Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1813-12-20
WasHISoros City, Dec. ?.

This dsy at II O'clock the Preiident ct
the United States trasiinnted the follow
.ng Me- fIage to both tfcuics OF Congreis by
Mr.. Coles ms Secretary
Fellow Citizen5 oftbe Senate,
and ofibs tiosye Of Reprelsntat've5.
In meeting you at the p'efent interesting
copjuneirre, il would have been highly
fatisfaetory if could have communicate
favorable refut 70 the NJ lion charge d
with negotiations for reitoring peace IL
was iua expectation from the refPect due
II the diiingui!hed Sovereign Who had IN
vi,ed them by his offer OF mediation, from
the readincfs with which the invitation
was accepted on the part of the United
States, & from the pledge to be found m
an ACT of their Legislature tor The ilosrali-
ny which their Plenipoientiaries would
carry into the expectations that no time
would be loft by the Bdiiih government
in,mbl aoing the experiment Tor haltehing
.top 10 the clifton of blood. Aprompt
and cordial acceptance of the Mediation
on that f,de was the lefs To be doubted as
"a was of a nature not To iubmii rights OF
nrrtepiions on either ll1e 10 the dtcllion
of an umpire, but afford merely an oppor-
unity honorable aud dsiirabc to botn. tor
difculIing, and it pviiible adiuiting them
for the intereit of both.
The Birth Cabinet, either miltaking
ON deGre of peace for dread OF Brit
ilh power, or milled by other falIac,ens
calculation has disappointed this realon'
able anticipation. No communications
from our Envoys having reached us, no
information on the iutjeet has been recei-
we'd from that fource. But II Is known
that the mediation WAS declined 10 the
6rf inaance, and there 10 no evidence, not
withdrawing the iapie OF time, that
change of dlfpoii;ion IN the brllih Conn
ellis has taken place, or is To be expected.
Under fuch c,rcnmilances, halIon'
proud Of its rights, and conicious ot III
,t,eng,h, has no choice but an e1ertion oil
The one in iupport Of the other.
To this determination, tao beh encHur'
,orneut is derived from the iucceis with
which il has pltsled the Almighty To oiei'
our arms, both on the land aud on the
wale,.
Whila proofs have seen continued q
N, eu,etpriZe aud skill OF our cIuzefs
publ,c and private, on the ocean, aud
new trophy gained IN The capture Oh
Br;,ilh by an American vtfiel OF wdr, aite
an action giving celebrity 10 the name o.
the victorious commander the great IN
land waters, on which the enemy were al
"a to be encountered, have preltnted a
eh;ryemepts of orr naval aims, as biiiilan
in their character as they have been I'm
no.t,rt in their conf queBets.
On Lake Erie the iquadron under com
maud Of Captain Perry, having met th'
Bit IN fouadron OF hyperion force "A taug VI
nary coufi & ended in the capture Of III
whole The conduct OF thst officer,
droit as II was daring, and when was II
well ieconded by his comrades, Jnh en
titles them To The admiration anu s'atltnd'
at their country and Ill bill an eaill
,aor in lis naval annals, with victory
never furpaGsd in lunre, however muci
il may have been in magnitude.
On Lake Ontario, the caution of th'
Britifh commander, favored by contin
gencies, frultratea the efforts ot the Amer
Ican commander to bring on Deceive
action. Captain Chauncey was able,how
ever. 10 eItabllh an aiceodency on tina
important theatre /; and to prove, by ih'
manner in which he affected every thint
pcHible, that opportunities only ~el'
wanted, for more filming diiplay OF hi
own talents and of the CALAMITY OF thof'
rn.'er his command.
The fnceeis on Lake Erie having openet
A rafage 10 the territory OF the enemy,
the ofiictr commanding the NORTH weteff
army transferred the war th'the' ano
rapidly furiuing the hottie troops bsenl
v 1th thcn flvlge sG0ciates, forced sen
ersl action, which quickly terminated II
the capture Of the Britiih, and diiPerhot
oil the iavage force.