Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-04-07

i ~
the Nile but it was choosing a noble
cedent and the important national rs.sr'
of the victory justified the language =.
dependent of the vast accession Of OH
| to our flag, this conquest insured the
ture of Detroit-the rOut of the Br;Gls
| armies--the subjugation of the whole
insula of Upper Canada, and if proper.
| followed up, the triumphant success Of o..
Northern war. Well might he saw. -.
has pleased the Almighty" when, BY ~
achievement, he beheld immediate r..
guilty restored to an immense exten, :,
country-Mothers no longer shrunk arhas,
and clasped their infants to their brggs,.
when they heard the shaking of the FORE.
or the bowling of the blast--the aged il.
no longer dreaded the shades of NIGHT lasf
ruin should burst upon him in the bo,'
of repose, and his cottag be laid desola,.
by the tire5rand and the scalping knife
Michigan was recued from the dop;nio.
of the sword, and quiet and security ON.
more settled on the harassed frontiers. fron,
Huron to Niagara
But we are particularly pleased with h,
subsequent letter giving the particulars a
the battle. 1t is so chaste, So modersfs
and perspicuous equally free from vaup,.
ing exutation and affected modesty neithe.
obtruding himself upon notice, nor pre.
tending to keep out ofsight. His own IN.
dividual services may be geathered fromtbs
letter, though not expressly mentionea
indeed, where the fortune Of the day DO
pended so materially upon himself, it wa,
impossible to give a faithful narrative with.
out rendering himself conspicuous.
We are led to notice these letters Tim,
particularly, because that we find the ART
OF letter writing is an accom- lshment az
rare as it is important among our militia.
ry gentlemen. We are tired of the yslor
of the pen, and the victories of the ink.
horn. There is a common French proyerb
" Grand parleur, mauvais combatant,n which
we should wish to see introduced into our
country, and engraven on the swords of
our officers We wish to see them confrs
themselves in their letters to simple facts
neither staggering before battle nor vaunt.
ing afterwards 1t is unwise to boast he.
fore, for the event may prove disastrous
and it is supertiuous to boast afterwards
for the event speaks for itself He who
promises nothing, may with safety perform
nothing, and will receive praise if he per-
form but little; but he who promises much
will receive small credit unless he perform
miracles. If commander has done well.
he may be sure the public will find it
out, and their gratitude will be in propor-
ton to his modesty. Admiration is a coin,
which if left to ourselves, we lavish pro-
fusely, but we always close the hand when
dunned for it.
Commodore Prry, like most of our ma
val officers, is yet in the prime of youth
He is of manly and prepossessing appear
ance; mild and unassuming in his address,
amiable in his disposition and of great firm
ness and decision. Though early launch.
ed among the familiar scenes of naval life,
land no where is familiarity more apt to be
licentious and encroaching) yet the native
eentility and sober dignity of his deport-
ment always chastened, without restrain.
ing the freedom of intimacy. 1t is pleas,
ing thus to find public services aecomps-
MED by private virtues to discover no
drawbacks on our esteem !; no base ALLOW
in the man we are disposed to admire
but a character full of moral excellence.
of high minded courtesy and pure, INSULT
ed honor sa4.
Were any thing wanting to perpetuate
the fame OF this victory, 1t would be suf.
ficiently memorable from the scene where
il was fought, This war has been dis.
tinguished by new and peculiar character.
istics. Naval warfare has been carried Ia
to the interior of continent, and navies
as if by magic, launched from the forest
The bosoms of peaceful lakes, which but
short time since, were scarcely naviga-
ted by man, except to be skinned by the
light canoe of the savage, have all at once
been pioughed by hostile ships The vast
silence that had reigned for ages on those
mighty waters, was broken by the thaa-
der of artillery, and the affrighted savage
stared with amazement from his covert.
at the sudden apparition Of sea-fght a.
mid the soltudes of The wilderness.
The peal of war has once sounded on
that lake but probabIy will never sound