Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-09-29
their army in Upper Canada, il has become

to the naval force under your command,
an order to destroy and lay waste such
towns and districts upon the coast as may
be found assailable.
Ii is seen with The greatest surpri ne, that
this system of devastation which has been
practised by the British forces. SO manifest
" contrary to the usage of civilized war
fare, is placed by you on the ground Of re
taliation. No sooner were the u. States
compelled to resort to war against @ Bri-
tain, tLan they resolved to wage it in a
manner most eonsonant to the principles of
humanity, and to those friendly relations
wnIch it was desirable to preserve between
the two nations, after the restoration of
peace. They perceived however with the
deepest regret that spirit alike just and
humane was neither cherished nor acted
on by your government. Such an asser-
ton would not be hazarded, if it was not
supported by facts, the proof OF which has
perhaps already carryed the same convic.
ton to other nations that it has to the PEG
pie of these States.
Without dwelling on the deplorable cru
elites committed by the savages in the Bri.
lisa ranks, and in British pay, on American
prisoners at the River Rasin, which to
this day have never been disavowed or
atoned, refer, as more Immediately con-
nccted with the subject of your letter, to
tae wanton desolation that was committed
at Havre de Grace, and at George town,
early in the Spring 1918. These villages
were burnt and ravaged by the naval folce
OF Great Britain, TO the ruin OF their un,
armed inhabitants, who saw with aston
ishment that they derived no protection to
snsir property from the laws of war. Dar-
in5 the same season, scenes of invasion and
pliage carried on under the same authoity,
were witnessed all along the waters Of the
Caesa peak, to an extent inflcting the most
serious private distress, and under circnm-
s,ances that justified the suspicion, that re-
ycago and cupidity, rather than the manly
motives that shoald dictate the hostility Of
high minded foe, led to their perpetra-
ton TAe late destruction OF the House
OF the Government in this city is another
act which comes necessarily into view. In
the wars of modern Europe, no examples
of the kind, even among nations the most
hostile to each other, can be traced In
the course Of ten years past, the Capitols
Of the principal powers of the Continent
OF Europe have been conquered, and oecu-
pied alternately by the victorious armies of
each other, and no instance Of such wanton
and uni lstifa Die destruction has been seen
We must go back to distant and barbarous
ages, to find parallel for the acts of which
] complain.
Although these acts of desolaton invit-
ed, If they did not impose on this govern.
ment the necessity of retaliation. yet in
no instance has it been authorised. The
burning of the village of Newark in Upper
Canada, post e?ior to the early outrages a.
boye enumerated, was not executed on that
principle. The village of Newark adjoined
Fort George, and its destruction was jus
tilted by the officer who ordered it, on the
ground that it became necessary in the mi
}tary operations there. The act, however,
was disavowed by the government. The
burning which took place at Long Point
was unauthorized by the government, and
the conduct of the officer subjected to the
investigation of military tribunal For
the burning at ST. David's, committed by
stragglers, the officer who commanded in
that quarter was dismissed without trial,
for not preventing it.
| am commanded by the President dis
tinctly to state, that it as little COMFORTS
with any orders which have been issued to
the military and naval commanders of
the United States, as it does with the
established and known humanity of the
American nation, to pursue system which
it appears you have adopted. This 60
vernment owes it to ITSELF to the principles
which it has ever held sacred, to disavow,
as justly chargeable to it, any such wan
ton, cruel and unjustiiiable warfare.
Whatever unauthorized irregularity may
have been committed by any of rs troops,
it would have been ready. acting on these
principles of sacred and eternal obligation,
TO dsavow, and as far as might be practi
cable, to repair. But in the plan of desc
lating warfare which your letter SO expli-
city makes known, and which is attempt
ed to be excused on plea SO utterly
groundless, the President perceiyes spirit