Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-02-01

10 WARRANT the ADOPTION or those destructive
! measures that have lately attended our ma
val and military operations. Il was said,
| that the PROCEEDINGS of the Americans at
the village of Newark. in Upper Canada,
| were marked with acts Of the greatest atro>
/, city, such as burning and destroying the
farm houses and other buildings of the
peaceabie inhabitants.
| 1t will haedly be credited said the ser.
vile writer Of the Courier, that, in the in
! c!emeucy OF Canadian winter, the troops
of nation calling itself civilized and chris.
'tan, had w.ntonjy, aad 7vifhouf h- shs.
| dozo ofG frete-rt, forced five hundred
helpless women and children to quit IN cir
dwelling, and to be the mournfui xpecta.
tors of the conhagration aud o,aI destruc.
ton of all that belonged TO them.' When
| this writer affected. in this hypocrltical
| manner, 20 lament the scenes ne has SO pa.
thetically described, he took special care
not TO inform his readers, that the VILLAGE
OF Newark was situated so close to Fort
! George thst it was scarcely pos,iSe TO ca
| Y on military operations at that place. e,,
| Their of defensive or offensive nature. with
out destroying many of the surrounding
buildings. Accordingly, wsen it was said.
| that the American ctticer Commanding at
| Fort Gsorge had exceeded the bounds nj
| propriety, he justih ed himself on the ground
| that the measures he had taken were essen
italy necessary to the military plans he mad
adopted. 1t is plain, from an enquiry ha-
| wig been ordered by the American governs
Incnt into this offiser's conduct, that il gave
| 70 authority to act vigorously towards the
inhabitants of our States. Blu, what es,a
| blishes this beyond all Controversy is, that
on this very occasion, the American minis
ter openly and distinctly disavowed all in.
tentionS OF carrying on war Contrary 10 the
| established practice of civilized nations
| SlproSinS therefore, what does no, even
| appear 10 be the case, that the American
oihcer mad, IN TINS instance, bsen guilty of
| some violence, or had even done all the
mischief of which he is accused, ,h,s would
not afford a ground on which TO blame th.
| government, when i. cannot be skcyyn ;Iat
II saSctioned his acts either by previou, or
ders or subsequent approval Aware of
the conclusive nature OF this fact, the Csu.
! rIer no7c attempts 20 sheller itself under
the faiiaclous pretence, that the !e 'truction
! of the 40 Uses "a Newark "couid in M 10
gree assist the America operations" and
| that, when Mr. Monroe made tnis state.
meat, he kne7o 1t 70 be tot2Lv false" I
| ieave it to the reader 10 judge, whether the
editor Of the Courier or The American ST.
| cretary of STATE is entitled 70 the grea,est
| credit, or which of them is the most Xix Nv
| to be possessed oil correc. informa. ion Oh
| the sa5ject. Could suppose that the pre-
terence would be given 10 the former, I
would still maintain, that the bare kno.uL, &c
| Of these outrages having been committed.
! would prove nothing. II must be distinctly
| shewn that they were authorized by the 70,
vernment, Before they can be held as war
| ranting the Steps we have taken. As this
is not even pretended by the Courier, it
| must continue an established fact, that the
| American goyernmen. was not the hrsf ae
| gressor, and consequently, that we cannot
! plead sheir example in jusiacation of our
! conduct. 1t has ueen said, that the burning
! OF Long Point completely duplicates tn. A :.
| merlcan government, But il is only nec.o
saTy, IS IN the last instance TO produce the
evidence OF their having Sanctioned the dsed
| to admit ths conclusion drawn from :, r..
American government has repeatedly de.
| clared, that this act was totally un1u,bo
! riSed /; AID to shew their entire di.approha- :
ton of it, they delivered " the officer -.
der whose orders It was performed. n he
tried by tbs laws Of his country, .. Ant
tasks the Courier) what was me yes,llt ?
" This is SfHdiousty concealed "-Suopo-
sing the officer acquitted of the charge. what
! would the Courier say TO this Would he
| nave t"S iInpudeBCe 20 assert, ina; the 20,
Vernment ought to be held culpable, and the
| people visited with the mos, dreadful o. ca
lamitias, because the tribunals established
| by law had not considered the evidence suf.
| hcient to Convict the accused.
Of what consequence is it to our govern
ment, or how far is it held Implicated in the
issue of court martial, whs Their the part
tried be found innocent OF guiltyp Have
not ministers done their duty, when they de,
liver up the accused TO be tried by mis- pro.
| per judgesi Who ever thinks II connect
1 ing them, after this step, with the iud. neut
that may be pronounced Would the Goa.
| rier writer wish us to believe that minister's
do influence the decisions Of the Judges p
! Does he mean to insinuate, that lures are
! not beyond the influence Of corrup:ionp If
he does not If, as he always pretends, he
entertaiDs = high opinion Of the integrity IF
! our judges, and a reverence for the trial by
| jury IL he considers it direct violation IF
the constitution to interfere with their YER,
| diets upon what principle is it that the A,
mericau government should be blamed, and
the people furnished for chewing the same
| respect for the decisions Of their Judges. and
the same Difference for the verdicts of their
juries! How can we censnre or punish
the Americans upon these grounds without
csnsuring and Furnishing the government &
the people of this country also Let the
| Courier, or his admirers, answer these que,.
tiCns, if they can.
Another ground of retaliation mead L.,