Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-03-18
PUBLISHED By
PHILIP DU-vAL s. Co.
From Co6bst;'s Weekig Register, Of
.Novss;ber 10.
TO THE PRINCE REGENT,
on THE AMERICAN WAR.

isheu an 2fIicie on the SUBJECT OF nogging
of English Local Miiitiamen, at the town
of Ely, in England, and abcue the atten
dance OF German troops at the ceremony
while I was expiating this offence by two
years Imprisonment in a felon's Jail, and
by paving, at the close of the period,
Thousand Pounds fine TO you, acting in
the name aad behalf of your Father, who,
during my Imprisonment, became afflicted
with his present malady; during this long
period Of seclusion from NV haire and from
the wholesome air.. addressed to Won Sc
veral Letters on the DISPUTE 7vith .f77srica,
In which Letters endeavored to canvince
you, that the dispute. if it terminated in
war, Knight lead 10 very fatal Consequences
to this country. |, in these Letters, stated
clearly the grounds of the dispute ira
ced the causes of our i'll blood with Amer
ca to their origin; pointed out how the
dispute might be rut an end TO without a
war / endeavored 20 shew you the proba-
BILE fatal Consequences of a war with that
nation of free men. taxing up arms Doilnta,
ri'y, and upon conviction of the goodness of
their cause. l spent whole days and nights
IN endeavors 20 warn you against believing
the reports of the yenal wTetches, wko
were labofing to persuade this nation, that
we had only TO 80 20 war with Mr.. MADI-
SON in order to effect q breaking uh of the
.lmericcn uaion and was the more anx-
ious on this point, as it was the general
pinion, that, unless the States could be in
duced to dfUide, we never should long be
able to cope with them in a war within
their territory.
As the vanity, naturally belonging TO an
author, makes me conclude that YOU read
these letters with great attention, win not
here go intn any detail on their contents.
But If we now lock q the state Of the war
in tie gross, without any particular feature
being takeu Tito view, does it not appear,
that we should have been fortunate, il my
advice had been followed? We should ne>
yer then have heard Of the affairs of the
Java, the Geurrieye, the Macedonian, the
Avon, and many Others; nor should we
have ever heard of the battles on Lake Erie
and Lake Champlain.
For the present / will coniac myself to
the lsst mentioned battle. which has excit-
ED great attention all over Europe, and has
caliSd f3rfh. Ga fhe Yctors, the most un>
qualified Expressions 81 praise aid aatai-
ration from our neigGbors, she Ffencd
where, be il obserYed, nothing is publ sh
ed but with the consent Of the Government.
This is a naval affair. an affair 1iurely
nayal. There appears 20 have been mr. ac.
cidentel circumstance TO affect it. / The,
force on each side was as nearly equal as
need be, in order to come at a fr0of af The
TeiatiDe merits Of the tggo Ree,s. The bat
tie, therefore, will be considered of ten
thousand times more importance la this
light than IL the light cf i,s effects upon the
campaign in Canada, But before proces d
to the Consequences of this battle, think
ii best TO say word or two upon the sub
iect Of the htatc where the battle was fought
Lake ChampiaiD is partly in your Fathers
Provinces of Canada, and parity in the ter
Iitory of the Republic OF America. 1t is,
perhaps, $50 mics long, and from half
mile TO 10 or Is miles vide. do not know
that can much better describe it than by
comparing it to the SERPENTINE RI.
YER, in Hyde Parke, which is fed out of
the Lakes in Kensington Gardens. The
boundary line across Lake Champlain is
very neatly and apty represented by the
embarkment and bridge, which separate
the upper from the lower part of the Ser
pentine River, and the ponds and bitches.
leading from that separation down through
Chelsea TO the Thames, very luckily come
20 Tepresent the British part Of Lake Cham
plain, which enpties its overfowings into
the ST. Lawrence, between Montreal ant
Quebec, and which is the ouly highway
from the Republican territory to those two
chief seats of the power of the house of
Brunswick in that country.
Wheiherit was this strong resemblance,
in the shape Of Lake Champlajn and that
uf the Serpen,ine River, which led, some
few .nonihs ago, 20 the ingenious device OF
exhibiting hostile fleets in miniature on the
latter, have net been informed but, there
are few persons in this coaa,ry, believe.
who do not sorey grieve 10 think, that in
the battles upon these two waters, the re :
presentation should have differed so widely
from that realty, The accounts OF which
have recently come to hand. The battle
on the Serpentiue River, though contested,
for some time pretty stoutly 10y the Yankees,
was at last decided in our favor. Britain
MIA, 1 am told (tor | saw it not) with the
trident OF Neptune in her hand, was seen
browning her sons with bay, while poor
JONATHAN, with,hIs lank hair hanging over
his dropping head, stood captive onder
his own Tag, Which was hanging Tepersed
Under that of your Royal House theretg
indicating not only naval superiority over
the YANKEES, but anticipating, that wheue.
yer they should dare 10 meet Us they would
be beaten and captured There was not,
believe, en- opportunity of exhibiting this
scene to the Emperor Of Russia and king
of Rrnssia, Who we're thus deprived Of a
slght of those signs of extaiic delight, which
the lcspe expressed, and OF q hearing OF
their heart cheericg shouts, when they saw