The National Register.
London, England, 1814-10-02 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

431

The American ,Pap,.rssleplore the fate of the Capital, and
express their fears and apprehensions for the safety. of Bald-
more, and other places. An article from Boston, in a Phi-

ladelphia Paper, gives a very clear account of the capture of
Washington, and the confusion of the inhabitants on the ap-
proach of the British. A small division of the latter entered
the City about nine o'clock at night, and passing the first

house, which had been occupied by Mr. Gallatin, a volley

was fired from the windows, which killed General Ross's

horse, under him, one soldier, and three others. Th•

house %vas immed:atcly set on fire, after the inhabitants had
been taken out, and the consternation of the Citizens now
became general, who were seen flying in all directions, ap-
palled-with fear, and trmbling with dismay. Justice is done
in the American Papers to the humane conduct of General
Russ and Admiral Cocklmtn, who pledged themselves that

private property should be spared, and their promise was
religiously observed. The Public Offices, in the course of

an inur, presented a dreadful spectacle of smoking ruins.—
The confusion and alarm created by the fate of Washington
is strikingly manife,ted by the apprehension of similar dia.

asters occuriog at New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bal-
timore. A t each of those places, public meetings arc con-
vened, imrotent resolutions passed, associations formed, an& .
dlillings commenced, but with a selfish degree of individu-'
ality of care, that precludes every idea of collective interest,
aggregate strength, or combined effect. The rapidity of
the movement of the British against Washington, is duly
appreciated by the American narrators of the event, while
their own sluggishness, and want of arrangement, must excite
the disgust of the people against the Commanders and
against the Government. Mr. Madison, and . Armstrong.
the Secretary of War, who were on the field of battle at the
commencement of the action, soon disappeared. General
Winder is ridiculed by the soldiers for his inability to com-
mand the army that should have defended the capital, and
Armstrong is laughed at for the choice of ground. Had the
war, been a war of aggression on the part of this country.
we should have deplored the destruction of the public
(ices of Washington ; but it should be recollected that the
Senate House, the Clouse of Representatives, and some other
public buildings, were set on fire by the British troops, in
retaliation for the excesses committed by the enemy in Ca-
! nada.

A remarkable circumstance is mentioned in the American
Papers, that the Island of Nantucket, furming pact of the
State of NTassachuvAs, in consequence of an application
from the .Magistrales to Sir A. Cochrane, had been, by art
arrangement conclude:l between Captain Newton of the
Nimrod, and the Authorities of the place, declared neutral,
and authorised to hold communication with the Continent of
Amerita, by means of ships licenccd by the lit itish Comman-
der. All the Government property in Nantucket bad been
given up to the British. This is opening the duo to a schism
in the American States, and is a measut e which may lead to
important consequences.—The following is a passage in one
of the Washington Papers the day previous to the capture of
the City :—After describing the march of many troops, the
writer adds, " In a few hours thousands or brace men will be
prepared to resist the host of mercenaries that now threaten
us. Arrayed in defence of all that renders life a blessing.,
and for protesting fi'ont insult and desolation the 111-:fropolis of
their Country, hallowed by the renczable name If Wo:hing-
ton, every arca nerved with neve irraistibk !

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