I have read with surprise and disgust | Considering the New England opposition the official accounts of General Drum- and the nature of our government, and the mond and some others, of the battle of state of our finances, and the villiany of Chippewa and Bridewater. I have been the faction, and this Virginia-man, may informed by the brave and modest Colonel well be called the Matchless Madison. (now General) Miller, as well as by a number of his officers, his non-commissioned officers, and privates, that the British cannon were many hours in their possession, and that they would have brought them off, had not the British taken the precaution to carry off the limbers, and all the harness, which Miller could not supply in the night. I firmly believe that all our official accounts may be relied on. I have reason for believing it. Although we are priest-ridden, and debased in Massachusetts, I hope we are not sunk below redemption. The better half of Massachusetts have not bowed the knee to the effigy of monarchy, set up by the contemptible noblesse of Boston. It is the yeomanry, the nerve, the bone, and the sinewo of the republic, who have fought our battles, while it is the pampered, and corrupted flesh, and gormandizing stomach, who preach, pray, and write in federal newspapers, and who continually deceive the people. After the present delusion is past, I hope to see both your country and mine shine forth in their native purity. Our country is rising rapidly to greatness, and to glory; and when we have put down faction, we shall yet see our species, the descendants of Englishmen, shine forth to the greatest advantage, in ability, courage, and integrity; and here we may see displayed the utmost range of the human powers. Thirty years ago, I knew London, and her leading men, including Mr. Fox, and some others. They are now nearly all dead; and I have scarcely a correspondent left. I wish Old England well; for there are the sepulchres of my ancestors: and there I resided several years. I have a considerable respect for John Bull; but a greater aflection for, Jackson's wonderful victory is a greater thing to us, that is, of more beneficial consequences to America, than the victory of Wolfe; the capture of Burgoine, or Cornwallis. The British were sure of New Orleans, and they meant to leave it an ugly bone of contention between the U. S. and Spain. But Providence forbade it. We say Providence, for the great destruction on one side, and the unparalTeled salvation on the other, prove that it could hardly be owing to the contingent powers of men. It gives strength to the opinion imbibed by people in every period of the world, and in every stage of society, that there is a power above us, which shapes things to an end, rough hew them how we will." This extraordinary victory has broken down the spirits of the invaders; they say there is a fatality in this American war; and that it is adverse to them. Your countrymen fought bravely at New Orleans, very bravely. Jackson, and his inspired mi-glory to the source whence it sprung. litia had coolness enough, in the midst of the fight, to observe and admire the disBoston, March 30th, 1815. cipline and steady bravery of the English, MR. COBBETT, A snow-storm having and the valour of their officers; but who prevented the ship Galen from sailing this could stand before our cool and accurate morning, I seize the opportunity her deriflemen, and equally cool and accurate tention affords, to add a few strips from cannoniers!! Jackson, (a village-law-some of our late newspapers. I do it by yer) has far surpassed any General we ever had, at any period. While we admire Jackson, and his militia, let us not withhold our admiration of James Madison! who amidst the most virulent, and most obstinate of oppositious (sec "the Olive Branch,") has triumphed over both internal and external enemies, and planted the proud stripes and stars of his nation in the sight of the universe. JONATHAN, For he is destined to return the tide of way of recompensing you for your excellent essays, under the form of letters to your great men in England, in which you tell them important truths relative; a this country, which, I believe, they can obtain through po other channel. We admire greatly your accurate picture of the two parties in this bewitched state. What the witches promised Macbeth, has been whispered to our little-big There he cannot be so well known; and, his book, or, at least, the facts contained in it, being now the property of mankind, it is just that it should go into other countries, accompanied with all that fairly belongs to it. WM. COBBEtt. LETTER IV. To LORD CASTLEREAGII. On the Debates relative to the commencement of the War against the French. Botley, 1st June, 1815. MY LORD,-At last, then, you appear to have striken the first blow; for, we are now told, by the public prints, that our fleets have taken a French frigate in the Mediterranean. But, this is of no consequence as to the grand question. We have long been in a state, which would have justified France in attacking us openly; and, indeed, it has now been officially stated, that we, have for some time past, been at war, though to this very day, or, at least, till yesterday, French vessels have freely come into our ports, and have landed and sold their goods; and then sailed quietly for France. However, the fact is, that you and your colleagues have now distinctly asserted, that we are at war, and have been at war for some time. what the Whitehall people denominate cxisting circumstances." (6 Therefore, my noble companion, before we start upon our journey, it is my intention, in this letter, to put upon record the substance of what has now been published to the nation, in the report of the debates in Parliament, upon the following subjects: 1st, of the character of Napoleon, 24, of the French system of Government; 3rd, of our present situation with regard to France; 4th, of the Pitt System; 5th, of the great means of the Allies against France, including subsidies; 6th, of the small mens of the French to defend themselves; 7th, Morality of the subsidies. Who that sets out on a voyage does not wish to understand something about the road that he has to go? This, however, it is not always in his power to arrive at; but, he must be a fool indeed, if he undertakes (if he can avoid it) a journey without knowing why he undertakes it. The causes of the two former wars against the French were lost sight of, long before the wars were half over. This was a very great evil. It was not so with the late American war, I myself took charge of the cause of that war; and, in spite of all that falsehood and hypocrisy have been able to do, on both sides of the Atlantic, the cause, the character, the result, the effects, of that war are all clearly Here you start, then; and, here I start with you, as I did with your worthy col-understood. So shall they all, in this league in the American war; that is to case, unless I am deprived very speedily say, in that war which, as we are told, of all my bodily or all my mental powers. was to depose Mr. MADISON. I mean to Give me life and health for only three accompany you through this war. I have months longer, and I defy all the ingebeen hesitating who I should go along nuity and all the impudence of all the with; but, after due consideration, I corrupt hirelings in England (and their have preferred your Lordship to every number is not small) to cause ignorance body else; not merely because you were to prevail in this country as to the real the aptest of all Pitt's disciples; not be- cause, or causes, of the war, on which we cause you have been the grand actor at the Congress; not because you have, in point of character, more at stake on this war than any other man, excepting only Napoleon; but because the times are likely to be ticklish, and because the mere sound of your well-known name is e pugh to fill any man living with .... Doubtless .. prudence, my Lord. we shall see times different from these; and I am not at all afraid, that I shall have to address you in those times; but we must, in this world, take things as we find them, and fashion ourselves a little to are about to enter. From the time of Napoleon's return being announced, our hirelings of the press cried war! I cried, peace! peace! Between the 11th of March last and the present time, I have published 1st, Two articles at the head of the Register; 2nd, My first Letter to you; 3rd, A Letter to Louis; 4th, My second Letter to you; 5th, A Letter to the Merchants; 6th, A Letter to the excellent people of Nottingham; 7th, A Letter to the Earl of Liverpool, (called the VII.); 8th, A Letter to the Fundholders; 9th, My third Letter to you; 10th, A Letter to enough there, who assail Napolcon ; or, at Sir Francis Burdett. In these ten papers, least, who used to do it. Now, I hereby accompanied with the official documents, challenge any one of these upon the suball to be found in the Register, I flatterject. Let him, like a man, publish in the myself, that we shall hereafter be able to Boston federal papers the Daily Adsee (without hunting through volumes of vertiser, a regular attack upon the chaverbose, stupid stuff, in one shape or ano-racter and conduct of Napoleon, emther) a complete history not only in bracing all parts, public and private, of point of fact, but of argument, of the be- that character and conduct. Let any one ginning of this war. These articles con- do this; let the paper be sent to me; and tain, too, the political economy of the I pledge myself to answer it, in a Letter question, which you and your colleagues, sent in manuscript to that same paper. If, and even your opponents, take little or no the assailant puts his name, he will act notice of. Thus far, then, I have made more like a man; but, I will not stand all safe; but, before we actually enter upon that point. He must take this along upon the work of blood, I mean, further, with him, however; that I shall not admit to put upon record the fair substance of of any fact being true, merely upon the what has been published as the reasons assertion of any body; and when such for the war, stated in the House of Com-assertion has been often repeated without mons, during the debate upon the question any attempt at PROOF, I shall always of war itself; because, the time is to regard that circumstance as a presumpcome when we shall have to refer to, and tive proof of its falshood.-But, though I, to cite, these opinions and declarations. I for the reasons here stated, decline entering should, perhaps, take notice of a reported into what I call an ANSWER upon the subdebate of the Lords; but, it would be but ject of the character of Napoleon, there repetition. I shall now proceed, point by is a passage in the report of Mr. GRATpoint, to notice the report, and particularly TAN's speech that ought to put upon to put its substance upon record. record, at least. It is this: "He had İ. Of the character of Napoleon. "I"made his brother King of Holland— shall be very short upon this head," he had banished the Prince Regent "Lions are not painters; if they were, "of Portugal from his native land said the Lion in the fable," you would "had imprisoned the King of Spain"not see a man painted in the attitude of " he had raised an army of 60,000 men, crushing a Lion.” I totally disagree" which he meant to employ solely for the with all those, who drew hideous pictures purpose of conferring the same favour of Napoleon's character; I could, even on the King of England; and had the with safety, triumphantly answer what space between the wo countries been was said; but, justice would demand a "wholly composed of land-had not that full exhibition of the contrast that might "channel intervened which gave full scope be presented; and, as this cannot be made to the power of the British navy, he with perfect freedom, the answer ought would long ago have put his design not to be entered on. It would be the "into execution. When he conceived the height of injustice to enter on the defence "wild and extravagant idea of conquerof any man without being free to produce" ing Europe, he acknowledged he must all that can be produced in his justifi- first conquer England, and complained cation; what, then, would it be to enter "bitterly of the power of her marine, the on such defence without being able to "subversion of which he was determined produce hardly any of the main facts," to attempt by the destruction of her calculated to put the character of Napo- commerce. For the attainment of this leon in its true light? Let it be declared," object he put in motion all his political that truth shall never more be a libel; "engines; and after subjugating the and, then, the character of Napoleon will "whole continent of Europe to his sway, have its fair chance; then, and not till "he contrived to place you between two then, will his abusers have a right to ex- "fires-that is, between the Continent in pect, that until contradicted, their asser- "Europe, in which was the army of tions ought to pass for truth. But, there France, and another Continent in Ame are Aristocrats and Cossack Priests enough in New England. There are men 66 66 66 66 he rica, which was our great rival for the "palm of commercial greatness, and by treaty, too, hostile to English commerce? I am very anxious upon this point, my Lord; because, if an Emperor really has been deluded into one treaty, it is possible that he may be deluded into another. Besides, if I mistake not, our maguanimous ally had had, at the time alluded to, ample op well as character. It was in 1808, I believe, when Napoleon's army was in Spain and when his brother was on the throne of the country. If I do not mistake, too, the Emperor, at that time, recognized as valid what had been done in Spain. Grant that this was delusion, however, it is very perilous to have to do with such a man; a man, who was able to delude the two Kings of Spain to abdicate in his favour; to delude the Pope to marry him to a se lude the Emperor of Austria to give him his daughter in marriage; to delude Russia, Austria, Prussia, Spain, and Holland, to declare war against England; to delude Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, to join him in a war to invade Russia. Really, this is delusion upon a grand scale indeed! But, if he did so delude all these powers before, and even contrived to bring America upon us, is there not a possibility, at any rate, that he may be successful in his delusive acts again?-Mr. Grattan's reporter tells us, that Napoleon, after hav "these means endeavoured to effect our “utter destruction. Ile deluded the Empe66 ror of Russia into a treaty with him, by "which he put an end to all commercial "relations between Russia and England; "and because the Emperor of that vast "empire did not adhere to the prohibi"tions which he (Bonaparte) was conti-portunity of knowing Napoleon's views as "nually dictating, he would if he could, "have driven him and his people into the ❝ frozen ocean. After having received "the most signal favours from the King "of Prussia, he avowed the intention of "putting him out of the list of crowned "heads; and after all those acts of ferocious enmity and malignant hostility, the "Allies when they arrived at the gates of Paris, did an act which reflected on "them the highest honour-an act which 66 posterity should never forget-the Al-cond wife while the first was alive; to de"lies had magnanimously given to France "liberty; and to Bonaparte life and the "Island of Elba."-He had made his brother King of Holland; Well? and what was that more than making his brother-in-law King of Sweden, or, at least, heir apparent to the Crown? And, Mr. Grattan ought to bear in mind, that we have confirmed that act by a solemn treaty. I do not know that he banished the Prince Regent of Portugal, or that he imprisoned the King of Spain; but, I know very well, that he had as great right to both, as Charles V. had to imprisoning "received the most signal favours Francis L.-And, what if he did intend to from the King of Prussia, he avowed his take England, and capture the King of intention" of putting him out of the list England? Did not a King of England once of crowned heads." I never heard of do that in France? If he did not, our his- these favours before. I knew, that, on torians are shocking liars.-But, my Lord, the other side, Napoleon was twice in posmind, Mr. Grattan says, that, if there had session of Berlin; that the Royal Family been no water between, Napoleon would twice fled; and that, to the infinite morhave had our king in prison. I know, that tification of the Republicans all over the the French used to say this; but, I always world, Napoleon replaced the King of used to believe, that England could have Prussia in his dominions and authority. defended itself without the aid of the water. I knew, too, that a Prussian army marched However, since this second Burke tells us with Napoleon against Russia; and that the contrary, we must not hesitate any lon- the King of Prussia issued a proclamation, ger. Napoleon "contrived" to place us be- severely condemning D'Yorck for his tween two fires; he contrived to bring the going over and leaving Napoleon. But, Americans upon us; he deluded the Emperor really, I never heard of any favours, reRussia into a treaty hostile to our com-ceived by Napoleon from the King of Prusmerce, and then, because the Emperor would not adhere to the prohibitions which Napoleon was dictating, he went to war with the Emperor and his polite people. But, my Lord, is it true, that an Emperor, our ally, can be deluded; and, more especially into a treaty; and, a sia.-The allies, Mr. Grattan says, magnanimously gave Napoleon life and the island of Elba. You have denied this, several times, in the most positive terms. You have asserted, that the treaty of Fontainbleau was a treaty of policy; you have asserted, that the allies were by no means sure of success by the way of arms. The other topics I reserve for my next. you are describing present themselves to your own imagination, and to that of your hearers, in monstrous caricature. There is also a marvellous coincidence in the occasions which excited in Mr. Burke a frantie fear of liberty, and that which seems to be producing a similar aborration in you. Here I trust the parallel will fail. The influence of his name and of a mind still powerful, had no small share in giving real existence to the horrors of his disordered fancy; and the prophecies for which he obtained so much credit, were greatly accessary to their own fulfilment. It is the recollection of that epech which I hope may yet preserve us. Then we had no such example for our instruction. Europe is yet at peace, and you, Sir, are doing your part to rekindle a war, of which the dreadful experience of the last twenty-three years enables us, beforehand, to estimate the character. This is a subject for severe deliberation and not for a display of rhetoric. "Peace with out security and war without allies." This Antithesis, we are told, drew forth the applause of the honorable assembly to whom you addressed your first philippic! But did you attempt to inform them, how many campaigns it may require to replace France in a situation capable of holding out the security which she now offers? Her limits determined and acknowledged: men of tried integrity, the friends of prace and moderation, at the head of her councils: her people, and even her army, unless indeed the late excitements have stimulated it to fury, languishing for repose. And as to our wanting allies at a future period, did you stop to say that we purchase them now, and that we shall speedily fail in the means of purchasing? That TO THE RIGHT HON. H. GRATTAN. to obtain such allies, subsides alone are SIR-From the parliamentary debates, needed; and that to continue even this as given in the Morning Chronicle of the miserable traffic in accomplices, peace is 26th inst. it appears that you have chosen indispensible? The Government of France this critical juncture to commence a course is, you say, a stratocracy: did you explain of oratory in opposition to those princi. how it became such and why she adopted ples in the support of which you have ac- that system of subjugation you censure so quired a celebrity, which, I fear, will give bitterly? She had to fight with Europe undue importance to your new character.single handed: she conquered allianceLike your countryman, and predecessor in the same course, you have adopted a style in which Antithesis holds the place of argument, and metaphor of facts; a style of which deception is the essence, which aggravates on the one hand, and extenuates on the other, until the objects whilst we purchased them. The General who led her to victory became, mischievously, I allow, but most naturally, her ruler. At length the tide of victory turned; the conquered allies proved faithless, as though they had been purchased; and this very General was given up, that |