The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-12-07 00:00:00

of the United States, for breach of neutrality, though we
understand that one of them was a British vessel. So far
"the patriot" forces have sustained themselves against fear-
ful odds, and with signal success. What the result will be
.it is impossible to predict.

( From the Sackett's Harbor Journal, Extra, of Nov. 15.)
Eleven o'clock, a.m.
The steam-boat Oneida, just arrived from Ogdensburgh,
brings the following news:—
A severe engagement took place at Prescott, yesterday,
commencing at eight o'clock, a.m., and lasting about seven
hours, between the patriots and British forces. About 500
patriots and 300 British regulars, together with some militia,
were engaged. The battle took place about a mile below
Prescott—the patriots having possession of several stone
buildings, several were killed and wounded on both sides—
the British, however, sustained by far the heaviest loss. Col.
Young, the British commander, wus among the killed, his
body being pierced with seven balls. The British were twice
repulsed by the patriots, and finally left the field to wait for
reinforcements, for which an express was sent to Kingston.
During the action the British put their dead and wounded
in a barn, behind which they sheltered, themselves, and the
patriots, to dislodge them, set it on fire, when it was con-
sumed, together with its contents; immediatelyl after which,
the British retreated to Prescott for the last time.
The steam-boat United States and two schooners were
seized yesterday, by the United States marshal, under the
Neutrality Law, and are now on their way to this port, under
his charge. Mr. t' Oster, the steersman of the steam-boat United
States, was killed by a grape-shot from the British steam-
boat Experiment, yesterday, while engaged in getting a
schooner off the fiats in Ogdensburg harbour—after firing into
the United States, the Experiment attempted to run down
the schooner Charlotte, but was fired upon by the patriots on
board of her, killing six and wounding five, after which the
Experiment retreated to Prescott. A small boat containing
four or five patriots crossing from Ogdensburg to Prescott,
was fired into by the British steam-boat Cobourg and disabled,
and then she run along side and tired down upon them, sink-
ing the boat and killing every person that was in her.
The steam-boat Oneida has been chartered by Colonel
Worth, for the United States service, and is to return imme-
diately to the river St. Lawrence, with troops from this place.
The Oswego Palladium mentions a rumour that -1500 patri-
ots had taken Malden (U.C.,) with 2W British soldiers.
STEAM BOAT GREAT BRITAIN BURNED.
(From the Onondaga Standard, Nov. 14.)
Just as we were putting our paper to press last evening, the
packet from Oswego arrived, bringing intelligence that the
steamer Great Britain was burnt at the wharf in Kingston,
on Sunday night. She was fitting out as a government ves-
sel to fight against the patriots.
GEN. WOOL AND THE PATRIOTS.—It Will be recollected
that General Wool was charged last winter with having of-
fered to take the command of the rebel forces in Canada.
The story is again revived in the following letter to the editor
of the Montreal Herald, who affects to believe the whole of it.
To the Editor ql the Montreal Herald.
Sia,—Some time since, and while I was yet an exile-in the
United States, I read an article in your paper, in which I
was made -to say that General Wool had in my presence
offered Dr. Nelson to take the command of the forces al the
disposal of that gentleman, and in which I was also made to
ascribe to the American general the following ldnguage:—
" My dear Rodier, show me that you have sufficient means,
and I will embark in your enterprise," eec.
I did not think proper to reply to assertions which are an
incorrect version of a conversation with the person who gave
you your information. But since my return to my native
country, several friends have suggested to me the propriety
of explaining myself on this subject, inasmuch as with re-
ference to it certain New York papers have taken occasion
to speak of me' rather unceremoniously.
The following brief narrative, sir, contains the truth on
this matter, and more or less than the truth I could nut have
said to any person whomsoever.
I have heard it stated by many citizens of St. Albans, that
it was true that General Wool had made, proposals to .Ur.
Nelson to take the command of the invading army ; that
those proposals had been refused that Judge Brown and
Colonel Tarleton-could prove that fact, and that they would
prove it so soon as the trial of Dr. Nelson would come on. 1
am almost certain, that Colonel Tatletun has himself assured
me of this in Burlington.
So much in reply to the first assertion of your informant.
With regard to the second, here is what passed between
Gen. Wool and lin the presence of a third party. A short
time before the affair of Alburg, General Wool paid me a
visit at Burlington, and on entering my apartment abruptly
introduced the subject. He told me that he had come to the
north to oppose all attempts at invasion, and that he would
stop them: he repeated several times, " My feelings are with
the patriots ;" and then addressing himself to me, he ex-
claimed, " Mr. Rodier, show me that you have sufficient
forces and I will shut my eyes." He then spoke to us con-
cerning all that was necessary to succeed in an invasion,
and endeavoured to convince us that the means of the pa-
triots were insufficient.
After the usual salutations he withdrew.
I affirm the truth (Attie above narrative, and I can scarcely
imagine that General Wool, under his own hand, will ven-
ture to contradict it.
As for the offensive aspersions of a portion of the American
press, they cannot reach sue where lily character is known.
Your most obedient, EDWARD E. RoDIER.
Montreal, November 13, 1838.

UPPER CANADA.-PROCLANIA.TION

By His Excellency Sir George Arthur, K.0.H., Lieutena
-Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, Alajor-Gene
rat commanding Her Majesty's Forces therein, &c.
Loyal Inhabitants of Upper Canada,
Upon my arrival among you, early in the present year.
bearing with me her majesty's commission to administer
this government, 1 found you just recovering from the ex-
citement that had naturally been produced by the then re-
cent attempts of some infatuated and desperate individuals,
both within and without the province, to involve your coun-
try in the horrors of a civil war; and to subvert those lung
cherished institutions, which your conduct has proved that
you prize as the first of blessings—and ever ready to maintain,
at the hazard of your lives.
The alacrity with which you came forward in defence of
those institutions, and the valour with which—unaided by ally
military force—you overcame the united efforts of treason,
and of lawless aggression, have, indeed, nobly won Inc von
the approbation et your gracious sovereign, and the admira-
tion of your fellow-subjects in every part of the wide-extended
British empire.
In that admiration, even when far distant from you, I par-
ticipated most warmly ; and it was a source of high gratifi-
cation to the to be selected as her majesty's representative
among; a people who have thus eminently distinguished
themselves.
It is not my purpose to enter here into a review of the
circumstances which, before my arrival, had disturbed your
peace, and compelled you to defend, in arms, your dearest
tights. It is necessary, however, that I should briefly advert
to subsequent occurrences; in order to show you now un-
ceasing my desire has been, whilst extending to the crimioal
authors of the past disturbances the utmost lenity that pru-
dence would permit, to tranquilize your feeiiugs, and to pro-
vide for your security.
The insurrectionary movements in this province having
been completely quelled- by your activity and energy, the
object of first importance that presented itself to my consi-
deration, on assuming the chargeof the government, was the
treatment to be pursued towards those who, on either their
own confession, or after the most impartial trials, had been
convicted of the highest offence of which man, as a member
of society, can be guilty, and in accordance both with the
humane views of her majesty's government, and with my
own.desire of tempering justice with mercy. I suffered the
extreme penalty of the law to be inflicted only on two of the
most prominent and guilty members of the late rebellion,
trusting that such an awful example might be sufficient to
impress on the crime of treason its proper stamp; and that a
graduated scale of punishment, adapted as nearly as possible
to the circumstances of the several cases, might safely be re-
sorted to in other instances. •
The petitions for mercy, the assurance of contrition, the
promises of .amendment, and the professions of revived feel-
ings of loyalty which poured in upon nie, from or on behalf
of those who yielded to false representations, and had thus
incurred. the forfeiture of their lives, warranted me in con-
cluding that the manifestation of mercy on the part of the
executive would have been attended with all the salutary
effects anticipated from it, had nut the: same unjustifiable
interference by a portion of the inhabitants of neighbouring
country in your affairs, which had so culpably contributed to
the former disturbances, partially re-kindled the flame that
was about to expire, and engendered a delusive expectation
that; by means of co-operation from without, a more success-
ful effort might be made by the traitorous and disloyal, to
shake off their allegiance to their sovereign.
In pursuance of their nefarious designs, a fresh invasion of
your soil was attempted by a few worthless refugees in con-
junction with a lawless banditti, whose immediate object was
the plunder and devastation of the province, while their ulte-
rior hope was to rend for ever that tie which binds it to the
parent state.
Thus called on again to arm in defence of everything dear
to you, your success in repelling this second act of aggression
was not less signal than it had been in yourquick suppression
of the previous insurrection ; nor were your gallantry, your
loyalty, and your humanity, less conspicuously displayed than
they had already been on that memorable occasion.
In the disposal of the prisoners taken at this period—
circumstances presented themselves which rendered it my
duty to persevere in the lenient Course which her Majesty's
advisers had before prescribed ; and on an occasion calling
as loudly for some example of rigour, as any that has pro-
bably ever occurred in the annals of mankind, capital punish-
ment was inflicted in one solitary instance only.
It might reasonably have been expected, after the repeated
failure of the attempts of the confederates to effect their revo-
lutionary objects—after the continual clemency of the exe-
cutive—and after your praiseworthy forbearance from acts of
vengeance or retaliation, that not only all thought of further
hostility against you would have been abandoned in hopeless
despair, but that a better tone of feeling would have suc-
ceeded.
The comparative state of tranquility which followed the
last abortive attempt at invasion, did in fact encourage me to
hope that peace, with general harmony and good feeling,
would soon be restored to the province. To my deep disap-
pointment, however, I have learnt from various sources, more
or less authentic, that regardless of the 'friendly relations
subsisting betavoen her Majesty's government and that of the
United States, and stimulated by the worst passions and mo-
tives, a number of American citizens, along our • frontier,
have formed a secret combination for another invasion of
these provinces, and that preparations on an extensive scale,
for carrying this unprincipled enterprise into execution are
at this moment in active progress.
It is further stated that the members of this unholy union
communicate by certain mystic signs-Lthat they are possessed
of considerable resources—that they have amongst them some
individuals of influence; and are one and all bound by an
1011cm:fad oath to plunder you of your property—to destroy
your institutions—and to sever your connexion with the
mother country.
Though large allowances are to be made for exaggerated
or interested statements; and though it is known that the
traitorous within, and their partisans without, are mutually
deceiving each other, and are falsely using the names of in-
dividuals of station and respectability, in order to give some
colouring to their wicked conspiracy—yet I deem it proper to
promulgate that such information has reached me as calls for
the adoption of precautionary measures, for averting, if pos-
sible, an impending mischief, or for promptly defeating it
should it actually occur.
Relying on the amity and good faith of the American go-
vernment, I have miple to it, through the medium of her
majesty's minister at Washington, such representations as
will, I irust, ensure its immediate and decisive interference,
in suppressing these outrageous proceedings of its border
citizens.
I have likewise written to the officers of the United States
army, commanding on the frontier, whose honourable pro-
fession, and personal characters, claim our confidence, urging
them vigorously to second the efforts of their government, by
• this employment of every means that may be at their disposal.
It is but' reasonable also, when the base design of un-
provoked aggression shall_ become more generally known
throughout the union, that I should look with full confidence
to the great body of its respectable eitizen4, to rescue their
country front the last ing.discredit that would be entailed on
it by the actual commission of the hostile acts contemplated
by'a licentious portion of its population, and the proceedings
incident to which tend so fatally to interrupt that good under-
standing between the inhabitants of the two countries, which
their mutual interests, cemented by the endearing baud of a
common origin should lead them strictly to maintain.
But, after all, it is less to the interposition of others than
ourselves—supported as we are le: a just cause, and' pro-
tected, as we may still confidently hope to be, by a righteous
Providence—that we must look for safety.
With this view I have directed that in addition to the re-
gular force already in the province, that several regiments of
your gallant militia shall be again embodied; anti that their