Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-09-08

mat all the hostages should be gwen up
on each side except the twenty-three Bri
fish soldiers first confined as hostages and
the forty six American officers and non
commissioned officers confined in ~retalia
ton for them which were to remain IN
touched. On this basis a convention was
Immediately entered into, and soon after
ratified and in part carried into execution
This convention provided for the immediate
exchange or release on parole, of all pri-
soners which had been taken on each side
except the hostages above mentioned. This
convention it will be seen, was exceedingly
disadvantageous to the United States, at
least if we admit the correctness of the
principle on which the course of retalia-
ton was comssap~t Besides ig,efay
three men FOR whom the President claims
the privileges of American citizenship, it
left twenty-three officers and twenty-three
non commissioned officers of our army i'm.
prisoned. while only tweny three British
soldiers were subjected to the same fate.
The article which we commenced on
this subject Yesterday we were accidently
obliged to leave unfinished.
We have given the history of the first
negotiation and eonven,ion of the release
of the hostage Prisoners. That convention
left the original twenty three British trai-
tor&still imprisouEa3os trial unless, as has
been stated on note best authority, three
of them have been Mready tried and hang.
ed) 1t likewise left imprisoned the TWEEN
ty-three British soldiers who were arrested
under the first retaliatory orders of MIR.
Madison, and the forty six American off
GERS and non commissioned officers who
were arrested in retaliation for the confne-
ment OF the above mentioned twenty three
soldiers. Seventy seven British officers
who had been confined as hostages, and all
the American officers SO confined except
the above mentioned forty six, were releas-
ed by virtue of this convention about the
end of April last. Bat the ground and the
conditions Of the release were carefully con
cealed from the public. No notice Of the
convention that we recollect ever appeared
in the National lntelligencer or any other
of the administration papers, but in an edi-
torial article in the lntelligenccr it was ex
pressly stated, that the relaxation in the
retaliatory measures was fallen into by
both parties without any concert, and that
4" the indulgence granted to the hosta ges
by the public authorities both in Canada
and the United States are voluntary acts
Of beneUotence, and have peer sufficiently
simultaneous to deprive either govern
ment of the merit of having commenced
them"
1t was not generally known that the
President had been compelled, in conse-
qucnce of his indiscreet resort to ~retalia-
ton, to accede to an arrangement by which
f~orty-six American officers were compelled
to lie in dungeons: as hostages for twenty
three British soldiers yet such was the
fact In this situation the matter rested
until about the middle of July at this time
Col. Lear was dispatched to the Canada
line for the purpose of making a new ar
rangement. In consequence of this new
application, Col. Baynes and Col Brenton
were appointed by Sir Geo. Provost, with
powers to revise the former convention,
and to enter into a new one. The parties
met at Champlain, and the result of the
negotiation is thus stated in the general
order of the British commander in chief,
dated July Is.
And the said meeting having taken
place accordingly, all objections to the
said convention were then and there COM
pletely removed and the same was, on the
10th inst. definitively ratified by Col Lear,
on the part of the United States the having
full power for that purpose) with a supple
mentary clause by which the Is British
soldiers and the 40 American officers and
non-commissioned officers, the hostages
mentioned in the first article of the said
convention, are declared to be included in
that convention, and are to be released and
exchanged in the same name as other
prisoners of war, mentioned in the same
articles, Notwithstanding the exception of
them therein c~ontained.o
The terms of this convention are thus ex-
pressed in the notice of our Commissary
General of prisoners dated July %.
Z" All prisoners, of war, and all other
persons, subjects or residents of the one,
or citizens or residents of the other, cap