Page images
PDF
EPUB

board his majesty's ships, it must be by the commanders of such vessels direct.

I cannot permit any application by other persons in time of war, but in the above mode.

It will always afford me pleasure to attend to your wishes in any respect relative to the situation or exchange of prisoners, or to afford any aid or relief in my power.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

(Signed)

JOHN BORLASE WARREN.

From Commodore Rodgers to the Secretary of the Navy.

(Copy.)

Sir, U. S. Frigate President, Boston, January 14, 1818. Herewith you will receive two muster-books of his Britannic majesty's vessels Moselle and Sappho, found on board the British packet Swallow.

As the British have always denied that they detained on board their ships of war American citizens, knowing them to be such, I send you the enclosed, as a public document of their own, to prove how illy such an assertion accords with their practice.

It will appear by these two muster-books, that, so late as August last, about an eighth part of the Moselle and Sappho's crews were Americans; consequently, if there is only a quarter part of that proportion on board their other vessels, that they have an infinitely greater number of Americans in their service. than any American has yet had an idea of.

Any further comment of mine on this subject, I consider unnecessary, as the enclosed documents speak but too plainly for themselves.

I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed)

JNO. RODGERS.

The honourable Paul Hamilton, Secretary of the Navy.

Message from the President of the United States, communicating resolutions of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, on the subject of our foreign relations.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States. At the request of the legislature of Pennsylvania, conveyed through the governor of that state, I transmit to congress copies of its resolutions of the 16th December, 1812. JAMES MADISON.

January 30th, 1813.

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, SS.

Secretary's office, January 21st, 1813.

I certify that the annexed is a true copy of the original resolutions remaining among the rolls in this office. Witness my N. B. BOILEAU, Secretary.

hand and seal.

Viewing the present state of our foreign relations, we with astonishment and regret behold the emperor of the French withholding from our country those indemnifications which ought to have been rendered with liberality and promptness. After the aggressions of Great Britain had by long continued practice been regarded by her government as right-after the forbearance of the American government had assumed the appearance of cowardice-war is reluctantly, unavoidably, but decisively declared. Animated by the most sincere love of peace, the president of the United States, in the same despatch, announces to the British government the existence of war, and the equitable, easy, and honourable means by which its progress might be arrested, and its calamities permanently prevented; but this extraordinary proof of a humane and pacific disposition is treated with contempt. Familiarized with the slaughter of man around the globe, the British government prefers the effusion of human blood to a suspension of the inhuman practice of impressment, even during the short space of an armistice agreed on, for the purpose of negotiating a just and honourable peace; nay, notwithstanding the offer made by the government of the United States, to exclude British subjects from our merchantmen and navy. But what atrocities are too enormous to be found in that government? whose characteristical features are cruelty and perfidy; which stimulates the savage to drench his tomahawk and scalping knife in the blood of our frontier men, women, and infants; which, making the most solemn professions of friendship and peace, strives by the malignant breath of its secret emissaries to kindle in our nation dissatisfaction, discord, rebellion, and civil war, with all their sanguinary and horrible consequences. Thus is extinguished in the American government, and in every American bosom, the last hope of finding in the conduct of Great Britain towards the United States, a single voluntary act of justice or humanity.

Impressed with these considerations, and with others of a collateral and subordinate nature, we, the senate and house of representatives of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in general assembly met, do adopt the following resolutions :

Resolved, that the declaration of war against the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, issued by the general government on the eighteenth of June last, was the result of solemn deliberation, sound wisdom, and imperious necessity.

Resolved, that the sword, being drawn, should never be sheathed till our wrongs are redressed, our commerce unfettered, and our citizens freed from the danger of British impressment, of imprisonment in the floating dungeons of the British navy, and the painful necessity of fighting the battles of an inveterate enemy, against their fathers, their brethren, their native country, and their friends.

Resolved, that to exert all the energies of his body and of his' mind, and to devote his property to bring the existing war to a speedy, just, and honourable issue, and to teach our insolent foe, that the Americans are as free from timidity and weakness in battle as from covert and disguise in negotiating, is a duty which every citizen of the union owes to himself, to his country, and to his God.

Resolved, that with painful regret we contemplate the refusal by the executive authorities of some of the states in the union, to furnish, on the president's demand, their quota of militia for the defence of the sea-coast, and that with confidence we expect from the national legislature a prompt attention to this alarming and unprecedented occurrence.

Resolved, that the promptness and the zeal with which the governor of this commonwealth executed the military orders of the president since the commencement of hostilities, entitle him to the gratitude of this general assembly of Pennsylvania, and of the nation.

Resolved, that the governor of this commonwealth be instructed to transmit a copy of these resolutions to the president of the United States, with a request that he communicate them to congress.

[blocks in formation]

P. C. LANE,

Speaker of the senate.

In senate, December 10th, 1812. Read and adopted.

JOSEPH A. M'JIMSEY,

Clerk of senate.

In the house of representatives, December 16th, 1812. Read

and adopted.

Attest,

GEORGE HECKERT,

Clerk of the house of representatives.

Message from the president of the United States, transmitting a proclamation of the British governor of Bermuda, providing for the supply of the British West Indies, by a trade under licenses; accompanied with a circular instruction, confining, if practicable, the trade to the eastern ports of the United

States.

To the senate and house of representatives of the United States. I lay before congress copies of a proclamation of the British lieutenant governor of the island of Bermuda, which has appeared under circumstances leaving no doubt of its authenticity. It-recites a British order in council of the 26th of October last, providing for the supply of the British West Indies and other colonial possessions, by a trade under special licenses; and is accompanied by a circular instruction to the colonial governors, which confines licensed importations from ports of the United States, to the ports of the eastern states exclusively.

The government of Great Britain had already introduced into her commerce during war, a system, which, at once violating the rights of other nations, and resting on a mass of forgery and perjury unknown to other times, was making an unfortunate progress in undermining those principles of morality and religion, which are the best foundation of national happiness.

The policy now proclaimed to the world, introduces into her modes of warfare, a system equally distinguished by the deformity of its features, and the depravity of its character; having for its object to dissolve the ties of allegiance and the sentiments of loyalty in the adversary nation, and to seduce and separate its component parts, the one from the other.

The general tendency of these demoralizing and disorganizing contrivances, will be reprobated by the civilized and christian world; and the insulting attempt on the virtue, the honour, the patriotism, and the fidelity of our brethren of the eastern states, will not fail to call forth all their indignation and resentment; and to attach more and more all the states to that happy union and constitution, against which such insidious and malignant artifices are directed.

The better to guard, nevertheless, against the effect of individual cupidity and treachery, and to turn the corrupt projects of the enemy against himself, I recommend to the consideration of congress the expediency of an effectual prohibition of any trade whatever, by citizens or inhabitants of the United States, under special licenses, whether relating to persons or ports; and in aid thereof a prohibition of all exportations from the United States in foreign bottoms, few of which are actually employed; whilst

multiplying counterfeits of their flags and papers are cover ing and encouraging the navigation of the enemy.

February 24th, 1813.

JAMES MADISON.

[From the Bermuda Gazette of January 16.] BERMUDA ALIAS SOMERS' ISLANDS.

By his excellency brigadier general George Horsford, lieutenant governor and commander in chief, in and over these islands, &c. &c. &c.

sary,

A PROCLAMATION.

of

Whereas I have received a copy of his royal highness the prince regent's order in council, bearing date at the court at Carlton house, the 26th of October, 1812, which order is in the words following, viz. "Whereas during the late and present war, emergencies have at various times arisen, essentially affecting the necessary supply of the British West India islands, and of lands and territories belonging to his majesty on the continent of South America, and it has been found expedient and necesfor the trade and commerce of said islands, lands, &c. and for the support of the inhabitants thereof, further to extend, for a limited time, the importation into, and exportation from, the said islands, lands, and territories; his royal highness the prince regent, in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, is pleased, by and with the advice of his majesty's privy council, to authorize and empower the governor or lieutenant governor of any the islands or territories in the West Indies (in which description the Bahama islands and the Bermuda or Somers' islands are included), and of any of the lands or territories on the continent of South America, to his majesty belonging; and they are hereby respectively authorized and empowered to permit, until the 30th day of June, 1813, the importation into the said islands, lands, and territories, respectively, of staves and lumber, horses, mules, asses, neat cattle, sheep, hogs, and every other species of live stock and live provisions, and also of every other kind of provisions whatsoever, (beef, pork, butter, salted, dried, and pickled fish excepted,) in any unarmed ship or vessel not belonging to France, or to the subjects or inhabitants thereof, or of any port or place annexed to the territories of France, under the license of the said respective governor or lieutenant governor, which they are hereby empowered to grant in his majesty's name, subject to such instructions as his royal highness the prince regent, in the name and on the behalf of his majesty, shall, from time to time, think fit to issue, to be signified by one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state; and also to permit, under licenses to be granted as aforesaid, the exportation from the said

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »