The Statesman. — London, England, 1813-08-24 00:00:00

ANIRICAN WAR. ... TA TILE EDITOR OE THE. STATESSIA% s ift ,—The celebrated and judicious Vattel is the Chrpters which treat of unjust war,* in his book upon the law of nations, holds up to severe reprobation, retaliation, and condign punishment, the prince, p o wer, and people, who are its authors, sinews, and insfruments. It is a fair deduction, that he inveighs, i►► the bitterest terms, against all barbarous modes of prosecuting such a war, as by the conflagration of c 1 ies, the devastation of countries, and the massacre of men, women, and children. And lie says, that tie aggressed have n right to retaliate in any manner and measure they may think proper; the obvious tacit inference of which, seems to be, that the ag. gressor cannot retaliate in a similar manner without adding to his offence and incurring ad ? ' ditiottal chastisement ;—that is, lie cannot ill nature reason and law, after having committed the first of fence and aggravated it b% his enormities, be justi. fi•d in encreasine; his ab initio injustice and his sub sequent measures of cruelty. It ►would, indeed, be strange icasouiug to say, that what was vitiated in tilebeiiiiiing can change i:s character and become right puru pussu, by the mode of defence forced upon and a►topt►d by the aggressed, and w hich may be the only one in tlieir power. For w4at, in the name of common sense, is the difference between the nature of such an unjust att.ick of one nation upon another, and that of a personal assault and battery. There is, however, a great disproportion in the de gree of criminality, inasmuch as an assault and bat tery originates in an ignoraat individual, and is sel dom terminated by death; whereas the unjust attack or a uation is supposed to be sanctioned by the wisest heads of the country, and carries with it destructio►► of every species, and misery of every kind. Who aen still grant every means of defence and a :nn% a nee in the case of an assault and battery, and deati it in that of a national attack ? It is surely enough to ba►e st►ted the principles of one of the It'st publicists to manifest the absurdity of such a conclusion. However painful the task, and grating to the feel ingc of national pride, yet it is necessary to bring the co..duct of the British Government, in its former unnatural, and its present fatriciial war with America, to the test of these principles. We all should know, that the former was occasioned by an attempt to tax , ' America without its representative co-operation and consent ; and that in so doing, the Government either manifested an ignorance of our constitution, or, which was most likely,a treasonable and criminal &lire for its subversion, and to substitute in its place an oligarchy, which has been since com pletely effected. America would not relinquish tie noble station assigned her by the love of freedom and Providence ; she scorned to receive in the place of her birth-right, representation, taxation, and tyranny,—truly British ; while the mother country might have been taking lessons from degenerate France, she boldly refused to give op the rights and privileges of an integral part of the British Empire. Armies after armies were sent to entree her, and the cruel aid of the sa vage was bribed into the unnatural contest. The lawful weapons of warfare were observed, in many instances, to give place to, and in others to be the harbingers of, and pioneers for, the conflagration of cities, the devastation of countries, and the ruthless and indiscriminating butchery of the Indian with the tomahawk and sell ping knife. The burning of Norfolk, in Virginia, and Esopns, in the State of New York, and many other places; the cruel and predatory warfare of the traitor Aa r:m.l), in Virginia and the South ; hut, above all, the midnight murder of a party of Americans, asleep in a barn in Penn , ylvaisia, by one of our commanders; and that of our Indian ally. of men, women, and chil dren, its every stage and prouess of the war, inflamed the Americans to a further determined and successful resistance. If this resistance were marked in its progress, in many instances, with severe reprisals, their lattice could not be doubted, as measures of self defence to end the evil, by intimidating their infuriated eticmy iuto a less unhallowed mode of warfare, and more conformable to the laws of na tions; but this dues not appear to have been the cage f. At least I never heard of any instances of cruel, bit %RP-merited reprisal, on the part of the Ame rieans. And this can only be accounted for upon tl e obvi‘.us ground, that as men of sense, they dis dained to disgrace a g )od cud by even the appearance of Tillainot3 means, which history and our own ex perience inform us are uniformly employed in a bad cause. The sweet charities of life, no doubt, came in aid of this virtuous moral restraint, for they could not forget their relation , hip to the Mother Country ; and in their unextinguisheile fondness they called it the war of the Government, and not of the People. Indeed, there were men amongst them, and the im mortal FRANKLIN was of the number, whoarnrmed, that the barbarous mode of carrying on the war did more to reconcile America to the idea of indepen dence, than all the writings and speeches of their statesmen and orators. I, myself, have witnessed this doming fondness for the mother country, trans. • V ,h. HO find IDA. In order to perpetuate the rernerahrlore of the area mode nart..re, there were litoldings in Norfolk (1 think i i i ;k1 )115 ), ani •he Court-ha:4e in FJopus, whit h were bin; in M.)l. a th- e:r I soitablr inteription—oe ,4 /Deja ce:*—sornteuttA of their Vandal destroyer!. • 4111100111Ap thitleAl treed the titheii American born children, astonishment and rapture endearing name of hums ! A dispassionate view of the caUses Conduct, and consequences of this unnatural 'war, will impress the mind with a strong couvicf(on of the wickedness and impolicy of our Guverume it t, and of the supe rior intelligence and heroic victim of the Americas character ill the midst of the most cruel suffering, and when every species of horrid' 'reprisal would have been perfectly justifiable irtcorcling to the law of nations. But their clemency conquered, more for I them than the sword, as was manifest in the nume rous desertions of the British and their German mercenaries, whe had likewise the double itimulea. of fleeing from the evil day of en hospital or a work- , • house in Britain, and of procuriqg, with moderate industry, an ample portion of liberty and wealth, in the free and fertile regions of Columbia. . But I must dismiss the subject to a future oppor tunity, with an extract from some Miscellaneous Poetry, written many years agO. After describing the man of war it g oes on to decribe the man of peace, thus : " la peace a lamb, in war the atottotain's storm!" In life a Christian, as in death Amino ; The one may well become the warrior's part ; The other is the man's of GOD% own heart. And if the human mind impervious be, To good effects front love of peace in thee ; Well art thou reconspeus'd in thy own mind, By genial views and dispositions kind : At enmity with mad ambition's schemes, That, stalest her bloody days, her midnight dreams; Thou sail st not with the Jesuit to Peru, To change old doctrines fur the gold that's new ! And by the force of arms and fire decree, That *eater, land, air, sun belong to thee ! Nor, impious thou, poor Afric's coast explore, Madly to buy cargoes of human gore! Thou shiest not to India's peaceful clime, To light the torch of civil war and crime; With fire and sword I ndostan to destroy, And then exult with a barbarian joy. But oh ! the deeds, too horrid yet to tell. Which to Columbia, Freedom's sons betel; Who, from one common source the birth-right dated, Of liberty and laws for ages fam'd ; Ilefus'el —the bloody banner was unfurl'd, The demon war, convuls'd the western / world; The mother rends her entrails and expires, The Federal Phoenix rises from her fires! But thou the friend of Liberty and lases, Su:ported ant the selr-destructive cause. • Thou wept the. sun of Britain's prosp'rnus days, Setting in blood and shorn of ball its rays. Such is the man whose wishes reason guides, Titre? stormy life, o'er possion's swelling tidr, Reaped from choice, out disappointment's sting, llis joys increase, as life is on the wing; The air, the season, a sun-shiny day, A prospect fair, and mends of scented hay; Such common things, uncommon pleasure give, To hbn who is re,olv'd with joy to live, No care can canker, nor his health destroy, Nor envy poison the sweet founts of joy. Atiother's fat ,in him no envy moves, If cruse it'd wl.ll hanouts or the lass he Loves, Near cooling grots 'mongst tow'ring elms he walks, And with a cheerful friend at times he talks. fire emulation ne'cr disturbs hismind, 11101 no man shall a rival ever find. Ile every tuan'stwell-a isher constant proves, The prosp'rouslind the poor divide his loves; The first he hopes as happy as himself, The latter share his sympaby and pelf. Bail! that, my friend, whh wit and humour blest, And eloquence, that nc'er disturbs the rest, By mad unibitionhir'd to play the part Alike i buoxienn to thy mind and beset. Tho' wanting spirit to the world thou seems, A friend thy trite intrinsic worth esteems. Thou want'st not admiration us thy meed, Nor pomp to blazon every virtuous deed! Pleased with thy clothes, in fashion's make, and warm, Pleas'd w ita thy friends, a hose wit and humour charm. No superfluity ellen& thy board, Poultry thy yard, and fish thy ponds afford, And sober claret from thy Linos well stor'd. Freedom from prejudice and self-command, Make thee at peace with ev'ry chute anti lend. Thus a it, goad cheer, and humour 'tend thy days, Fame is thy laureat, and unbrib'd thy prr.ise. _ Adieu Imy friend, in whom such virtues shine, And as 1 sing than, may I make then: mine ! tour's sincerely, Xlag's Bench-walk, Inner Temple, PII!LANTII ROPOS, Aug. 17. Sidr Yesterdiy seteral L.iscars attended at Bow-street, to make a charge apinst a person far the supposed murder of one of their countrymen, soon after they sailed from India. Yesterday morning TAUNTON, the Bow-street offi cer, was bent off from the Secretary of State's Office for the Home Apartment, to Winchester and its neighbourhood, to make enquiries respecting the mur der of the Dean of that place, and to trace out the murderers, if possible. At a general meeting of the Magistrates, on Wed eesday, at Maidstone, on the subject of the new County Gaol, it was resolved, by a large majority, that it was expedient to apply to Parliament for an Act :o apportion a part of the burden for building the same, by a rate on the laud-owners ai'i►ell as the tenants. Tuesday, a journeyman plumber, descended into an old well oA,Odd Down, near Bath, but had not been there many minutes before he was annoyed by foul air, and beiame 'totally senseless. Four Col liers passing by tere implored to render assistance by a woman who saw tie plumber's perilous state; one of them only wovJ*l attend, and he with much alacrity descended the 'alp ; but the noxious vapour was too powerful, and he wes obliged to be drawn up without accomplishing his benevolent design ; being soon refreshed ) he again descended, and was again forced to return unsuccessful ; still detennined "to persevere, the humane fellow went down a third time, and brought up the poor sufferer, apparently a corpse'—Resuscitating means Were, however, re. sorted to, under 'lneilital instruction, and after 'twenty minutes the vital spark re-appeared,. he was Soon restortld, and is now perfectly recovered. The plumber had bees employed in the well the day pre ceding... • - •a• ;V 4RWICY ASIIZFB; rlah.l6 . Air. Relent TlaOlsen preahled lit Mti PriNt.---. , . .V. tstmlny.mornii soms . li o l ooded for the I There were but few cases of interest : the subjoined execution .of Matures ae r ie." *ere Ittnong . these of any,importence. day last at the Maidetene.Assi eN tea cci o s t 'v m ict u eti rde ° rit n murdering • Kira Or trikfielreei marine on beard the Sem/teen prison ship, as . early lisis Was en indictmeint found at the last Assiteas as three o'clock, was conveyed to, Gillingham, off apnea the. Defendant, en. occupier of land hi the which place the prison shi ps are stat i one d, it was . piarish of Bishop's Ilchinston, in this county, for ale erected on the banks of.the river, in the full view of tees's! errors in his naming,. while acting as overseer all the prisoners. At seven o'clock . Massereaux was of that p a rish. "Teas iudictment was moped by cer- • taken from the jail heavily ironed ; and together with itorii;4 to 'the Ceurt of . Ring's . Bench, and brought the executioner and his assistants, and a clergyman, (611110w:se Assizes for trial by a speCial Jury. took his seat in a post carriage .and four, and was . • ft eeeteired thet the Defendant, as was the custom driven to the spot where he was to pay the forfeit of in'theparish, had been appointed by the parishioner), his life for the crime he had committed. 'After seta- .iii , ul reit according to the directions of Stet. Elis. 43 . fence of death was:passed upon him, he lost all that the indictment stated the eppointnient of the Dee firmness which he displayed on his trial, and seemed resident, and the other overseers generally. 4o be absorbed in despair. On Ms arrival at the Mr. Ittersorais, the rktendant's Counsel, Contend , gallows he joined in prayer with a Catholic Chaplain, l ed that it was incumbent on the part or the'prosece as the Act direete. and after a short interval was launched into eternity. 1 wino to prove thet the belenclatit had been appointed An immense crowd attended on the occasions and . the river was covered with boats, Tilled with specta- 1 M r . ci.Akk gi Tor the prosedution, contended that tors. , , the Defendllint'sliiving acted as overseer Was su ffi ciant i 'lbis awful ceremony over, the executioner and ; proo f of his having been so. _ , the other officers of the taw returned to Maidstone, I. !1 1' . o this the fSearnld Judge a s s ent "' , M. REYNOLbS then contended, that it Was alma to attend the execution of Nicholson, who rose at ; an early hour in the Morning, and seemed . . kr re - , l u t e ) ', necessary to prob e the ap pointment of the De gard his approaching fete ,with calmness and for- I fends nts as overseers, • - etude..' • .. . Mr. Bat on Titotesort thbtight it 'mild be better • Dining Sendity, he was twice risked by Mr. Boner; t =o. preeeed. elm still entertained a suspicion that the. wretched to the other ,eomirs, end reserve the , pitent.of taw: The Cause thee prdceecied, till the Mall might have something to communicate.. To fre- sucEeediug overseers, with whom the Defendant mid quent questions which were put to him, however, be phis cesoverseers had passed, their ecciiiintees, Were solemnly declared that he had already disclosed had to make known. all.he PrONcsk!,' . when the Datenffitist's Cobeset urged the necessittlof pfeirittg the legality bd. ppeintment. . Yesterday morning Mr. Boner paid him a last visit, Air. Baron THossoli•was 'rff opinion, that the • and, in complience with his earnest entreaties, told 1 statute did require the appiindment q tees Migistrates him repeatedly that he freely forgave him for all the I . under hand and seal, to cepittfute a legal •ta ppoilit injuries he had sustained at his hands. intent. • The appointmena ity . the pArishioneth who At twelve o'clock Mr. Dudlow, ,the Under-She- I werP neithe r an indi v idual PPv a Cody corporate, riff, returned from Gillingham, and, on reac e;„ 4 ; could not for a moment be maintained. Consequent the gaol, desired that Nicholson might hold himself tyt the appointment under which the Defendant acted in readiness. The sledge which had been prepared i being destitute of the requisite formalities, be should for his conveyance, was then drawn up to the . allow, the objection made by the D efendant ' s Counsel. door, and, shortly before one, he was cooducted L This cause excited great interest among persons forth, still heavily ironed, and confined in the same .; liable to serve in' the office of eaerseer, and, theCotirt manner as during his trial. A halter was placed i was c rowded b y theM et an early hoof. stiterseges, around his neck, and which was tied to the front of ' 'raying paupers themselves ? and efferstarris charged the sledge. He looked extremely pale, but still pre- . e ith non-pay meet, are stripped' of all Means or de served a degree of fortitude perfectly consisteut ! fences as their own accounts !trend legal etitirence.-- aitit the resignation which he evinced throughout llt is n e t wonderful, therefore, that this cattee excited the whole of his unhappy sitnetion. Every thing Iso much interest. being in readiness, the . nselaucholy procession ad , BLaNli* t+. elibit. va need at a slow pace towards Peettlitatol Heath, I This was an action .'brought by. I farmer of the where a temporary platform and &aloes had been I Post Horse Du ties to the amount of 19,0001. per an+ erected. It was preceded by. a. considerable num- I num, against a Post-master at Birmingham, for dot ber of public officers and constables to clear the ; keeping a correct account of his posting transactions, way. The sledge went first, and was followed by j whereby the Plaintiff was defrauded of the Windup( the carriage containing the executiniter end his as- . his contract with Government. ' sistants, and a chaise, in which was Mr. Dud-;. The Defendant acknowled g ed the pistic Col the chirp low and the Catholic Priest. These were followed ; and expressed contrition, whereupon the Phiintiff'o by other Police Officers, and an immense concourse I Couns el agreed to take a terdict on the first count, of spectators, who hail been collected from all parts , and to withdraw 70 others.—Damages 101. of the country, closed the exhibition. It was nearly I . CATTELL V. SMITH. two o'clock before the procession reached the te n se, 1 This was an action brought by a respectable fainter where the multitude assembled exceeded any thing . at Coxheath, smear Solehall, against the Defendant, recovery of 351. 83. the price of a horse sold , for the we ever before witnessed on a similar occasion , The unfortunate wretch, now the object of such , the Pla i nt iff', under a warranty. It appeared that the general attention, seemed to be deeply intent on Defendant had warranted a horte, except the off eye, the tir , Aciful scene, in which he wag so prominent hut in a few days the Plaintiff discovered that it was a character. He looked around him with cotes.. foundered.—Verdict for the Plaintiff, damages 3sl. sion and shame marked in his countenance, ee l , Bs. including Eti. bider the keep of the horse. • ••••r seemed anxious to bury, in a speedy dissolution, - . 61• , , akilmom ommilma• the recollection' of his crimes. Mr. Bransom, the SiNGULAR PRESERVATION.-111 the 28th ult. ! Catholic Clergyman, now approached h while title boats of the Clarence, 74,;Iying in Basque 'rim, and • joined with him in fervent prayer. Ile ascende I the ; Rehdts were chasing a sloop in the passage of Per . platform with some difficulty, by the assistat ce of the • tub .Breton, near .the Isle of [the, they were fired executioner, who soon made the necessary arrange- on from the shore, and a, thirty-six pound shot_ struck meats of his office, and itt tate w seconds the wretched • the Idenices digtheeetelfsgte greet gun in the boiv , man was no mor e ! . knocked the oars out of 'the seamen's hands, and, Among others who were present was Mr. Boner, finally fell in the boat, without doing any other da- I The t.o&o O who hating thus 'witnessed the last struggle of one mar, or hortinuesingleinditlduat. tI.II4 . FILLLOR did . not `his departure for London, having previously made who had heaped upon him miseries so agonising, took I p it yesterday, but , give2jealgment this dejr*ln hie privite room. arrangements, by engaging horses on the road, for his ! The Loan CIIA*CgLOR on Friday, after goitig speedy conveyance. I through the. ll:mkt-ape Politlpus, which were w're- The body of Nicholson, after hanging the usual cedented, both in peint of number and of importance, I upwards of 400. petitions having been disposed of, time, was cut down, and conveyed, we understand, to ' a surgeon at Bromley, fur dissection. ; stated, that he wished he might never again see such 1 sittings' isi bankruptcy.—Then,• addressing himself _ The Catholics of Ireland are holding aggregate facetiously to Mr. Mercractu, who had just finished a meetings throughout the countries and principal long string :of .motions, after the regular , petitions ; " had been disposed of, said, I should be extremely towns, for the purpose of declaring their sentiments 's orry to wish that you may never , again see such on up a new Petition to Parliament, to be presented n e s ; sittings. I hope you may see many sitti e equally j at the commencement of the ensuing Session. •c ' &wive as these now finished have been, to the A new Ballet of action is in rehearsal, and will be incre ase t)lt of your professional reputation and emolu speedily produced at the Lyceum Theatre. ; meta," , A melancholy accident occurred in Batavia Roads, ! Oct the 21st inst. a most melancholy event occur on the 7th of January last. When the transport ship Malilila was about to get under weigh, the ' • rad at Hamsgate. Mr. Johnson, a very fine young - man, whose family resides at Burgess's, went to ! _cond Officer of that vessel jumped overboard after a bathe, left the machine, and unfortunately get out of favourite dog which had tallest over. He was seized his depth, when, notwithstanding the efforts of Mr. by a shark, and his arm crushed, and when he bad Burgess, jun. who was with him, Red asf a person reached the side of the ship, and assistance was g iven who leapt in with his coat on, he sunk to rise yo .to bring him in, the shark again seized him by the more. The life-boat was let down, but the young back part of the thigh, and tore it so dreadfully, man was lost in sight of it. Mr. B. is extremely ill, that he expired, from loss of blood, a few minutes , and Mr. Peake is fearful of the consequence. ' after he had been brought Upon deck. I A man of the name of Smith, while reaping wheat On Monday se'nnight, as Mr. Thomas Tutill, of ilea field near Dover, on Saturday, dropped down, Bowden, with his bride a n d two b r id e m a id s , w ere ; and instantly expired. Ile had at the moment som `going through Ilolme, near Market Weighton, in a I wheat in one hand and the sickle in the other. post chaise, on their way from Howden to Bielby, On Monday last an alarm of fire being given itt Dear Pocklington, to dine and spe n d the. day ; the I the Bulwark ' several persons, among whom were ' post-boy who drove them, went at full' gallop, and ! many women and children, leapt overboard, in their overturned the chaise, nearly opposite to the seat of consternation, but happily, no lives were lost. One Lille Hon. Mr. Stourton : fortunately no lives were ! woman had the misfortune to break her leg. The lost. The two bride-maids were much hurt; one off alarm arose from the carpenters pouring some spirits them (sister to the bride) received a severe wound in ' of turpentine into a glass near a candle, part of her forehead; they were taken to *a neighbouring • which accidentally fell on the deck, mid caught fire; • • house, and a surgeon sent for, from Market but it was soon extinguished by the .First Lieutenant , aVeighton, who, on inspecting the wound, pro- who , with great presence of mind, thlew a tarpaulin tiounced it not dangerous. The bridegroom and * over the spot. bride were much bruised, ns was the post-boY. The I The party who met with so fatal an accident off chaise .wis literally dashed to pieces. ' . Erith, on the 15th.instant, consisted of five persons Sir Ara:easiness Cocuaaste, who has just re- only, namely, a son and nephew of Mr. Hales, and ,sop Mr. turned from the Government of Guadaloup e 'we , a and two daughters of Bates„ no daughter are informed, 'has brought a most singtaar natural of Mr. ;les being with them as stated. Torre of production, found in that islned. .It is a large pe- . the betties have been, found, namely, Mr. Hales's trifaction, enveloping a human body. This curl- son, and• a son and daughter of Mr. Bates, mud the esity is to be removed from the Cressy man of wer, Coroner's Ittqueo., have returned a verdict of Acci. in Stich it came, and sent by water to the. Tower , dental Death. The other daughter lof Mr. Bates it from whence it will be removed acid deposited in the the only person -sot yet found, his nephew Whig British Mueiuni. ** saved. • • ti rt •-. . • .8 IA. IslitaN • ff, a hafisti eriknint, to his etitlONS' • n, dad hale he sr d them midi OF flASO!pitiod ,A,141:11411410LSOM4 ure ehquiro of F l oglaud by thd • ".."-",the ' Y.StOtilV•RlOrnini 11 intended f The p ewe o th arnr • ..11 F'r - .0(