The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-08-29 00:00:00

11 1 1. 1 I , ~, t T FRE NU 11 PAPERS. [FORT ttER ZITKACTSI PRlstrvEn•s or W'R. It is not now, for the first time, that 'the British Government he: been guilty of acts of wanton bar.: barity towards those whom the fortune of -war has placed in si.eir power. •I h . A liwg ini t sa;lo , .4 have at length adopted the stohle7esoltition" Of eoforcing respect to their rights a grflair'lag ,•sSW - roiaelantr Acker Manama lettticrist. New Vo k, in which Genoal '.Clinton heaped to - gethei their unhaily contitrymen by thousands, in w:.ich the si%t 1 4 au, tie tv-v, and the bad quality ofillue proil:votis cey ware supplied witl, gave birth to asontagie . tis /ever, whit+ cafried them otr, and aqinng them several womori and yoeng Aittireti. ' -16 1777,40 a vesse' from Nantz, Ldltosiere, was returning i•i a disabled state from Part-an-Prince, an Captain, having . met' her, persuaded her people to go into it. Augustin, in the Floridas.-- . - S.ie had sc , :ceiy arrived there in compliance with this advice, when the Englishman obliged her to an chor beneath it's guns. War had not then ben *de , clared_Letw;en the_ two. nations, nevertheless, the crew of LI Klsiere *ere made prisoners, and a re.: we'd of izu Usi,cs was ofifered,to the savages for the scalp of any of them who should attempt to make his escape. We were kept in this state for six weeks (says 'he chevalier A.-hard de Bonvouloir, in a let tri to M. de Sartines), and then sent to Port.au- Prince in an unserviceable vessel, with as much da. maged bisenit as was-sufficient for half the passage. • The Chetalier de Bretigoy was also taken pri soner previous to the declaration of war,and.brought Iwo A4insistiii.---." I have seen (said he, in his letter to the Minister of Marine) sixty French sailors soot to a desert island, where, shut up in a tower, they were 'forgotten for four days, during which time they were without food. They were then given to understand, that if they did dot enlist in the regi ments of the garrison, or enter on board the frigates in the harbour, they would be starved. They re fused at first, but the menace being followed up, the unfortunate people, in order to escape the terrible death•with which they were threatened, entered the British service. I saw them weep while they signed their attestation. They called upon me to witness the violence under the pressure of which they did so, and c ititired me to accept their protests. An un happy prisoner like themselves, I could answer them Only by a lgh. (signed) a , The Cheralierde BRETIGSTY." It i. known that last year the emissaries of., the Brit isi: iovernment excited the Indians to make . ' inroads on the terr:tories of the United States, for the yours• of massacring the peaceable cultivators, and -calveig their s. omen and children ; and this it not a new thing. ,'he inhabitants of Pennsylvania have not forgotten the nature of the presents sent by the tribe of the -ienekas to the King of England, In 1778. This is a fact little known, notwithstand ing its just claims to notoriety. Th.- letter by sshi h 11-e present was accompanied was addressed to Coloi.A Ilaldimand, Governor Canada, and was couched verbatim in the following 'terms:— I , 4 !16 l' • allow them, indeed, the honour of fighting by .out side ; but after all, they are only Spaniards and Pot., tuguese, and not Wives of Old England. if they haw the misfortune. o to be taken prisoners so much tlyi wofse for them. not acknNeiTgle them lo ageur allies any ton g, 'or by any *ens admit, that they should form a'pa t of the mass 6f pßson ers to be exchanged. Such an advantage is onlylit to U ilealleglaiirribrgbekereir . . ___ [to an exchange, we have ,prisoners enopgWilve ;tlall our own •co w u a n r itreenx Wdlill.` atiAMies, a d in the hands of [ our euemy. But [ vvirovim [ st i colasi er, 'ail inie.,Vrere Ito act upon Ora Oul Ito kS* Id' be ;end r that we would no.lpeget littvelhe pleasure of taking , \ vengeatice on defenceless Frenchmen for our commer cial tosses and the destruttion of our manufactures. We are told - thatwe'have violated a capitula tion ; our undoubted privilege to break our Vold''has been disputed. Did we not capitulate to a French army at Closter Severn, as did der Ministers make any scruple of -breaking throuili a convention signed by a Prince of the Blood? Let are adjure you not to j abandon the principles of our ancestors. Nothing which promotes our interests can be unjust. I must, nevertheless say, that when I compare past times Malt the present, I cannot conceal my regret at find- , ing that we now are treated with intolerable arro. , gance. I dread, that one day or another, we 'shall be compelled to act Pitt'', and 'then, according to the prediction - of-the-groat—Chabam, ss e shall be I ruined." ' . Whoever has read the debates of the House of Commons of the 2.0th.0f June, will easily perceive, that the above is a faithful interpretation of the no tions of Lord Castleriath;though they were express ed by him with ratherlesa frankness. - lithe slightest 1 sentiment of honour is yet to be . found in the ) hearts of Englishmen, let them answer our appeal. Let their Parliament direct an enquiry with respect to the following facts :- 1. Which Government first violated the rights of nations? • 4. Which prisoners, French or English, hare frequently broken their parole ? 1 5. Votes' *bat pretext does Engtood -retain 441 her prisons 12,000 nien, in defiance' of the C.o pitulatiests of Ba)lett ? r. Let . Mr. Whitbread, Wilberforce,.and other Mem bers of the Commons frankly proposethese questions, ! and the families which, among both people, mourn ! over the protracted captivity of , their chlldrett, their j brothers, and their friends, will anon know' which of ' the two Goiernments they should tax with their mis fortunes. You, in particular, Mr. Wilberforce, who have evinced yourself so often the protector of the oppressed, do you now employ your eloquence on be 1-half of the prisoners of both nations. Let the English 1 nation know, that if her sons are compelled to drag ' on ertietence on a foreign soil, that they owe their : sufferings to the injustice of their own Government— ' make your'Miuisters, if it be possible, blush for the contempt theyeevince for their Allies. Say to them, that when the Spaniards and Portuguese attached • themselves to theireause, they had reason to expect " f' at they should enjoy the privileges with respect to - ..Achanges of prisoners, which the English think be long exclusively to them ; and let the just and en lightened men who are to be found in both Houses of Perliantent, fix the basis upcn which an exchange may take place.—(Journal de Paris.) • µ-f -rasa,—We be you to transmit to the Great King no , the other side of the water theNeolds wesend you, in order that, , —__. view ing them, he .iy be itre‘t i proving to him, as . they wi ll , ' EXCIIANGE OF PRISONERS. our ;serve tra.ice in destroy i ng his enemies, and en :miring him • le the same time, us tires twin, that his presents have not be. n NN'_ ar is the sphere of power, and is evermore at throe ii two , on the ungrateful. I tended by a multitude of inevitable acts of violence; ogee%) " CONGIOnATCIII, would be crithes any where Chief of the Scarkas." and those acts, w hich but in the fi Id of battle, would i bo dreadful, had' . These horrible spoils, which the British Com oleanders received as trophies worthy of them, mere not civilization introduced rules, by which they the wretc , .ed remains of their brethren of Pennsyt_ have been curbed, and tempered by the 'sacred so eerie, Ne.v J. isey, Virginia, and the districts ad tholity of laws, the violence of the reigning passions ... .of the human heart, Ti:us a principle, Which all lacent to Sew York. The excesses to which the s agents of the British Cabinet had recourse during should respect, commands us to' spare the life of hict that tsar, both against the Americans and the French, him who lays down his arms. Another,. w a would fill a volume ; and what is very singular is, i France has at all times held sacred, directs , tha t that these last never retaliate. They piqued them-1 Power should afford the same care and attention to , the wounded soldier of their enemy as they do to selves, it is said, upon their generosity ; but it is more prohnble that the cause is to be found in the i their own. Thus by a rule, salutary to the interests of man , apathy and imbecility of the Government, for there I 'ls no generosity in su ff ering outrages of such a na-' kind, the conqueror pardons the conquered, upon x ture to pass unpunished, and in answering acts of • the condition of his remaining a Prisoner, and not Injustice and ferocity by sterile remonstrance. ' attempting to quit the asylum afforded him, till corn- prised in a general or partial exchange. Without The right of retaliation is acknowledged by all na- such a reciprocal agreement, it is evident that civi tions, as a method of preventing murders, treasons, lilted nations, like savages, would destroy their re. eud other outrages on humanity. The Government spective prisoners. ~ which employs it, is no more culpable than the Judge A prisoner who breaks his parole, does not mere 'who condemns. an assassin to death. The honour, ly violate the laws of honour, he commits the repu. the safety, the most sacred interests of nations re- 1 tation of his country, he brings evils upon his cow'. quire that violence should he repelled by violence, trymen, who, prisoners like himself, have been feith and that he who violates the laws of huuvaulty should ! • ful to their word, and gives offence to every eivilized not be permitted to claim the protection of those people. laws, In France, as well as in England, every reasonr What have been the effects of our protracted an a bl e inalArie7fEielpie - ticritiii WM deplore the copse cowarl,ly indifference upon the English Ministry? I quences of conduct like that of which all Eirrope Why, it has accustomed them to consider other peo- ; complain, Be feels how usefol and necessary,it is pie as of an inferior species, as beings whom they i n the violent struggle in which the nations are en night use is they pleased, without danger of out- i gaged to check exasperation of mind, and lay down rage belt g met by outrage, or of the terrible inju- ! certain barriers which are not to be passed. ries they intlictee being resisted. These are the ! One of the best means of attaining such an ob.. grounds of Lord Castlereagh's surprise and regret. } ject, would be to exchange, man by man, such pri- Full of monstroas notions upon the auL:,ct, he soiters as have made their escape on both sides.— thinks, when En_lish prisoners violate ahrir paroles After such an exchange was effected, France would it is a neltter quite in the ordinary and :tgitiniate I still have to, claim many English prisoners; never course of ails.. s, and ut the same time imputes the theless, she would not think of triumphing in this same conduct to rte French as il crime. . I advantage, which would render so apparent the in- It is difficelt to reason coolly upon sueh a subject, justice of her enemy's eornplainte. That which she but it is, tivirertht less, necessary to suppress our in- wishedl:;l7lliiivrateli — fi• s Frequiret, is a rigid and dlgeation, in order to show distinctly all the absur, mu t ua l observance, in future, of the principles which dity of the reproaches of the English Ministry, I formerly produced the contempt and -desertion of If Lord Castlereagh were to speak as he thinks, 'every primmer who broke his parole. would he not address the House of Commons in the , It appears iMpossibli that propositions so just following tennis : i i ' and moderatii should fail of receiving,the assent of °c CI Emiumar,—Several French prisoners have the two Houses, and of bringing the, English Gtee made attic escape, others have broken their parole, vernment to a resolution, serriceabW itethet,interests 011 fris je very wrong, and contrary to the lees of of bcth parties. If it were otherseisety4ae would' honour. It is true, it.d. ed, that our countrymee be (erupted to think that an'OpOtillftintit' .se much. • set them the example. bat what right had they to boasted of, were nothing more than a device of the . 11 - follow it? Roes not the history of ,all times prove 'Ministry, who had •cemplained 'of the t'scal*' 44 - that the English have a right to do a; they please? French prisoners with sto Over view but to turn et _tf Did we net take the trees of leo merchant weasels minds et the people-Nom snore weighty nsattneSbes . preeio•-s to any, deelftraiion of war against France? • fAnlothe 0 1)10 " 1 thdleld9 9 . . land, nevettheless, do we not etvostautiy, assert; that'.. . Wi m*l4 , however, williml4thinklietter of tbS oar' enemies bare' been - geiity of great injuesiee, in 1 , 1 44044 n .i i i „ trit ,, , ,, e i t t Hsi * , im i t i t i ll i n p i p e . tV 41j ut. • asking •rejwiiAlt, ti s caulinf Olif. ef tatiloir. 611. thd IliPentc; : tfilillelfd be 01 1 1.167 16 er , t4r l Voitf ^- a-----• •_ e_'_ - _...........1'• ...a ..1. ---I— .--I,ft r a .I.tvir_fil ..i........—.. - ... . . . . _ .. . :TVIMAN .... -7-.7--- - - l sEs.mAvsip Frenchnfen ohould be restored to liberty at one and To ram EDITOR o r TOE TAT A countrymt.ti nia, e a . the same time. --...-- What do the two Governments, what should they Sra,—Although I would not willing'y (lamp any ilish for N—Talrestorktion of their prisoneri. mounded hopes which my titruo'n o f the fi nal success of our Northern Allipc t T o o bta in .Ibis' object, avowed by ,both ,parties, ot but consider it unworthy of t ) Franco, lethe course of the discussions which took i ( ) taci t in 1810, proposed to renew what had been% the Ltriikh press, and of the British people, ia to .11-ulgn in , uc h , done in 1780. By the cartel of that year the pri ,souers of _the two „ t w os Aret i t ess ,h an geci bp it jinn ) 1 Rimy speculations, and to foster expectations so the balancefieingcoveied byo stills ofeiontly. MB extrategalt as those by which the Ministerial 1 was dt - r t i h b a b t 'e o rs f which thibrowe In th e male daily violate that respect p w u h b o ll a c m understanding , plain m man, -nor. a , an a ncid nd C7 n inf o rs-r r g&invtehineentoilep;reTtend to ciples of probability , me 'greater knowledge than I pose. ss, nothing can pre , f lotog ol a lyi ol o sfe t ra h in e billi m ete i f n :y d et , iotact t n ha in n ics t F: o n s gs ee olan t fia l l i r e , is)u l r i e i p r t( e 7r i ni i ~ sent a more contemptible picture of arr...gance and d o ng rt s : to know. the moat .. ' celebrated and experienced G enera' , Europe, is to enable them to penetrate *tentless, correct the errors, and anticipate the 1 fate of. these veteran Commanders.--Far be it from me lo imitate this senseless and absurd pre. • sumptirm ; conscious that in applying to circus'. t ntances, which are net fully in my possession, the • rules and principles of a profession of which I am not a member,. I might jlisplay my ignorance, and I must expose my temerity ; let me be content humbly to appeal to the plaln and universal standard of ez. perience and reason ; let me endeavour to chew, by the application of this vulgar standard, that the con. ' jectures and anticipations which the venal Journals of the Treasury would force into circulation, are the base and worthless symbols of interest and fraud, rather than the sterling currency of wisdom and in, tegrity. It is pretended that the Russians are art. fully leading on the French to the end, that being at a great distance from their resources, their re. treat may be at length rendered impossible, and their destruction certain; or, in other words, that the northern Potentate is spreading a net for BONAPARTI and his legions, the texture of which is so extremely fine, as altogether to elude the close inspection of the icutest eye in the French army ; but which it nevertheless perfectly and distinctly seen by the sa. pleat Conductors of the diurnal press, on the banks of the Thames, Groin other words, that Bottsrsatt and his .Generett.'are all fools and Ideote, whilst ALEXANDSR and kis Commanders engross all the mi. -Mary skill and talents upon earth, except indeed se far as they share them with their powerful end sus. L.tsssful Allies, the pen and ink heroes of this en ligatened city !! I did, when I commenced this epis tle, iittend to have reasoned a little upon the subject; but indeed, Sir, when I look again at the case thus fairly and candidly stated, it does appear to me en. tire)) , to defy the powers of reason, I must, there fore, leave RAP its own natural effect. I will not, however, conclude this without asking a plain goes. -titre ortwo on the retreat of the Russian armies,aud feelings which that -circumstance _mites _in this 'ountry. As the retreat and discomfiture of our Al. lies is now, for the first time, held up as the proper iii bject of triumph and exultation ; if they should hereafter change their plan, and think proper to advance, are we then to change our tone; mutt we then, in order to prove our loyalty, adopt the accents of grief and lamentation ?—Or, are we indiscriminately to exult, and triumph and rejoice, like good and loyal subjects, whether the movements of our Allies be retrogade or progressive, whether they experience success or disaster ?-•-i” it is manifest-that retreat, in itself, is of an equivocal character-that-{t-may result either from prialenee or from bait:, tk Is very natural to enquire, " Is therm any thingknown by experience of the chewier of our august retreating Ally, which can divest it of this ambiguity ?"—To which of those opposits motives is it most reasonable and proper, rte fleeting on the past conduct of this Monarch, to ascribe his present mode of action, which may indifferently result from either of them ? Can out Vecolfectieoe lead ps to any conspicuous aes • moo of consummate prudence in his past history? Or do ire, on the other hand, recal any conclusive indi. `'Cations of timidity and weakness ? These question,' each of your readers will answer for himself—for s upon the answers to these questions , th e opinicni every rational mind, on the present s tate of affairs the North, will more esseatially depend than Ira any tedious details of military operations, or any G. ristinceibibitions of military pedantry. London,"Aigust 28. ....ta tsp . * . Saul MIM I le elk liClitlea l ,Witllo{ll any) reasonable motive by the Engash. itoniiheil by the refusatitni-Vitencit Goveinel went pet,this question: o(4' 'did 'the two .nations ' cofnmence the prinent sttuggliyalOne ai Wilds their allies 2—with their allies was the answer. Wellittereli said France, lotus form of the respeCtive. beilige renti two masses, and let us proceed to the exchange iof these, man for man, rank for rank. Nay, she went further, she agreed to restore ail the Spanish ishe had over and above, that is, she would have abandoned all the advantage she might have had from the retention of 20,000 prisoners. Who. would have • thought it ? the English Government •rejected this offer, the justice and generosity of whidh mast strike every mind. Here is the manner in which they cal- I lculated ; they wished to have all the Euglish ex changed for an equal number of French, to retain, ' without any guarantee, such as would have exceeded ; the number of English restored, and leave with us their allies, the Spaniards and 'Portuguese, almost entirety destitute of any means of regaining their liberty. The contempt of public faith, and all that I is most sacred,' could not have been pushed much further. In fact, independent of this incontesfible prin ciple, that a belligerent mass is one and indivisible; that in the same army, whether fighting or treating, no distinction should be made between soldiers united under a common standard, how did the En.. glish dare to say to the Spaniards—‘ i Yon have fought by our sides, you have shed your blood for' us ; but we do not acknowledge any bond of con-. nexion with you? Soldiers of Galicia, you covered with your bodies the retreat of General Moore; but you shall not be exchanged for Frenchmen, taken under similar circumstances. Soldiers of the army of Cuesta, who formed the advanced guard at the battle of Talavera • who were taken passing the Ta gus; who sacrificed yourselves for Lord Wellington, you shall be excluded fiom exchange, you are not worthy of being assimilated to Englishmen." If such language could be heard by Spaniards and Per. tuguese, surely those people would become very cool towards their worthy allies, whose yoke begins to gall them so severely. What a singular contrast now presents itself! France espouses the cause of people with whom she is at war'; she takes nearly as much interest in them as in her own citizens, in every one she respects valour ; at all times she compa'sionatea misfortune.— France is willing to admit the Spaniards and Portu guese to the advantages of an exchange, .4,11i1e the English Government, who has spirited them on, and reads into danger their inesperienced et/h/ins, re fuses to make,any stipulation` on their laehalf, or to trebeihem as if on a leVrel withtheir owkpeopie. Perhaps this Government relies on the worthy expel Iment of Lord Wellington, who has presumed to issue a Proclamation, calling upon the Spaniards, who have fallen into our hands by the fortune . of war, not to consider themselves as prisoners of war, and to break theit parele.—lt ia painful to elgkel such statements, particularly when they itepbr, 4 lo' MPS WllO atipire throughowt-Heropo r tfj whose names are not disstitote of lustre. Bht it ll' preamor, n'ri the eersinti4,..te have to state, .thathe Spanish beperals of a nation a-peep to the miseries of a pointer revolution, could atter be prevailed ellen 'n circulate the Psociamation of the English General. and thertby, sect to emancipate their countrymen from the bonds. oT bonotir. SPANIARDS!—Consider how wipely you have acted in remaining faithful to the principles . ocknowiedged by every General _worthy of the title, .while Lord Wellington, by proptistng that whiaTWlrtftlworthy of you, would lay you open to gm pyll if just reta liation. His Government .1-erased . you the .support which was your. due, refused to, edre - it you to the advantages of an exchange between England and France. Thus, on the ono hand, they rendered yes unfit for such an exchange, and on the other ) they refused to let you participate in it. Bat to return to the justice of the proposals made by France, let us anticipate an objection which will certainly be made to them. Your generosity, it Wilt be raid, depends upon your interest, we hare* vetter number of French prisoners than you haiw of English. Well, suppose the fact to be so, what' inference you can draw from it adverse to ear yea.. sonings 3 Independent of the justice and propriety of a. pro , posal conformable to all that has passed in Europe for the last century, should we give, up to you oar unhappy countrymen, withoutJeaving in their power to contemplate any'limit to their captivity ? If we were imprudent enough to release all.our English prisoners, what would became of the French remaining in your-hands/ whom you would be in no . . . hurry to melange .for allies, in whom you take no . It has been thought a favourable prelimintryte the. interest You .aiready treat these unrortunate per. accession of Mr. CANNING to office tha t a very so sons with so little humanity, that, not withstandin g cable intercourse has taken p ilit of the latter lace 'b e tween him ell ; the feat of retaliative, we should ha v e ever y thin ti Lord SIDMOUTM. The p lacab to apprehend' for them, if once the rest o r ation of at ! 1 pioverbial ; and it is said that Mr. Cassfe no s t e _ 'y the English in our power shOuld have free d y ou from iquali fi es his old conundrum, and thinks that th e all resttalnt with roped to them. small-pox-may be taken more than once. Would not your Government neglect every thing On Tuesday morning the investigation of Mr.f i l s. _ due to them and their families, as soon as ever they siERTY'S complaints commenced. 'the whole ?f e hia .4 l l were deprived ot'the guarantee Or/Med them, by (day and the next were occupted in the eso the detention of so great a number of English ? is neggioary to retsits these 'as'hostages, when oar ) upon to deliver In a written statement of h of his witnesses. Mr. F. had been previous . Nlesibillave *POO for any morel obligation:inhich he' had accordingly done in the course ;e to Moll* Vies elittitY 9 ll In England a //umbel of en.. week. A copy of this statement was Sidi" lightsidid pensona and 'or respectable 'families who the Magistrates, who returned it with marginal notes: part 'seek restoration of sh r children with just indi- So far as the evidence is yet gone into/ elevery 1)1_2, nation. There are independent orators whose sin- Mr. FisttEsTY's statenmot has been confirms ~! .ipseesse was sever sold, and who wilt exertjhemselsea is supposed that th e commission will terminate .7; hi tbis tweed tease of humatilty.--Einally, there is ' week, the Conimisidoneil having refused tole 61 'a Opotai s . anner . isOptee encir. the investigation dill& khants's charges, '` Waiters ill'4ltromendollg-teR44Ol. ~The day of he pressed theist stmseiely; and pledged Meet assil . Erincewill patient!? await. it, prove them.: Tbe Vemedslioaars diem Also,fen! the ...4' Jr .11 • in enter into any'enquiry with respect to gat UP IrtlY: his Ire ca l l e d a ese:t J. B. I ~,