"Funds may be said to afford a most strik- “America herself, i to belie common sense "ing comment on the text of those who "and universal experience." • Two or "have the front to call the Treaty of "three of our ships have struck to a "Ghent "honourable" to this country. "force vastly superior!'-No, not two "What? An honourable Peace, with the "or three, but many, on the Ocean, and "last of our adversaries, with a populous" whole squadrons on the Lakes: and "and commercial nation-and yet a de- their numbers are to be viewed with "pression in the Public Funds! The thing "relation to the comparative magnitude of is impossible. There is a moral incon-two navies. Scarcely is there one Ame"sistency in the facts. But the truth, un- "rican ship of war, which has not to happily, peeps out in the course of the boast a victory over the British flag; "eulogy bestowed on this famous specimen" scarcely one British ship in thirty or "of diplomatic ingenuity. The Peace is," forty, that has beaten an American. Our "like that of Amiens, a Peace of Necessity" seamen, it is urged, have on all occasions "and upon what grounds? A lean-fought bravely. Who denies it? Our ing to certain points,' it seems, has" complaint is, that with the bravest sea"been hinted' at the Congress of Vienna." men, and the most powerful navy in the "Now, let us put this mysterious language world, we retire from the contest when "into plain English. It can bear no "the balance of defeat is so heavily against "other construction than this-that Russia," us. Be it accident, or be it misconduct, we or Austria, or Prussia, has avowed an "inclination to support the innovations on public law, which Mr. Madison asserts. Might not this have been foretold,"it not foretold in this paper above six" American navy-and the recurrence of "months ago? Was it not the very ar

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enquire not now into the cause; the cer"tain, the inevitable consequences are what "we look to, and these may be summed up "in few words-the speedy growth of an

gument we urged for pushing the war in "America with the utmost vigour, whilst yet the field was open, and our adversary" "without allies? And is it not a motive

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"a new and much more formidable Ameri"can war. From that fatal moment when "the flag of the Guerriere was struck, there has been quite a rage for building ships of war in the United States. Their "for the same conduct, even at this late navy has been nearly doubled, and their period? If any of the Powers who have" vessels are of extraordinary magnitude. "received our subsidies, or have been re- "The people, naturally vain, boastful, and "scued from destruction by our courage "insolent, have been filled with an abso"and example, have had the baseness to "lute contempt of our maritime power, "turn against us, it is morally certain," and a furious eagerness to beat down our "that the Treaty of Ghent will confirm" maritime pretensions. Those passions, "them in their resolution. They will re- "which have been inflamed by success, "flect that we have attempted to force" could only have been cooled by what in our principles on America, and have vulgar but emphatic language has been "failed. Nay, that we have retired from" termed "a sound flogging," but, un"the combat with the stripes yet bleeding fortunately, our Christian meekness has on our backs,—with the recent defeats" induced us rather to kiss the rod, than "at Plattsburgh, and on Lake Champlain" to retaliate its exercise. Such false and unavenged. To make peace at such a "feeble humanity is not calculated for the moment, they will think, betrays a dead-guidance of nations. War is, indeed, a ness to the feelings of honour, and shews" tremendous engine of justice; but when a timidity of disposition, inviting further" justice wields the sword, she must be in"insult. IF we could have pointed to flexible. Looking neither to the right "America overthrown, we should surely 66 nor to the left, she must pursue her blow, "have stood on much higher ground at "until the evil is clean rooted out. This $6 Vienna, and every where else, than we "is not blind rage, or blinder revenge; 26 possibly can do now. Even yet, how-"but it is a discriminating, a calm, and we could but close the war with "even a tender calculation of consequences. 66 some great naval triumph, the reputa- "Better is it, that we should grapple with "tion of our maritime greatness might be "the young lion, when he is first fleshed 66 partially restored; but to say, that it" with the taste of our flocks, than wait "has not hitherto suffered in the estima- " until, in the maturity of his strength, he

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tion of all Europe, and what is worse, of "bears away at once both sheep and shep

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herd. The Chatham, of 74 guns (built 1" Ghent, by an illustrious personage, was a in memory of the Walcheren expedition) "duty MOST RELUCTANTLY PER"is ordered to be manned, and will, it is "FORMED.- -We doubt it not."supposed, be sent to America, to strengthen" The truly English feelings which prompt"the preparations for that extended sys- "ed so zealous an adherence to the cause tem of warfare, which must take place if" of patriotism in Spain, and to that of "the President should delay the ratifica-" loyalty in France, must have been tor"tion of the Treaty. We are well con- "tured beyond the power of words to ex"vinced, that every ship, and every sol-"press, by the fatal necessity, (if necessity “dier, employed in maintaining the vital" it was) which compelled the signing " contest for our maritime ascendancy, far" away the honour and future safety of "from diminishing, will add a proportional" THIS ONCE NOBLE COUNTRY! "weight to our influence at Vienna; but" May the present year not elapse without “in truth Vienna, and all its fetes, and" producing a confirmation of our sad "all its negociations, are infinitively insig-" forebodings! Our firmest hope lies, in "nificant to us NOW, compared with the" the present instance, as it did during the "growth of an American navy, and the pro-" negociations of Chatillon, in the arrogant "bable loss of our transatlantic Provinces." 66. insanity of our adversary. In mulisht 2d January, 1815.-"The year which" obstinacy, Mr. MADISON is not a whit "is just concluded will rank among the" behind his great Ally. In vanity and nost remarkable in history. It has seen "self-confidence, the FISKS, and CLAYS, "the downfal of the most formidable des- " and SMILIES, and WRIGHTS of the Conpotism that ever threatened the security gress cannot be overmatched. It is, "of the civilised world. It has witnessed" therefore, the firm persuasion of those "the restoration of a PATERNAL GO-" who best understand American politics, “VERNMENT to the country, which had" that the Treaty will not be ratified. For "for five and twenty years passed through "this event, we repeat, Government ought "the greatest variety of afflicting revolu-" to be fully prepared. The nation, too, "tions. It has beheld all the Sovereigns" ought to be satisfied, that a powerful of Europe assembled personally, or by army, and a General of the highest repu"their representatives, in peace, to lay the" tation, are ready on the spot, either to "foundations of permanent tranquillity, and "compel the enemy to ratify the Treaty, "to construct anew the social edifice, by" or to punish its non-ratification. "the proportions of equity and moderation." Officers of the class just specified have, “ONE WORTHLESS, FAITHLESS" moreover, a right to have their charac“HORDE ALONE PERSEVERED" ters placed in a fair light before their "in those atrocious plans, which they had" countrymen; for in all companies, for "undertaken, in concert with the fallen some time past,have been heard murmurs, "despot, for their own selfish aggrandize-"not loud but deep,' at their apparent "ment. Punishment hung over the guilty" backwardness to appear in the field, "heads of these men, bankruptcy had swal-" where their services have been, and still 16 lowed up their resources, despair stared" are so much needed. If, contrary to our "them in the face. It was hoped that "hopes and expectations, the Treaty should some signal instance of vengeance would" be ratified, the consequences are easy of "have been hurled against them,' and" developement. The Americans, vain of "that the year would have closed with the" what they will consider as their demon"triumph of Justice and of Britain."strated superiority over us by land and sea, "ALAS! We have been compelled to "will dream only of more audacious pre"witness not only the frustration of this " tensions, and new plans of conquest.-hope, but the elevation of our calumnia-" Their regular army will be augmented, tors and assassins to the height of inso- and placed on the Canadian frontier."lent exultation, on the ruins of our ma- "Their heavy metalled ships, and new "ritime greatness. THE NAVY OF" steam batteries, will be multiplied with "BRITAIN IS DISGRACED FOR "the utmost celerity. Their intrigues to stir "EVER: and, oh! shame! the fame of " up rebellion in Canada will be redoubled, "the immortal Nelson is eclipsed by the" and, unhappily, with a far greater chance "vaunts of the vulgar braggart Rodgers. "than ever of success, inasmuch as the Ca"A Sunday Paper asserts, that the ratifi-"nadians will be but too apt to conceive their "cation of the degrading Treaty of" interests sacrificed by the present treaty.

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The

and

their blows with astonishing rapidity;
even at the moment when the conclusion of
the peace was announced, intelligence
came to hand that they had just driven
our army and fleet from Pensacola, a main
hold, whence our next attack was intended
to have been made.

"IF," says this trumpet of corruption,
our navy had struck some great blow;

All this while WE SHALL BE "" BOUND OVER TO OUR GOOD "BEHAVIOUR IN EUROPE; for the "moment we embark in war here, the "redoubtable Captain PORTER will again "hoist the flag of FREE TRADE AND “SAILORS RIGHTS, and this will fur"nish at once a pretence and a signal for "driving the hated English from Canada." "How long the West Indies will remain" IF we had done" this, and done that, "to us, after the loss of our North American Provinces, we leave to the sagacious "calculations of those, who can contrive a "cheap and easy method of supplying our "islands with flour, staves, and lumber, from other quarters; or who will secure to us the Newfoundland fishery, when we are expelled from the whole American "Continent. Little has been added to what the public already know of the Treaty. Indeed, we have been assured, "that what was circulated as the first "slight sketch of its contents, gave rather too favourable an idea of it in two very "material points-the Newfoundland fisheries, and the East Indian trade. It was "generally understood, we believe, that "the Americans were specifically excluded both from the one and the other of these advantages; but the truth is (says our * informant) that neither of these points " is mentioned in this impolitic Treaty."

7th Jan. 1815.-Our correspondent (at "Paris) states, that since the unexpected news from Ghent, the Americans at "Paris have been every where TREATED WITH THE MOST MARKED "RESPECT. They have, in general, "assumed, at all public places, their national cockade, both as a means of at"tracting to themselves those attentions, "and also to prevent their being mistaken for English, and exposed as such to the "affronts which of late have been openly "shewn to our countrymen."

and done the other, then we might have made peace. But IF we could do none of these; IF we had failed in all our attempts; IF we had lost still more frigates and fleets, what would THEN have been our situa tion? The malignant wretches are senseless with rage. They are savage at the loss of their prey. You, who are an old hunter of wild beasts, may have seen something in the conduct of disappointed bears or wolves resembling that of these foes of freedom, who are now looking towards America, foaming with rage and roaring for revenge.

It is impossible not to feel great satisfaction at seeing the murderous wishes of these mien d'sappointed. But our satisfaction ought by no means to rest here. The great question with regard to the excellence of really free Government has now been decided in a way that must inevitably produce conviction throughout the whole world. The fate of the Republic of France had excited great doubts in the minds of men, disposed to cherish liberty, as to the capability of that sort of Government to be carried on in practice for any length of time, especially if it had to contend with. the difficulties and dangers of war. The enemies of liberty delighted in representing real freedom as incompatible with national defence and independence. When reminded of the Government of America, they smiled, and observed, that it might do very well as long as America remained. Thus have we before us the wailings of at peace; but that her first year of war the sons and daughters of corruption. would crumble it into dust, and expose to 'There is, you perceive, one reigning fal- the mockery of the world the vain theorists lacy in all these attacks on the peace; that who had extolled it. In short, this was is, it is all along presumed, and taken for the point always laboured at :-That for a granted, that our situation, with regard nation to be able to defend itself in time of to America, would have become every day war against a formidable enemy, it must better and better, if the war had been con-have an almost despotic Government and a tinued. Now, so far from this being any thing like certain, it was not even probable, and was barely possible. The chances were all on the other side; the Republicans had not only resisted, but had repulsed, the onset; they had followed up

standing army, with all their retinge.

How sincerely will you, who have so long, so zealously, and so ably maintained the contrary, rejoice to see that this position, so degrading to mankind, has now been fully disproved! You, in your ex

cellent publications, and Sir Francis Bur-graced for ever; that we have retired from dett, in his speeches, have uniformly in the contest with the stripes on our backs; that sisted, that the safe defence, and the only we have had the trident snatched from us; safe defence, of a nation against a formi- that we are scoffed at upon the Continent dable enemy, was to be found in the arms of Europe. Now, then, if this be true, of free men; that, in order to induce a who is it that has thus humbled us? What people to fight in defence of their country, mighty Potentate has been able to accomthey must feel that they have something to plish all this? It is a Republic; a nation fight for; that the strength of a Govern- whose Chief Magistrate receives only about ment, in the hour of real danger, consists 6,000 a year, and the whole of whose orsolely of the attachment of the people; that a dinary revenue does not amount to so much nation, enjoying real freedom, informed by as we, in England alone, pay for collecting a press really free, and all having a voice our taxes; a nation without a standing in the choice of their representatives, never army; a nation with a press through which yet was, and never would be, subdued by any man may publish any thing respecting an invading enemy. any public person or measure, or any opiThe rise, progress, and result of the nion on the subject of religion; a nation American wars (I mean both of them) have without Dukes, or Lords, or Knights, or now put the truth of these your favourite Esquires, and without any distinction of doctrines beyond all doubt. Where are rank of any sort being known to the law; now the knaves, who have so long scoffed a nation without an established church, at you as a visionary, and who have had without tythes, or any compulsory payment the profligacy to assert, that bribery and to the priests of any worship; a nation corruption were essential to efficient Go-where bribery and corruption are unknown; vernment? Where are now those, who where no man calls another man 46 master;" apprehended anarchy from universal suf- and where a handful of gold would not frage? Where are now the sticklers for purchase from the labouring man the pullinfluence, and virtual representation? Ining off his hat even to his employer. The America every man who pays a tax, of any consequences of truths c sort, however small, has a vote. He assists in electing, not only the members of the State Legislators, and those of the Congress, but also the Governors of the States There are some who pretend, that the and the President himself. No man has Republic has gained nothing by the war; any authority, no man has any voice in and those hireling gentlemen, who write in making laws, who has not himself been" the Quarterly Review," tell their readers, elected, and in the election of whom every that she has made peace "without accomman paying a tax has a voice. Yet the plishing any one of the objects for which world NOW SEES, that a Government" she went to war. These hired critics thus formed, and a people thus governed, are are either wholly ignorant of the matter, a match for the most formidable power at or, they are endeavouring to mislead their this day in existence. The world now readers. At any rate, I will once more sees, that a nation thus governing itself, and state the case, and then we shall see which fully sensible of its freedom, is not only party has been baffled in its attempts. active in its defence, but is capable of deeds of valour, such as were never before recorded by the pen of the historian of any country or any age. Let the advocates for the buying and selling of seats do away, if they can, the effect of this glorious cxample.

so notorious, are much more pleasing to anticipate than they world, I imagine, be safe to describe.

America declared war against our King, because he would not cease to impress persons (not being soldiers or sailors in the enemy's service) on board her ships on the high seas. This was the ground of her declaration of war. A treaty of peace has been made, and that treaty says not a word The writer, whom I have above quoted, about the inpressing of persons on board and who was so anxious to see "the world of American ships. Therefore, say these “ delivered of the mischievous example" of wise Reviewers, she has not gained her obthe existence of the American Government,ject. Poor slaves! they dare not look at says, that our navy has been defeated; that it has been beaten upon the Ocean and on the Lakes; that we have been beaten by land and by sca; that we have been dis

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the truth; which is this: America went to war with us, while we were at war with France, and while America was neutral. Our King having made peace with the

French, there ceased to be any pretext for impressment; and that being the case, America was willing to make peace immediately, without any stipulation about impressment, because the war in Europe, having ceased, her character of neutral would have ceased, and our impressments would also have ceased. She wanted no stipulation to protect her against what she always asserted to be a wrong, and which wrong she had resisted by arms, until it ceased. Accordingly, we find Mr. Monroe instructing the Republican negociators not to bring forward the subject, it being quite unnecessary, seeing that America had resisted our pretended right of impressment by war, and would, of course, resort to the same mode of resistance, if the execution of the pretended right should be revived. You will observe, too, that it was our King's negociators, who brought forward the subject at Ghent. Therefore, if there was any defeat of object here, the defeat was on his side. We went to war to assert our right of impressment. We have made peace without obtaining any stipulation with regard to that right, real or pretended. If we revive the exercise of this right, at any future time, Mr. Monroe, in his published dispatches, says, that America is ready again to resist it by force of

nothing to have been able, with her infant navy, to have resisted with success the maritime power of England single-handed? Is it nothing to have called forth the admiration of the world by acts of bravery like that of the General Armstrong privateer at Fayal? Is it nothing to have made her implacable enemies in England express their mortification at seeing her citizens in Europe complimented wherever they go, in consequence of her success against such a mighty Power? Is it nothing to have proved to the world, that, let who will attack her, she stands in need of no foreign aid; no hired fighters of other countries; but that her own citizens are equal, not only to her defence, but to the carrying of her" bits of striped bunting" in triumph into every sea against even a superior force? Is it nothing to have shewn, that, in the midst of such a war, which most people thought put her very existence in jeopardy, she has doubled, nay quadrupled, her naval force, including her numerous important captures from us; and that she has steadily proceeded in the extension of her naval plans, buildings and arsenals?Is it nothing to have proved, that her Government, though free as air, is perfectly adequate to the most perilous of wars? Is it nothing to have thus entitled herself to the confidence of other nations, and made her friendship an object to be sedulously sought after by every Power of Europe; and to have done this, too, in a war in which it was published, that all these Powers had, by a secret article in the treaty of Paris, bound themselves not to interfere? Is it nothing to have shewn, that she wanted the interference of none of them; that she was able, single-handed, to fight her own battles, and to come out of the contest, not only unmutilated, but covered with glory? Is it nothing for her Chief Magistrate; for that very Mr. Madison, whom our malignant and insolent writers and others marked out to be DEPOSED; is it nothing for Americans to have seen this their plain fellow citizen, with a salary But has the Republic gained nothing by of less than 6,000 pounds a year, with no the war? Has she gained no English heralds, guards, or gilded coaches, conductships? Has she gained no renown? Have ing her affairs, through this trying season, the affairs of the Guerriere, the Macedo- with so much ability, so much firmness, nian, the Java, the Peacock, the Avon, and, at the same time, with such tender. those of Lakes Erie and Champlain, and ness for liberty, as to refrain from a resort Mobille and Pensacola, and Fort Erie and even to the mild law of his country against Fort Moreau; have these memorable ac-those who have made use of that liberty for tions and many others. yielded her nothing purposes of the blackest and basest treason? in point of reputation in the world? Is it Is this nothing, you venal English writers

arms.

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The disappointed, malignant man, whom I have so largely quoted above, exclaims, that we are 66 now bound to our good behaviour in Europe;" for, that the moment we dare to go to war, we shall have Capt. Porter sally out upon us with "freedom of commerce and sailors' rights" inscribed on his flag. Nothing is more probable. Indeed, it is quite certain, that the "bits "of striped bunting" will bear this motto, if our King revives his orders of impressment. But the likely thing is, that his Majesty will not revive those orders; and then we shall have the happiness to see ourselves living in peace and friendship with the people of America, and shall be grateful to his Majesty for the blessing.