Star.
London, England, 1813-12-22 00:00:00

FRENCH PA M&

(From the Afeeirmr.)
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

• WA/UW(37ON, NOVEMIILI 2.
REPORT OP MR. MACON, DEPUTY TO THE CONGRESS.
CONCERNING THE SONDUCT WHICH RAS BERN oa.
SERVED EY VIE ENGLISH DURING TR* WAR.
The Commissioners to whom• was referred that
part of the Mess Age of the President which relates to
the spirit in which the war has been carried on by ti,p•
enemy, and to the means employed by him, report,
That they have collected and arranged all the testi-
monies which they have been able to procure on this
head. These testimonies, and the documentr whicl.
Accompany them, are submitted to the considerat►oe.
of the House, in the following crder :

Ist. 11l treatment of the American prisoner:.

I 2d. Detention of American prisoners u British antiects, ends
the pretext of their being b.tu un British territory, iur of win
ralization.

Sd. Detention of sailors as prisoners, because they were In
England when war was declared.

4th. Forced service of American sailors trend GO board Ea/.
fish alto of war.

sth. Violation of Flags of Truce.
6th. Ransom of American prisoners taken by the Savage's it
the service of England.

7th. Pillage and destruction of private property in the Bay of
Chesapeake, and the neighbouring country.
Bth. Massacre of American prisoners surrendered to th•
Officers of Great Britain, by the Savages engaged in its aersirct.;
abandoning to the Savages the corpses of American prisoner.
killed ,by the English; into whose hands they had heel surren-
dered; pdlige and murder of American citizens, who had re
paired to the English under the assurance of their proucdon; the
burning of their houses.

9tb. Cruelties exercised at Hampton, la

The first Article demonstrates that the English
Government has adopted rigorous measures towards
the prisoners, which were act necess.:ry to *secure
them. It also proves the contempt of &tat Govern.
merit for the ordinary laws of war—that Govemmeut
which confines individuals in close prisons, and trans-
ports them, without cause, from the ports of the Eug.
lish Colonies to the islaud of Great Britain.

The second stews, that this usage of detailing
American citizens as English subjects, in whatever
light it may be regarded, as far as principles are cbn.
corned, is still in force, and that these detentions con-
tinue to take place by the intervention of the mill-
, tary or naval officers of this Government. It proves
also, that though Great Britain does not permit other
nations to naturalise its subjects, it is disposed to con.
strain those foreigners who have got themselves na.
turalised in Great Britain to remain subject to its
hues. This custom, even supposing that all persons
so detained are afterwards released, evidently subjects
our fellow-citizens, on a bare inspection. to treatment
which they ought not to stiller, according to ests.
bli shed rules concerning prisoners of war.
It is seen by the third point, that whole other Arne.
rican citizens were allowed a reasonable time to leave
England, after the rupture, an the seamen who were
then in the territory of Great Britain, have been con.
' sidered as prisoners of war, whether they had entere.l
its ports in time of peace, or whether they bad beta
,conducted thither by force, under pretence of their
carrying on an illicit trade.
The Injustice of this exception is not less evident
than the jealousy it betrays of this useful class of our
fellow countrymen. The Committee remarks only,
that if this custom of engaging American s tilors to
serve on board of English vessels, is generally adopted
and authorised (which is sufficiently proved by the
advertisement of George Maude, English Agent at
Port Royal, which is among the elocutnents justify.
I ing the first Article), the naval power of that state
will increase, in proportion to the number of our
sailors who shell be imprisoned. The present war
having changed the relative situation of the two na-
tions, the pretended right of pressing can no longer
be exercised • but the same end is attained by another
means. All the sailors so employed (the time of
their service is not fixed) increase the naval strength
of the enemy, ast only by depriving the United States
of their active services, but also by furnishing Great
Britain with the means of continuing, and even ex.
tending, its commerce, without diminishing the num-
ber of sailors employed on board its men of war.
The documents in support of the fourth accusation
prove, that the Officio of the English armed vessels
are in the habit of forcing the Americans who are
pressed, to serve against their country by threats,
corporal punishment, and even the fear of instant
execution ; which furnishes an instructive comment
on the protestations of the English Governmeot, of
its promptness in releasing American sailors found on
board of English men of war.
With respect to the fifth proof, of the cruelties of
our enemies,. it is only necessary to observe, that in
a particular, instance, that of Dr. Keehan, the atro-
ciousnesss of their conduct was increased- by the cir-
cumstance that the flag of truce was destitute of every
kind of hostile character, and that the Doctor was
charged solely with the care of the wounded, and of
the unfortunate prisoners taken on the Raisin River,
the 2'2d of January, 1813. The treatment of Mr.
Keehan, not by the Allies of England, but by the
Officers of its army, cannot be consistently explained,
except on the supposition that it was regarded as very
good policy to hinder the American Surgeon from
giving assistance to their countrymen, because the
Savage Surgeon: had a more sure and expeditious me-
thod of terminating their sufferings.
The sixth article, relative to the ransom of the
prisoners, merits the attention of the House—first, on
account of the policy which it indicates, and next,
because it is intimately connected with the ci uelte.
of the savage allies of England.
It we oonsider the Indians as a military force in
the pay of England, the amount of the ransoms n;ay
be regarded as a part of the indemnification, stipula-
ted for their services ; and as the price of the ransoms
is augmented by the terror which the most shucking
barbarities inspire, it may be justly concluded, that
whatever may be the intention of the English Go.
vernment, the custom of redeeming the prisoners with.
money, will be encouraged by the butchery that wilt
be made of our fellow-countrymen, and the out-
rages which will be committed on their dead bodies,
solong as the Indians shall beemployed by the enemy.
The justness of this inference is confirmed by the
testimony of several witnesses, who, after having been
ransomed, have been detained as prisoners of wa,r.
The proofs which support the seventh article of ac-
custion, shew us, that the property of unarmed indi.
viduals bas been pillaged by the officers and Sadora of

it,


. ,
the English iessels.b.raiting or the coast • that the 1
house's -hate been burnt; the Chtlicbei Ostia:led and
destroyed. ..
It appears that the Officer*, animated by the pre-
sence of Admiral Cockburn, particularly distinguish.
ed themselves on this occasion ; and that they Were
impelled by the united motives of avarice and veh:
seance, riot contented with appropriating to them-
selves articles of value, they destroyed all that could
not gratify their insatiable cupidity. It has been'
alledged, to excuse these acts of stupid cruelty, that
a vessel sent on shore by the Admiral, had been re-
'eeited by a discharge of musketry from the American
Militia. The documents prove that this is false. This
pretext has been found out to palliate a conduct
Which no circurnstanc:.-can justify. •
The Commissioners, fully consinccd that no per.
itenu tithe' of this nation or of any other, can read
with Out lively sentiments of indignation and horror
the bare recital of all the shameful' violations of ho.
nour, justice,- and humanity, of whick our •enemies
have been guilty, abstain from making any reflections
on the dOcuments which demOnstrate their abthenti.
city; and let no one thihk of palliating these shameful
ctioht, by alledging that they were committed by
savages. Every civilized nation is responsible for the
condtibt of the Allies under its command, and as it
harti the advantap,es of their success, it ought also
o partake the odium of their crimes.
But this itakbning, though just, does not express
the infamy of the conduct of the English, in the
1 air of the 22d, en .the Raisin River: The MAS.
s re. of the 23d, after the capitulation took place,
.1 hot,
t 1 cert these circuit..
, nen not contribute
;}ti they shewed a
i-
t mind the
sr, the / , hinder it, is a fact,
the unhappy
re than all the
. of the English
•Aoldiecto the dead bodies
the list
The itrnen remained

tzpc~d'
~~;

the prey of wild
the greatest re-

titriitor•• - . of religion.--g
. •
etilstless,- the t.- My-is very con-
iemptihle, which is teat.- alternative. of con
fessiug that its sayege,Allies-would not pasieti4 it to
pay thela*
,d.u. ties to the dead. The Coutiedoners
have nothrinAble to discover what effect such bar-
trariies
.liifreproduced on the military and civil au-
thoilleeof the frontier, but the choice of an Indian
tOpitt, to adorn the hall of :he Legislative Body of
Vpr Canada, gives ground to conjecture it.
*4
,- e-Coinmittee have considered it as their duty to
*limit 'to the House the proofs of the atrocities corn-
sidittdjat Hampton, though it has been since they
ttaft4oAsiake their report.
Tsk,birbarous acts may reasonably be consi.
dere Aleepatural consequence of the example given
by the, , of the naval force on our coast.
The4ll.
- ' turpitude continues to increase, and
the soltifitt*:prepared for the most abominable
reds, by teftriNalblowed to commit smaller excesses
with impunW.qt must excite isidignation, though
uot surprise, ibUt troops who have been led, by the
examplibf their titters, to plunder the property, and
to burn the houiles o'f unarmed citizens, should be.
guilty of violence and murder. But for every viola-
tion of the laws of humanity, our enemies and, or
fabticate, an excuse, ' --_-.-:, 1... •• , .• ' ...
The wounded prisoners on the Northern frontiees
were massacred by the Savages, the sick put to death,
the ivbinth insulted at Hampton—were so by foreign
troops in the pay of Great Britain. These pretexts
(if we admit their truth) are as disgraceful as the
conduct which is forced to have recourse to them.—
Honour and magnanimity impose it as a law, not
only to forbid the soldier to commit these crimes, but
to do the utmost to present the commission of them.
If in such a case the soldier, in contempt ot disci-
pline, commits an act of violence on any individual,
whom he ought to protect, the eiemplary punishment
of the offender alone can te-establish the honour of
the nation to whom he belongs. It will be seen by
the documents, if the English officers behaved in this
affair like men of honour, and whether the national
character has been avenged in this manner.
The groans and the cries of the innocent victims of
t hellish immodesty at Hampton, were heard by the
American prisoners ; but they were too weak to reach
the ears and to disturb the repose of the English offi-
cers, whose duty as men it was to protect the worrien
whom the chance of war had put into their power.- -
The Commissioners will not insist on this shameful
subject. Human language has no terms strong
enough to express the emotions Which the exa.
mination of the documents, proving these horrible
facts, has excited in them ; anti they rejoice that the
American people consider them as forged. For the
;rowels of human nature, they deeply regret that their
truth is too clearly tonfirrned.
In the correspondence of the Commander of the
English and American forces, there are phrases which
are equivalent to an express declaration of the facts
of which we have spoken abode.
As such atrocities, instead of inspiring terror, as
..he enemy had doubtless imagined, can only produce
a contrary effect on the minds of our fellow-citizens,
the Committee submits to the consideration of the
.House the following Resolution :

Resolved--That the President a the United States be reques-
.ted to collect and to !Ay before the House, during the continua-
Stun of the war, the proofs of all the infracticnis of the enemy of
.he Lives of mit in use among civWzed nations.
BASLE, DECEMBER 7.

We have just-learned, with indignation, that the
Burier, with the mail from Basle for Frankfort, of
tie Ist December, has been robbed by the Cossacks,
Id that they have carried off all his dispatches. A
ouriet was inutediately sent to the Landanunan, to
cretaint him with this intelligence.
SC. GALL, DECFMBEIi 3.

The "Iran Gazette announces that Marshal the
since of Moskwa is to command an army of reserve
a the neighbourhood of Besancon.
All the troops from the Duchy of Baden which
tail marched to Fribourg, in Brisgau, have returned
'J Carlsruke.

The wirrison of Glogau lately made two very mur-
derous sorties.
The fortress of Konigstein is still occupied by the
trench. -
A Saxon Gazette announces that the Grand Duke
.0 Frankfort has written to the King of Bavaria that


6 'anal abdainte Shat dignify in favoui of his suc.
cessor, the Prince Itkerby otr Italy, son-io4a* to his
BaVarian Majesty. His Majtity, it. ii said, replied,
.that heAkbeld reltir-it to the Allied Powers.
• " HANDVER, itit4EMEER 24.
Prince d'Eckmdhl, in concert with the Danes, still
occupies the position•of Ratzbourg, Lubec, and Ham-i
burgh ; a. position which, according to a memoir of
the late General Ewald, is impregnable, so long as
the lakes and rivers do not freeze.
LIEGE, DECEMBER
It appears from letters received here, that every
thing is tranquil on both sidei of the Rhine. Atcord-
ing to letters of the ;thy General Molitor, with-his
corps d'armee, were still in the island of Borne!, and
the best spirit reigned among the troops of all arms,
which were under the command of that Generals and '
those under his Excellency the. Marshal Duke of
Tarente.

NAPLES, DECEMBER 2.
The intelligence of the departuie of his Majesty for
the army, has excited the most lively joy throughout
all Italy. They write from Rome, that the arrival
of the first division has produced an unanimous en.
thusiasm, and that all the inhabitants disputed who
should best receive our trooi. • •

)ut their-maiing any effort to hind
ertainty ofirhielt it proved by all
es ; alsel•if the English officers did
is carnage with , ' own-hands,
nal indifference. • • fate of
ded. But tb . • yes mor
the &pre • •
at ter c
sto Oki" • to tb,
st thltbieothosii Or
e cor.pies4tour ••• , "Ilnuntri
ed to eveiPice me tbi
tin thelik of •affect to
,for• itlieTeYrsof htwty and
ctiesst the Character at arts]
able, which is reduced the alt.!