is not-give no right—take no wrong-I cannot divine what deserves the title.

I am tired of this vile, this odious, this detestable subject.It excites to loathing and abhorrence. I must draw to a close. But there is one more point that I must touch upon-and that is, that of the whole number of twelve hundred and thirty-two, there are only forty-nine asserted to be British subjects! The American, who, after these statements, can advocate the atrocious practice of impressment, must be utterly lost to a sense of justice for his countrymen, or regard to the national rights or national honor.

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CHAPTER XXXIX.

An apology for an egregious error committed by the writer, on the subject of preparation for war. The whole session one continued series of preparations. Nineteen acts bearing strong notes of martial arrangement.

I DEEM it indispensably necessary to correct a most egregious error into which I was betrayed by the haste in which my first edition was compiled and written. I therein enumerated, among the errors of Mr. Madison's administration, the neglect to make due preparation for the war," previous to the commencement of hostilities." I deeply regret to have cast such a superficial glance at the subject; to have allowed myself to be so grossly deceived; and to have contributed to lead my reader astray. There were ample preparations made, as may be seen by the following list of acts passed during the session of congress, towards the close of which war was declared.

Previous to the declaration of war

1. An act for completing the existing military establishment. December 24, 1811.

This ac

2. An act to raise an additional military force. provided for raising ten regiments of infantry, two regiments of artillery, and one regiment of light dragoons, to be enlisted for five years unless sooner discharged. The infantry amounted to about 20,000 men-the artillery to 4000-and the cavalry to 1000. Jan. 11, 1812.

3 An act authorising the purchase of ordnance and ordnance stores, camp equipage, and other quarter-master's stores and small arms. Jan. 14, 1812.

4. An act authorising the president of the United States to accept and authorise certain volunteer military corps, not to exceed 50,000 men. For this purpose there was an appropriation of 1,000,000 dollars. Feb. 6, 1812.

5. An act appropriated 108,772 dollars for the expenses in· cident to six companies of mounted rangers. Feb. 20, 1812.

6. An act making appropriations for the support of the mili tary establishment of the United States for 1812, viz.

7. An act making appropriations for the support of an addi

tional military force:

8. An act making appropriations for the support of the navy

of the United States, for 1812.

9. An act making further appropriation for the defence of our maritime frontier. This act appropriated for the purpose, $500,000. Passed March 10, 1812.

10. An act for a loan of $11,000,000, for defraying the above expenses. Passed March 14, 1812.

11. An act concerning the naval establishment, for repairing the frigates Constellation, Chesapeake, and Adams. For this purpose there was appropriated $300,000.

By this act there was an appropriation made of $200,000 annually, for three years, for the purchase of a stock of timber for ship-building. The first appropriation was for re-building the frigates Philadelphia, General Greene, New York and Boston. Passed March 30, 1812.

12. An act in addition to the act to raise an additional military force. Passed April 8, 1812.

13. An act to authorise a detachment from the militia of the United States, to the amount of 100,000 men. This act contained a clause appropriating one million of dollars towards defraying the expenses to accrue under it. Passed April 10,

1812.

14. An act for the organization of a corps of artificers. Passed April 23, 1812.

15. An act for the better regulation of the ordnance. Passed May 14, 1812.

Subsequent to the declaration of war.

16. An act for the more perfect organization of the army of the United States. Passed June 26, 1812.

17. An act making a further appropriation for the defence of the maritime frontier, and for the support of the army of the U. States. Passed July 5, 1812.

18. An act making additional appropriations for the mtlitary establishment, and for the Indian department. Passed July 6, 1812.

19. An act making further provision for the army of the U. States. Passed July 6, 1812.

It therefore appears, that nearly the whole session was spent in making preparations for hostility-for offensive and defensive operations. I shall not easily forgive myself the very extraordinary error, of which I have acknowledged myself guilty on this subject. I shall regard it as a monition, as long as I live, against precipitate decision. And may I take the liberty of hinting to the reader, whoever he be, that he may, perhaps, derive a useful lesson from the fact? If, with the attention I have been in the habit of paying to public affairs-reading two or three newspapers every day-and perfectly convinced of the justice of the war-I have nevertheless fallen into such a palpable, such a monstrous error, on so plain a point-if I have brought so unjust an accusation against the congress which declared the war-how difficult must it be for persons remote from opportunities of judging correctly, and liable to be misled by interested or factious men, to form accurate opinions?

A further and most convincing proof of the magnitude of the error which I committed, is to be found in the circumstance, that on the 12th of July, 1812, only twenty-four days after the declaration of war, General Hull, at the head of 2,500 men, well appointed, had penetrated into Canada: and, had the same talent and bravery that displayed themselves at Yorktown, Chippewa, Bridgewater, the Saranac, New Orleans, and other places, presided over their movements, there is no doubt, that in the first campaign, the whole of Upper Canada, and perhaps Lower Canada too, with the exception of Quebec, might have been subdued. This army had 3750 muskets, 36 pieces of cannon, 1080 rounds of fixed ammunition for the cannon, 200 tons of cannon ball, 150 tons of lead, 70,000 musket cartridges made up, &c. &c. &c.*

Let it be borne in mind, that among the heinous charges on the subject of the war, against the administration, the want of due preparation has been the most prominent. We here see how utterly fallacious and unfounded is the allegation.

CHAPTER XL.

Reproaches of the minority against the imbecility of the majority. Pernicious consequences of newspaper misrepresentations. British deceived by their friends.

WHILE the serious preparations detailed in the preceding chapter were going forward, the federal printers throughout the union were pretty generally and zealously employed in ridienling the idea of war--persuading the public that all these measures were illusory, and intended to intimidate the British ministry-and that our government possessed neither the courage nor the means to venture on hostility.

I have already quoted the notorious declaration made by several members of congress, particularly Mr. Josiah Quincy, that "the majority could not be kicked into war."

This course of proceeding is not easily accounted for. It must have had some motive. And it requires an extraordinary degree of charity to ascribe it to a motive either laudable or patriotic.

Suppose, for a moment, that our rulers did not really mean war-that they were actually destitute of the means of carrying it on-that they were "too cowardly to be kicked into it" -was it wise, was it prudent, was it honorable, was it politic, to blazon our deficiencies to the world-to assure England that she might safely, and with impunity, continue the perpetration of her outrages on an unoffending neutral, because that neutral could not be kicked into war to resist these outrages?— Surely not.

In pursuance of the plan I have followed throughout this work, of establishing all points of importance by indisputable evidence, I subjoin a few of the paragraphs to which I refer. They will satisfy even the most incredulous reader.

Smoke! Smoke!

"Our correspondent suggests, that in the event of certain measures already taken by the executive, failing, then to augment the force by new levies--or by ferming ten corps of 1200 men each to be selected from the militia of a certain age of the several states who may volunteer for such corps during the war. It is to us a most astonishing and inconceivable thing, that on reading the above, any man should be alarmed, and think our government are about to take decisive deps. Will our administration never be understood? Shall we forever be the dupes of a contemptible farce, which has been exhibiting for years, to make people wonder and stare? My life on it, our executive have no more idea of declaring war than my grandmother." Boston Repertory, Jan 9, 1810.

"Our government will not make wor on Great Britain; but will keep up a constant irritation on some pretence or other, for the sake of maintaining their in

W