The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-04-08

TIC american government by its own officers
as matter OF information nor by any of
the military or civil authorities Of Canada, as
matter OF complaint; it is an occurrence
which no American commander had I'm an,
q gree authorised or approved and il is an
occurrence which the American government
would have censured aud repaired with -
quail pronptitude and liberality.
but tale told thus out of date for a soe-
Gal purpose, Cannot command the confidence
OF the intelligent and the candid auditor for.
even If the fact OF conf,agratisn be true. sus
pic'on must attend the Cause for so long 4
concealWent. with motives SO strong for ;, y
immediate disclosure. When sir t;eorce
Prevost, in February, 1914, acknowledged
that the measure of retaliation was full and
complete, for all the preceding misconduct
imputed to the America troops, was he no,
apprised of every fact, which had occurred nj
York, the capital OF Uppea Canad,, in the
months OF Aprii and August, 1915. Yet,
neither then, nor at any anteceden. period.
nor until the oath January, 1915, was the
slightest intimaton given. OF the retaiiato,y
prctext, which is now offered. When the
admirals Warren and Cechrane were en-
ployed in piilaging and burning the villages
on the shores of the Chesapeake, were not
all the REGULATORY pretexts for the barbarous
warfare, known to those COMMANDMENT And
yet, the fate inflicted by an American force
on the scatof government IN Upper Canada
was never suggested in Justification or ex-
cuse and, ti'iaiiy, when the expedition was
formed, lii August, 1914, for the destruction
of the public edi6ces at Washinpton was.
not the s. similar fate which had been innict
ed by an American force on the seat of GOV
cnment IN Upper Canada" known to adj
niral Cocnrane, as we'll as to sir George
frevost, who called upon the admiral (it is
alieged) to carry into effect measures Of re-
taliatiou against the inhabitants of the Unit
ed o,atest And- yet, both the call and COM
phance, are founded (not upon TIE dcst,uc-
tion "t thc punhc edlflces at York, but) upon
.ne wah,on Hestruction committed by the A.
nerican army in Upper Canada, upon the
inhabitants ut the province, for whoT, alone
PREPARATION was demanded.
An obscurty, then, lwells upon the fact
alledged by sir George Provost, which has
not been disspat"d by inquiry. Whether any
public edihce was improperly DESTROYED 1t
York, or at what period the injury was done.
II done at all, and by what hand It was inilic-
ted, are points that ought to h I'VE been sta
ted, when the charge was made surely it
IS enough, On the part of the American gov
eminent, to repeat, that the fact alleged
was never before brought to It's knowledge.
Tor investigation, disavowal, or reDaration.
The silence o. the military and civil officers
OF the provincial government of Canada, I'M
dicates, too, sense of shame, or a conyi:-
ton OF the injustice Of the present reproach.
IL is known, That there could have been no
other puzzle .sdihce tor civil uses DESTROYED
IN Upper Canada, than the house Of the pro
vinclal legislature, building of so little cost
and ornament, as hardly TO merit considera-
tlon md certaiE.!y {! .cd;..S neither
nor apology, for the conhagraton of the
Splendid structures, which adorned the me-
tropolls of the U. States. If, however. that
house was indeed DESTROYED, NAV il not have
been an accidental consequence of the con-
fusion, in which the explosion of the maya
zine involved the town, Or, perhaps, 1t
was hastily perpetrated by some of the en-
ragged troops. IN the moment of anguish, Tor
the loss OF beloved commander, and their
companions, who had been killed by that ex
ploslon, kindied as it was by defeated enc
my, TOR the ssnguinary and unavailing pur-
pose I: Or, In ilne, some suffering Individual,
remembering the slaughter Of his bre hren
at the river Raisin, and eXasperated by the
spectacle of human scalp, SUSPENDED in
the legislative chamber, over the seat of the
speaker, may, in the paroxysm of his ven
seanCe, have applied, unauthorized and IN
seen, the torch OF vengeance and destruc-
ton.
Many other fragrant instances of British
violence, pillage & conAagration, in defiance
OF the laws of civilized hostilities, might be
added to the catalogue which has been cxhib-
tied but the enumeration would be s,iDernu-
Gus, and it is time to cluse so painful an expo
sition Of the causes and character of the
war The exposition had become necessa.y
to repel and refute the charges of the prince
regent, wien, by his declaration of January,
1918, he unjustlv states the United States 10
be the aggressors in tie war and insultngly
ascribes the conduct of the American govern
ment, to the influence Of French coughs
1t was, also, necessary TO vindiCate the cCrTss
OF the United States. in the prosecution of the
war and to expose to the view of the world
the barbarous system of hostilities, which the
British government has pursued. Having
accomplished these purposes, the American
government recurs with pleasure to conten-
platlon OF its early and continued efforts. for
the restoration of peace. Notwithstanding
the pressure of the recent wrongs, and the
unfriendly and illiberal disposition, which
Great-Brltain has, at all times manifested
towards them, the United States have never
INDUCED sentiments incompatible with the
reciprocity of good will, and an Intercourse
OF mutual benefit and advantage. They can
never repine, at seeing the British nation
great, prosperous and happy safe in its mar.
thine rights and powerful in its means of
maintaining them but, at the same time,
they IN never cease to desire, that the coun-
ellis OF Great-Brtain should be guided by
justice, and a respect for the equal rights of
other nations. Her maritime power may