Star.
London, England, 1813-04-16 00:00:00

tage, to honourable and virtuous

with

the lett. The Americans thought that the French were
more powerful than the. British, and although the
Government of France is the most vicious and cor-
rupt which ever existed, and is diametrically opposite
in principle to the Constitution of the Americans, yet
they court France in preference to England. They
tell you that France must naturally be a better cus-
tomer to them than Britain, having a greater number
of wants which America can supply :—they thus sa-
crifice principle to interest.
To all these sources then we must trace the hos-
tility of America to Britain and her predeliction for
France—to these we must attribute their forbearance
when insulted by France, and their being so trem-
blingly alive to the smallest aggression.on the part
of Britain ; and, finally, the precipitation with which
they have hurried themselves into war with us.—
Their evil passions have got the better of their judg-
ment, and you may rest assured we have no where
more inveterate foes than the Americans. lam con-
vinced, that although there are many good, liberal,
and hospitable men in America, highly susceptible
of private friendship to Englishmen, yet Great Bri-
tain, as a nation, has probably not one friend in
America.

When I hear people talking of our FRIENDS in
America who are to bring all things round as they !
ought to be, I have scarcely patience to listen to
them. I will venture to a".artn, that if the people in
France durst speak out as the Americans do, we
should find a great many of them crying out for
peace ; yet I doubt whether any man would be con-
sidered in hisdound senses who should be eternally
talking of our friends in France, and recommending
our trusting to them to bring about peace for us on
honourable terms without our fighting for it :—and
yet I am convinced that the seeds of hostility are as
deeply implanted in the one country as in the other.
—lf we want an honourable peace with either, we
must fight for it. By shewing America the whole
extent of the injury we can do her, she would learn
the value of our friendship.
The Canadians know pretty nearly the amount of
the forces now on their frontiers, and they have the
greatest confidence that they are at present a match
for them :—but our force consists not of regular
troops alone, we depend greatly on the Militia and
Volunteers, who are composed of merchants, lawyers,
farmers, mechanics, and labourers. They detest their
enemy, and the volunteers submit at present to mill.
tary discipline and to every privation, in order effec-
tually to resist him. But they may get tired of a
military life, and may wish to return to those pur-
suits by which they get their livelihood. It is to be
feared that we shall nor, in that case, have sufficient

force to defend so many points as the superior num-
bers of our enemy may enable him to attack. It
therefore seems extremely desirable, nay absolutely
necessary, that the mother country should send relief
in some shape or other.

A powerful naval force should be maintained on
the Coast of America, not for the purpose of nego•
dating or temporising—no--they must dash into their
harbour: and waters, destroy their batteries, bring out their
ships, and burn their arsenal: and towns.—This would
bring them to a proper sense of our power, and of
their own danger. It would act, as a diversion, so
powerfully, that they would feel the necessitT of
drawing ff their troop: from the Canadian frontier to
defend their towns and the coast.

It is worthy of remark, that the great bulk of the
Americans are entirely mistaken as to the power and
resources of Great Britain ; d they will remain to,
until they are made to feel them : then, and only then,
shall we have any chance of an honourable and last-
ing peace. They seem at present to believe, that
whenever they choose to hold up their finger to Bri-
tain, she will be ready to make peace with them on
41most any terms. I fear this is a good deal the case :
but it is from a spirit of peace and affection, and not
from any want of power. We have the *steps, and
could let them feel that we are terrible as enemies—
giving them such a peace only as our superior weight
in the scale of nations entitles us to dictate.

The Americans are an active, energetic people,
who will do much in proportion to their means—
these, however, they greatly overrate ; but we should
not hold them cheap—they will profit by experience.
Disaster and defeat will tea:h them their wants ; to