The National Register.
London, England, 1813-01-17 00:00:00

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Our Sing, Constitution, anu Laos.
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PUBLISHED AT NO. 11, NEWCASTLE-STREET, STRAND.
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No 264. SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 1813. PR rcE gdo ,
~ POLITICAL DIS2UISITION. . hurrying at once into active warfare, would be impossible.
--'181"•—. But to consider those advantages, and few they are, as impor- /
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t AMERICAN WAR. tant enough to have any influence on the fate of the war,
The provocations of America have at last produced their would be ridiculous, even had they not been more than i
due effect : Great Britain has unsheathed her sword, and all counterbalanced by the destruction and capture of two
prospect of peace being at an end, the war will now be car- American • armies, .on the frontiers of . Canada. Two'
tied on with a degree of vigour which will secure its prOmpt British frigates, attacked by vessels of a far superior force,
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termination. We had long openly and fearlessly exposed I were taken, and only one of them carried f
the deal mined and corrupt hostility of the Government of I having sunk after the action. A number of !Air merchant-
the United States against this country; d( termined, because I men also fell into the hands of the Ameticans, 'from whom
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under vain nrotestations of regard for peace, it adopted Inca- i our cruisers took nearly as many, and this at a time when
sures as insulting to our national honour, as injurious to our 1 but few Letters of Marque hail been issued, and tbeacti'vity
. trade ; and enrreen because interests foreign to those of iof our offieeis was checked by a doubt of the continuance►
; America, and solely enforced through the influence of of war. Vet these are the mighty triumphs, which, the
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Ftench bribery,. led to the proposal and adoption of those 1 partisans of the 'Marquis of Wte LEse EY -tell us, bave ais•
• measures. We hail I
pointed out the arts; and encreasion• i solved our naval spell, and:threaten to wrench the sceptre of
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audacity ofthose republican tools and punnets of NA Po L EON, 1 the ocean. from our grasp: Far from entertaining such pusilla-
and shewn that as they moved only when he touched theiil I. pinions apprehensions, we view these successes in a totallynlif.
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sprnens, they would never cease to play his game, and even I .ferent right. They have served, it is true, to console the people
more dangerously, because secretly and wiqt impunity, during of the United States for their failures on land, but have also 1
peace, than la open war. Their conduct has demonstrated i inspired them with confident hopes of naval glories, which, e
the truth of our constant denuncia...ions. Fancying the lion 1 whets, dashed to the ground by the sudden and resistless ex-
bad lost his strength, because he disdained, to exert it against i ertion of our strength, and the consequent
.annihilation of
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a puny foe, and relying cm his passiveness, they repeated them weirmaev, if not of their sea-port -towns too, will plunge
insults, until their rashness rose beyond all bounds, and in them as' deep into despondency, as they were elevated in ex •
their mad al dour to serve their employer, and enable him to ultation. hand they mot gained a few adrantages, they Would
plant the banner of European despotism on their shores, they i not have known the vajuc of a.navy, and its loss would have
declared war against us. Consciousness of strength renders I only realised their •auticiPations, and excited no surprise,
those whom ambition does not lead astray, patient of inju- . and but little regret.: 'They are nosy fullyeawake to its jut-
ries. lint:eel, ES would not have easily been induced to lift portance : they wish to cherish and. to encrease it, and when
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his club against a dwarf, knowing that his blows must eater- they find, as they shortly will;• that war only secures its de. .
Initiate. The same feeling of superior power actuated our struction, the clamours of the people t-vill grow too loud
Government. They saw and lamented the blind folly of not to be noticed by the dull car of their Rulers, although
the American Executive, and with the magnanimity of men lined with French gold. Personal fears may then prove
who know they possess the means of ruining their enemy, and '' stronger than bribery, and even Mr. MADISON himself, if
who pity a people betrayed by its Rulers, they checked the he should succeed in his present. attempt to get re-eleeted
bolt of vengeance in its career, and awaited in a defen,iee l're .dent, may be so far alarmed as to condescend to sue for ~
attitude, the result of their pacific oilers and concessions. the boon of peace, which ..,e has lately so arrogantly and so'
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This conduct has been blamed as' pusillanimous and i:npo imprudentiy rejected.
litic. But those who • made this charge ought to have But how, it will he said, do we know that the war will so
known, that moderation, in the strong, can never become soon change its character, and become active and vigorous
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-tleimmity, and- that to place a feeble enemy entirely in ou our part? We knoiv it, becatiepur Government havnig
the wrong, in the eyes of God and man, by aiThrding.. him tiled every means of recalling the Americans to - a sense of
every opportunity of advantageously settling diferencts, and their true interests fruitlessly, has noW given the signal for ! 11.
only when he has rejected them all, resorting to extreme nice- efficient hostilities on a compreherhive scale, by the publi-
sures, can never prove impolitic. A just cause has frequent- cation of Ps manifesto, and has supplied adequate means of
ly inspired even the weak with such energy as to make then) carrying them on, by sending a strong squadron. with troops,
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.*- conquer. When, therefore, justice and power arc urited 'to the Atlantic, under Comodore 110TH AM, ordering
how much more secure are their triumphs ! To deny • Admiral W tatatm to form the (-Joie blockade of the Chi( f
that the Americans have derived some advantages at sea, rivers of the United Stites, and reinforcing our aeny in
from our unwill'ngness to rtlinqtaiilt 'tile holm -of peace, by ‘Canada, so as to etiablc us to undertake offo,i .f: o,,,::Ations,
V.,!. VT, No CCIXIT:
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