The Sun. — London, England, 1812-12-15 00:00:00

.)111EIIIC.!:::7 i'il§tlE , Ti"S . AI '$AGLi.' -? v. 4. The PresideAt o thi United States thiS day communicated to . I gr. Coles; hiS private SecretLT, the follow . ing Message to Congress , •-.. . .VeHow Citizens of the Senate Hbuse of Represeritatyes',. ton our present M e eti ng; i t i s MY fi rst d uty to invite your attention to the providential favours vliich.onr Country has experienced i n tii4;! : unusual :clegree of health(Fspensed to its inhabitatits, and in the rid) abuMblnee With which the earth hai iewarded the labours bestowed On it. In til;.; sue eSsful cultivation of other branches of induitr?, and in the progress of general improvement fa- Vourable to the, national prosperity, there is just occasion also for our mutual congratulations and thankfulness. With these hleSsings are naturally mingled -the PreSitires and viciSsitudeS incidental to the state bf "%Val; into VViiich the United StateS have been forced by the P l erSeverakice of a foreign Power in -its system of injustice and aggression: Previous to its declaration, it was deemed &Oiler, as a measure of precaution and forecast; that a consi 'ierable force should bv, placed in - the 'Michigan territory, with , a general view to its security ; arlt.l„,,i,n,the event of war, ‘to such operations in, the uppermost Canada, as would intercept the la9stile influence of Great Britain over the' sa vages ; obtain the - Connnand of the lake an which that part of Canada borders ; and maintain co- operating relations with such force' as might be most ,convenientl7 employed against other parts. .Birgadier-General Hull was charged with this Provisionalservice, having under his coandand a bod y of troops, composed of regulars and of vo lunteers from the state of Ohio having reached his destination, after his knowledge of the Ivar, and possessing discretionary authority to act of fensively,hepassed into the neighbouring territory of the enemy with a prospect of in easy and a . vie 7 torious progress. The expedition, - nevertheless, terminated unfortunately ; not only in a retreat to the town and fort of •Detroit, but in the surrender of both, and the gallant corps commanded by that Oliicer. The Causes of this painful re verse will be investigatefl by;- a Military Tri btinal. A -distinguishing feature in the opera tions which, preceded and followed this adverse events is the. use made by theenemy of the merciless B ayitp!,s under their influence. Whilst the bene volent policy of the United States.•invariablY re commended peace, and promoted civilization' amongst that wretched portion of the human rae,and was making exertions to dissuade them from tailing either side in the war,' the .eneiny has' not scrupled to call to his aid their ruthleSs fero 7 . city, armed with the horrors of those instruments t•lf carnage. nail:: torture which are knoWnto spare neither uge ruirsex. In this - outrage.agaiust the Laws of honourable war, and against the feelings. sacred to humanity, the British Commanders can riot resort to a plea of retaliation s ; for it is cu:nuriitcd in the •face••of our example. They c:-I,,ient mitigate it -by calling it a self,defence a; Nast w en in arms, for it embraces the most 8 : , .:eking butcheries of defenceless. families ; nor sn it be pretended that they are not answerable fur the atiocities' perpetrated, .since the savages are employed with the knowledge, and, even with rti'enaces, that their fury could not be cont ro ll e d. 'finch is the sp e ct a cl e w hi c h the - deputed' atithori ties., of a nation boasting its religion and morality, have not been restrained from presenting to an, 'enlightened age. The misfortune at Detroit was not, - however, ivithout-a consoling . etfect. It was followed by ti,.;nal proofs, that the national spirit tises ac cordipg to the - pressure on it. The loss of an important post,' and of thetrave 'men surrendered With it, inspired every where new ardour and de termination. In the states and districts leastre inote, it was' no sooner known, than every citi zen was eager to 'fly with his - arms at once to pro tect his brethren against the blood-Ihirsty sa *ages let loose by th'e enemy on an extensive frontiet; 'and to convert a partial caltimity into a• Vource of invigorated efforts. This patriotic zeal, Which it was necessary rather to limit than ex cite, has embodied an aMple foree! . from the States of Kentucky and Ohio, anti from parts of Pennsylvania and :Virginia. It is placed, with the addit on of a 'few regulars ; under the coat Viand of Brigadier-General Harrison,, who pos tesses the entire confidence of his fellow soldiers ; .among whom are eitizens,—som e of them volun-. teers in the rariks . ,—not less distinguished by _their political' stations, than by• their personal merits. The greater portion of this force is proceeding on its destination towards 'the Michigan territory, having succeeded in relieving an important frim tier post, and in several incidental operations against hostile tribes of saVages, rendered pens'able by the substivieney into which they had been seduced by the enemy ; 'a seduction the More cruel, as it could not fail to impose a necessity of Precautionary severities against those who yielded to it. At a recent date, an attack was made on a post of the enemy twat Niagara, by a detachment of thy regului• and other forces, tinder .the cominand of Major-General Van Rensselaer, of the Militia of the State of New York. The attack, it ap irears, was ordered in compliance with the al duor of the troops, who executed it with distinguished „gallantry ) . and were for a time victorious; but • tot receiving The-, expected -support, they were compelled to yield to reinforcements of British Tegulars and savages. Our loss has been consi derable, deeply th he lamented. That of the enemy, 'fuss i..eertaineci, will, he the more felt, as it includes among the killed, the Commanding General, who was also Governor cf the 0-ov:flee and was sustair.iM by veteran troop, from - perie nced soldi er S; who unite daily improve la the duties of the field. Our expectati on o f ga ini ng the tOMintind of tlie . • rakeS by the inv a si on of Canada from betroit, having been disappointed; measures were instant ly taken to provide on them a naval force superior to that of the enemy. - From the talentS and acti vity of The Officer charged with this object, every thing that can be done may be expected. Should tbe present season not admit of complete success, the progress Made will ensure for the next a ria- Val ascendancy where it'is essential, to a perma nent peace with, and a controul over, the •Sa yages: Among the incidents to the tneaSures of the war; I am constrained to advert to the refusal of the Governors of . Massachnssets and Conne s ctimit, to furnish the required detachments of militia to wards the defence of the maritime frontier:-;;- , The refusal was founded on a novel and un fortunate expoSition of the pro Visions of the Constitution relating to the militia. The dor respOndence which will 'be before you, c on t a i ns the requisite i n f ormat i on on the .subject. It is obvious, that if the the authority of the United States .to call into service and command the mill tia for the public defence, can he thus frustrated, even in a state of declared war, and of course km , der apprehensions of invasion preceding war, they are not one nation for the purpose Most of all re quiring it, and that the public safety may have.no other resource than those large and permanent • military establishments which are forbidden by the principles of our free Gtivernthent, and against the necessity of 'which the militia were meant to be a constitutional bulwark. Oa the coasts and, on the ocean, the N:Var has been as ,successful as circumstances inseparable frorn its early stages could promise Our public ships and private cruizers, by their -activity, and where there was occasion, by their intrepidity, have made the enemy sensible of the difference be tween a reciprocity of captutcs; and the ton` con finement'. of them to their .side Our trade; with little exception, has safely. reached our Torts, having been much favoured in it by the course purined by a squadron . of our frigates under (ht.-Command of Commodore Rodgers ; and in the instance in which s kill an d b ravery were more particinatly'tried iivtla those of the enemy, the American • flag' had an : Aspicions triumph. The frigate Constitution, commanded by Captain Hull, after a close and short eng ag e men t, com pl ete l y disabled and captured a British frigate; gaining for that officer ; and all on board, a praise whialt cannot be too liberally bestowed,-.--not merely for, the victory actually achieved, but for that prompt ,and cool exertion of commanding talents, which-, giying•to courage its highest character, and to the force applied its full. effect, proved that more could have. been dime in a contest - requiring more. Anxious to abridge the evils from which a state of war cannot be exempt, I lost no time after it w.ss declared, in conveying to the British Go. 'vernment the terms on which its progress might be. arrested, without waiting the delays of a formal and final pacification : and our Charge d'Atfitires at London was at the saine time authOrised to agree to an armistice, 'founded upon These terms required, that the Orders in Coun cil:should be repealed, as they affected the United States, without a revival of the blOckades violat ing acknowledged rules ; that there should be an immediate discharge of American seamen from -sritisb ships . , and a stop 'to impressments from American ships, with an understanding that an exclusion of the seamen Of each nation front the ships of the other should be stipulated, and that the.armistice should be ifriproved into a definitive and comprehensive adjustment of depending con troversies. Although a repeal of the orders susceptible of explanations meeting the views of this govern merit, had taken place before this pacific advance was communicated to that of Great Britain, the advance was declined, - from .an avowed repugnance to a suspension of the practice of impressment during the armistice, and without any intimation that the arrangement proposed with respect to seamen ,would he aecepted. Whether the subse quent communicatiow from this Government, Af• - fording an occasion for reconsidering the subject on the part of Great Britain, will be viewed in a More favourable light, or received in a more ac commodation spirit, remains to be known. It would be unwise to release our measures, in any respect, on a presUmption of such a result. The documents from the Departthent ot'State, .which relate to this subject, will give a view also of the propositions for an Armistice ; which have been received here—one of then. from the Autho rities•at Halifax and in Canada, the other from the British Government itself; through Admiral Warren; and upon the grounds of which neither of them could be accepted. Our affairs with France retain the posture which they held at my last communication to yOtil Notwithstanding the authorised expectation of an early as well as a favourable issue of the dis cussions-On foot, these have been proCraitinated to the latest date. The only intervening occur rence meriting attention, is the promulgation of a French Decree, purporting to be a definitive repeal of the Berlin and Milan Decrees.' ,This proceed= ing, although' made the ground of the repeal of the British Orders in Council, is rendered; by the time and Manner of it, liable, to many Objec tions, . The final communications from our Special Mi nister to Denmark, afford ftirther • proofs of the good effects of his mission, and of the amicable dispositiba of the Danish Government. From Aussia we have.- the satisfactioh to receive assur ances of continued friendship, and that it will not be affected by the rupture between the United States and Gre - at Britain. Sweden also professes sentiments favourable to Sabsisting harmony. With the Barbary Powers,* excepting that of Algiers, our affairs remain on the ordinary fain : . ing., The Consul-General residing with that Re geicy, has suddenly, and without a cause, been - bati4:hcd, together with alt the American tens - foinid I tliere. Whether this Was the transi tory efi;.‘ct ofcapricious despotism, or the first act predetermined hostility, is not ascertained. Precautions were taken by the Consul on the lat ter supposition._ • • The ludian tribes, 'not under foreign instiga tions', remain at peace, and .receive the civilising attntions which have proved so beneficial to them. •• • With a•view to the vigor ous .prosecution of the war to erhieli o f facilities are adeqnatei the attentio:l of CongreSi • will he pa:l;eldarly drawn to- the '.initiflieiencY of the existing provi sions flir 'filling up the military establishment. buch..is the happy condition of our country, aris ing froai the facility of subsistence, and the high {cages for every species of occupation, that, not withstandhig the augmented inducements provid ed :it the last Session, a partial success only has attended the recruiting service. The deficiency has been necessarily supplied during the campaign by other thaii regular troops, with all the incon . 7 irenieucieS and expences incident to them. Thl: remedy lies in establishing more favourably for the private soldier, the proportion between his recompence and the term of his enlistment : and it is a subject which cannot trio soon or too ie rionsly, be taken into consideration. The, Same insufficiency. has been experienbed iii the provi sions for vOlinit'ters made by nil Abt of the last Session: Therecompence foi the service required ease, is Still less attractive than in the other and although patriotism aldne hits sent .into the field scinie valuable corps of that descrip tion, those alone whei can afford the sacrifice, can reasonably be expected to yield to the impiiis*e. It will merit consideration also, whether, as, auxiliary to the security of Our, frontier, corps may not be advantageously organized, with a striction of their services to particular districts convenient to them ; and whether the local or oc- • casional services of marines or others in the sea port towns, under, a similar organization, would not be a proper addition to the means vc their de fence. I recommend a provision for an increase of the General Officers of the army,the deficiency. of which has been_illiistrated by the number and ' diStance of separate commands, which the cause of the'war, and the advantage of the service, have required : and I cannot press too strongly on the earliest Attention of the Legislature, the' impor tance. of the re-organization of the Staff Esta blishment, with a view to render more distinct and definite the. relations and responsibilities of its several departments : that there is room for improvements which will materially promote both economy and success, in what appertains to the army arid the War; is equally, calculated by. the exaMples of, other countries, and by the experience of ourown.' transfer Of . the Britixh Sceptre into new itA clinging to l'OrflliT Councils, and—.until decho tions were reiterated in the la ;z hour through the Britisll Envoy f.rc, that th e h os til e e di cts gut• commercial rights.and oar maritime im;epeu dence would ~not •he revoked, without virdating the obligations of great Britain to other powers 'as 'Well.as to her own interests. To have shrunk. under_such circumstances, from manlvresistmce,' would lrave been a degradatian blasting our hest and proudest hopes. It would have struck us from the high rank where the virtuous strugg!es - of our fathers hatl..placed us, and ha ve betrayed Lhe Mag nificent legacy which we bold in trust for future generations. • it. wouid.have acknowleded Oat .on the element which forms three-fow.tits o: the globe we inhabit. antt .where •all iioependelit nations have equal and common rights, the.4lie rican peOple weremot an' independent people, but cblonisti and vassals. it was at this motth'ut, and with such an -alter nkive, thal war Was chosen. The nation felt the necessity of it; and called forit. appcal accordingly made - ,in a jUst cause, to th: , lust and powerful Being who holds in his anus - of events and the destiny of no,tions. it - remains only, that faithful to ourSelieS, entangled with no_ connections with the views of other Powers, and ever ready to accept peace froni she hand of jus , tice, we • prosecute that viar with united council, and with the ample facultks of _the nation, until peace be so obtained, and as the onlY rucaps under the .divine blessing - of:. speedily Obtainint- it. , • 'NOV. 4, 1812 %; • - • JAMES MADISON. The. Duke.dCLARENcE is to hoist the Unioa Flag in the River as Admiral of the Fleet, in com pliment to the Russian Admiral; whir is to -be for mally received in state by his Royal Highness, in oilier to do away that clashing of equal ranks, which might otherwise occur with any of our Admirals of inferior dignity. From the actual surveys - that bare been made, and the Report presented at yesterday's Levee - to the PRINCE REGENT, we have no doubt the Bri tish Fisheries will now - be taken up with a be coming spirit by the nation at-large. There never was a period in history which so much called for the attention of the' country to such sources of wealth and food. The fisheries could not only give employment to the unoccupied manufac turers and to the poor in some department, but at the same time, procure them food at a cheap rate. - • . The cold has been so intense this winter at Pe tershuegh, that the Theatre has been shut up. 'Thethermometer at ten o'clock On Sunday night (which was the coldest experienced this year), was 25 degrees. of Parenheit. At Smolensko 'e must have been, according to Lord CATHCART'S A revision of the Militia Laws, for the pin_ ,statement, 28 degrees colder. . If the report be tr ue ,. th a t the wily 'TALLEY pose of rendering th em moresystQmat i c, and bet-.RAND has sent his Lib rar y t o London, the ch. tel adapting the m t o emergenc i es of war, is at this time particularly desirable. Of the additional F un istance. must be conside re d as p retty p l a i n l y ships auth or i se d to. sail ; .a thi r d i s un d er re air he fitted fin servi ce , t wo w ill indicative of the app re h ens i o ns' o f t h at Gentle be shertly ready t o . m ' ee an in regard to the security Of his property i n p, Fran.. - .. and delay will h e avo id e d i n t h e repair of the resi- e ' Brourpton, the L a dy o f t h e Ri g h t - Hein. . • . due. t)t . the approprintions f or , th e purc h ase o f BlRTH.—Vesterday 'morning, at Gloucester materials .in ship,b u ildi ng, t h e greater part LOcie has • " - b GEORGE ‘.. " A.INTNING, of a s on . . vr been applied t o t h at o bj ect, and the purchases will be contin ue d w i t h t h e b a l ance . The enter, Carter, the pugilist, is ma t c h e d f or a consider able sum, to run the celebrated. Ab.. Wooil, , .two prising spirit which has characterised our naval Miles. The former' is t o receie 100 yards a t force, and it s . success both in restraining insults e and .depredati ons on our coasts, and i n starting, and the Mat c h w ill ta k e p l ac e within a fortnight. reprisals c) . . . on the enemy, w ill not . fail to recommend an. . enlargeme n t upon i t . Court Martial.—O n Th urs d ay a C ourt Martial was held at. Ports moinh, on Lieutenant D i ; wn - There being re ason t o b e li eve, that the Act- - , man, Royal Marin es , o f hi s M a j esty ' s ship 21?fred,, prohibiting th e a c c ep tanc e o f B rit i sh licenses is for disrespectf u l an d co n t e m p tuous b e h av i our to- not a sufficie n t guard against the us e o f them, for *aids Lieutenant J. M'C an dli s h, Fi rst Lieute purposes favo ura bl e to the interests and views of • . si nant of that ship. It appeared in evidence,- th a t ' the enemy, further provions on.that subject are •ne refusea ,to work at th e p um p s; an d on i highly important: Nor is it lass so a marine that penal • enactments sh ou ld be provided f or ca s es o f cor- being sent on deck by the .Officer who was ap- pointed to see th a t d u ty. performed, Lieutenant rapt and perfidious i ntercourse w i th the enemy, . Do wuman ordered him . below, and t o ld Li eutenant not' amounting t o t reason , nor yet embraced by M`Candlish he had no rieht to order hi m to primp :_e, any statutory provisions. - is the ship, as be %vita on guard. The C :art sen tenced him to be severely reprimanded, and placed which in England when the revocation .'of the . at the bottom of the list of Lieutenants of the Orders in Council took place, were laden with Royal Marine forceS. British manufactures, under an erroneous impres- ' ../ketanchory Cointidence.—A very remarkable oc siOn that the ' NOn - Importation Act would in one- ' currence of - sithilar circumstahcei signalised two d•ately cease to operate, have arrived in the melancholy accidents which happened on Sethi.- ' United States'. lt did not appear proper to ex- - day last; Gee of which s terminated fatally :—On ercise on unforseen cases of such magnitude, the that night . a young Lady, living in Millbank- ordinary powers vested in the Treasury Depart= 'etreet; the niece of the mistress of the house, ment, to mitigate forfeiturea eVithout previously r o s e , it is supposed, in her sleep, and threw -her affording Congress an opportunity of - making on ' self from the window of the third floor; When ,the subject such provisions as th e y may 'think taken up, though much bruised, it was found she proper. In their decision ; they will, doubtless; - bad not a bone broken. - It is hoped, therefore, equally consult what is due to'.equitabl e cons ide- that she will speedily recover. At the same hour, rations, and to th e public interest. on the same night, anot h er - young Lady, elle- The receipts into th e Treasury during the year niece of the Gentleman to whom- the house in ending on the 30th of September last, have ex-.. ' Milli/kink-street belongs, but residing with- her seeded 16 millions ;led a half of dollars;' which Mother in Sloane -street, threw 'herself from the have been sufficient to defray all the demands on. One pair of stairs. back window into'an area ; her the Treastrry to that day,' iacluding..a. necessary f back was - broken, and She died on Sunday morn reimbursement of-near three milliOns of the prin- , ing. In this l as t l amenta bl e case; the suflerer was cipal of the public debt. • I n t h es e receipts are subject, ina certain degree; to insanity, and rose included a sum of near 8,850,000 received on ac= - from beside her mother, with whom she slept, un count of the loans amithorised,hy the Acts of last der the Pretence that she was going • to':drink a Session. The whole suns actually obtained on glass of water. ' ' ',. loan amounts to 11 millions of dollars, the residue On Wednesday was coMmitted to Exeter `Gaol, of which being - receivable subsequent to the 30th William,Duncan, a seaman belonging tdtweNeree, of September, will, together with .the Current for cutting and stabbing with a knife Andrew Big revenue, enable us to defray, all the expenses of ley and Thomas Harris, both of the Doe - ie. A this year. . , quarrel having ►taken place at ti me Globe inn, The duties on the-late unexpected importations ' North-corner, on Friday se'nnight between - Big-. of British manufactures will render th e revenue ley and Duncan,. who is a man of colour, they of time ensuing year More productive than "could'. • stript to decide it, as was supposed, in-the English have been anticipated. The, situation of our style ; but - Duncan,. instead of sat i s fying h imself, country, fell ow c i t i zens, i s not without its diffi- ' wan his natural . strength, conce a l e d a pocket knife, celties, though it ahounds in animating consider- in one hand, with which he wounded his oppo ations, of which the view twee presented of our trent '(Bigley) in a most savage manner. After pecuniary resoorces is an example. NVith more two or three rounds, Harris remarked that his than one nation we - 'Lave serious and -unsettled' 4 shipmate bled profusely, and on his taxing Dun controversies ; and. with one powerful in the can with unfair play, he received a stroke across means and habits of- war, we are at war. The his arm, Which divided time muscles. Duncan then spirit and strength of this nation a r e nevert h e l ess en d eavoure d to enact his escape, b u t h e wasspeed equal to the supp or t o f all Its rights, and to - carry - 4 ily overtaken with the bloody evidence of his re it through all its trials. They can be met in that Vengeful spirit, and conveyed to prison. It is not confidence. Above all, we have the inestimable . a little remarkable that though Bigley received a consolatiOn of.knowing, that - the war in w hi c h we transverse incision twelve inche s long lathe b ac k, . are actually engaged, is a war neither of ambition another two inches long in time left side,. another nor vain glory' ; , that it is waged, not in violation oblique incision five inches long in the body, and of the rights of others, but in the maintenance .of another made with the body of time blade on the our own ; that it was preceded by a patience with- i. left arm, which extended about three inches, and out example, under wrongs accumulating without penetrated to the bone, he was unconscious at the end ; and that it was finally not declared, until . time of being wounded. We, are happy to add every hope of averting it iTas extinguished by tlie ; that Bigley and Harris are recovering fast.