The Sun.
London, England, 1812-11-06 00:00:00

.icinji4l.7'jgr

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UNITI?,P,STATL'S.

SPEECH 0? 6tNi:s3.ki..GginfillY,

'1

XN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, ON THE
MOTION To POSTPONE THE CoNSIDERATIoN oF
THE DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST G,REAT

BRITA.ibt:

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shall diSpenie with using any argument •
Which. mightserve to shew„ that if we were even
in a state of preparation, and pcissessed the means
of insuring a favottrable :issue, it would be bui
policy` for this country, at the present tittle, to
:enter into war with Great Britain,' although pe.r.
haps many weighty reasons might be addu,:edin
support Of such argument.,
" 1 Will first call the afterition of the Senate to
the ability and strength Of the nation -.ye are abOut,•
by this Bill, to creel ire war `against—Gent eaten
ought to recollect, that Great Britain haS been al-
most constantly engaged in war for twenty years
past, against one, of ttre. most powerful .nations
that ever existedand, for a considerable part of
that time, the energies 0f.,. her evenly have.. been
directed liY.War's favourite genius, who
.has succeeded in uniting nearly the-wiu .:.force at
the tontinent of Eurooe against ; agiiinst-
thatTery nation which we are about to
awl what: has been the aect ? h Great Britain
less powerful now than she was twenty years ago
No, Sir; this cons.taut warfare has increasel
powers, Winstead of dnninishlng. them-. At ct e
Co t of the war, France was nearly bet
equal on‘the ocean, and.'several'Other nations of
Europe maintained it •pOweiluf naval force. But
what is their situation, at present ? 'lds not '
Great Britain driiieuf diem ail front the ocean
-And does she not remain sole inistreSs P lask Gen-
tlemen, if. her abilfty:to carry on a distant War;
by land•or sea, has tlitiiiitisl ed ? Tbe answer: must
be, that it has increaSed• With' her navy, and e3,f,
tended with her dombilon.—Great-Britain nor.
commands the strength and resources Of most of'
the-West India :Islant4, and many .of • the islands
in. thelndian Qcean. She controls the 'destinies
of more than thirty millions of people on the "con-
tinent of Asia. t3,iiil she Iris at thi 3 time,
have, if we engage in a war with ner;the.exclu-
sireben'efit of the trAde'of the world; and. 'ziader
these circumstances, possess toe ability to carry
on a.war in' distant countries across the ocean,.
beyond any nation evei.heard t,f.

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eonsith.ratiOns, 2,1 r President; lead
me to the view Of ow sittiation tuilincuts of de,:
fence •and of our-,?..bility to tnniy-immediate wa'r
into the &lonics of upper ancl. Lower Canada.
I Will .first consider the situation of our maritiMe
frontier : beginning at N:Orlenns, and examine
the situation of-that piptce, .7tVe learn:front the
War Office, that there is a little rising of 100 regu-
lar troops, stationed near that city, for defence.
Now I will ask any Gentlennen ifthat paltry force
is sufficient for that object.; and if. it will not be
in the power of the British to take posseL;sion'of
that city within 60 days -after ydur declaration 6f
war against them.? If .Gentlemen calculate ou
the goodness and .forbearance: of the enemy,
think they will be; deceived. Great. Britain" is a
wily, active nation.. She has been ttained to war.
fShe will not measure her steps and moi;'ementslty
ours; if we are not prepared to defend our sea-
ports, she will not wait until we are ; and:
she get possession of NeW Orleans, it Will cost
much blood and treasure to dislodge her. Pass--
ing northerly along our coast, let us see what is
the situation of our most valuable cities. Charles-
ton and Norfolk, as well as manyt other places of
less consequence, are found .exposed tb marine
attacks. And ..wreti:,we reach the city of New
York, (the nation'S.great emporium of trade) do
we, on viewing its situation, and the srtength of
the-public 'works for its defence, find it in a per-.
feet state of security? No, Sir, unless the great-
est part of your frigates are stationed there, to
aid your fortifications and gun-boats, it will fall a
.prey to the enemy. It can be assailed by a snail
fleet with every prospect of success. The only
resistance they would meet .With would be in pass-
ing the fortificatioNs on Staten Islad, and per-
haps -a few shot froth Bedlow's and Ellis's islands.
They. might soon place themselves. abreast the
Works at-the upper cud of the city, the weakest
of -them.all. And I have no doubt tyvo' seventy-
tOtir'S might 2,ii.nCe this work in twenty or thirty
..
minutes. They would . then meet wlt!ino.pther
resistance tharrfromi travelling guns GB the Aiore
and from the docks. Theresuit would most Pro-
bably be that the eitv•would.he set on hre, or a
contribution extrted from its ininf.::itabts. I will
now pass on toloode Island. Does the prospect
of security therjellatter us 1--No, Sir. lam told
by competentp4ges, that nothin:4 short of a force
of from 3r-to 5.000 Itieti can defend that
Boston, it is. Said, can be defeided, andis perhaps
the only secure phye.of considerable cOnsequeure
on the seaboard. In viewing the situation along
the province of Maine ; and Our northern.-frontler
up the'river St. Lawrence and the Lakes,: to Fdrt
Mal,le.n, and from thence to the Mississippi, do we
not tindalmost every pd:.nt and place ‘..;liCre6ere
are inhabitants; subject to the incursions of the
enemy ? Have they not more troops Rad
near the lineg-than we 'ivel, Yes, Sir, they have
rza to our.one;- and a militia which; the govern-
ment of Canada. have been fully vigilant in train-
ing. understand, that ever since the. prostiect
of war .bep:in. tuthicken in the political-horizon,
they .have 'trained their militia three or
:I, month, and have paid then' daily wages- for
their services.-NOt_so„ Sir, with otter •milign----
tbey have, it is true, ben called into th• Ott :iG
service, to the.dttry of regular troops, and Wii'at is
now their situation?—Siveeo hfinAred of rui-
litia.frootthe state of Nev York have b: en -or-
dered into public service, on the frontiers of that
state, and have,' as 4th informed, warned- to