Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-10-04
o the Commonwealth, near the Isell-Iaye.n
IA dollars per annum.

magnanimity; anu that the distance TO which
you were removed from the scene, by rem
derlngit impossible that you could be. inform
ed OF the motives oftheir conduct. ,happilv
ied you to draw conc usiops equalli snistaS
ken and unmerited.
You nave done me the Justice to declare
that the measures pursued by me. eyinc- a
disposition to permit in nay troops no abuses
on humanity OF the laws Of civilized war.
AS cannot doubt the existence of similar
sentiments with you, have a right to ex
pect on your part measures equally decisive
and unambiguous. I'll had deemed it need.
fui to forbid openly to my whole army ali
acts OF improperly and to direct public
investigation, Of charges believed to be un-
u'erl'ed' out having the sanction of your i'm
putation, put to your candor to determine
II excuses in your troops, admitted bv vour
self, and some of them of the most atrccio,,s
character, should pass unnoticet. NV con.
duct and your declarations give me a claim
TO ask that those excesses be published.
your army will then learn the abhorrence
you ieei 1or such acts, end be restrained by
the tear OF your indignation from similar ont-
RACES. But 1t these admitted excuses ara
passed! by, the IMMUNITY of the past will be
construed by your troops into an encourage.
ment OF future outrages, and YOUR own hu.
name intentions be completely defeated. p.;v
ther can you be unmindful of the pronrietv
OF takingtrom my army the pretexts for inn
propriety by knowledge of effectual re,
straints on yours.
am FULLY impressed with the liberality
OF your conduct in promising to remove the
troops VINO Committed the outrages at Hamp-
ION from the opportunity of repeating these
ehormiteS. But besides that my confidence
rHllnnfrxr fff he
BIDS me to desire any diminution of your
force, such a measure being liable 70 niscon.
ceptIon by our own troops, might not attain
your object. The rank < file OF an army sell
dom reason very profoundly, and, however
enormously might asCribe their withdrawal
10 the desertions which have On evely on
portunity taken place in that corps, and in
their unwillingness, if any should have hen
displayed, to fire on the American ,roone
IL this should unfortunately be the case. vo,tr
force will be diminished, without secmrinc,
the great ends of dicipline and humanity for
which you had with so much liberaIitv made
the sacrifice. l am the more pressing on
this subject, because have reason to believe
mat even since your assurance though nm.
questlonabiy against your good wishes. very
improper acts have been committed by the
troops on James River. The domestic nro.
perty OF peaceable private citizens, respect
ed by all civilized nations, has been pillaeed.
and what furnished no allurement TO en-,
piditv, has been wantonly defaced and de-
stroyed.
" 1t such acts are either directed or sane
toned, it is important to us and to the world
to know, what species of warfare the arms
OF Great Britain mean to wage. If author.
ised, it will be of little practical avail to
know that the director of these arms enter.
tains the most liberal personal dispositions.
whilethese dispositions, remain dormant and
imperative.
lfIam troublesome on this subject. charge
It to my aPSious desire that northine NAV
occur to embitter cur own feelings and those
OF our respective natious. In the progress
OF the war charges of inhuman;ty have nm
happily zen frequent and reciprocal lam
not indifferent to the nfamy, which such a
charge likes on the officer, who either en.
courages or permits it, | derive the high
est satisfaction from the assurances Won have
given Of similar sentiments. We have. sir
become enemies by the sacred obligations
we owe our respective countries. But on the
great ard expanded subject of human ham
piness, we should be friends by the sympa-
tiny OF our feelings Let us then cordially
unite, and exercising effectually the powers
with which our governments have invested
us, give TO our warfare a character of MAG
namm'ty, comforting equal honor on our.
selves and on our Countries