo,tht on by the imbecility and profligacy of a succession of Mi. ulster!, whose sole object has been to enrich them selves and their adherents, at the expence of the • comfort and the improvement of the minds of the lower classes of the community. The enormous burdens which they have laid on the publie ll have re duced this portion of society to so abject and de- I pendent a state, that the utmost efforts of the most diligent industry are frequently not sufficient to ! supply a man and his family with even the tie ' cessaries of life. The consciousness of this de ! ! pendent state has, of course, rendered men less industrious, and caused them to brood in gloomy and sullen silence over their misfortunes; and to listen with envy to the tales, told them by their fathers, of the state of happy independence enjoyed in their times; when every industrious man could not only procure the means of living, but enjoy the comforts of life as the fruits of his industry; and I when only the aged, the sick, and those who had met with misfortunes, were compelled to seek for pm- . dial relief. These considerations have excited in their 1 1 minds degree of hatred for those whom they consider their oppressors ; and the constant habit of applying to the parish for assistance, instead of trusting to i their own exertions, has so deadened all sense of shame, and destroyed the feelings of manly hide pendence in the lower orders of society, that though i not living under an absolute arbitrary Government, they arc degraded to a state of the most abject ser vility. It need scarcely be added, that the minds of men, in such a state, have ever been found the mcst destitute of the feelings of humanity, and prone to applaud the commission of the most disgraceful crimes. it follows, that the only method to suppress this gaming mil, is to ameliorate the couditiosk of the , lower classes of the community ; to restore them to that state of independence which every man Ought to possess, of being able to support himself and family by his own industry ; and though this, in the present state of affairs, may be a difficult task, there is no subject on which the attention of oar Legislators ! could be so usefully employed, nor on which the sal ! station of the country so materially depends. Pamphlet, entitled A Letter to Edward Parry,a4c. ! on the Commercial Monopoly of the East India Com puny, has just been put into our hands, which we have perused with great satisfaction ; and, as 1 the following passage is so clearly illustrative of , the topic we are discussing, we readily submit ! it to the consideration of our Readers " Everyibing that we see in the situation of this country indicates that it approaches some great cri sis. But nothing, in that situation, appears t 9 give cause for more great and just alarm, than that kind of discontent and ferment, apparently the prepara tion for change, which• exists in the.public mind.— The great interests and population of this country are commercial. As long as commerce flourished, and the people were satisfied with their private af fhirs, there was no real danger from their political I notions. Party-spirit Istight rue hi3ll, end violence of expression be made use of, but people occupied 4ntlsfsctoelly with their private pursuits, will not quit tendanger them to amend the a ff ai rs o f t h e conn . ry. It is otherwise when the private affairs of individuals are generally ruinous, and present them no prospect of satisfaction or comfort. The strong current of private discontent then turns upon and eedangers public affairs, and the minds of men aro gradmally prepared to embrace and devote themselves to ally change. Why Is It that I point out these this*? It? to impress on the minds of the Govern ment, the situation in which they stand; and to warn them of the danger of disappointing any just expectation of the people, or of taking any measure that would convince them that their joterests are net attended to." - - By a ship from Ostend, and which left that port on Saturday, intelligence has been received from Paris to the 13th instant. It is asserted in one of the letters from the French capital, by this oppor. tunity, that BoIitA.PARTE had left that city for the North on the 11th. Yesterday at two o'clock, a Cabinet Council, which was summoned by Lord CASTLEREAGH, was held at the Foreign Office, which sat till past five o'clock. Neither Lord CASTLEREAGH, nor Earl CAmnr.v, attended the Cabinet Councils which were held on Sunday, Saturday, or Friday nights. Mr. SUERIDAN arrived at• his house in Bruton street on Sunday night, from Stafford. The Stafford Paper rfprosents his canvass at that place as having secured to him the suffrages of the whole Borough, without a single exception. . Yesterday about three o'clock, the Sheriffs of Lon don and Middlesex had au audience of the PRINCE REGENT, at Carlton House, to know his Royal Highness's pleasure, when he would be pleased to receive the Address of the Corporation of the City of London, .upon * the assassination of Mr. PERCE VAL, when the PRINCE was pleased to appoint the next Levee Day, which is expected to be next Fri day. The Managers of the Haymarket Theatre had an nounced, for some time, the popular Faroe of Killing we Murckr, for performance on Friday night : an . order, prohibiting its performance under that title, was received from the Vice-Chamberlain, and it is for the future to be called-Buskin and Ravi. . At tho Haymarket last night Mrs. WILLIAMS, from the Dublin Theatre, made her first appearance The Prize. She possesses no great power of voice; nor much musical execution ; but her comedy is arch and easy, her eye expressive, and her manners grace. ful. She will be a great acquisition to the Theatre. • Drury-lane Theatre is going on with a rapidity that has no parallel even in the extraordinary exertions of the rival Theatre, and the subscription for complet ing it fully keeps pace with the just expectations of the Committee. The roof has b4en on several weeks, aid the staircases and several painting-rooms are quite complete—yet there .remain five long months befbre the contract binds them to be ready for repre sentation : it is, however, now more than probable, it will open as originally proposed on the Ist of Oc tober. A plan is about to be submitted to the renters by a very large shareholder, which it cannot be doubted will be cheerfully assented to by all. Each subscriber of an old 5001. share (of which there are 300) is to take one new share of 1001. only, and by this trifling individual subscription, a sum of 30,0001. will be immediately 'raised, and which is fully com petent to all the 'present views of the Committee. — This may be worthy of the serious attention of those who have till now delayed placing their names with the long and distinguished list of the " Drury-lane Proprietary." Yesterday being Whit-Monday, the different So- i cieties walked through the town in procession, with flags and bands of music, to take their annual din ner. The St. Mary-le-bone Union Society, amount ing to two hundrend and eighty-six, dined at Cum. berland Gardens, and returned home about eight o'clock in the same order of 'regularity in which they set out. The American Boy, only seven years old, whom we mentioned some time since, as having twonderful faculty at calculation, without having recourse to figure, is arrived in town with his father. He can neither read nor write, but will calculate how many minutes in a week, a month, &c. almost instantane ously, or will calculate any thing else equally dilli cult, either with respect to money, or whatever those who examine him chuse. On Saturday he astonished several Gentlemen in the city by his calculations, and when he answers their questions, he plays with 1 the bell-rope, or any thing else that attracts his no - I tice. He has been put to school, but is dull to learn ) tend ie ether respects, eaceptiag calculatiee; rather t stupid. He has five fingers on each hand, which his father has also. In consequence of a reward of 9301. otfe.red fur the apprehtin. lion of the noted robber Bulger, he was taken into custody on . Tuesday sc'nnight. A fair one with whom lie resided is sup • posed to have acted the part of a Delilah on the occasion. When the Officers entered the room in which t. was, be seized a large horse pistol and presented it, swearing he should sell his life as dear as posible; but luckily both for him and his pursuers, pre caution had been taken to snake the powder sufficiently wet to prevent its taking fire; and an enormous brass bluoderbuss (now I identified as alienated property), wits which be likewise took aim, was perfectly harmless trout the same cause ; his fair friend probably wishing to prevent hint from adding murder to the list of his crimes: be immediately betook himself to his • sword, anti several desperate wounds were giveu and received i before he could be brought to surrender. It is said be has turned King's evidence, and the gang , of which he was the :leader, will be now completely extirpated.—(Dublin Paper.) On Thursdayse'nnightan Irquest was taken at Lincoln, by Mr. John Drary, Coroner, on the body of a poor woman of the name of Fish, who was crashed to death the preceding day by the sudden fall of some earth in a stone-pit. The eircunt- Starters attending the death of this unfortunate woman were pt. enliarly distressing. It appeared from the evidence given be t fore the Coroner, that the husband of the deceased, a poor and infirm old labourer, had undertaken to till up the stone-pit, which is near Lincoln, for a guinea, and that *had been three weeks at labour daily without completin g . his task, when ' rife accompanied him un Wanesdav morning to assist him ill' hie undertaking. The old man was busily employed, When, about three o'cliosk in the afternoon, some labourers who were at work sear the spot ealkd out to that he bad had a rare carve Mr lie old man, being very deal, bad oat beard the noise occasioped by the ('al it of db earth, although it hap mg aerated b 7 iled within a fe the erseW _yards ofh mod was. 0 e bias ; bat ae ked runad ea be m too V _ be expected, exceedingly dummied as Wedillt hig gylfe ea/Ird out im mediately tar asthtanor, and the poor creature was extricatesi after some time ; but alw wm mods btfare4r. 00 Ike died ia a few bours afterward. VerOct—Aestiteatal Dade, fr.t. I • a SECOND EDITION ST.ITES.II IN OFFICE, TIVO DEPARTURE OF TIONAPARTF FROM PARIS. NVe have this moment received Paris Papers to ta i 11th instant. The illonitcur, of the 10th, contair; the following important article : PARES, MAT',, The Estrum set oat to-day to inspact the Grab Army collected upon the Vistula. To Lord GRANVILLE LEVISON COME!). part o f that Prisoner MY Lone r —The impression which ha s horn , i - ' on the minds of the publi c , by a recent exe-utiu:,, is so conspicuous as t o rendoewr it happened hainpmpeyoodopsitosicohnt,mihi.; dispensably necessary for your L or d s hi p to give some , satisfactory explanatio n , h of accumulated mise r i es were so un j ustly heaped slk the in t h h e e a d ß o u f ss a i an l3 d ri o t i m s 1: n i s o u n h i j . e c t T . il l : d i n s g th y e o l u e r ad E i m ag ba te s t sy . tare of my address to your rd, th a t th e chaYlloeungedilyloreurmLemorbdipesrh'nlyto L refute an y Lord, truly interesting and elaborat e a pp ea l w hi c h h e made to the good sense of a British Jury ; but your Lord. Ship wet mute. It was, perhaps, 01111COtaing h it e4 „ f s r it o u rn at t eit_ he pe in cu a li co ar ucirrtcoufms Justicet ances s urr ounded in which you b y de u as t , ter w e d o u oneu pr obably sound h d l i: t ic h e o r s : y e ll re vulgar Lordshi p c w o h rd o a , n h t a t d o , discovered that you had erred and that the Prisoner was a maniac ;—one lapsas tnemoria might line proved fatal to your Lordship's hitherto sc. knowledged activity as a British Legate. But would ask your Lordship, was it impossible to have acquainted the ATTORNEY-GENtaiL with BELLINGHAM'S case ?—Was it imps. sible that you could instruct him to reply to the Pri. soner's allegations ?—Such things have been, zed might have been, done again. In this instance, no doubt, your Lordship had substantial r,!asons for withholding any answer to the Prisoner's appal, 4itl.t shall not attempt to dive into your Lordship's bosom, already too much tortured by the recent Itbs of 'to rirluOus and good a man as Mr. PEacevar..— , It may perhaps be justly urged, that the Prisoner's tale cannot •be credited. Very probably so—but I would ask, had he time to collect his witnesses ? Aud would it not have been a greater semblance •of justice had the ATTORNEY.GENEEAL suffered this wretched being to have produCed them, who would assuredly have proved him perfectly mad, when the subject of his Russian grievances was touched on? Ply Lord, justice was too hasty. The culprit under this partial insanity, might be perhaps untit to exist with any degree of liberty, But I call on your Lordship to say, Whether or not this trial savoured more of Gallic oppression or of Lritish Trial by Jury ? On the explanation ishich your Losiliship, I doubt not, will give, and which I entreat may not be de. layed longer than is necessary, I shall feel myself, as I believe many others will, at liberty to comment; and should it prove that the affair can attach oo dis• credit or negligence to your Lordship, I shall be the first to apologise to you for harbouring one single sentiment prejudicial to your honour. In the meantime, my Lard, I consider it my duty, as a Briton, to remind you that the Prisoner's wife and family would, but for the generosity of the So. ciety of Friends, of which she is one, have starred, and been now deprived of their only means of sup. port, without such charitable aid. The crime for which BELLlmeruist suffered being rather of a per. sonal than a political or public kind, as dr e gs your Lordship, it therefore becomes your bounden duty to contribute your mite to the maintenance of this family. I wish to hint to your Lordship, the propriety o f i reflecting on what must be the opinion of Mr. Pet. I cEvAt.'s relatives with respect to the death of that Gentleman--what the sensation of Isis wife, brothels, 1 fr. and children, when they remember the answer It ' NacEvAL returned, that the Prisoner's case Itti such a one as could not admit of remuneration from the public purse—an answer completely accord ant %oil • his public and ministerial opinions, which ong Mated in yoar Lordship's apparent neglect, if such prole to be the case, and that the arm of the Assassin "i in consequence raised, :sod slew the Minister? This appeal is now preseuted to you, t h r oug h the medium of a respectable daily Journal, that ye n f may, by an early communication with that pcople"., which you are the servant, clear up the gatherios t storm attributed to your negligence, abo ut to brut in uoises more terrific than the thunders roar. I am, my Lord, Your Lordships humble Servant, London, Slay 18, VERITAS IN VIiRBIS* Bur.to.—No Court of Aldermen to day. Th e LORD MAYon, after inspecting the Returns, order. ed tl:e present prices to continue. Aloournent is just finished by Co tor. W es tminster-bridge, from a design of Mr. IVE:'T'" to be erected In the Royal Hospital at Grecaoi,b, to the memory of the Great NEL sox. It is 50 lea long ; and is jtighly spoken of. It is to be sera' gratis, at the Manufactory, near to . the foot of tbd -Strand-411dr% '':urfrj • side of the Tbam s. I I ;rt ,t ~~ i