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

d IL
tent suffering, they heard it announced in Au-
gust, 1914. that the towns and districts upon
their coast, were to be destroyed and laid
waste, IN revenge for unspecihed and un-
Known acts OF destruction, which were chary-
Gu against the American troops in Upper
Canada. The letter of Admiral Cochrane
was dated on the 18th, but it was not receiy. .
ed until the S1st of August, 1914. In the in
termediate time, the enemy debarked body
OF ABOUT five or Six thousand troops at Bene
dict, ON the Patuxent. and by sudden aud
steady march through Bladensburg, APP
preached the city of Washington. This city
has been selected for the seat of the Ameri-
can government but the number of lis hou-
ses does not exceed nine hundred, spread over
an extensive site the whole number of its
inhabitants does not exceed eight thousand :;
anu the adjacent Country is thnly populated
fhthougn the necessary precautions had
been ordered, to assemble the militia. for the
defence OF the city, variety of causes COM
e'ned to render the defence unsuccessful 8,
the enemy took possession of Washington on
the evening Of the Oath of August 1914 The
commanders of the British force held at that
ume admiral Cochrane's desolating order,
although 1T was then unknown to the govern
ment and the people of the United States ::
Out conscious of the danger of SO distant a
separation OF the British feet, and DESTROYS,
oy every plausible artitce, to deter the citi-
zehs from Tying to arms against the invaders,
they disavowed all design of injuring private
persons and property, and gave assurances
OF protection wherever there was submission
Zen. Ross and admiral Cockburn then pro-
ceeded IN person to direct and superntend the
business OF conilagration-in a place which
nau yielded to their arms, which was unfor-
uhetb and by which no hostility was threa-
tened. They set fire to TIE capitol, within
whose walls were contained the halls of the
congress of the United States, the hall of their
highest tribunal for the administration of JUS
uce, the archives of the legislature, and the
national library. They set fire to the editice.
winch the United States had erected for the
residence OF their chief magistrate. Aud they
SET nre to the costly and extensive buildings,
erected tor the accommodation Of the prnci
pal oihcers of the government in the trans
acton OF the public business. These magnfi-
cent monuments of the progress of the arts,
which America had borrowed FROM her pa
Iriit Europe, with ali the testimonials OF
taste aud literature which they contained,
were, on the memorable night OF the path &C
August, consigned to the flames, while Bri-
tlsh officers ofhigh rank and command, Uni
ted with their troops in riotous carousal, by
the light OF the burnng pile.
But the character OF the incendiary had
So entirely superseded the character of the
soldier, on this unparalleled expedition, that
a great portion of the munitions OF war.yhich
had not been consumed, when the navy-yard
was ordered to be destroyed. upon the APP
proach OF the British troops, were left IN
touched and an extensive foundery of can
non, adjoining the city of Washington, was
left nninjnred wher, in the night cfih 2ss..
August, the army suddenly decamped, and
f.s.f.a
and alarm, to their ships, left the interment of
their dead, and the care of their wounded, to
the enemy whom they had thus injured and
insulted, in violation of the laws of civilized
war.
The counterpart of the scene exhibited by
the British army, was next exhibited by the
British navy. Soon after the midnight Right
of gen. Ross from Washington, a squadron of
British ships of war assembled the Potomac,
and reached the town of Alexandria on the
9th of August, 1914. The magistrates, pre-
Stunning that the general destruction of the
town was intended, asked on what terms it
might be saved The naval commander
declared, "that the only conditions in his
power to offer, were such as not only re-
quired surrender of all naval and ordnance
stores, (public and privately but of all the
shipping and of all the merchandise in the
City, as we'll as such as had been removed
Since the 18th Of August" The conditions,
therefore, amounted to the plumber of Alex
andria, an unfortlfed town, in order to save
the buildings from destructon The capt
ulation was made & the enemy bore away
the fruits Of his predatory enterprise, in tri-
umDh.
But even while this narrative is passing
from the press, new ret ,liatory prcteXt has
been formed, to cover the disgrace of the
scene, which was transacted at Washington.
In the address of the governor in chief TO
the provincial parliament of Canada, on the
oath OF January, 1915. tbs asserted, in am
biguous language, that, just retribution,
the proud capitol at Washington, has exDe-
rienced a similar fate to that inflicted by an
American force on Hte scar ofgoUerhnlent in
Upper Canada" The town of York, in u.
Canadi, was taken by the Americ II army,
under the command Of general Dearborn, on
the 9th Of April, 1913; IN and it was evac-
uated on the succeeding LIST of May although
it was again visited for Il day. by AN Ameri
can squadron, under the command of COM
ChaunCey TN the 4.h Of August (o) At
the time Of the capture, the enemy on his re-
treat set hre to his magazine, and the injury
produced by the explosion, was e ear and
extensive but neither then, nor ON the Wis
it OF com. Chauucey, was any edi ce, which
had been erected forcivil uses, DESTROYED by
the authority of the military or the naval
commander and the destruction of such ed
iices, by anypart Of their force, would have
beon a direct violation Of the positive orders
which they had issued On both occasions,