Star.
London, England, 1812-12-15 00:00:00

founded on a novel and unfortaoate dOpositios o
provisions of the Constitution relating to the ail
The correspondence which will be before you
subibct.
• of the

tiervice required in this cue, it std-Tea Iftteetite
than is the other : and although patriotism alone has
sent into the field some valuable corps of that de-
lard

tains the requisite information on the I scription, those alone who Can an, the sacrifice,
66 It is obvious, that if the authority %. • United can reasonably be expected to yield to the impulse.
; States to call into service and command the Militia It will merit consideration also, whether, as auxiliary
for the public defence can be thus frustrated, even to the security of our frontier, corps may. not be ad-
-1 in a state of declared war, and of course under ap- ' vantageously organised, with a restriction of their
prehensions' of invasion preceding W2f, they are not services to particular . districts convenient to them ;
one nation for the purpose most of all requiring it ; and whether the local or occasional services of ma.
and that the public safety may have no other re- sines or others in the sea-port towns, under a similar
source than those large and permanent military este- ! organization, would not be a proper addition to the
blishments which are forbidden by the principles of means of their defence. ,a
our free Government, and against the necessity of; I recommend a proeiden for an increase of the
which . the Militia was meant to be a constitutional General Officers of the army, the deficiency of which
bulwark. has been illustrated by the number and distance of
~ On the coasts, and on the ocean, the war has i separate commands, which the cause of the war, and
been as successful as circumstances inseparable from the advantage of the service, have required to-and I
its early stages could promise. Our public ships and cannot press too strongly on the earliest attention of
private cruizers, by their activity, and, where there the Legislature, the importance of the .re.organisa-
was occasion, by their intrepidity, have made the ene-, lion of the Staff Establishment, with a view to ten.
any sensible of the difference between a reciprocity of der more distinct and definite the relations and re-
captures, and the long confinement of them to their sponsibilities of its several departments :-.—that there,
side. 1 is rocm for improvements which will 'materially pro.
Our trade, with little exception, has safely reach- , mote both economy and success, in what; appertains
ed our ports, having been much favoured in it by the 4 to the army and the war, isequ;lly inculcated by the,
course pursued by a squadron of our frigates, under examples of other countries, and by the experieng,
the command of Commodore Rodgers ; and in the of our own.
instance in which skill and bravery were more parti- " A revision of the Militia Laws, for the purpose
cularly tried with those of the enemy, the Anierican ' of rendering them more systematic, and better adapt.
flag had an auspicious triumph. ; ;it log them to emergencies. of the tzar, is at this timer
a The frigate CtinstkutiOn, commanded by ! particularly. desirable. Of the additional thips au‘i
taut Hull, after a
.close and short eogagement,.ectet4thorised-to be fitted for 'seevice, two will be Origin;
pletely disabled and daptured a•Brittsh frigate, gaited seedy to sail ; a third is Under repair
', and delay 34.1
ing foi that officer and all en board, a praise whirl ho avoided in the repair of the residue. Of the appro.,
cannot be too liberally bestowed—not merely for the ifiations for the purchase of materiels for ship build-
victory actually achieved, but for that prompt and cool ! mg, the greater part has been applied to that, object,
exertion of commanding talents, which, giving to con.*:aad the purchases will be continued with the balance..
rage its highest character, and to the force applied itie• be enterprising spirit which has characterised bur
full effect, provedehat more could have beeiedone in r.alivalforce, ant its success both in restraining insults
a contest requiting more. 'rand depredations on our coasts, and in reprisals on
66 Anxious to abridge the evils from which a staite the enemy, will not fail to recommend an enlarge.,
of war cannot be exempt, I lost no time after it was ',intent upon it.
declared; in conveying to the British Government "-There being reason to believe, that the Act pro,
the terms on which its progress might be arrested;' hibiting the acceptance of British licences is not a
without waiting the delays of a formal andfinal pa- sufficient guard against the use of them, for pur-
cification ; and our Charge d'Affaires at London was poses favourable to the interests and views of the
at the same time authorized to agree to an armis, enemy; further provisions on that subject are highly
tice founded upon them. ; important. Nor is it 4,15, so, that penal enactments
64 These terms required, that the Orders in Coon- should be proiided for cases of corrupt and per-
cil should be repealed, as they affected the United fidious intercourse with the enemy, not amounting
States, without a revival of the blockades violating to treason, nor yet embraced by any statutory
acknowledged rules ; that there should be an imme. provisions. .
diate discharge of American seamen from British " A considerable number of American vessels,
ships, awl a step to impressments from Ameri• which in England when the revocation of the Orders
can ships, with an understanding that an exclusion in Council took place, were laden with British ma-
of the seamen of each nation from the ships of the nufactures, under an erroneous impression that the
i,other should he stipulated, and that the armistice Non-Importation Act would immediately cease to
should be.improved into a definitive and comprehen.. operate, have arrived in tlae.United States.
sive adjustment of depending controversies. j "It did not appear proper to exercise on unfore-
ii Although a repeal of the Orders susceptible of seen cases of such magnitude, the ordinary powers
explanations meeting the views of this Government, vested in the Treasury Department, to mitigate for-
had taken place before this pacific advance was corn- feitures without previously affording Congress an op.
municated to that of Great Dritaio, the advance was portunity of making on the subject such provisions
declined 'from an avowed repugnance to a suspension as they may think proper. In their decision they will,
of the practice of impressment during the armistice, i doubtless, equally consult what is ;kw Ao,equitable
and without any intimation that the arrangement considerations, and to the public intereit.'
proposed with respect to seamen would be accepted.l 66 The receipts into the Treasury daring the. year
Whether the subsequent communications from thitel,eading on .the 30th of September•last,have exceeded
Government, affording any occasion for reconsider.;,sixteen millions and a half of dollars; which have
ing the subject on the part of Great Britain, will bis beim sista/at to defray all /he demands on the Trees
viewed in a more favourable light, or received in a • jury tit that 'day, including a 'necessary reimburse..
more accommodating spirit, remains to be known.' went of nearly three millions of the principal of the
It would be unwise to release our measures in any public debt. In these receipts are included a sum of
respect, on a presumption of such a result. y near 8,850,900 received on account of the leankaa.
44 The documents fromthe department of. State, thorised by the Acts of last Session. The whole
which relate to this 'subject, will give a view also of sum actually obtained on loan amounts to eleven mil-
the propositions for an Armistice, which have bent' lions of dollars, the residue of which being receivable
received here—one of them from the authorities- at subsequent to the 30th of September, wit!, together
Halifax and in Cahada, the other from the British [with the current revenue, enable us to defray all the
Government itself, through Admiral Warren ; and expeuces at this year. •
of the grounds upon which neither of them could be " The duties on the late unexpected importations
accepted. of British manufactures will render the revenue of
" Our affairs with France retain the posture which ithe ensuing year more productive than could have
they held at my last communication to yon. been anticipated. The situation of our country, fel-
• Notwithstanding the authorised expectation of low citizens, is not without its difficulties, though it
an early as well as favourable issue of the discussions abounds in animating considerations, of which the
on foot, these have been procrastinated to the latest view here presented of our pecuniary resources is an
date. The only intervening occurrence meriting at. example. With more 'than one nation we haie se-
' tention, is the promulgation of a French decree, pur. rious and unsettled controversies and with' one
porting to be a definitive repeal of the Berlin and powerful in the means and habits of war, we are at
Milan Decree*. This proceeding, although made war. The spirit and strength of this nation are ne-
the ground of the repeal of the British Orders in vertheless equal to the support of all its rights, and
Conned, is rendered, by the time and manner of it, to carry it through all its trials., They can be met in
liable to many objections. - that confidence. Above all, we have the inestimable
44 The final communications from our spetiel Mi. consolation of knowing, that the war in which we are
nister to Denmark, afford further proofs otthe good actually engaged, is a war neither of ambition nor
effects of his mission, and of the amicable disposition vain glory—that it is waged, not in violation of the
of the Danish Government. From Russia we have rights-of others, but in the maintenance of our own;
the satisfaction to receive assurances of continued that it was preceded by a patience without example,'
friendship, and that it will not be affected by the under wrongs accumulating without end ; and cheek
rupture between the UnitedStatts and Great Britain. was finally not declared until every hope of averting
Sweden also professes sentiments favourable to sub- it was extinguished by the transfer of the British
listing harmony. Sceptres into new bands, clinging to former Coon- '
".With the Barbary Powers, excepting that of cils, and until declarations were reiterated in the last
Algiers, our affairs remain on the ordinary footing.,
.hour through the British Envoj here, that the hos-
The Consul-General residing with that Regeacy, bst .t4e eclien against our corarnercialrighti and our rhe-
'
suddenly, and without cause, been banished, together mime independence would not be revoked—nay, that
with all the American citizens found there. Wbe• they could not be revoked, without violating the ob-
ther this was the transitory effect of capricious de. ligations of Great Britain to other Powers as well as
spotism, or the first act of predetermined hostility, is to her own interests.
not ascertained. Precautions were taken by the Con. To have shrunk under such circumstances from
Sul on the latter supposition. manly resistance, would have been a degradation
44 The Indian tribes, not under foreign instiga. blasting our best and proudest hopes. It wuuldhave
dons, remain at peace, and receive the civilising at- struck us from the high 'rank where the 'virtuous
tensions which have proved so beneficial to them. struggles of our fathers had placed us, and have be-
g, With a view to that vigorous prosecution of the trayed the magnificent legacy which we hold in trust
war to which our national faculties are adequate, the for future generations. It would have acknowledged
attention of Congress will be particularly drawn to that on the element which forms dine-heaths et 'Le
the insufficiency of the existing provisions for filling globe we inhabit, and where all independent nations
up the military establishment. Such is the happy i have equal and common rights, the American peo.
condition of our country, arising from the facility of i ple were not an independent people, but colonists and
subsistence, and the high wages for every species of
vassals. It was at this moment, and with such an alter.
occupation, that, notwithstanding the augmented in- native, that war was chosen. -The nation felt the ne.
ducements provided at the last Session, a partial sue. ceesity of it, and called for it. The appeal Was ac-
cess only has attended the recruiting service. The cordingly made in a just cause, to the just-and power-
deficiency has been necessarily supplied during the ful Being who holds in his hands the chain of events
campaign by other than regular troops, with all the and the destiny of nations. •
incouvemencies and expences incident to diem. The "It remains only,. that faithful to ourselves,
remedy lies, in establishing more favourably for the , tangled with no connection With the views of other
private soldier, the proportion between his recom. Powers, and ever ready to accept peace from the'
peace and the term of his enlistment, and it is a sub. hand of justice, we prosecute that 'war with united
jut which cannot too soon or too seriously be taken council, and with the ample faculties of the nation,
into c• nsideration. The same insufficiency has been until peace be so obiained, and as the only means
experienced in the provisions for volunteers made by under the Divine Binning of speedily obtaining it.
an Act of the last Session. The recompence for the Nov. 4, ISA