Winchester gazette. [volume], January 23, 1813, Image 1

About Winchester gazette. [volume] (Winchester, Va.) 18??-1826

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No. S97) SATURDAY, JANUARY 23,1813 ~ V^lT’vT"
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* ** .?»35^ XcXy;
Debale on f he army bill.
|_r o :■/ r i .v u e o».]
MV. PITKIN touched hut slightly
and partially—on some of the topicks ot
argument urged by preceding speakers
The shortness of the lime iv« have re
.purling it compels us la pass over the
less interesting, and tome atovire to
thjse the uovelly of which in this de
bate, if not the value too, gives them a
claim to preference, lie look it for
granted that the Orders in Oou:ici!
being rescinded made iio iugr.ulieut in
l%e present contest. Indeed it seemed
to be gnu.rally admitted by the ge ill *
men (l»i ihe other side, that the whole
matter for which we were encounter
ing all t !»e evilsof war, was the princi
ple that •• the neural Hag protects all
under it.’* Tlie question then was;
AV hut advantage would America derive
iroui Inc establishment of that pviuoi
pie ? To him it appeared doubtful
whether it would be any. Ail that
could be imagined likely to accrue
from it was the protection of our sea
men; and ou this he would candidly
deliver his sentiments. The fcaincn
who sailed under our flag were: 1.
Foreigners not naturalized. 2. Fo
reigners naturalized. 3. Native cili
acus. As to the tirslj it was not the
interest of our native seamen iLat they
should be employed at ill!. As compe
titors they droves them oat of employ
and lowered their wages. In ISOf>
there were 70,o<><> sailors belonging to
the merehttul service of this country, oi
which 2U,000 were foreigners—a very
groat proportion as competitors in ano
ther paint of view to *„• regretted ; be
oanseit a as u most important consul: r
alioa that in any emergency of national
-danger we should have our own native
sailors to defend uj. Now what vva,.
the consequence ? a large portion t.l
our sailors art* not only foreigners,
bat subjects of tits country with which
we are at war. So far therefore the
object of the war if it were oblaitiud,
would be injurious to this country.
Mr. 1*. said that every member in
that house knew that the contest in
which government had thought proper
to engage ns. arose out of a principle
which bad time immemorial, been cs
L I* 1 1 * ..I I . . I 1 1
t&tUUXIUU l>< (ItllU HUI4 SliUOil
among all civ ili/.ed nations, that every
country had a right to claim its own
•objects and citizens, lie wished tc
be understood, while saying so,as uut
meaning to say that in the exercise o!
this claim, on the pari ofvireat Britaii
there were not abuses—that was no
to iu disputed; but lie would aver lli&l
these disputes were greatly aggravated
It would be well then for gentlemen t(
ask their own hearts, whether the go
veruinciit of this country was not ia
great measure accessary to those abu
sc*: He alluded to ihu protection:)
granted to seamen, which were st
shamefully dealt with, that nothin,
was 10ore universally understood lliiu
that the protections were no cnJctrci
of citizenship. And yet that was tin
intention of the law. which was pusrci
in ir.-)o for that purpose-, but being de
Ucienl in directing the uaturu of tlu
evidence of the fact, left it hardy «
provisiou that the seamen should ge
a certibcatc of hi* being a citizen iron
the collector of the port ho sailed iron
without specifying the kind of prim
without which the colics...r should n«
grant it. The consequence was tha
many men who had no pretence obtain4
ad them. It was known that sont<
ware got by foreigners is three week.
after they arrived iu this country; that
certificates were actually made a sub
ject of barter, as much as any other
merchandise. Lust sessiau a case was
laid before thu bouse of a foreigner,
who at Philadelphia had procured one
by perjury; a thing known frequently
lo happen; bat t he* c being no law lo
punish lor perjury, either iu Pennsyl
vania or Columbia, uothing could be
doue iu it. What was more extraordi
nary, these certificates were sent a
broad iu vessels, and had even been
bought iu England. One very singu
lar cirouuislance was siuted by Wr.
Pitkin, *a such authority as lie could
vouch for. A captain oi an American
ship at Bristol,.in England, finding it
impossible to mail his Vvsseis, no Ame
rican sailors being at the lime iu
port, was recommended to a kind of a
broker iu such article, who undertook
to match any number of men necessary
i: ’.in, with 'American certificates ot
citizenship—lie actually showed n
a rawer filicJ wul; them; anti said that
.tc would go among Uie saii.irs 10 iindi
men; and did so match ilia u.ca with!
dcsefini ions.aud the descriptions in hiaj
certificates with men, that he putaj
crew on board, of Eng. is- h seamen, who
went, tempted by the large sums ode red
-hem. Bin it did not end heie; for the
sailois on -o neaeconnt absenting ti.e.ii
.■.elves the fellow went to the press
DanD> oul the:;: taken up, aud obtuiuen
their return to the ship as American
seamen. Ought not this subject then
to be examined int.ir Ought v» e notcon
ioss the lutiiity of it as a cause of na
tional war, when the evidence cf the
ci:itiiicuics pioiecuau woillU nul uv
held sufficient, even in a euurt of law :
Whilii the law professed to protect A
merican seamen it injured them, the
practice being the reverse of the law’s
intention. 1 lie i.ou.e could not slit
[its eytj to this; iniics.s it intended to
.make the com.try a harbour for foreign
sailors, ii ought to alter the law, and
make them as elloetuai to the protac
tmn efaur own real seamen as possible.
| Xr. P. confessed that tho subject was
di.lieult—it had occupied the attention
:oi the lirst oi presidents—No reined>
[could be provided; but he never thought
of war for it, though negotiation failed;
nor is there any—but a law that our
own vca.'lj shall be navigated by our
own seamen,'whether in peace dr war.—
lay our law the captain only is to be
American, all the rest may he foreign
ers. The evil we now lee! is the cuh
sequsnes of our erroneous system—
wrar, he said, would never cure it—
the legislature inuslcurcit themselves,
lu all other countries a majority, at
least, of native seamen was requisite
to constitute a national vessel. Louis
XI ♦ . who made the Lest standard of
that regulation, ordained that two
I thirds should be French; at tar, in 1716,
they went further, and made a law
that every sailor should be French, but
being found injurious to merchants, the
j former regulation was restored, in
[England, tiic captain, all the odieers .
iand tnree lourtiis oi the sailors muni
I be Eritisli subjects ; and y «t we thiuk
|ihe captain only enough. 1 his iswtin.:
Hirings such a multitude of foreigners
Jiata o.ir service to our native sailors'
injury, arid tha disturbance of the peace
of the count rv.
it was important to inquire wht
were to iirf under the Hag we were to
tight fur i If that we are bound to pro
tect, lie would agree to expend the Iasi
shilling for it—but otherwise no: a ecu!
j As to tiic foreigners not naturalised.
I what did the country owe to them ?—
j Nothing. It had been the established
Iprincipie of ages in Europe, that every
icountry had, i:i war, a right to eall ail
uiu sin-jeets lo Us aid. W uelhi-r lilt
;principle was right or wrong Mr. Pil
,!;in Would not inquire—but U was es
tablished, and sanctioned by ali the
ablest jurists. YV hen the nations oi
'Europe are ut war with each other A
jmcrica must como in contact with (hi.,
"principle, whether l ight or wrong in
I'.he abstract; und ought not to light a
; gainst it—nor was she bound to pro
jleet any foreign born person out ofhei
territorial jurisdiction. For want o,
i duo cou .idcrati iii some gentlomei
jmight revolt at litis old law, ns not sa
;vouring siiMaciently oi* (ho new code
but to silence objections Mr. P. statei
'that the now president of tin: U. S
, h id recognized it very lately as tin
■kstablir lied piineiple of litis country
% a court martial one Elijah Clarke
was brought up, and as a spy condcm
jed i(» sutler death. The tounuandcr sus
pended the execution of the scalene,
till the president's opinion was known
— It tnrtied out that Clark was horn ii
. New Jersey and had moved 18 inoulli
before into Canada, where bo uiarrici
['settled, and bad his wife and proper!
i1 in the jirilish dominions. Yet tin
* president ordered him to be liberated
using on the occasion these words*
: said Clarke being considered as a cii!
I'zen, unless arraiged of treason, must b
'. discharged.'' \ ot he was coudemne
f undar the law, which on acts that eve
jTy one. being a atix.:if nr owing aUegi
ante to the Uilitid 6ia:csy lurking aboui
• a. cutup must sufi'or us a sp}.——Thi:
itnun, though settled in British domi
.1110118 is still held by the laws ns ex
pounded by the chief magistrate to be
a citizen.
| Thcr casj of naturalized subjects of
foreign countries, iir. 1’ukin observed,
j'-viis r more delicate and difficult
subject—ami this was an evil induced
‘»J the facility of uaturalizutiou-—uu
evil we did out expeiit-ucu till war
brought it to our very doors. Fortu
nately very few of them were seamen.
Oaly iJJi; naturalized seamen in nil,
of vvhioit uot one half now in service.
And that number surely would not be
sufficient to implicate a nation in a
mischievous war. To that class he
would have the couut’v fulfill its obli
gations-—but what were these.3 Full
protection on u'.:r shores in our ter
ritorial jurisdictions—but not when
they put themslVeH in & lilac t with]
precedent claims upon the:.:.
^ As to the recognition ol'tho rights!
of the neutral ilag, it was attempted to1,
be obtained by Washington—■attempt-!
ed by Adams—attempted by Jefferson
-'Ionroe end Finekuey wero unable
• o e'.teot it, even in Mr. Fox’s adminis
tration, so favourable to America.
administration—nay the very op
iposition in Bugland—all the friouds os'
America—dir. Haring himself dee! ir-i
,cd tiiat it was a point which in the pie-'
jsent slate of the world, could not be]
[yielded. Bid gentlemen then reallv
Hatter themselves it could be doue b\!
war.3 Did they think it worth while]
to shed oceans of blood in such a euu
d str f iic result of the iute elections ini
|rfngiana.ii‘j\ved what waste be exnec
i«?u, a ml what might tube dune.-j
hat did ,1/»\ .Vo/iroe say when hel
•t-ud -Mr. Pinckney were unable tai
accomplish it ? Afler describing the
jleliciiuus s tjatiou of Anierivn, he goes
j on, saying ; >• 1 stuonc-.lv or o. i
jNIUN' THAT SUCU BLESSINGS OUGHT
j.NOr TO BE HAZAKDEO on such A
•question !—• is I here any inure
leause now (asked Mr. Pitkin) I uni
(sure not; but rather less—.for the i:n
jpi ess.-uents are much ie.->s numerous.”
j ^ tueu tJiere was so little prospect
jof gaining the point, and if, when
,gained it would !;e so little bsncnciai.
fair. 1*. wished Iko house to consider
(low much oti the oilier hand might
i;uid would be lost by the pursuit of it.
Gur commerce quite lost—our revenue
annihilated or reduced next to nothing
our cities laid in ashes—u debt aueumu
ialed of a size to sink us—and an end
less train ol' titles.
Mr. P. observed that before the re
striction this country was secoud onl>
to England, in commerce and in car. ' -
t SOS & to<)7, our exports were
greater than those of Prance ever were
|even ill her most flourishing period.—
jwilE 30 millions of population, iiii-tsiu
jliad not quite 3u millions of dollars
j while we Imd l3o millions—equalling
!iu our exports that of England m 17‘jj
land i7D3.
jt il whole century Grout Britain
■ .'lad not increased iu as great u ratio
jin commerce as vve had in £5 years on
ly. Lut all this is lost by our present
e\il policy—yj lost that our revenue
has lulien Jrom 17 millions a year to -i
t-3 while our debt for tw o years is i*»Itv
millions, and that of the whole iievu
lutiouary war, was but forty.
** b’or such a point at issue as this
.{said .Mr. I .) are we to sacrifice ali
jgood past, present and to come ? Are
[we to be entangled i;i the broils of Eu
rope ? It was madness and worse than
J madness to cuter into the contest;
j Get out of it as soon and as whole a*
■ you can. But if you make those sacri
iiicea lur Honour go l.trough with if, and
j stake Bouuparte do us justice! What,
sir, lias he not impressed and imprison
jcd our citizens; plundered our com
jmerce; robbed us of millions and hun
jdred of millions, and refused us the
i least satisfaction. Were not out
.^ships most knavishly decoyed iuhyii
. treaoheroii* invitation, and than c-miis
•’cated under the liaixhouiiiet decree, tc
:‘!the amomit of *>) miiliuns of dollars ?—,
JHas lie yet iuu!:, or are you wild e
jiiougu to hope that iio ever will nia.vf
,'any compensation ? lias he uot Job
l;you that he would compel you to In
|His ally or I..is enemy ? If honour diet
die your object, he impartial to both,
, and do not let the nation be the open
, gull of his prcteiic.s and false pro mi
Jses, and pretended repeals of tile Ber
jiinund Milan deeress, done to then
you into a war with Great Britain, bu
i oven now avowed by him not to be re
ijpealetl !J!1-As to the talk of mi
iitioual rights, anil law* of nations, eon
ijtinucd Mr. P. they are hut the tale o
"other times—when tyrants arise, then
iis no national right or law, hut the wil
, of the a»n<jucr«ur. Did Alexander,
■jCtcsar, did Charlemagne regard them
-No : nor now, nor ever will they be re
?. gurdod by eomjueronr* or tyrants, bu
1 as power enforces them. Will gentle
-Jmcaafty lh"y think it possible Torus t
I restore them? idle thought! *T\vurc
v*iu—’Utrc ridiculous to imagine
it.-"
Hgro ]\Ir. Pitkin observed, that the
hour was so late he was unwilling to
trespass further on the House. There
['♦ere many other topieks, however
which he wished to have touched upon
as to the inode of carrying nu the war.
I'o the regret of every man ui‘ judg
utenl and to the joy of every hungry
gentleman in the house, ho sat down,
nml the house adjourned till tomor
row. 4
Tuesday, Me:. 5.
1 he business of this duy was miin:-'
portent. Had it been otherwise the1
consideration of it would probably be
tost by every oue in the consideration!
ufone of the greatest speeches ever!
made in congress w!wch 2*Ir. Qauicyj
delivered upon the bill for raising an]
tulJitional 2«,ooo men.
:.lr. ^Ih.'sOV said thut he had1
,j:u, upon the bill, which lie
wished to oMcr in full, though he
sliouiu laii, he ieaied, from the want'
oi health. I he bill, bo observed, pro-,
pt sed to augment the army by 20,000!
men. This extension, if granted, would]
raise the ara y to 55,000. It had bee;.1
»tafen ot; thill floor by the committee
relations, that the existin'
military establishment would uuswei
ail the purposes of internal national
service, untl t»:at this new army of 20.
ujo men, was ia.ended for the intrusion
of Canada. As mis was tile avewed
pur*>uatt of the bill he would bring it
iato distinct eouxiderations—The it:
a.:u c.»u*|ujbt oi Canada ns it
••vas desii aole in itself, and us it might
bo made conducive to the attainment
oi peace. Ue tl.reeled himself to his
political irieudj ami to his political
oppoaeuis (for there were meu uu botii
^utes who totally disbelieved that thin
was the object, and flattered their good
iie«a.t is thut it was a mere threat thrown
out to aid negotiation) ami he bid
•hem beware how they aeltu uon.i
iiiat erroneous imagination. Whoever
conceived tliat the measure was pro
jected as a menus ot peace, ur for an>
niiug but an invasion oi Guuui.a, oi
lii at the war would not he coat in *nd.
vVus grossly deceived, Ae wurued l;i
political opponent who, though wit!;
npi igat view », suoiiiitied to the nic
tates oi* the cabinet, to recollect what
j their past experience must have show.;
|them. Thut uo proposition whiei
was likely to he obnoxious to nublici
censure—uo dose which was likely U
create nausea, or to scour the popuiari
ty of the government, ever was admin
istered by them, but some under opera
tor was employed to suggest that ther»
iwas smiie other object iu it. than ih
it.ue one, and to a sure those v.hosi
Istonuuhs turned at it, that it w as no
hat they thought. Of this sort wat
the assurance given on the iotrtduc
lion of the embargo law, which w a:
[intended to operate iniiuieally to G
ii>ii.aiu; but iti advocates came then
j.iiid urged tha't it was merely intendcc
|ta save ttie essential resources of tin
[country—And in tike manner the in
[cipioul siepi tj this war wore glosset
I■.»*er by an assurance that. Mr. 1'ostei
had instructions which would or.nbl;
jailmiiiistratiou to settle ail difference!
jviiill bim—And the vast military e.-<
I Uibiishiueiits liesirtd are said to bo ou
>y a grand scheme of pacification.
iiis political friends too, Mr. Q,
[appealed to in a warning voice.—To;
[apt to roly on their owu wisdom, the]
{maintained that it could not he; it v. u
.impossible administration could me
j dilate the taking of Canada—*Vher
| were the men? where was tlie money
i ne easier;! stales would be uisgu.-ted
common sense and common prudent
forbid it: and therefore, no project wa
less to be expected, ilut that was th
very reason, he sail!, w hy be though
it more likely to be suggested and a
dopted by the cabinet; and, pr. ratio., i
-calami Atmutalous a* it mi^ht seem
jlho reason why it was mure likely ti
.succeed too.
Out of tw *nty illustrations to w hip!
be could resort, he would select onl;
two upon this subject. Wbeu tho wa
came under consideration, no one be
tieved that it e * really a war for th
iieonquebt of Canada, or that our cubi
net could seriously contemplate a wa
[against tit cut Britain any more tha
|they could against China. A natio
in tii<- Hiijoyuieul of more than thirt
year* peace to cuvouutcr one in th
LiCuli prosecution of a war already o
twenty years’ duration. A natio
-'without recourses; without an army
•jwilhout a ravy; without militar
■ force, science, habits or discipline, t
rjgn to war with the most rich an
■ powerful tuition upon earth whirl
i without raising one additional soldi*
or sailor, or equipping one addition*
r.ship, could carry havuck and desol*
-ition over our shoresnud into our citic:
liftven now, many were pretty nearl
-jin the same condition of mind as tb
>jgsiitlcn»A> uf PeatisyIvaatu, who ii
misled that the existence 'if a declara
tion of war was all a federal falsehood
t—plagued with comuien sense und
prudence, he could not beiievo the
invasion of Cauadu possible, or that
whatever hostile intention ttu might
liave to Great Britain, we could ue
liheraUdy 3«* to wreak it oa a raee of
inuE’eiisnv colonists, with whom t'i«
people of our nation was on tern;* of
fuendiy intercourse, in the habits of
'i-Mon) interchange of acts of nth :li
•tourhood*—oonueetjug themselves by
marriage with each other, with so
many inducements ot* hand and of
iiv'itit to uvvt.iu hostilities—It could
not be believed-It could net bo
:magi::cd that exclusive of these con
siderations wo couid think of going
with a raw undisciplined militia a
gaiust a country defended by at least
twelve thousand regular veteran troops
besides its militia : and to march into
it, inviting treason by proclamation,
in a ouartor too, where such a system
could be retorted upon us with tho
most IcrriLlc eflVet, seemed to he be
yond the range of possibility ; it never
enters into their heads that all this
was connected with (ho choice of elec
tors for the next president, and that
the invasion of Canada, was only ano
ther mode of eanying on the election.
Get now all was revealed—Now it
boas us clear as day, proved to de
monstration (hat the country may be
j-Ggraetd, and yet the cabinet honour
cc*—litol tiie country may bo ruined,
yet toosc who hold its destinies btx
.':a* pr.
here reverted to an expres.
->i' n o! his, viz. that, paradoxical as
.1 might appear, u measure was the
more likely to sneoced fur being con
tradictory to common sense ami com
mon prudsiice. die caid that there
j’-vas suntc-kiMg in flagrant audacity
j.uore likely to accomplish certain
(purposes than cither strength or gen.
jins and he who, regardless of shame
| undertook what never way thought of
jU.elare, cr h.fure undertaken, was
a.ost likely to accomplish it. The
project now in the contemplation of
the government he thought of thia
•;inu» ‘i'u.le likely to succeed—It
vms feasible—an army of 50,000 men
i-.igat be obtained, he did believe—•
Muncy might ami would be gat by
loan—and then such an army having
a proper leaner, animated by a con
viction of ita own strength, and of th«
danger oi iiiui-kiug, would not fail to
get w hat they demanded, if not by thu
i votes cl this house, by the bayonet.
Mr. Q. therefore warned them to see
the business as it really was—A.
scheme of invasion which, us thw
Franck Jumper our once said about
"kips and colonies—So bis friends
ni tiic .inicricun cabinet.
Here he was called to order by a
member.
'1 he speaker spoke, but' wc know
, not what specifically was said by him,
. or by the member who called Mr.
Quincy to order—we imagined at tho
i time it related to taking down Mr.
: v-Miniey’s words from that gentleman's
reply, in whicn he said ho was desi
ro;:* to be responsible for every word
he said. and then tepeated them ; in.
si-tu.g that it was right to call na
i lions at peace with us, and indeed all
a* onen-. in alliance our friends—ba
■ spoke of their puLiick relations—lie
had u light to do so, and therefore lie
woit.il say what i»e had before atlempt
i eu to say ; *• a scheme of invasion, of
1 which, tt.i (lie French emperoiir said
» ah ’ill chips n.ul colonies, so his friend*,
-itlie American cabinet, may say of
. Canada, that they were entering into
rja scope >f policy”—J will tell gen
;:tieinen (continued Air. Q.) that no 50
; veiumcr.t ever jet was injured by
* Juls- inucmioes—The sling of sarcasm,
•■jancl t'.o strength of satire consist in
tithe tiiith of (he remark.
Considering then the object of tho
- bill to be what it was railed, u. mean
, ior taking Canada, Air. I*. said he
>] would view it in threo distinct points:
1st. The iuvasiou on its own mer
1 its.
j 2<l. As a mean for the attainment
• of peace.
-j yd. As a mean for the advance*
J:mcnt of the local views of the con*
-jliueut.
r As to the first point, he said, he wan
1 not uttering his own opinion only, hut
1 the confirmed sentiments of the people
> in his portion of ti e. union that thb
e invasion Ot Canada was on'ia,
i'| WANTON, SCN.SCIKSS, A*J> WICKKI).
ii*Mo whs nut, ns might be understood
;|by gentlemen, one of (hose new poli
yjticiun* recently produced, who w *r
o khipped in tins temples where Condor
il-eet was priest, and Maehiavcl wa«
, god, who considered tlint the end jn*
r titied the means—that (he least pos*
.1 siblo good to ones self was a suJi«ienf
cause for doing great evil to others
i. or could believe that far the otfeiioca
y of a people three thousand miles dm*
e tant we ware justified in vidling with
1- firs and sword an iou*« uk, uuofi'cudiuf