VOL. 2. No. 17.] London, Saturday, 30th October, 1802. [ Price 100 CONTENTS.-Duke of Kent, 513. Washington and La Fayette, 516. Mr. Addington 521. Note at Ratisbon, 522. Manifesto at Corfu, 523. Diet Schwitz Ans. 523. Swiss Proclam. 524. Let. Fr. Min. 525. Let. Fr. and Ras. Min, 526. Suppl. Indem, 528. Let, Lord Hawkesbury, 532. Sum, Pol. 540. 513 DUKE OF KENT. In the Register of the 14th of August last, I took occasion to repel certain calumties, which Mr HERIOT, the Editor of the ministerial paper called the True Briton, had published against his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, relative to his Royal Highness's government of Gibraltar. Haying myself lived, for several years, near the seat of the Duke's command in America, having had an opportunity of seeing the garrison of Halifax just before his return to England, and having, from my own observation as well as from the accounts which I was daily in the habit of hearing from some of the most respectable persons at Halifax, contracted the highest degree of admiration of his conduct in every department committed to his charge, I felt not a little indignation as well as surprize at seeing his Royal Highness assailed with so much magaity, in an English print, and in a print, too, well known to be supported with the public money. I endeavoured briefly to state the grounds of Mr. Heriot's misrepresentations, and promised to take some future opportunity of spe king more in detail on the subject; a promise, which I am now about to fulfil. [514 the constant habit of working and carrying water for the inhabitants, and the money thus acquired, was immediately spent in drunkenness and debauchery, to the great injury of their health and morals. Nothing like system or regularity prevailed in any one point, either in dressing, exercising, or manoeuvring together. An account of these abuses had for some time reached England, and, from his conduct in America, his Royal Highness was chosen as one of the persons, who was most likely to restore order and subordination in the garrison. He was sent out to reform, and he certainly has justified the choice that was made, as in less than five months time, he has effected one of the most complete, and salutary reforms that ever was accomplished. Order and tranquillity are restored, drunkenness is most completely abolished, the health of the troops is so much improved, that except the remains of the Egyptian opthalmia, there are not twenty sick men in the garrison. The different regiments are now neatly and uniformly dressed, according to the King's regulations, and in point of marching, exercising, and manoeuvring, the garrison is now certainly equal, if not superior, to most regiments in the service. To complete such a reform without some On the arrival of his Royal Highness at necessary examples, would have been imGibraltar, the garrison exhibited a scene of possible, but no officer could have brought licentiousness, irregularity, and drunkenness, it about with less punishments. None but that shocked every stranger to behold. The crimes of magnitude bave been punished streets daily swarmed with crowds of drun- with flogging, lesser offences have been inken soldiers; the inhabitants were often variably commuted into a certain number of most wantonly and grossly insulted, and days solitary confinement or labour on the hardly a week elapsed without violence be- public works. With respect to the inhabigoffered to some of the women, generally tants, they certainly now enjoy a degree of Blended with the most aggravating circum-protection and security, both in person and stances. In a few weeks after the Duke's property, that they never before experienced. arrival, some soldiers of the 54th regiment No person can insult or injure them with were convicted on the clearest evidence of impunity; and the laws of England are adhaving violated two Spanish women at noon- ministered with as much impartiality and day, in the sight of several of the inhabi-justice as they are in Westminster Hall. ts, who were prevented from rescuing On His Royal Highness's arrival, no police them, by the bayonet of the very centinel of any kind existed, and the trade of the Dear whose post the deed was committed; place was burthened with a number of imsuch a pitch was licentiousness carried. politic and oppressive fees, the whole of Fery officer and soldier, when not on duty, which he has completely abolished. Saludressed as he chose; the soldiers were in tary regulations have also been adopted by His Royal Highness, respecting the public markets, the butchers, bakers, carmen, wine houses, &c. and all those points, on which so much of the comfort and prosperity of every town depends. Regular canteens for the troops have been established near every barrack in proper hands, where they are supplied with unadulterated wine, and all the lower class of wine-houses, which were a sink of profligacy and debauchery, have been shut up, though in so doing his Royal Highness has very considerably diminished the emoluments of the government, which chiefly arose from duties upon the wine sold in the wine-houses. The beneficial effects of his Royal Highness's measures, have already begun to be most sensibly felt; population has exceedingly increased since his arrival, property has risen considerably in value, and the trade of the place is in a most flourishing state. Mr. Heriot's conduct, in attacking a personage, who, on so many accounts, ought to be, and is, so dear to the heart of every loyal subject of his Majesty, cannot fail to excite the indignation of the public; but, odious as it is in itself, it is infinitely more so, when the motive, the low, selfish, vindictive motive of it is known. reward, for an invalid military officer, or, would, if bestowed on some worthy native of the province, have secured to his Majesty's government the attachment of a family, probably numerous in itself and extensive in its connexions; but, to those who examine the thing more closely, it will appear, that two places, nor even twenty places, would be too many for any one, recommended by Mr. Heriot, whose virtues, I am sorry to say it, seem, by persons in general, to be but very imperfectly known. The envious world think only of the revenue which this man receives, they do not, or will not, consider how dearly he earns it: they do not consider, that what he does, no other man with a soul in his body would condescend to do. In this light it is that the Postmaster-General seems to have viewed his merits; for, since his brother was required by the Duke of Kent to give up one of the army places, he has been appointed Postmaster-General in Canada, and that too, in direct opposition to his Royal Highness, who had recommended another person to that station. But, what is the recommendation of the Duke of Kent compared to that of a Secretary of the General PostOffice, who is also, it is said, partner with Mr. Heriot in the newspaper called The Sun! WM. COBBETT. WASHINGTON AND LA FAYETTE. Every thing tending to ascertain the real characters of these men, who, however trifling their intrinsic greatness, have, by reason of the transactions in which they have been concerned, attained to a considerable importance in the world, merits the attention of the politician. Under this persuasion it is, that I am now induced to notice a letter, respecting these two persons, which appeared in the London Morning Chronicle of the 22d instant, signed ALEXANDER HAMILTON. At the time when his Royal Highness went out the last time to America, as Com. mander in Chief, Mr. Heriot's brother, who is settled at Quebec, was Clerk of the Cheque to the Ordnance, and, at the same time, Deputy Storekeeper-General to the Army. As the two employments, for very obvious and very forcible reasons, appeared to be incompatible, his Royal Highness found it to be his duty to insist upon Mr. Heriot's brother resigning one of them, which was, however, left to his own choice, and he, in consequence, gave up the latter appointment. Previous to this, the True Briton had, on all occasions, been the loudest and foremost in praise of the Duke's character and conduct; but, since, it has never mentioned his name with approbation. Mr. Heriot's brother discovered great anger, not unaccompanied with some grains of insubordination and insolence, at losing one of his employments, and Mr. Heriot himself, from his late malignant insinuations respecting his Royal Highness, may be fairly sup-city of a statement, contained in the Antiposed to have entered into all his brother's feelings. To superficial observers it may appear wrong, that a hungry expectant should be sent out to Canada to occupy two places, either of which would have yielded a very comfortable maintenance and a very suitable This letter, which, it would seem, the Editor of the Morning Chronicle copied from a New-York paper, but which, I am pretty certain, was published in London by desire of some one, at least, of the parties concerned, is intended to destroy the authenti Jacobin Review, relative to Washington and La Fayette. The Reviewer, by way of introduction to his criticism on a pamphlet of Gen. ALEXANDER HAMILTON, took ocsion, as is very common, to give some little account of the author, who, in his progress to that eminent station, which he has ar rived at in the United States, was found, at one time, in the American army, at the siege of York Town, in Virginia, where Lord Cornwallis put an end to the American war by a transaction bearing no very weak resemblance to that by which he put an end to the war with France. -Washington granted him terms of capitulation, and Joseph Buonaparté did no more. But, to return to my revolutionary heroes: the Anti-Jacobin Review stated, in substance, that, at the storming of the two British redoubts, at York Town, La Fayette, with the approbation or connivance of Washington, ordered Gen. HAMILTON (then a Colonel), as the officer who was to command the attack of one of the redoubts, to put to death all those who might happen to be taken in the redoubt; and that Colonel Hamilton and his American soldiers, through motives of humanity, forbore to execute the order. Such was the statement of the Anti-Jacobin Review. Let us now see Gen. Hamilton's contradiction. 66 so flatly contradicted, was made, it is a dury which I owe to that editor and to the world, to produce the authority, on which my information was founded. I could. here appeal to every candid American, at all conversant in the history of the war, whether he has not always understood the facts now in question to be true; and, I' could declare, upon my word and honour, that two persons (whose names I shall not, for their sakes, now mention), who were officers in the American army at York Town, have, more than once, given, in my hearing, a statement perfectly similar to that which Gen. Hamilton now contradicts: in fact, the circumstance is as generally known and believed in America as any one circumstance of the whole war. But, in a case where the character of any man is at stake, neither private conversation nor public report and general belief, is sufficient. My authority is a History of the American Revolution, written and published under cir cumstances, of which I shall speak, after extracting the passage alluded to. "The redoubts, which were advanced about 200 yards on the left of the British, greatly impeded the progress of the com "bined armies. An attack on these was "therefore proposed. To excite a spirit of "emulation, the reduction of the one was "committed to the French; of the other to "the Americans. The light infantry of the "latter were commanded by the Marquis "de la Fayette; and the service was allots "ted to a select corps. The Marquis said "to General Washington, The troops "should retaliate on the British, for the cruel"ties they bave practised. The general answered, You have full command, "and may order as you please. The Mar"quis ordered the party to remember New "London, and to retaliate, by putting the "New-York, August 10, 1802.-Finding "that a story, since propagated under cir"cumstances which it was expected would" "have soon consigned it to oblivion (and "by which I have been complimented at "the expense of Generals Washington and "La Fayette), has of late been revived, and "has acquired a degree of importance by being repeated in different publications, as well in Europe as America, it becomes a duty to counteract its currency and in"fluence by an explicit disavowal.-The "story imports in substance, that General "La Fayette, with the approbation or con"nivance of General Washington, ordered me, as the officer who was to command "the attack on a British redoubt in the course of the siege of York Town, to put "to death all those of the enemy who "should happen to be taken in the re"doubt; and that through motives of humanity I forbore to execute the order."Positively and unequivocally I declare, that "no such or similar order, nor any intimation or bint resembling it, was ever by me receiv ed, or understood to bave been given.—It is "needless to enter into an explanation of "some occurrences on the occasion alluded "to, which may be conjectured to have given rise to the calumny-It is enough "to say, they were entirely unconnected "with any or either of the two Generals "who have been accused.-A. Hamilton." 44 Now, as it was I who communicated, to the Editor of the Anti-Jacobin Review, the information, on which the statement, here men in the redoubt to the sword after having "carried it. The men marched to the as"sault with unloaded arms, at dark, on the "night of the 14th, passed the abatis, and "palisades, and attacking on all sides, car "ried the redoubt in a few minutes, with *This remembering of New London was a paltry excuse of the vindictive Fayette, för. his bloody purpose. There was no killing of PRISONERS at New London. The battle, indeed, continued after the British troops were in the fort, but it only con tinued, because the Americans kept firing upon our troops from the windows of the barracks; and a negro was shot in the very act of conveying fire to the magazine, over which there were a great number of British officers and soldiers. No man was killed at the storming of this fort, after resistance had crased, "the loss of 8 killed, and 28 wounded. | "Lieut. Col. Laurens personally took the "commanding officer. The colonel's humanity and that of the Americans, so ef"fectually overcame their resentment, that "they spared the British. When bringing "them off as prisoners, they said among "themselves, Why! how is this? We "evere ordered to put them to death. Be"ing asked by others, why they had not done it, they answered, We could not, "when they begged and cried so upon their "knees for their lives.' About five of "the British were killed, and one major, "one captain, one ensign and 20 privates "captured. Col. Hamilton, who conduct"ed the enterprise with much address and intrepidity, in his report to the marquis, mentioned, to the honour of the detach "ment, that incapable of imitating examples of barbarity, and forgetting recent "provocations, they spared every man that ceased to resist." Now, upon the origin and character of the work, from which this extract is taken, the justification of the statement in the Anti-Jacobin Review will wholly depend. The extract is made, then, from the History of the American Revolution, contained in the American edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica: for the reader to be fully convinced, that the authority is purely of American growth, he need only be informed of the following circumstances, which, were they even not at all connected with the present subject, are very well worth knowing. The Encyclopædia Britannica was republished, in the city of Philadelphia, by Mr. Dobson, who commenced it with a very extensive and respectable subscription. It was delivered in half volumes, the first of which appeared in 1793, or early, perhaps, in 1794, and, under the letter A, it, of course, contained a history of the American revolution; but not the same history of that event, which is to be found in the English edition, and which, not being fa vourable enough to the Americans, was laid aside, and another, written by a vile English renegado, substituted in its place. This man, as is customary with persons of his description, entertained, still entertains, and has, on all occasions, discovered, an implacable hatred against his lawful Sovereign and native countrys yet, when the overflowing of gall came to appear in print, it was not found to be half bitter enough for some of Mt. Dobson a subscribers, a great number of whom consulted together, and deputed certain persons, amongst whom was the provost of the university, to inform him, that the account of the American revolution, pulished by him, "would not do;" and that, if he did not cancel it, and admit in its place another account written by them, or some one or more of them, they would withdraw their names from his. subscription, and do his work all the injury in their power. Dobson is a very good and a very sensible man; but his all, and more than his all, was involved in the success of his Encyclopædia. He had no alternative, but submission or ruin. He chose the for. mer; and as the half volume was already published and issued, he was obliged to take this third version of the story, print it, sew it up, and send it out to all his subscribers, with a direction to them to cancel the account already in the half volume, and to put this new one in its place. From this history it is that the above extract is taken. The British public, to whom General Hamilton has, through the Morning Chronicle, appealed, must now decide between the general's present declaration and the statement of the Encyclopedia, which statement the general has suffered to pass ten whole years uncontradicted. The general will not, I am sure, pretend, that he never saw the statement in the Encyclopedia. That work was subscribed to by the President, by every member of the Congress, by all the state governments officially, and to my own knowledge, by General Hamilton bimself The particular article here cited, of the work, has, moreover, been reprinted, in a small volume for the use of schools in America, and, in this form, it has gone through seve ral editions. If, then, it does contain a calumny on Generals Washington and La Fayette, if General Hamilton be "falsely praised at their expense," the calumny and falsehood rest upon American shoulders. 66 As to the fact, I am, for my part, fully persuaded, that the statement of the Ency clopedia is, in this respect, strictly true; and I ascribe the contradiction of General Hamilton to nothing more than a desire of removing from himself the imputation, which the Jacobins of the United States are now preferring against him, of building bis fame upon the ruin of that of General Washington. How far public reasons may, in the present critical situation of affairs in that country, tend to tolerate such a motive of action, I shall not pretend to say; but, I know, that, ήταν The following letter we copy from the Morning Post. For the honour of the country, we hope, that the suggestion of the writer is true. We shall, however, be obliged to any correspondent, who can ascer tain the fact. when the people are beginning, however unreasonably, to feel themselves heartily ashamed of it: or to call public attention to the "vigour of government," at a moment when, I am sorry to say, the most timid and pacific are heard asking each other in the streets, whether France could venture to trample upon us and upon Europe, as she is now doing, if Great-Britain had a government with "the vigour of a "Flea "It is utterly incredible that Mr. Addington's good sense should have been betrayed into so ridiculous a contretems; even if it were possible (which assuredly it is not) that his good taste could suffer him to enter into a defence of his Administra tion at a Ball Supper; or, by way of contributing his share to the amusement of the evening, to repeat an old House of Com mons' Address in his solemn way, before an audience of dancing Misses, and Negus swigging Fiddlers.I trust, therefore, to see a formal contradiction of the paragraph in your next paper.-I am, Sir, your's, A Lover of Truth and Decorum. Reading, Oct. 8. PUBLIC PAPERS. Note given in to the Deputation of the Empire by the French Legation, relative to the new general Plan of Indemnities. "Sir, I cannot refrain from expressing the surprise which I, in common with many serious persons, your constant readers and well-wishers, feel, at your having been so far imposed upon as to admit into your paper, that burlesque account of a Ball at Reading, in which Mr. Addington is made to have addressed to the company, after supper, a speech in praise of the peace*, and of the neighbourhood of Reading, which really one should think too absurd to have been for a moment mistaken for genuine.Political hostility fairly justifies some degree of liberty with facts, and some good-humoured laugh at personal foibles or vanities. But surely, Sir, the friends of Mr. Addington have a right to complain that you push The undersigned Minister Extraordinary from this license rather too far, when you suffer the French Republic to the German Diet, has reyour paper to be made the vehicle of a mis-ceived of the Austrian Plenipotentiary the Conclusum which the Extraordinary Deputation of the representation so gravely and circumstantial- Empire voted in their sitting of the 8th of Seply stated, as not to betray itself even to the tember, with the reserve of further modifications discerning, for (what it must be) a joke; and which might be adopted in the plan of Indemniat the same time so very disparaging to the ties contained in the declaration of the mediating good sense and good taste of the gentleman powers of the 30th of Thermidor (18th of August). He has likewise received the reclamations, rewho is the object of it, as necessarily to marks, and petitions, which, by subsequent Con cover him with ridicule in the eyes of all clusa, have been transmitted by the deputation to the ministers of the mediating powers for their plain men, who take what they read as consideration. The undersigned, in concert with fiterally true.-Mr. Addington may not posthe Imperial Russian minister, has carefully exasess first-rate talents: he may have made a mined these, and having now received the final peace not the very best that ever was made, instructions of the mediating powers in consenor apparently likely to be the most lasting. quence of the reclamations, remarks, and petitions, that have been transmitted to them either But he is not a man to commit so gross a blunder as in a public harangue, certain to immediately or by their ministers, he has the honour to present to the Extraordinary Deputation be printed in all the newspapers, and circu- of the Empire, for its immediate and definitive lated throughout the whole Empire, to pay acceptance, the additions made to the declaration of the 18th of August, as now modified, complet"the people" the compliment of being the authors of the peace, just at the moment ed, and amended; additions conformable to the fulfilment of the treaty of Luneville, and the principles by which the two powers have been guided in their interference and mediation. He flatters himself that the deputation will acknowledge with gratitude this new proof of the attention of the mediating powers to the welfare of the German Empire. It will likewise see how useful have been the representations which its members have made with equal zeal and patriotism. The Besides describing himself as "the instrument "in the hands of Divine Providence for procuring to the nation the blessings of peace," he is said to have told his auditors, that the most disagreeable circumstance of his elevated situation, was, the obliging him to reside at a distance from them, amongst whom he spent so many happy days. |