Star.
London, England, 1814-02-04 00:00:00

LIEUTERANT-GE.NERAL PROPOSED.

Mr. MURFREE, of N. D. offered for consideration
the following Resolution
" Resolved, That the Committee on Military Af-
fairs be instructed to inquire into the expediency of
empowering by law the • President of the United
states, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate: to appoint one Lieutenant-General• to com-

mand the armies of the United States, with such
powers and emoluments as tnaybe deemedexpedient."
Mr. MURREL said, in his opinion the result of the
last campaign had disappointed the expectations of
every one. That opinion had been.decidedly expres-
sed by this House in its recent vote for inquiry into
the causes which led to the failure of our arms.—
However general might be the opinion in this House,
it was still more so in the nation. He hoped and
trusted the inquiry embraced in the Resolution Just
alluded to, would be so prosecuted as to shew where
the blame really rests; that, if misconduct has taken
place, it may be laid at the door of the person by
whom it was committed—for, as the matter now
stands, no two persons Su the House would agree
on the causes whence this unexpected result had
proceeded. But the inquiry, le. irable as it is, though
it may point out the cause of r, cent failures, cannot
operate any beneficial effect on the next campaign.
The time (Mr. M. said) was fast approaching when
that campaign ought to commence, and, so far as lie
had seen, no measure, the tendency of which was
to render the ensuing campaign more successful
than the last, had been adopted.
Mr. Wittoter, of Md. said he did not rise to oppose
the reference of this subject to the Military Committee,
but he rose to put the Gentleman right as to the feel-
ing of the House and of the nation, which he appear.
ed so much to have misunderstood. Have the arms
of the United States failed in the campaign ? Have
we not, on the contrary, been marvellously success.'
in!? We have gained a province taken from us. Is
that nothing ? Lake Erie, a great inland sea, occu-'
pect. hy• the enemy at the commencement of thecam-
paign, and all its shores, are ours. NVe conquered
and took the enemy in that quarter ; we reduced all
the Indian tribes under the yoke of the United States,
and compelled them to beg for subsistence for their
wives and children from us. Here -there is a whole
country emancipated from the British sway. Yes,
Gila we regained a province we had lost, and con-
quered all Canada to the East end of Lake Ontario.
Under a Pike did we nut succeed in taking Yotk ?
JiJ we not entirely succeed in every thing previous
to the close of the campaign ? On the Lake Ontario
the great Yeo, who was to conquer us with so much
facility, was driven into port, anti` we were in posses-
sion of all the waters of the Lake, with the exception
of the water in the vicinity of the harbour.of King.
stop. Three weeks storm and rain washed our troops
into general sickness and debility ; and yet they pro-
ceeded on, and are now lying at the key of Canada,
and ready to descend to Montreal the moment the
season permits. No Officer had deserved condemna-
tion until evidence appeared against him; and there
was no evidence against the courage or conduct of
our army, which had displayed, not Roman but
American valour ;—so conspicuous, indeed, had been
the courage displayed by both our army and navy,
that he hoped the man who should hereafter speak of
Roman valour, on this floor, would be coissideted as.
speaking of the second clegrre, and not thefirsi ! !
This motion was agreed to without a division ; and
the Resolution ties over for fuitler consideralion.