The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-14 00:00:00

The late Lieut.-Gen. Sir G.PREVOST, Bart.

( From the Courier.)
Three publications, old, anonymous, and insignificant, pro-
fessing to give a history of the military occurrences in the
Canadas during the last war, have furnished a pretext for in-
troducing into the Quarterly Review for October, an article,
the real object of which evidently is, to traduce the character
and well-earned reputation of the late Lieutenant-General Sir
George Prevost.

The mischievous tendency, in other respects, of this effu-
sion—the unqualified censure which it necessarily implies on
his Majesty's Government—and the baseness of assailing the
memory of an approved and gallant officer seven years after
he had been committed to the grave, appear to have been all
overlooked, or disregarded, in the eager desire to gratify some
malignant feeling, which, after long concealment, has at length
burst forth, and found both instruments and abettors.
The family of Sir George Prevost are in possesion of ample
materials completely to disprove and repel every accusation aad
vile insinuation which this rancorous spirit has ventured to
put forth, and they are preparing a distinct and minute refuta-
tion of them,. which will hereafter appear. But the delay
which must unavoidably attend such a vindication has deter-
mined them; in thereariwitile,' to submit this more brief and
immediate appeal to the good-feeling and justice of the public.
. Sir George Prevost's military career had, previously to his
assuming the Corrimandin the'Camidas, been distinguished by
many acts sif '-gallatttry iitia.,,good- conduct: His merit had
placed him high in professional rank, at an early period of
life, and. his.importanki:serxicea in the West Indies, and par-
ticularly his gallant.atubturcessful defence of Dominica, against
a very superior force,
,had..obtained for him honours and
rewards, which ;masked the approbation of his Sovereign,
and , the confidence: of his Majesty's Government. This
was further 'evinced. by his being selected, at a very im-
portant crisis in the year 1808,tohold the civil and military
administration in Nova p-1 the same year he sailed from
that province,With alirigadeOf three regiments, to assist in ope-
rations' previously planned against the French Islands in the
West Indies, where, as second in command, under General Sir
G. Beckwith, he materially contributed by his active exertions
to the reduCtion of Martinique. This service performed, he re-
turned to his station in Nova Scotia ; and in 1811 succeeded to
the command, Military and civil, in his Majesty's provinces in ,
North America.. During the discharge of this important trust,
his position was rendered more critical by the declaration of
war by the United States, and the subsequent invasion of the
Canadas. Encompassed with difficul ties of no ordinary magnitude
in the civil, as well as military, departments of his command
he continued throughout the arduous struggle to fulfil its com-
plicated duties with the entire approbation of his Majesty's
Government ; and it was not till after the close of all active
operations that ,he was recalled to explain his conduct as it
regarded exclusively the unsuccessful enterprise with which
the warfare in America had terminated. lie hastened home
for this purpose, and after having long in vain called for the
production of any .charges which could be preferred against
him, when at length a day of hearing was appointed, death
alone rendered unavailing the opportunity lie had so urgently
demanded of confounding his accusers.

The military operations by which the efforts of the Ameri-

can forces against the Canadas were opposed, are the chosen
theme on which, ten years afterwards, the Quarterly Reviewer
has undertaken to instruct the public; and if he had brought
to this attempt a small portion of candor and justice, or shewn
a decent respect for truth, his labours might have remained un-
heeded. But even those who may not immediately detect the
misrepresentatiOns of the writer, cannot but remark, with what
an unfailing supply of rancorous abuse he is ready to load the
object of his hostility upon every possible occasion. They must
assuredly ask, with astonishment, at almost every passage as
they proceed—How is it possible that misconduct, such as is
here asserted, couldbetolerated, or the Government have con-
tinued to abandon to such hands, during the whole war, a
charge ao extensive and difficult, and a trust so vitally import-
ant ? The answer is short and simple—the assertions are false.
But let the Reviewer himself reply :
" It has been calculated upon solid data, that in less than
three years' warfare; the attempts of the American Government
to effect the subjugation of the Canadas were attended with a
loss to the Republic, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, of
fifty thousand men, besides an enormous expenditure of trea-
sure and warlike resources:; yet, when the terms of the Treaty
of Ghent demanded restitution of all acquisitions which had
been made by either party on the frontier of the two provinces,
the enemy had only 'the defenceless shore of the Detroit to offer
in exchange for their fortress of Niagara, and the important
post of Michilimackinac, both of which were still in our posses-
sion, notwithstanding an effort made to recover the latter in the
summer of 1814."—( Quarterly Review, page 449.)
These were, it may be presumed, among the circumstances
which influenced his Majesty's Government ; and further in-
duced them, as an act of justice, to record the sentiments they
entertained of the merit and exertions of Sir George Prevost, in
the public approbation of his distinguished services, which his
Majesty was graciously. pleased to express in September 1816',
when other marks'a his royal favour were conferred upon the
family of his zeal* and devoted servant. The document is
here inserted, as in, itself a full and complete refutation of the
calumnies above'adVerted to.
"'lrlsitchall,_Sept. 4, WIG.

" His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, taking into his
Royal consideration . the distinguished conduct and services of
the late Lieut.-Gen.. Sit. George Prevost, Bart., during a long
period of constant active employment in situations of great trust,
both military and CFA' in the course of which his gallantry,
zeal, and able conduct; were particularly displayed at the con-
quest of the island. of,St. Lucie, in 1803, and of the island of
Altirtinique,...in 1809,i as also, in successfully opposing, with a
small garriSit„.Sh'e attack Made in 1805; by a numerous French
force, upon thoistanaof Ninitiicit, then under his government ;
and while Governor, General and Commander-in-Chief of the
British provinces in -North America, in the defence of Canada
against the repeated: invasions perseveringly attempted by the
American forces during the late war; and his Royal Highness
being desirous of . evincing, .in an especial manner, the sense
which his Royal Highness entertains of those services, by con-
ferring upon his family a lasting memorial of his Majesty's
Royal favour, hath been pleased, in the name and on the be-
half of his Majesty,. to ordain, that the supporters following
may be borne and used -hy Dame Catherine Anne Prevost,
widow of the said late .Lieut.-Gen. Sir George Prevost, during
her widowhood,. viz. On either ride a Grenadier of the 16th
(or Bedfordshire) Regiment of Foot, each supporting a ban-
' ner, that on the dexter side-inscribed WEST INDIES, and Mat
out the sinister CANADA ;' and that the said supporters, to-
gether with the motto, 4 SEitVATUM CINERI,' may also be
borne by Sir George Prevost, Bart. son and heir of the said late
Lieutenant-General, andby his successors in the said dignity
of a Baronet ; provided the same be first duly exemplified-ac-
cording to the laws of arms, and recorded in the Herald's
Office. '.---( London Gazette, Sept. 10, 1016.)
It will scarcely be disputed, that the merits or demerits of
every servant of the public can by none be so justly weighed,
as by those under whose immediate authority and direction he
may have been employed ; and especially, that the character
and reputation of a soldier can nowhere be so fairly estimated,
as by the military department, whose peculiar duty it is to
ascertain and to appreciate his professional qualifications and
claims. To these legitimate tribunals, the family and friends
of Sir George Prevost confidently refer and appeal upon the
present occasion. They have the consolation of knowing that
the generous and the just participate in the feelings excited in
their own minds, by the uncalled-for and disgraceful attack of
which they complain ; and they have reason to be proud of the
testimonies they receive, from the highest and purest authorities,
that the character and reputation of the late Sir George Pre-
vost, private, public, civil and military, may defy the malice
of his enemies, whether they may choose to appear in the form
of open and avowed accusers, or in the meaner shape of anony-
mous libellers.

[FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]

City, Twelve o'Clock.—A great bustle took
place in the Stock Exchange and Foreign Market,
owing to an Express having arrived from Paris
with the price of the French Funds of Tuesday,
which opened at 87, and the lowest price was
86 ; left off at 88. 90. The improvement of the
above Funds, with no further confirmation of
hostilities against Spain, caused Consols to rise
to 82,1. The Foreign Market felt the same
favourable turn, and Spanish Bonds got up to
6421 63. There was also a report on Change
that dispatches were received early this morning
from Verona of the 6th inst.

Our Foreign Intelligence, inserted under the
usual ',wad, confirms the accounts of the victories
obtained by Generals MINA and ESPINO9A.
Unless the project of attacking Spain be sanc-

turned by the Congress of Verona, it is very im-
probable that France will venture on an enter-
prise, which, considering the temper of her own
army, and the slender ties that bind it to the
BOURBONS, would be one of uncommon peril.
Supported by the great European Powers, and
encouraged by the acquiescence of England, the
French Government might, even under its pre-
sent precarious circumstances, undertake offen-
sive operations against Spain, because, even in
the event of an unsuccessful campaign, it might
calculate on the maintenance of its own security,
by the irresistible force of that grand confede-
racy which hurled BuosAeARTE from his seat.
But if England has declared her objection to an
armed interference with Spain, the Alliance on
which alone France could repose for security, in
the event of disaster, would be virtually dis-
solved by the passage of the Pyrenuees, and the
probable revolt of the troops employed against
the Spanish Constitutionalists, or the failure of
the invasion, would be the signal for a new con-
vulsion in France, the result of which cannot be
foreseen.