Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-04-13

Was the conduct Of a Chatham. -.
example It is impossible an Arhs snUse
could initiate. uong
But my case is perhaps withcut =,
ample:-That ola minister Of hipb st s es'
ing and splendid talents, seds s n,ai !.
officer from an honorable comman, an
the fairest prospects of fame. to pnt In b:ld
on the execution cfan impracticabla r Inn
iect, without competent means ard R'V'
cause of it's failure, to save himself &c r.
public odium, he descends to t,; aan
stratagcms and peridies, to cast the LIsn,,
he has incurred from his own shm1d dae
upon those of the officer he had deee;Ue'l,s
and this officer a man with when ~
had been associated in the most ;ntar. ne
Ing scenes Of the revolutionary war ~, ~
friend OF his juvenile days, to whom ~
protested to be bound by the sac,sd
ties of personal confidence and attae sS
mcnt
Mr.. President. declaim hieh coIor,.
ings i'll case ofsuch gravity, and shnnld
disdain to excite the feelings Or warn tbs
judgment of my Judges were carabe.
the disclosures about to be made will test
the truth, and determine my title to credi.
bility.
From the common anxiety we have fa]t
to conclude the procrastinated investica.
ton with as little delay as possible. Ihsye
undertaken to perform in 70 DAYS,
work required month. It must not
therefore be expected that I should IRE.
sent this defence in that connected. nre.
pared state with that regularity and
complete arrangement, and ANALYSIS of
the testimony: which it was my desire to
submit to the deliberate understanding Of
this Court, and to the sober reflections Of
my countreymen.
In forming Judgment on the wholeor
any distinct part ofmy conduct fatter
myselfthe Court will be determined by
circumstances as they appeared at the
time /; by the decisions of the moment and
the apparent exigencies of the occasion
not by an after knowledge of facts which
could not be known at the time.
Before Ienter upon the investigation Of
the testimony, consider it matter of
propriety towards the Court briefly to
state the course l shall pursue i will be
recollected that a report toue hing the
merits of that part of the campaign of
1915 in which | was concerned, at the
House of Representatives, was rladeupby
that accuser and presented to- at honora-
Bile body in the session of l8l s-l4: K
it has been admitted by the Court, that
report should he taken as" p, ira facie"
evidence on this enquiry Fave availed
myself of this permission, to rl esent such
parts of that report to the visw of the
Court as tend to throw lish's upon the
inquiry before it, and to explaiIl the rrnci-
plies and motives of my actio.as in ecm-
mand, from the first order received at
the dawn of the late war, to fhe ter'lna-
ton ofmy command on the n,prtherniron-
tier last April.
1 shall then Mr.. President. OPEN the
case with brief narrative CI facts aid
incidents after which shat proceed to
compare and apply the test imcny, and
will conclude Will, rapid summary OF
the whole.''
CONCLUSION,
The articles ofmy accus er prevailed;
he deprived me ofmy sword IN the tN GAVIN
of the campaign; threw me cut Of the Fah
Of elorv. and the injury is irteparable.
The troops formed and alsclplnea ID
hardships and suffering and perlis' 9nuef
nv orders, when fitted for afhon ana Pre-,
pared to meet the enemy, we're desuhea
to gather laurels to decorai e the Dio"'
of more fortunate men. !,
Amidst the ills inflicted upon me ~
this tvrant, the hand OF HeEen Was 0u.
stretched in my behalf, and the ol S:.I
full flight of the DESTROYER, o. ire I add a.
of this country, placed the G Gice he lsa a.
bused in honorable hands, ana ssCuls" NV w
me an impartial tribunal to luase ny
conduct. A tribunal the hrss IN t o,4.
drank and experience, one only ex 3e;Iped
ed,s which ever assembled in the p uss,ss
othse sources Of consolation, which no
o o.rt mower can take from me- , nave ave
borne arms and falthiuny 80, more.
country through three wars ';, NAY nay, l'' How
I have saved her from civil l war; for ri the
many toilsome days have Ella aD "anr 81 Sleep
honor of my country! How many aa. , s
Iii esin e, years past marched Sd, fSa r
stand arraigned-then vase # Industry
uncultivated now the scene VI ~ Of social
of wealth and of talents; the sea- and po-