The Statesman.
London, England, 1814-10-20 00:00:00

AMERICAN P.4r,lkV!

1, • •

.. 1 A_
4P .'_L1t..1..; a se WH"IIitiGPMP-,lifli• Br,)
_, ' :
, IIFT goo easstoxFc we, VII ,1/241T14.,1k4TES Of
4, Aillitati "A" ' ..'. . ~ .
A PitOCLANATioN,,;..., . • i •
reas the enemy, lo: a sudden, iqmsvi„ton,' nave
• inteCto-eld in ratiadinethe capital of the elation, de.
,fended, at the moment by troops less numerous than
Or own, and almoit entirely of ;militia ; • during
s r possession of which, though for a single day
"only, they wantonly destroyed the public. *edifices
'laving no relatiou in their structure to
eperations of
w• ar, nor used at the time. for militaryioano,yancO;
some of these edifices being .also costly, glynements
of taste and of the arts, and others repttsttoeim pf
the pdblic archives, not only precious to tife WOO
a• s the memorials of its origin and its eariy`tralsollo-
. tions, but interesting.to all nations, as contributions
! to the general stock of historical instruction and po-
' litical science.
And whereas, advantage has been taken of the
joss of a fort, moreimmediately guarding.;the‘neigh.
▪ bearing town of Alesandria„te place thetowdielOg
..
~„ , .
the range of a naval force, too long and too, ?sock
' In the habit of abusing its superiority whet* It
can be 4011, to.t.equire, as the alternative OT a'
r general cenflegratien, an undisturbed plunder of pri-,
*ate propertya Which has been ezecntediin a manner:
I•
peculiarly disirissing to the inhabitantsw.l.se,had, in-
: considerately, cast themselves:Cm I.* ilasitiCe and
generosity of the victor.
And whereas, it now appears, by 4Oct-comma-
, nitalion from the British Commancfer. :o(?',the Ameri-
; MI 9(00117 to be his mowed pitrpose.tteinpley the
force Under biidirection, " in destrOylie and lay...
_ log MLitt sock towos and districts upon the 'past as
slay be !nand assailable;" adding to this declaration
the insulting pretext that it is in retaliation for
—a wanton destruction committed by the '
army
of the rloited States in Upper Canada, when it is •
MOVEMENTS IN THE POTOWMAC. ~.;
notoriotts, that no destruction has beea committed,
which 'notwithstanding the multiplied outrages pre. i GEOMI:ETOWN, Sect. • 7.—The Bridals sqle
4. have 'escaped from the Potowmac.' The preparlaht
. viously committed by the enemy, was not authorised
and promptly shown .to be so ; and 'thint *United" made at the eleventh hour to arrest their movinfeili,
States have been as constant in their etielSio6rs .404 with the plundei of Alexandria have proved leish.:
• reclaim the enemy from sod °elites by the 'eon.' guide. ... . 4110 ~..' i , 'so '•
•
reafil - On Sunday evening CtimModore Rodgers 'Vito
. trast of their owu example, as iliejt'have be+ t
t...commanded some boats in the rear of the' !nitwit,
to terminate,, ou reasonable couditions, dui war'
self. • moved down the river with four barges to watehige
And whereas, these proceedings and declarecipdr: 'notions, and to attempt annoyance. Arriving *1(1.
" poses, which exhibit a deliberate disregard of the in cannon-shot of the ships of war, seven ben*
i were dispatched toonneet him. Between nine. nod
1 principles of humanity, and the rules of civilized
warfare ind.whieb must give to al existing war a lion o'clock, a sharp conflict ensued between no,
A which ended in the repulse of the met*?
character of ettended devastation Ind barbarism 'ariltarties,
. C I
with very little injury to oar men, only two or Mei
the very moment of negotiations for peace, invited"
: by the enemy himself, leave no prospect of safety
in-
beitvg slightly wouudeth4. •- ' ...• • •
Monday, the British vessels took advantage of
. any thing within the reach of his predator y • and in-1' On
cendiary
„operations, but in manful an aniyorsat., a brisk wind from the north-east, to descend the
d
determinatien :I river. The battery at the White -Mese irel deli-.
.te chastise and expel the invader., • ,
attacked by the Commodore's ship, and
- Now, *titer% I, James Madison President oe .bereelY
the United Stites', do issue this my ProCiamati4,4 sifter a. eannonade of 15 minutes, was completely,
exhorting all the good people thereof to 'nal piiideileireed, most of our guns being dismounted. Do.
ring the action 12 of our men were killed, and abed
• hearts and hands in giving effect tO the monde; akin
. . ..
, i?o.ssessed for that purpose. " I enjoin it' oil ill MU wounded, mostly militia, who had no shale is
-eel's, Civil and military, to 'exert •thitastliesloy4a.l ''working the guns of the battery. •
_eating. the duties with which the) are respectively • Considerable injury is said to have been done to
' charged. And more especially,. r require the OS- the enemy, as his pumps were going when he passed
r:o • •-•r • . il• .tcei down the river. We have no distinct accoout of the
.1:11111 commanding the respective military diatr
opposition made in their passing the battery on the
!la vigilant and alert in providing for the deeitcel
thereof; for the more effectual accomplishment of ..Maryland shore, where Commodore Perry was etto.
which, they areaothorised to call to the defence'oe!lioneds 'assisted by Maier Peter's artillery of thte
o
; exposed and threatetted places portions of the miliiiitl place: we understand, however, that our lose sti
" most convenient thereto, whether they be or be note trifling. • The whole of the squadron under Captain
f Gordon and the captured Alexandrian vessels, hate.
J of the quotas detached for the service of the
• •
silted States under requisitions of the General Gn- i proceeded into the, Bay, end we may now expect the
vernment. [waters of the Patuxent and Potowmac to be entirely
'" On an 'occasion which appeals so forcibly to the.. freed from the enemy.
proud feelings and patriotic devotion of the Ameri. We shall make no comment on the circumstandes
t can people, none will forget what they owe to them- attending this escape of the enemy. Those Who
• selves, what they owe to their country and the high abandoned a strong fart, and suffered an enemy to
• detinies which await it; d hat to the glory acquired capture Alexandria without opposition, will furnish
• by their fathers,, in establishing the id ependence lus with particulars at (belt leisure.
which is now tribe maintained by their sons, with
the augmented strength and resources with which time
and neaten had blessed them.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my
hand, and caused the seal of the United States
to be fixed to these presents.
Done at the City of Washington, the first day of
September, in the year of our Lord, 1814, and
of the Independence of the United States the
39th.

Ey tl,e President,

An express arrived at Bath at die raoment'ont in-
formant was leaving the place, bringing informat
that WOO men had landed' at Booth Bay. At PIIW
'land. they expected an attack soon. The inbilthltaits
had nearly all moved awayl, and • there • were .abiet
4000 troops in and near thetown, and every ptslpis.4
ration was making fora vigorous defeecg• 'Con-
siderable alarm existed at Portsmouth, and saisted
the inhabitants bad minfed.from die place. 'll .
zThe militia to the eastward of tile Penohecot river'
were making no preperisttons to expel or resist the
enemy, and several depilation% were net ,te-keraw
!their intentions, 411-4).1

JAR. MADISOI.4I.
JAS. DION ROE, See. allude.
- -

, ;„ The following are the remarks of an Am ea
b.liiaperten the President's Proclamation :
'lll'' " The President says, the enemy wantonly do..
Ntroyed the public edifices, having no relation in thole*
:structure to operations of war • and adds, that the
• destruction was under the insulting pretext of reta-,
liation, for a wanton destruction committed by the
- army of the Unites States in Upper Canada. . ,
' 46 Is it supposed that the capture of York is at-
reedy forgotten ? York was the capital of Upper
• Canada, and there Att, the public buildiogs were de-
..settroyed, including the CAPITOL, where a Scalp was
found in the Ezecutive End Legislative Chamber,
suspended near the Speaker's chair, In company with
• •the mace and other emblems of royalty.—{Vide
ci.Dearborn's Letter.]
. " This destruction was not only never ' shown
11. to be unauthorised,' but was the theme of continued
s sanitation during the whole of the seeend year of
qt the war.• We regret is much as Mr. Madison him-
litself the destruction °Nile costly monuments of taste
paid of. the ants at Washington, and more lattice.
•il • of the 4• public aichises; because we fear

ANOTHER FAILURE.
The measures which the Intelligenar informed the
public a few days ago 4 were put in a train of exe-
cution, the .effect of which would soon be ,seen,'
have proved a complete abortion. After Armstrong
disgraced himself, and was in part dismissed from
service, we were told that Colonel Monroe aroald
retrieve our character—that be was all that an Ame-
rican could wish, and inshort nobody was like Col.'
Mob roe. He was accordingly appointed " Com-
mander-in-Chief of the troops in the vicinity of the
district,"—he wat invested with the supreme direc-
, lion of war department so far as Armstrong did
.not still hold on; he called to his aid our naval he-
roes Perry, Porter, and, Rodgers, who were sup.
ported by a picked band of gallant seamen, and`
clouds of militia, and not a man dare doubt for
three days past, that Col. Monroe had • put ins triiio
of execution measures' that 'would ensure the cep,
tare of. Corn. Gordon's squadron, or at any retell
prevent his passage down the Potowmac, unless he
was strongly reinforced. Every thing favoured Col.
Monroe's crterprise. The British were becalmed
four days, and all hearts had been united iq one com-
mon desire and effort to punish the British Com-
mander foc,the• cruel. terms he had imposed upon
Alexandria, ' raking adsauloge of the.hlowing r
of Fort Washington. But the enterpriettlia4 fat'
totally failed,: for the twit of guns, gaus.essy
The people America

_.

.

oily of U

tosauy Hgueu,. Jur uw Nang of guns, gias-csirnurgur, the Manual of the AM
and ammunition. The people of Amer's* pill trot of great public inters
believe it, Europe will not believe it, that a bealoy motion by Sir Jou
planted 16 miles from the•eekt of Goveramesto oßer •
two years' war, could aptilitsupplied NA meow Gal * mitt, on takini
, common.
~lbereome Pl9Plllis lq •1941141104.- tiliao4lll
but there *as a deficiency in the Inn art q41.11.t4
t •