part17-第13章

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dethroned；　and　his　father　re…established　on　the　basis　of　their　new

constitution。　　This　order　of　magistrates　must；　therefore；　see；　that

although　the　attempts　at　reformation　have　not　succeeded　in　their

whole　length；　and　some　secession　from　the　ultimate　point　has　taken

place；　yet　that　men　have　by　no　means　fallen　back　to　their　former

passiveness；　but　on　the　contrary；　that　a　sense　of　their　rights；　and　a

restlessness　to　obtain　them；　remain　deeply　impressed　on　every　mind；

and；　if　not　quieted　by　reasonable　relaxations　of　power；　will　break

out　like　a　volcano　on　the　first　occasion；　and　overwhelm　everything

again　in　its　way。　　I　always　thought　the　present　king　an　honest　and

moderate　man；　and　having　no　issue；　he　is　under　a　motive　the　less　for

yielding　to　personal　considerations。　　I　cannot；　therefore；　but　hope；

that　the　patriots　in　and　out　of　your　legislature；　acting　in　phalanx；

but　temperately　and　wisely；　pressing　unremittingly　the　principles

omitted　in　the　late　capitulation　of　the　king；　and　watching　the

occasions　which　the　course　of　events　will　create；　may　get　those

principles　engrafted　into　it；　and　sanctioned　by　the　solemnity　of　a

national　act。




　　　　　　　　With　us　the　affairs　of　war　have　taken　the　most　favorable　turn

which　was　to　be　expected。　　Our　thirty　years　of　peace　had　taken　off；

or　superannuated；　all　our　revolutionary　officers　of　experience　and

grade；　and　our　first　draught　in　the　lottery　of　un…tried　characters

had　been　most　unfortunate。　　The　delivery　of　the　fort　and　army　of

Detroit　by　the　traitor　Hull；　the　disgrace　at　Queenstown；　under　Van

Rensellaer；　the　massacre　at　Frenchtown　under　Winchester；　and

surrender　of　Boerstler　in　an　open　field　to　one…third　of　his　own

numbers；　were　the　inauspicious　beginnings　of　the　first　year　of　our

warfare。　　The　second　witnessed　but　the　single　miscarriage　occasioned

by　the　disagreement　of　Wilkinson　and　Hampton；　mentioned　in　my　letter

to　you　of　November　the　30th；　1813；　while　it　gave　us　the　capture　of

York　by　Dearborne　and　Pike；　the　capture　of　Fort　George　by　Dearborne

also；　the　capture　of　Proctor's　army　on　the　Thames　by　Harrison；　Shelby

and　Johnson；　and　that　of　the　whole　British　fleet　on　Lake　Erie　by

Perry。　　The　third　year　has　been　a　continued　series　of　victories；

to…wit：　of　Brown　and　Scott　at　Chippewa；　of　the　same　at　Niagara；　of

Gaines　over　Drummond　at　Fort　Erie；　that　of　Brown　over　Drummond　at　the

same　place；　the　capture　of　another　fleet　on　Lake　Champlain　by

M'Donough；　the　entire　defeat　of　their　army　under　Prevost；　on　the　same

day；　by　M'Comb；　and　recently　their　defeats　at　New　Orleans　by　Jackson；

Coffee　and　Carroll；　with　the　loss　of　four　thousand　men　out　of　nine

thousand　and　six　hundred；　with　their　two　Generals；　Packingham　and

Gibbs　killed；　and　a　third；　Keane；　wounded；　mortally；　as　is　said。




　　　　　　　　This　series　of　successes　has　been　tarnished　only　by　the

conflagration　at　Washington；　a　_coup　de　main_　differing　from　that　at

Richmond；　which　you　remember；　in　the　revolutionary　war；　in　the

circumstance　only；　that　we　had；　in　that　case；　but　forty…eight　hours'

notice　that　an　enemy　had　arrived　within　our　capes；　whereas；　at

Washington；　there　was　abundant　previous　notice。　　The　force　designated

by　the　President　was　double　of　what　was　necessary；　but　failed；　as　is

the　general　opinion；　through　the　insubordination　of　Armstrong；　who

would　never　believe　the　attack　intended　until　it　was　actually　made；

and　the　sluggishness　of　Winder　before　the　occasion；　and　his

indecision　during　it。　　Still；　in　the　end；　the　transaction　has　helped

rather　than　hurt　us；　by　arousing　the　general　indignation　of　our

country；　and　by　marking　to　the　world　of　Europe　the　Vandalism　and

brutal　character　of　the　English　government。　　It　has　merely　served　to

immortalize　their　infamy。　　And　add　further；　that　through　the　whole

period　of　the　war；　we　have　beaten　them　single…handed　at　sea；　and　so

thoroughly　established　our　superiority　over　them　with　equal　force；

that　they　retire　from　that　kind　of　contest；　and　never　suffer　their

frigates　to　cruize　singly。　　The　Endymion　would　never　have　engaged　the

frigate　President；　but　knowing　herself　backed　by　three　frigates　and　a

razee；　who；　though　somewhat　slower　sailers；　would　get　up　before　she

could　be　taken。　　The　disclosure　to　the　world　of　the　fatal　secret　that

they　can　be　beaten　at　sea　with　an　equal　force；　the　evidence　furnished

by　the　military　operations　of　the　last　year　that　experience　is

rearing　us　officers　who；　when　our　means　shall　be　fully　under　way；

will　plant　our　standard　on　the　walls　of　Quebec　and　Halifax；　their

recent　and　signal　disaster　at　New　Orleans；　and　the　evaporation　of

their　hopes　from　the　Hartford　convention；　will　probably　raise　a

clamor　in　the　British　nation；　which　will　force　their　ministry　into

peace。　　I　say　_force_　them；　because；　willingly；　they　would　never　be

at　peace。　　The　British　ministers　find　in　a　state　of　war　rather　than

of　peace；　by　riding　the　various　contractors；　and　receiving　_douceurs_

on　the　vast　expenditures　of　the　war　supplies；　that　they　recruit　their

broken　fortunes；　or　make　new　ones；　and　therefore　will　not　make　peace

as　long　as　by　any　delusions　they　can　keep　the　temper　of　the　nation　up

to　the　war　point。　　They　found　some　hopes　on　the　state　of　our

finances。　　It　is　true　that　the　excess　of　our　banking　institutions；

and　their　present　discredit；　have　shut　us　out　from　the　best　source　of

credit　we　could　ever　command　with　certainty。　　But　the　foundations　of

credit　still　remain　to　us；　and　need　but　skill　which　experience　will

soon　produce；　to　marshal　them　into　an　order　which　may　carry　us

through　any　length　of　war。　　But　they　have　hoped　more　in　their

Hartford　convention。　　Their　fears　of　republican　France　being　now　done

away；　they　are　directed　to　republican　America；　and　they　are　playing

the　same　game　for　disorganization　here；　which　they　played　in　your

country。　　The　Marats；　the　Dantons　and　Robespierres　of　Massachusetts

are　in　the　same　pay；　under　the　same　orders；　and　making　the　same

efforts　to　anarchise　us；　that　their　prototypes　in　France　did　there。




　　　　　　　　I　do　not　say　that　all　who　met　at　Hartford　were　under　the　same

motives　of　money；　nor　were　those　of　France。　　Some　of　them　are　Outs；

and　wish　to　be　Inns；　some　the　mere　dupes　of　the　agitators；　or　of

their　own　party　passions；　while　the　Maratists　alone　are　in　the　real

secret；　but　they　have　very　different　materials　to　work　on。　　The

yeomanry　of　the　United　States　are　not　the　_canaille_　of　Paris。　　We

might　safely　give　them　leave　to　go　through　the　United　States

recruiting　their　ranks；　and　I　am　satisfied　they　could　not　raise　one

single　regiment　（gambling　merchants　and　silk…stocking　clerks

excepted）　who　would　support　them　in　any　effort　to　separate　from　the

Union。　　The　cement　of　this　Union　is　in　the　heart…blood　of　every

American。　　I　do　not　believe　there　is　on　earth　a　government

established　on　so　immovable　a　basis。　　Let　them；　in　any　State；　even　in

Massachusetts　itself；　raise　the　standard　of　separation；　and　its

citizens　will　rise　in　mass；　and　do　justice　themselves　on　their　own

incendiaries。　　If　they　could　have　induced　the　government　to　some

effort　of　suppression；　or　even　to　enter　into　discussion　with　them；　it

would　have　given　them　some　importance；　have　brought　them　into　some

notice。　　But　they　have　not　been　able　to　make　themselves　even　a

subject　of　conversation；　either　of　public　or　private　societies。　　A

silent　contempt　has　been　the　sole　notice　they　excite；　consoled；

indeed；　some　of　them；　by　the　_palpable_　favors　of　Philip。　　Have　then

no　fears　for　us；　my　friend。　　The　grounds　of　these　exist　only　in

English　newspapers；　endited　or　endowed　by　the　Castlereaghs　or　the

Cannings；　or　some　other　such　models　of　pure　and　uncorrupted　virtue。

Their　military　heroes；　by　land　and　sea；　may　sink　our　oyster　boats；

rob　our　hen　roosts；　burn　our　negro　huts；　and　run　off。　　But　a　campaign

or　two　more　will　relieve　them　from　further　trouble　or　expense　in

defending　their　American　possessions。




　　　　　　　　You　once　gave　me　a　copy　of　the　journal