Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-04-06

assS'"@us proclaimed by our PRESIDENT,
that the French government had revoked
their deerees, Tile British government
denied this fact, and refused. on the faitls
OF the proclamation, to repeal the orders
The aliedged fact, was not true. Bona
parte had only given vague and ambi-
guous promise, which in truth amounted
but to this : that his DEGREES should cease
to operate upon Us provided we should take
part with HIM IN his continental system, or
compel his enemy to renounce the usages
OF maritime war The DEGREES were not rs-
voked when the President proclaimed their
revocation, and demanded as consequence.
corresponding repeal Of the orders, from
Great Britain. Yet upon the supposition
or pretence of such revocation by France.
and refusal by her adversary to follow the
example, the late war was declared
Scarcely had this declaration issued, be-
fore an actual revocation of the French
DEGREES was announced to the world. and
repeal Of the British orders followed close
upon it, The dispute about free trade.
was thus happily brought to close, be-
fore blow had been struck There were
but five days between our declaration of
war, and the British repeal of the OBJ
aoxious orders. Peace, however, did not
ensuc Our administration would not
agree 10 an armstice, much less to a peace.
without some stipulation as TO the other
object TOR which they had drawn the sword.
" oeamen on board of American vessels
must be exempted from impressment-The
degrading practice must cease altogether
1t is not susceptible of regulations to pre-
vent its abuse--No peace can Be aurabIs
until the question be settled--The nar
must protect the crew, or America is no
longer an independent nation-To appeal
to arms and lay them down without seeur.
ing this right, woule be considered as re.
lnquishment Of it, and expose US to tho
scorn and derision Of the world.n Such
was the unvarying purport of the declare
tons OF government, made and repeated
in every form of language. To gain this
right, the flag shall protect the crew.
was the ayowed cause of the continuance oe
the war, of the Invasion Of Ganada, 81 tia
desolaticn which have laid waste the from
tiers on either side, Of al our gallant con-
tests on the ocean, on the lakes, and on
our own holy soil, and of the blood and
treasure OF our people most prodigally ex-
pended. At length, treaty is made--It
contains declaration of firm and univer-
sal peace and friendship, and some reguia-
tons, besides, on the subject Of boundaries
But impressment, that degrading prac-
tlce which attacks our Independence, il
overlooked-The religion of the flag" is
utterly forgotten" Seamcn's rights are
passed over without word--There is not
even declaration by way of reserve, to
repel the inference that we relnquish our
Claim, and to save us from the scorn and
derision of the world--We are the plain
lifts, and dismiss our suit without cost.
without compensation, without an adfnis-
SION or even reservation of the right for
which we went to law. If this view be
correct, the war owed its existence to a
of the President, ANNOUNCING
that as fact which was not fact.--lt was
waged for free trade, which would have
been ours without it, and which, (but for
the war; was ours five days after it was de.
clared And it was carried on TO secure
the rights of seamen, which have been
since waved by the treaty of peace. But
this is not all We have not only failed To
obtain any Of the objects for whiell war
was made, and relnquished material.
and, as was heretofore represented, all i'm
portant right, for which we had contenaed.
but we are not even restored to the state
which existed before the declaration of war.
We have lost the privilege to catch fish on
the coast of Newfoundland, and to cure
them in the unsettled bays and harbors OF
Nova SCOTIA privilege highly priced by
our predecessors, and granted us in the
treaty which acknowledged our indepen-
dence And we have consented that Great
Britain. under the pretence of claim to be
hereafter settled by arbitration, shall keep
possession of Moose Island although it is
as decidedly part of the Old thirteen Uni
ted States, as Long Island, or the Island of
Portsmouth and Ocracock. Such is the
political result of the controversy.
What an awful responsibility, my dear
Sir, rests somewhere, tor the thousands
and tens ofthoussnd Of human beings, OK
our own countrymen, who, without object