Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1827-09-01
MIR ADAMS LETTER no HARRIs

OF the wfitcf We candidly confess that as indffe,
entity as we think of both we were at FIRST
70 believe that such letter under such cir cumstsn
ess, could have been written by Mr. Adams In
cIeduity; however. las no grounds on which to
rest since SO far from beng di,a vowed 1t ba. been
represented by his friends as highly honorable to
MN it VIII be perceived that besides speaking
eontenPtnons'y OF our army and navy, and in the
"os' aespohd'hg manner of our prospects. he rep
re'ents our government as feeble and penurious
iha' MT ne'eSes II weak, that he would strengthen
~ '"o enlarge us powers, without regard TO the
constitution, we do not doubt,-and this forms one
oil cur principal objee,o.s him. Tut tina, he cou,J
even believer Penurions, when he was receiy,np
at the rate of $4,000, per annum for outfits. COZ
struclive journeys. Sc, We do not credit But
granting that thi, hi, real opinion we can only
say that his sincerity is established a, the expense
OF his understanding, il not his republican prime;
pics.
lie farther states, that one half The nation was
'soid by their prejudice and their ignorance to our
enemy" We sbouid like to he informed which
bali was thus sold. Not the Southern and West
ern States certainly. for they literally and glorious
'y al led and sustained the gene,a government and
faithfully discharged their "a as member of the
Union III. as he mu,i have done, ne alluded to tho
New England States. to those members Of the con-
'ederacy, who instead Of supporting the common
cause, sent delegates traitorous convention all
ed and betted the enemy. and meanly refused TO
bear their portion Of the burthens in dent to state
OF war. then we a.k how does It hsppen, that after
his avowed opinion Of their perfiiy, he now be
slows Offices upon, and takes into his confidence
'hoSe very men who were the principal actors in
Ems work o. teachery how does it happen, that
lie now countcaances the unhoIv a,.empt which
hos ii
ing. to punAe and ruin the Southern states, upon
the miserable pretext desire 10 enable our conn
try TO maintain her glory AMI independence by be-
ing prepared for Jat"Te toayS. when during tn last
they were, III his own language sold to our enc.
my!''
1T the sentiments expressed in this letter. are oh
Jec'ionaoe and dissracefpl the expression of them
was s'Ili more so An honest man might possibly
nave entertained them, patriot would never have
expressed them. In the words of dis,in. uished
citizen, if MIR Adams had supposed that his left
hand knew his thoughts, he should have cut il off
and cast it from i'm, but so far from this pending
the negotiation, when il was certainly of great i'm
Portancc that they should not be known, thew we're
committed to the mail, then subjected to a system
attic inspection by the government OF one, If not
more, of the countries through which his letter
had to pass.
nal as correct copy of letter from Mr.. Ad-
ans to Levitt Harris, dated at
"GHENT, 10th November, 1914.
The occurrences of the war in America
have been OF diversified nature Success
and defeat have alternately attended the army
OF both belgerents, and hitherto have left
them nearly where they were, at the COM
mencement OF the campaign. 1t has been OH
our part, merely defensive, with the single eX-
ception of the taking Of Fort Erie, with which
it began The battles of Chippewa and of
Bridgewater, the defence of Fort Erie on the
18th August, and the naval action on Lake
Champlain on the llth Of September, have re.
bounded to our glory as much as to our advan-
tage; while the loss of Washington, the capt.
ulatlons of Alexandria and of Washington
county, Massachusetts, and Nantucket, have
been more disgracetul to us than injurious.
The defence of Baltimore has given us little
more to be proud OF than the demonstration a.
galnst 1t has Afforded to our enemy. Prevost's
retreat from Pittsburg has been more disgrace
full to them than honorable to us; Wellington's
veterans, the fire-eater Brisbane, and tie ire
brand Cockburn, have kept the rankest of orr
militia iii countenance by their expertness in
the art Of running away.
The general issue Of the campaign is vet
to come, and there is too much reason to ap-
Prehend that it will be unlavourabie TO our
side. Lett by concurrence of circumstan-
ces uneXampled III the annals of the world to
struggle alone and friendless, against the whole
Colonial power of Great Britain fighting in
reality against her for the cause of all EHrope
with all Europe coldly looking on, basely bound
not to raise in favor helping hand, Sc cretly
wishing us success, and not daring so much as to
cheer us in the strife, what could be expected
from the first frics of this unequal conflict. but
disaster and discontinue to us? Divided among
ourselves, more in passions than interest with
half the nation sold by their prejudice and
their ignorance to our enemy, witha feeble and
penurious government, with five frigates for a
navy, and scarcely five efficient regiments
for an army, how can it be expected
that we should resist the mass of force which
that gigantic power has collected to crush us
at a blow! This, too, in the moment which
she has chosen to break through all the laws
Of war, acknowledged and respected by civil
red nations. Under the false pretence ofre-
taliatlon, Cochrane has formally declared the
determination to destroy and lay waste all the
towns on the sea coast which may be assailabIe
The ordinary horrors Of war are mildness and
mercy in comparison with what British ven.
geance and malice have denounced upon lis.
We must GO though it ALL trust in God we
shall rise in triumph over all; but the first shock
is the most terrible Of the process. and it is
that which we are now enduring"
Contrasted with this letter, we publi.h the fol-
lowing extract from Gen. Jackson's address to the