tween the two powers occurred almost immediately after the declation of war. Commodore Rodgers, of the President frigate, leaving New York with a squadron of ships of war, having received intelligence that a British convoy had sailed about a month before from Jamaica, made course to the southward; and on June 23d fell in with the Belvidere English frigate, Capt. Byron, to which he gave chace. The President alone got near enough for action, and a running fight ensued for three hours, after which the Belvidere kept on her way for Halifax unmolested, having undergone some damage, and had some men killed and wounded. The President also incurred some loss of men, chiefly from the bursting of one of her own guns. Capt. Byron, concluding from this attack that war was declared, captured three American merchant vessels before he arrived in port, which were released by Admiral Sawyer, commander on the Halifax station.

An occurrence near Montreal, about this time, doubtless animated the hopes of the Americans with respect to the meditated expedition against Canada. By à late nilitia law, a draft of 2000 men was to be made from the militia of the province, for three months, in order to be trained and disciplined. Some of those who were to be drafted from the parish of St. Claire, having refused to march to La Prairie to join the division stationed there, an officer was sent to apprehend the refractory persons as deserters. Four of these were taken and carried off, but were followed by a mob who res

cued one, and threatened to come the next day to La Prairie, and liberate all the young men of their parish who were kept there. Accordingly, a large body assembled at La Chine to execute this purpose, when they were met by a police magistrate, with detachment of regular troops. A parley ensued, in which the insurgents pleaded that they did not consider the militia act as fully passed, and that it had not been properly promulgated among them. They declared their readiness to concur in the defence of their country, but persisted in their determination relative to the object they had in view. The riot act was then read, and on their refusal to disperse, shots were fired by the troops, which were returned by the insurgents; the latter were however soon dispersed with a trifling loss. On the next day a larger force was marched to the spot, who made a considerable number of prisoners, and brought them to Montreal. The governor acted with prudent lenity on the occasion, and discharged them upon a promise to deliver up the instigators of the insurrection, and the deserters. It is said that two attorneys, members of the house of assembly, were the chief promoters of this act of resistance, which at such a crisis was certainJy of dangerous import.

On July 6th, an act passed the Congress to prohibit American vessels from proceeding to, or trading with, the enemies of the United States, and also to forbid the transport of articles of munition of war, or provision, to the British settlements in North America,

America, and for other restrictive purposes. Authority was given to the President to grant passports for the transportation of ships or property belonging to British subjects from the limits of the United States, but the citizens of these states were prohibited from taking licences for trading from the British government. From this day, the Congress adjourned till the 2d of November.

Parties are the inseparable concomitants of free governments, and the republic of the United States has always had its full share of the dissentions springing from this source. A war so differently affecting the different parts of the union, could not but be received with great diversity of feeling. At Boston, on the day of its declaration, all the ships in the port displayed flags half mast high, the usual token of mourning; and a town meeting was held in that city, in which a number of resoJutions were passed, stigmatizing the war as unnecessary and ruinous, and leading to a connexion with France destructive to American liberty and independence.

Very different were the popular sentiments in the southern states, where swarms of privateers were preparing to reap the expected harvest of prizes among the West India islands. Of the towns in this interest, Baltimore stood foremost in violence and outrage. A newspaper published there, entitled "The Federal Republican," had rendered itself obnoxious by its opposition to the measures of the war-party, and menaces had repeatedly been thrown out against the conductors. On the night of

July 27th, a mob assembled be fore the house of the editor, for the purpose of destroying it. In expectation of this attack, he had collected a number of friends with fire-arms to defend it from the inside, among whom were Generals Lee and Lingan. A furious affray arose, in which the mob were several times repulsed with loss. At length a party of military were brought to the spot by the mayor and General Stricker, to whom those of the defenders who were left in the house, 26 in number, surrendered themselves upon assurance of their safety, and were conducted to prison. On the next day, at the shameful instigation of a public journal, the mob re-assembled before the jail, with the inten tion of taking their revenge; and having broken open the doors, after some of the prisoners had rushed through and made their escape, they fell upon the rest with clubs, and beat them till scarcely any signs of life remated. General Lingan, a man of 70, and formerly a friend of Washington, was killed on the spot. General Lee, a distinguished partisan in the revolutionary war, bad his skull fractured; and many others were severely injured. The militia refused to turn out while this massacre was perpetrating, and the mayor is said to have absented himself. It must be added, that this atrocity was regarded with horror and indignation in all the other parts of the United States.

The campaign against Canada commenced early in July. On the 11th of that month, General

Hull

Hull with a body of 2300 men, regulars and militia, crossed the river above Detroit and marched to Sandwich in the province of Upper Canada. He there issued a proclamation to the Canadians in a style expressing great confidence of success, and threatening a war of extermination in case of the employment of savages, which appeared to be an object of his peculiar dread. The Indians were, however, already engaged in hostilities with the subjects of the United States on their border; and intelligence was soon after received of the capture of Fort Michilimachinack, July 17, by a combined force of English, Canadians, and Savages, the latter of whom were hitherto kept in perfect order. General Hull's next operations were directed against Fort Malden, or Amherstburg; and after having driven in the militia who opposed him, he arrived with part of his forces at the river Canard, which he thrice attempted to cross, but was foiled with considerable loss. Major-General Brock, in the British service, had in the meantime been active in collecting succours for the relief of Fort Amherstburg, and on August 12, he entered that place with a reinforcement, having met with no obstacle, on account of the superiority of the British naval force on the lakes. The -Americans had now become dispirited, and had given up their hopes of taking the fort with their present means. They retreated to their own fort of Detroit, and the British in their turn became assail

now resolved upon an assault, though his united force consisted of no more than about 700 men, including militia, and 600 auxiliary Indians. This extremity was, how ever, prevented by a proposal of capitulation from General Hull. The terms were soon settled, and the important fort of Detroit was surrendered, on August 16, with 2500 men and 33 pieces of ordnance. (See London Gazette).. This was doubtless a severe mortification to the Americans, as it gave a decisive proof of the inferiority of their military prowess or skill to those of the enemy they had provoked, and damped their hopes of the conquest of Canada. That these had been sanguine, may be inferred from the refusal of the president of the United States to continue an armistice which had been temporarily agreed upon bêtween General Prevost, the governor-general of Canada, and Gen. Dearborn, commander-in chief of the American forces in the northern states. This measure had been proposed by the governor, in the hope that the repeal of the orders in council, of which intelligence had reached America, would have led to an amicable adjustment of the subsisting differences; but the government of the United States, determined, it should seem, to pursue a favourite object, would not consent to a suspension of its operations.

The loss and disgrace incurred by the surrender of Gen. Hull were, however, in some degree balanced to the Americans by their success on the element which had long been the theatre of triumph to their adversaries. The strength of the navy of the United States

consisted

The

consisted in a few frigates of a rate corresponding to the largest British, but in size, weight of metal, and number of men, almost equal to ships of the line of battle. This difference seems not to have been known, or not attended to, in the English navy, the officers of which, with their habitual readiness to meet an enemy, would certainly never decline an encounter where the nominal force was any thing near a parity. In engaging with other enemies, the superiority of British skill and valour had indeed often compensated the difference of force; but the American navy was manned by sailors many of whom were, unfortunately, British, and many more had been trained in British service. fatal consequence of this misapprehension was first experienced by the English frigate Guerriere, commanded by Captain Dacres, which, on August 19, being in lat. 40′ 20" and long. 55 W. was brought to action by the American frigate Constitution, Captain Hull. The respective force is thus stated: Guerrier, rating 38 guns, but mounting 49, her gun-deck 18 pounders, carronades 32; complement, 300 men, but only 203 on board at quarters: Constitution; rating 44 guns, but mounting 65, gun-deck 24 pounders, carronades 32 pounders; complement 450 men. The engagement was sharp, but of short duration, for the Guerriere being totally dismasted, and rolling so deep as to render her guns useless, while the enemy was enabled to rake her at pleasure, it became absolutely necessary, in order to prevent a further loss of lives for no purpose, to strike her colours. Of the crew, 15 had

been killed, and 63 wounded, and the injury sustained by the ship was so great, that after the men were all taken out, the captors set her on fire. Not the least imputation fell on the conduct of Capt. Dacres or his ship's company during the action, who yielded only to irresistible superiority of physical strength. It is pleasing to add, that they received the most honourable and humane treatment from the American commander. The triumphant arrival of the Constitution at Boston, whence she had been fitted out, doubtless rendered the war less unpopular than it had originally been in that town, and stimulated the spirit of marine enterprize.

The English government, on the intelligence of a declaration of war by the Congress of the United States, and the issue of letters of marque and reprisals, had done no more by way of retaliation, than to direct that American ships and goods should be brought in and detained till further orders; but the disregard of the American government to the notified repeal of the orders in council, and its refusal to continue the armistice agreed upon by the commanders on each side in Canada, being now made known, the Prince Regent published an order, dated Oct. 13, for granting general reprisals against the ships, goods, and citizens of the United States, in the usual form towards a hostile power; concluding, however, with a declaration, that nothing in this order was to annul the authority before given to his Majesty's naval commander on the American station, to sign a convention for recalling all hostile orders issued by

the

the respective governments, with a view of restoring the accustomed relations of amity and commerce. Although the war declared by America against Great Britain might eventually operate in favour of France, and was undoubtedly suitable to the politics of that power, yet no proof has appeared of the existence of a proper French party in the United States; even the violent proceedings at Baltimore seemed to have no other causes than the rancour of opposite domestic factions, and considerations of local interest. But the existence of an Antigallican spirit -was obvious and avowed, and detestation of the politics of the ruler of France was expressed with as little reserve in America as in .England. Of this, a remarkable example was given in a memorial addressed to the president from the County of Rockingham in New Hampshire. After stating many arguments against the necessity and policy of war with England, it thus concludes: "On the subject of any French connection, either close or more remote, we have made up our minds. We will, in no event, assist in uniting the republic of America with the military despotism of France. We will have no connection with her principles or her power. It her armed troops, under whatever name or character, should come here, we shall regard them as enemies." This remonstrance, amounting almost to a defiance of the supreme authority, was signed by 1500 inhabitants. A similar spirit, though somewhat guarded, was displayed in the resolutions of a body of more weight and consequence, being a conven

more

tion of delegates from 34 cities and counties of the state of New York, held at Albany on the 17th and 18th of September. The resolutions chiefly go to an assertion of the right of citizens to inquire into the justice and expediency of a war, even after it is declared, and to a condemnation of the grounds of that entered into with England; though at the same time they acknowledge the obligation of paying full obedience in the capacity of magistrates, soldiers, and citizens, to all constitutional requisitions of the proper authorities. They proceed to state, that the subscribers shall be constrained to consider the determination to persist in the war, after official notice of the revocation of the British orders in council, as a proof that it has been undertaken on motives entirely distinct from those hitherto avowed; and "that they contemplate with abhorrence even the possibility of an alliance with the present emperor of France, every action of whose life has demonstrated, that the attainment, by any means, of universal empire, and the consequent extinction of every vestige of freedom, are the sole objects of his incessant, unbounded, and remorseless ambi. tion." If this temper be generally prevalent in the northern states, an alliance offensive or defensive between France and the United States can scarcely be effected without a dissolution of the union, unless, in the progress of the war, the animosity against Great Britain, and the dread of her power, shall rise to a much higher pitch.

The disaster which befel Gen. Hull had disco certed the plan for the invasion of Canada, but the