Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-04-01
From cobbstt's Heeklv Register, Of
NoUem5er 10
AMERICAN WAR


In the report of the depa,e in parIia-
ment, on the day of the OPP ming ofthe .es
sion, the following pa sage IS to be found in
the speech OF Lord Liverpool. He could
as ure the noble baron hat there had ao-
peared IN american publications a much
ampler juslitiation of those measures orf
our part than he had seen in tbs Country
that IN many PAGES strong disposition had
heen shewn by the American people to pu,
themselves under our prot. ction, and that
their treatment of our officers ed TO any con
clusion rather than to the belief that they
entertain any animoSiEy GgaiqS. !his coun-
Try or tia they were no. fully persaad, d
that the war was war of unprnyoked ag
gression on the part OF their own govern
ment' mis- is the rock. on which in nv
OPINION, we shall splis. As to the pub,ica.
lions IN America, his lordship has not. am
persuaded, view OF both sides Who.
Nhat reads only the Morning Chronicle
would not suppose thai the present MINIS
.ty are oreadfUfy unh2fluiar and ,ha'
'uey were upon the plInt Of being turned
out Wei, then, if MS Iordsl.ip considers
what sort of press they have in the re
public how perfectly free that press is
now Completely uucestraiusd how Who'll
~ fearless n'en are in the use of she;r
tongues ana penS. il he observes that after
tue capture OF Washington, some of the
newspaper writers IA America ex-
pressed IN so many words, their sorrow
.hat the President mad not been made prj>
soher--u he considers thi5, ne will be very
Careful to see both sides, before he grounds
any Opinion Of the feeiings of the American
people, on what he sees in their ne wsDa
pers. His lorcshipis made 10 sa, (" that
IN many places, strcng disposition has
been siiewn By the American people to pu
themselves under our protec, on" whic
must mean, TO brc0nle cokoniSts OF knpLaad
MS opinion is, in part. at least, We see,
GROUNDED IN their kind treatment of cur If
uSers' am sorry hat sucn a hing was
puonshec' No, my 10 d; no; their kline
tfeatnent OF cur officers is no sign at all
'hat they are disaftscted towards their own
soHerpn ent1 or, that they think it in the
irons ihe officers taken in the Java by
Captain cambridge, were treated by him T..
me most kind and generous n.anner.-
Saptaln Barclay, who VAS deieated and
Captured on the lakes By car ain Perry
spoke IN the highest terms Of the seneroSi
" OF ais. cOnQueror and believe, n 4
there never Was an instance OF the Ameri
cam treating prisoner of war unkndly. /,
VIA be ememberco, that they spared the
me OF Sir Charles AsgyIl, when, sccurd,ne
20 the laws ut war, they would have be n
Justihed IN taking it away. 4 was sad
tnaS they did this at the uterC-ss sion of the
queen Of france, who had been applied GO
by his mother. But they did s5are mis- Iifs
Though the whole American people were
decided as TO the cleac just &C o. ,akinr #
away. The Americans Inherit n the bor
ror of bloodshcd entertained ~ Us; thew
are equally humane, kind, and genore s
and especially towards fallen ene.,y; and.
i'll point of hospitality The aase and plent,
amidst which tley i've naturally make them
our superiors.
dare say that our captive officers will
say, on their release, that they never were
so well treated in their lives aud if thew
remain long in that sort of captivity, they
viii, dare say, as so many OF our officer
did, during the last war. voluntarily enter
into q captivity of another descriptIon -
The American women seldom suffer a dis.
engaged heart TO escape with freedom. But,
from all this we ought not 10 argue, that
che people are disaffected towards their
own government or, at they disaoprove
OF its declaring war for the protection Of
American sea zen. Besides, who and WHIT
rs this government, oil which lord Liverpool
IS said 10 have spoken II vas not Mr..
MdulsOn VINO declared war. IL was the
two houses OF Congress. It was the real
representatives. of the qshoLe heohke, who
had very recently chosen those represeu.
tatYes, and who, of course, spoke the peo,
pes voice If he people had disapproved
OF he war, the var would never have IA,
ken place. /. is OF the utmost importance
that orr minister's shouid be made well &C.
quainted with the real disposition Of the A
merican people. Our agents and friends in
that country send over only tho.e
newspapers, which contain matter pleas.
ING TO us II, by chance, newspapers Of a
mother sort come hither, our newspaper
suppress their Contents. We should hear
ootn sidss, in order to cradle as TO formIanv
thing like a sound Judgment If Lord
Liverpool were to see some of the papers
from New York. he would change his o
pInion. lie would see that the affair OF
Washington, so far from iDdlsposng the
people towards thir government, had FLIED
them with indignation against Us, and had
called forth Incredible voluntary exertions.
lie would see, that committee Of deieGce