Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-02-24


has been exposed to the bayonet of his
own son. Sir, honor the people that
shrink from a warfare like this. | aP-
plaud their sentiments and their feelings.
They are such as religion and humani-
ty dictate, and such as none but cannlbals
would wish to eradicate from the human
heart.
You have not succeeded in dividing the
people of the provinces from their govern
ment Your commanders tell you that
they are universally hostile to your cause.
1t is not, therefore, to make war on their
government it is to make war, fierce,
cruel, bloody war on the people them
selves, that you call to your standard the
yeomanry of the Northern States. The
experience of two campaigns should have
taught you, that they will not obey that
call Government has put itself in every
posture 1t has used supplcation and in
treaty: it has also menaced, and it still
menaces compulsion. All is in vain
1t cannot longer conceal its weakness on
this point Look to the bill before you
Does not that speak plainly Ian
guage exceeding every thing have said?
You last year gave bounty of sixteen
dollars. You now propose to give boun
ty of one hundred and twenty four dollars
and you say you have no hope of obtain
ing men at a lower rate. This is sufficient
to convince me, It will be sufficient to con
vince the enemy, and the whole world,
your Canada war is making in the aftec-
tons of the people.
1t is to no want of natural resources,
Al Al,ak
your failures can be attributed. The
Northern States alone are able to overrun
Canada in thirty days, armed or unarmed,
in any cause which should propel them by
inducements sufficiently powerful Recur,
sir, to history. AS early as l745, the N
England colonies raised an army of five
thousand men, and took Louisburg from
the troops of France. On what point of
the enemy's territory, let me ask, have
you brought an equal force to bear in the
whole course of two campaigns? On an
other occasion, more than half centu-
nv ago, Massachusetts, alone, although its
population did not exceed one third of its
present amount, had an army of twelve
thousand men. Of these, seven thousand
were at one time employed against Cana
da. A strong motive was then felt to eX
list. With equal exertion, that common
wealth could now furnish an army of 40
thousand men.
You have prosecuted this invasion for 2
campaigns They have cost you more, up
on the average, than the campaigns OF
the revolutionary war. The project has
already cost the American people nearly
half as much as the whole price paid for
independence--The result is before us
Who does not see and feel, that this re-
suit disgraces us Who does not see in
what estimation our martial powers must
be by this time beholden, by the enemy.
and by the world Administration has
made its master effort to subdue province,
three thousand miles removed from the
mother country; lying at our own doors,
scarcely equal In natural strength, to the
least of the states of this contederacy,
and defended by external aid to limited
extent. 1t has persisted two campaigns
and it has failed. let the responsibility
rest where it might. The world will not
asc-ibe the issue to want of spirit or pat
riotism in the American people. The pos
session of these qualities, IN high and hon
orable degrees, they have heretofore illus
triously evinced, and spread out the proof
on the rScOfu OF ln0tf f1oNOiuLiOn. lUey
will be still true to their character, in a
nv cause which they feel to be their own
In all causes they will defend themselves
The enemy, as we have seen, can make
no permanent stand, in any popufous part
of the country, Its citizens will drive back
his forces to the line But at that line,
at the point where defence ceases, and inva-
sion begins, they stop. They do not pass it,
because they do not chuse to pass it
Offering no serious obstacle to their
actual power, it rises, like a Chinese wall,
against their sentiments and their feelings.
1t is natural, sir, such being my opin-
ions, on the present state of things, that
should be asked what, in my judgement
ought to be done. In the first place, then,
answer, withdraw your invading ar
mics, and follow councils which the ma
tional sentiment will support. In the next
oh flNo 1c 4