Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-02-02
THE CONVENTION.
THE PROCEEDINGS orr
CONVENTION OF DELEGATES.
Convened at Hartfo-d :; a. crc

4
OF defence against the common enemy
Inns naturally leads to the inquiries, whe
ther any expectation can be reasonably en-
teftained, that adequate provision for the
| defence of the eastern states will be made
by the national government Whether
the several states can, from their own re
sources, provide for self defence and fulil
the acquisitions which are to be expected
for the national treasury and generally
what course Of conduct ought to be adopted
by those states, in relation to the great OBJ.
jet of defence ?
Without pausing at present to comment
| upon the causes OF the war, it may be as
! sumed as truth, officially announced, that
to achieve the conquest of Canadian terri
tory, and to hold it as pledge of peace,
| is the deliberate purpose Of administration
This enterprise, commenced at period
when government possessed the advantage
| OF selecting the time and occasions for max
ing sudden descent upon an unprepared
enemy, now languishes in the third year of
the war 1t has been prosecuted with va.
rlous fortune and occasional brilliancy of
| exploit, but without any solid acquisition
The British armies have been recruited by
veteran regiments. Their navy commands
Ontario The American ranks are thined
| by the casualties of war. Recruits are dis.
ceuraged by the unpopular character of the
contest, and by the uncertainty Of receiving
their pay.
! In the prosecution Of this favoritc war.
| fare, administration have left the exposed
| and vulnerable parts of the country desti-
| tute of all efficient means of defence The
main body of the regular army has been
marched 10 the frontier The navy has
been stripped of a great part OF its sailors
for the service of the Lakes. Meanwhile
| the enemy scours the sea coast, bockades
| our ports, ascends our bays and rivers,
| makes actual descents in vario Gus and dis
tant places, holds some by force and
| threatens all that are assaiiable, with fire
| and sword. The sea board of four of the
f, New England States, follows its curvatures,
/ presents an extent of more than seven hun
dred miles generally occupied by com
pact population, and accessible by naval
| force, exposing mass of people and pro.
[ perty TO the devastation ofthe enemy which
bears a great proportion to the residue OF
| the maritime frontier of the IT, States.
This extensive shore has been exposed to
frequent attacks, repeated contributions
and constant alarms-Ihe regular forces
! detached by the national government for
its defence, are mere pretexts for placing
officers of high rank in command They
are besides confined to few places, and
are too insignificant in number to be includ-
ed in any computation.
These states have thus been left to adept
measures for their own defence The mill.
tia have been constantly kept on the alert,
and harrassed by garrison duties, and other
hardships, while the expenses, of which
the national government decline the rein
bursement, threaten TO absorb all the re.
sources of the States. The President OF The
u States has refused to consider the expense
of the militia detached by state authority,
for the indispensable defence of the state,
as chargeable to the Union, on the ground
of refusal by the executive of the state,
to place them under the command OF Off
GERS of tie regular army. Detachments OF
the militia placed at the disposal of the ge-
neral government, have been dismissed Ell
Their without pay, or with deprecated
paper The prospect ofthe ensuing cam
paign is not enlivened by the promise of a.
nv alsriation Of these grievances From
| authentic documents, ext0rted by necessity
from those whose inclination might lead
them to conceal the embarrassments OF the
government, it is apparent that the treasu-
nv is bankrupt, and its credit PROSTATE. So
deplorable is the state of the finances, that
i those who feel for the honor and safety of
the country, would be willing to conceal
the melancholy spectacle, If those whose
infatuation has produced this state Of fiscal
concerns, had not found themselves com
| pelled to unveil it to public view.
IL the war be continued, there appears
| no room for reliance upon the national go
| vernment for the supply of those means OF
| defence, which must become indispensable
! to secure these states from desolation and
/ ruin Nor is it possible that the states can
discharge this sacred duty from their own
| resources, and continue to sustain the bur
| den of the national taxes. The administra
,;on after limo perseverance in plans to