The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-12-30
TRUTH Us. BARCLAY.
From the .Ma.ionai .Aduocate.

an article signed Thomas barclay, on the
subject of the treatment of American pri
soners of war in the British dominions, pur-
porting co be denial of their bad treatment.
and attaching the blame. If blame can be
attached, TO the American agents for not
seeing that thc prisoners receive better treat.
meat. That Col. Barclay believes there
have been repeated misrepresentation of
their bad treatment in the American news
papers, is very probable But however sin
cere he may be in that belief, l am conf
dent he is egregiously mistaken. for l have
myself been prisoner this war, and have
been N eyewitness to thc.reatment prison
err lave received IN England, under the
eye OF the government. II, then, they re-
ceiYe bad treatment there, can il be matter
OF surprizc that they should receive equally
bad or worse three or four Thousand miles
from thence, in the colonies. Some of those
statements II the newspapers, 10 which
psesu Col Bar law aluIles, and which he
catis misrepresentation, l know TO be but
too true /; and hundreds WHO have been pri.
soners will. if called upon, testify that the
treatment they received " prison ships was
dis9raceinl to any ia ion calling itself civil
ICED know nothing OF the treatment the
prisoners have received at Halifax, Quebec,
Jamaica. &c. DULY verbally and written, by
those who have experienced i (; and if their
statements he Correct, their treatment was
MIR. Walter, ! have no doubt of its truth,
because 1t so exac'ly accords 18th the con
duct of the British towards American pri
soners i'll England, and because Mr.. w. is, L
SIN informed, n very respectable man, aid
would not. under oath. state any thing Tut
what he firmly believed to be true. ~
The cauas Of the bad treatment prisol,e RS
receive In England is well KIN wn. II is to
induce. or rather force them into tie British
service, and in some instances, has had the
desired effect. More than 200 haze enter
ed, some of them n board their Indiamen,
and the reason they gave for so doing W as,
that they could scarcely subsist upon their
allowances, on account of its bad quality
That it has been and is, the policy of the
British government, tn staIve our brave in
trepd seaunen into their service, firmly be
l'eve; and their Off ,srs make no secret Of
the fact, bu~publiqly declare hey must and
Will have IneHI ii mt by fair, fhey will have
them by FOUL means; and f NJ. mast be III.
means Of starving and forcing trecmen into
she service OF the enenies OF theirtcountry,
and oblige their 10 raiss their hands agains
1t, and perhaps embrne item in a brothers,
blood. The benevolent and enlightened
mind shudders at ,uch aLrocious deeds, and
.caiis on heaven 10 interpose is power, to stay
SUCH Criminal c0a3uct, IF it be urged, in
eXt9nuauon. that but few, if any, Of these
men are taken into ships cf war, but into
merchant ships, it is not the less q crime !;
and. pen really speaking, it has the same
erect, because it enables the ensmy to take
those whose places these men supply in the
merchant service into their naval service.
and thus streng' hens their naval force, which
they could not do--and, in addition TO this,
they suffice themselves to impressment, and
VIII be Impressed whenever ship of war is
in want Of men, and cannot get them in any
ether way. One of my brothers, who is now
mere, was four months on board t@o pIiscn
ships, viz. the Hector, az Plymouth, and the
Grown Prince, at Chatham. eHe states to
ne, and his statement is corroborated BY
hundreds OF others, that the allowance they
received was two and half pounds of beef,
two pounds potatoes, fourteen ounces barley,
three and half ounces onions, ten and
half pounds bread, per week. FreGueht re
presentations were made by the prisoners to
Mr. Beasley of their bad treatment; sut
whether he took any steps to endeavor to
nave the abuses rectiGed, my brother does
not know; tie only knows. that no change
for the better had taken place previous to
his leaving the prison ship in Jolly last
Whilst he was there, British officers came
almost daily on board 20 cndeayor to per-
suade the men 20 enter either into their army
or navy, and ouT natura!i2cd citizens were
not only fefSuoded But threatened. The
answer of one Of those men is worth record
ing. He has been in America twenty four
years. A British officer finding that he
would not enter by ferSua8iUe nteans, threat.
ened him with a halter" Yoa NAV hang
me, said Re. and cut me up into rince meat,
and then if you choose, may al me, but you
never Will persuade ne to enter; for never
viii l'ftmy hand agai7s the { IN ~ that has
supported me, and il which have spent my
best days" But agreeabIy to the doctrine
OF some people, and even some Matte Anne
ricans, chat man is traitor aud ought to
suffer death. 90 mot pretend to be so well
versed in lie knowledge Of public law as
many who hold, or pretend to hold, to .he
doctrine 81 xpsjriatiop and native ale
glance, but 1 pretend to my share of com
mon serse and Tie right Of using my own
reason, AID that rea on teaches ME e. be
lee, It is the viii of Heaven that every
man shall be free to choose any country l.
pe-ses to i've in where he can make HIM
self most useful, ard can brst provide for
himself and fam l.. I CONSIDER the doc' rine
prepostero"s and bsurd that q man shall
rot BE- allowed, without mourning the pcral.
q &c rca o., 10 fight in the cause Of she
Country be has adopted. and by the Laws Of
winch lie has been made q citizen, and be
comes bnu"d by his oath go support tie laws
and defend ,hcm ia al cases.
IN fD ;her conversation with nv broth er,
he tells ne Il It it very often happened,
while he was Oh board the prison ship, that
the provisions brought on board Tor daily