Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-02-03

private property such public build
;res only being destroyed as were u
SD for the accommodation oftreops
asd for public stores. Il
: rrhe destruction of the defences Of
osdensburgh and the dispersion Of
the enemy's forces in that neighbor-
hood laid open the whole Of their
frontier on the st. Lawrence, to the
iueursions ofhis Majesty's troops. q
Hamilton, as well as the numerous
achievements on the banks OF the
river. might. at any hour, had sueh
been the Intention Of his majesty,s
government, or ofthose acting under
il, been plundered and laid waste:
During the course of the follow.
ing summer, BY the fortunate result
ofthe enterprise against Platfsbursh
that town was in the complete pos
session of cur troops, there not 10,
inc any force in the neishnorhoeu
which could attempt resistance.
Yet even there, under circumstances
of strong temptation. and when TIE
recent example of the enemy IN the
wau.on destruction at York, VI pri-
vate property, and buildings not used
for military purposes. must nave
haen fresh in the recollection o. the
forces employed on that oceasion' 4
world have justified a retaliation on
their part, their forbearance was
strongly manifested, and the direc-
tons dis exeeIiepcy had given to the
commander of that expedition. so
ssrupuiousIy obeyad, that scarcely
can another instance be shown in
which during state Of war, and IN
der similar circumstances, an enemy
50 completely under ti,a power and
at the mercy Of their advessaries.
had so Halle cause ofeomp'aint.
During the course OF the same
snmmer, Fur,s Schlosser and Black
Rock, were surprised and taken by
part OF the forces under the con-
naad OF Majer General De Retten-
burg on The Niagara frontier, at
bath OF which places personal pro.
perry was respected, and the public
buildings alone were DESTROYED.
j.: WAS certainly matter of just 4
! reasonable expectation. that the bu-
M ahs and liberal course Of conduct
pursued by his excellency On those
different occasions, would have had
its due weight On the American 60
yernment. eRd would have led it 70
have ahstaincd, in the farther pro-
seeution of tbe war, from any acts
waatOnness or violence, which could
only tend uoneeessari!, TO add to us
ordinary calamitics, and 70 hiring
dcwn upon their unoiiending citizens
"a retaliation. which. though distant
they must have known would await
and certainly follow such conduct.
Undalerred, however, By his ex-
cel,cncy's example moderation, or
by any Of the consequences TO be an-
pretended from the adoption ofsneil
barbarsus measures, TIE American
forces ut Fort George. aeting, as
there IS every reason 10 believe, ua-
Ger The orders, O. with tlie appro-
baton OF their government, f1r some
time previous 10 their evacuation OF
that fortress, under various prc!en-
sisas, burned and destroyed the arm
houses and buildings Of many Of the
respectable and reaeeabie inlahi-
tan.s Of ,Eat ncig'shoihood.-B the
full measure CT this species ei bar
hari;y remained 10 BIZ completed al
a season when all IFS horrors might
be more fully and keen!y felt by those
who we're TO become the mretched
victims OF it.
Ii will hardly he credited by these
who shall hereafter read it In the
page Of history, that in the enIisi.-
tened aera Of the t9ih century, and
in The iuciemency of Canadian
winter. the troops of nation ealing
Itself civilized and christian had
wanionIy. and without the shadow of
a pretext, forced 400 helpless omen
and children TO quit their dwellings,
and 10 De the mouri:tul spectators OF
The eoniiagra,ion and total destrue.
ten of al that belonged to them.
Yet such was the fate Of Newark
on the 10th Of December. a day
W hieh the inhabitants Of Upper Ca
nada can never forget, and the re
collection of which cannot but nerve
their arms WbeE opposed TO their
yiGliiati,e foe. On the e;ght OF that
day, tie American troops under
bsigadier generai Mcclure, being a