The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-04-01
AN EXPOSITION
OF THE

frefGrcd by the Government Of the u. s.
(coNrINuED.)
The congress of the United States could
paus no longer. Upon a deep and afiiict-
ing sense OF the national wrongs and the ma
tional resentments, while they postponed
dehnitive measures with respect to France
in the expectation that the result of Enclosed
discussions, between the American minister
at Paris, and the French government. would
speedily enable them to decide, with greater
advantage, on the course due to the rights
the interests & the honor of the country %
(a) they pronounced 4 deliberate and solemn
declaration of war between Great Britain
and the United States on the 18th of June
1912.
But, it is in the face of all the facts which
have been displayed in the present narrative,
that the prince regent, by his declaration of
january. 1913, describes the u. States as the
aggressor in tae war. If the act of decla-
Eing war, constitutes, in all cases, the act of
original aggression, the United Stakes must
submit to the severity OF the reproach: but
IT the act of declaring war may be more tru-
iy considered, as the result of long suffering
and necessary sef-defencs, the American 90
vernment will stand acquitted, in the sight of
Heaven, & OF the world. Have tue u. S. then,
enslaved the subjects, coniscated the prop
erty, Frustrated the CONNIE rec, insuted the
nag, or violated the territorial sovereignty of
IIreat-Britain !! No but, in all these re-
spects, the U. S. had suffered for long pc
riod of years. previously to the declaration of
war, the contumely and outrage of the British
government. 1t has been said, too, as an ae-
gravation of the imputed agg, ession. that the
United St.ses chose period for their decla-
ration of war, when Grcat-Br;tain was strue-
CLING for her own existence against power,
which threatened to overthrow the indepen-
dence OF all Europe but it might be more
e,rl.r -ot1 tt,nt he.
choice, but upon Compulsion, DELAYED the
declaration OF war, until the prosecutions of
Great-Britain had rendered further DELAY
destructive and disgraceful. G.. Britain had
converted the commercial scenes of American
opulence and prosperity, into scenes of COM
parative poverty and distress she had
brought the existence of the United States
rs an independent nation i'll question and.
surely, it must have been Indifferent to the
United States, whether they ceased to exist
as an independent nation, by her conduct,
while she protested friendship, or by her CON
duct, when she avowed enmity and revenge.
Nor is it true, that the existence of Great
Britain was in danger, at the epoch of the
declaration of war. The American govern
nent uniformly entertained an opposite opin
ion; and. at all times, saw more to appre-
bend for the United States, from her mari
time power, than from the territorial power
of her enemy. The event has justified the
i,;n;c.! and the apprehension. Bit what the
United States asked. as essential to their well
fare, and even as beneficial tn the allies of O.
Britain, in the European war, c. Britain. il
is manifest, might have granted. without i'm
pairing the resources of her own strength, or
the splendor OF her own sovereignty for, her
orders in council have been since revoked
not, it is true. as the performance of her pro
mise, to follow, in this respect, the example
of France, since she finally rested the obliga-
IS hok
French DEGREES as to all nations, and the re-
peal was only as to the u. St,tes; nor as an
act OF national justice towards the II. States !;
but simply as an act of domestic policy, for
sile special advantage of her own peo-
pie.
The British government has, alsb, described
the war as war of aggrandizement and con-
quest CD the part of the U. States but where
IS the foundation of the charge. While the
American government employed every means
to dissuade the Indians, even those who lived
within the territory, AND were supplied by
the bounty Of the U. States, from, taking any
part in the war, (d) the proofs were irresst-
ible, that the enemy pursued very different
course ;(c) aud that every precaution woutd
be necessary to prevent the effects of an offcn-
sive alliance between the British troops and
the savages, throughout the northern frontier
of the u. States. The military OCCUPATION
ofUpper Canada was, therefore, deemed in
fispensable to the safety of that frontier, in
the earliest movements of the war, ndepen-
dent Of all views of extending the territorial
boundary of the y. States. But, when war
was declared, in resentment for injuries
which had been suffered upon the Atlantic,
what principle of public law, what modfica-
ton of civilized warfare, imposed upon the u.
States, the duty Of abstaining from the invasi.
ON Of the Canadass 1t was there alone, that
the y. S. could place themselves upon an e.
quai footing of military force with G.. Britain
--andh was there, that they might reasona-
bly, encourage the hope of being able, in the
prosecution of lawful retaliation. "to re-
strain the violence of the enemy, and to re-
tort upon him the evils of his own Injustice -
The proclamations issued by the American
commanders, on entering Upper Canada.
have, however, been adduced by the British
negociators at Client, as the proofs of a spir-
it Of ambition & ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ON the part
of their government. In truth, the proclama-
tons were not only unauthorized and disap-
proved, but were infractions of the positive
instructions which had been given, for he
conduct of the war in Canada. When the
general commanding the northwestern army
of the u. S. received, on the Oath of June.
1912, his first authority. to commence often.
sive operations, he was especially told that
80 he rrngt t1of comedian hfnnonlc