Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-08-02
Mr.. Pickering's address
TO THE
PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES
NO. XVIII

OF this kind: NAT Orcae' Dr1taln, pressed
~ war unexampled in the annals of the
world-all Europe being leagued against
her, Spain and Portugal excepted, which
she was defending with her blood and trea-
sure-was extremely unwilling TO have the
United States added to the number of her
enemies. And that partly from considera-
ton of her interests, and partly from the
Just contempt her government must have
felt for the men who so ruluously and dis
gracefully administered ours (although it is
impossible the British government should
feelfor them more contempt than the French
emperor has expressed and dashed IN their
fdceS)-she shut her eyes against, or did
not think it expedient to resent, their glar-
ing partialities towards her formidable ene-
my, and amid multiplied professions of "a
micable dispositions, their marked ill-will
and injurious acts towards herself. These
provocations on one side, and forbearance
on the other, have served only to encourage
their aggravated repetition until at length,
our government have ventured to commlta
direct octof zuar. know that our admins.
tration will say that the action between their
frigate and the British sloop of war took
place in the dark, when commodore Rod
gers could not know what ship he fought J;
their newspaper has already made their a.
pology; or rather their justification. ave
understand, (says the National Intelligen.
cer) that the conduct of commodore Rod
gers, in rep-lling and chastising the attack
So causelessiy and yashlY made on the Unit
ed States frigate President, by the British
sioop OF war the Lille Bet, has the appro-
baton Of the president of the u. States"
And therefore it was that went into SO mi
mute an examination of the commodore's
official report of this affair; and trust it has
appeared that the action with the Little Belt
was not accidental and by mistake; but the
consequence OF special orders intended to
produce, not indeed precisely the action
with the Little Belt, but an action with
British ship OF war; to be brought on how
ever, IN such manner as might enable them
to Justify 1. to the great majority of the peo-
pie, whom for series of years they had
found ready implicitly to believe their as.
sertions. If commodore Rodgers had met
with the British frigate Gucrrier, instead
OF the Little Belt, then he was to demand
the impressed American, and if not deliver
ed up, to attack the Guerrier, and if sue
cesstul Gas expected, the frigate President
oelng OF force greatly superior to the Guer-
rier) then the administration story would
have been, that after waiting near four years
to receive satisfaction for the attack on the
frIgate CEes apeake without obtainingit (al-
though prevented solely by their own mis-.
conducC they had now taken satisfaction
tor themselves. But the action of the
Little Belt will serve their purpose lust as
we'll. Connecting the long chase with the
circumstances of the action, the proceed
+. ings on the part of the American frigate
admits of no justiication-Iti is impossible
that it should pass over without demand.
on the part of Great Britain, of an expla.
nation and satisfaction and as satisfaction
will be refused, war will ensue.
But what madness Git may be said) to
provoke war with Great. Britain, when
we have no fieet-no army-no money in
the treasury-but remnant ofrevenue from
commerce, and that to be annihilated as soon
rs war takes place-without taxes, or the
courage to impose them-and without ere.
dit to borrow, as any government must be
which is destitute OF funds to pay regularly
she interest and ensure the payment of the
principal"
These, to be sure, would present, to or.
binary statesmen, strong and insurmounta.
Die objections to war, but none to our wise
and economical rulers. Ours will be the
most simple and easily conducted war that
was ever waged, since nations began to
quarrel. This will be its fashion. The
want OF revenue will make it necessary to
lay up our vessels of war, to rot in the warm
fresh water of the eastern branch of the Po-
tomac at Washington The small band
OF troops called the army, will necessarily
become still smaller. If the states possess
ed of seaports wish to defend them. their