useful manufactures. I state it as an unde- the end; but, I could have wished the niable fact, that she is now able to supply change to have been less abrupt, and effectherself with all the articles necessary to ed without war, and without the animosiman, even in polished life. And, if this ties and the sufferings inseparable from be so, why should she not be able to rear a war. To me it appears as absurd as it is Navy, having already nearly as great a mer- unnatural, that the American farmer should cantile marine as our own. Whether it not have his coat untaxed at the customwill be for her happiness that she should house in England. I can see no sense and do this is another question; but, that she no reason in it. Nor do I see why the will do it I think is most likely; because, people of England, or any portion of them, in the mass composing every society of should make coats or knives, or any thing men, there is generally a sufficient number else for the use of other countries, except on the side of power and glory to decide merely in such quantities as may be necesthe nation in favour of the love of those sary to exchange for wine and oil, and some captivating objects.This war, there- few other things which really are useful fore, if not speedily put an end to, will, to man. in my opinion, not fail to make America a manufacturing nation, as far as her own wants call for, and to make her also a naval nation; and will thus, at one stroke, deprive us of our best customer for goods, and give us upon the seas a rival who will be daily growing in strength as well as in experience. In my preface to the republication of Mr. Chancellor Livingstone's Treatise on Merino Sheep, I showed how necessarily it would follow from the introduction of flock-keeping in America, that she would become independent of us to woollens. Nevertheless, and in spite of all the facts which have, from time to time, been published relative to the manufacturing of cloths in that country, there are still anen to treat with ridicule, aye, even with ridicule, the idea of America being able to make her own coats and blankets. I remember, that, while I was in Newgate for two years, for writing about the flogging of the Local Militia, at the Town of Ely, in England, under the superintendence of German Troops, there came a gentleman, who was, I believe, a dealer in wool, to ask my opinion relative to the future commerce with America. After having spent about a quarter of an hour in a detail of facts, which, in my inind, contained proof unquestionable, that the woollen trade with America was for ever at an end, he began a sentence upon the surprising increase of the manufactures in America, which he concluded in words to this effect: "I dare say, that, in less than half a century, 66 we shall not ship a bale of cloth to that "country." This put me in mind of the effect that the Botley Parson's sermons used to have upon me; and I lost no time in changing the subject of conversation. I am not one of those who shall regret this independence of America, which I do not think will prove any injury to England in The use of commerce is to effect an exchange of the products of one climate for those of another; but governments have turned it into the means of taxation, and, in many cases, that appears to be its only object. An exchange of English coals for French wine, the former at 30s. a chaldron at Paris, and the latter at 6d. a bottle in London: that would, indeed, be a commerce to be contemplated with pleasure. Bat a commerce, carried on under a code of prohibitions and penalties, such as those now every where in existence, is not to be desired. It is an instrument of taxation, and an endless source of war, and it is no thing more.Those, however, who are of a different opinion, may look upon the war with America as one of the surest means of destroying, or, at least, diminishing for ever, the best branch of what they admire; but, while I blame the ministers for the war, I must say, that the merchants and manufacturers (I mean the powerful ones) have no right to blame them. The ministers, in their measures towards America, have done no more than pursue that same system, of which those merchants and manufacturers have a thousand times, and in the strongest terms, expressed their approbation. At the out-set of this long and destructive war, who stood forward so readily in support of it as this class of persons? The war-whoop has invariably originated with them. They indulged the selfish hope of seeing themselves in possession of all the trade and all the riches of the world. The English news-papers contain a record of their love of war, of war against any body, so long as it promised gain to them. They have, over and over again, called the war which began in an invasion of France by the Duke of Brunswick, "a just and necessary war;" but, of late, they appear to have been taught by their poor-books and the list of Bankrupts, that the war is not quite so 60 necessary, "notice by the rapidly increasing Beggary however “just”, they may still think it." and Wretchedness of Myriads of its inThey have, I repeat it, no right to com"dustrious and frugal Inhabitants, who, plain against the ministers, who have not "at no very distant period, enjoyed affludeviated from the system of Pitt and Gren- ence or competence; and also by the ville, and who, with regard to Ame-" obviously increasing INABILITY of Our rica, are only acting upon the very same "ablest Financiers, even while imposing a principles, and pursuing the very same ob- "most oppressive Taxation, to devise means jects, that have been acted upon and pur- "for raising Supplies in any wise corressued from the year 1792 to the present pondent to the Public Annual Expenditure. day; and the manufacturers are tasting, 66 In the largest Parish of this once as is most meet, of the fruit of the tree of" flourishing, but now miserable Town, their own planting and protecting. "nearly a third part of its Population, in consequence of the interruption of Trade, " is reduced to the state of PAUPERS; and "in the other Parishes of the Town, not "less oppressive to those Inhabitants on 66 "DEN OF POOR'S RATES. And we are "credibly informed, that a like reduction " to Beggary and Want of Multitudes of "our Countrymen in the different Manu"facturing Towns of this Kingdom, is the "consequence of the annihilation of our "Trade, and of the increase of the Taxa "tion produced by War.Additional to these Evils, might be recalled to your Royal Highness's recollection those also, "which are inevitable concomitants of the "most successful Wars, even when waged "by Nations whose resources may be the PEACE.The following Petition for Peace, of the Town of NOTTINGHAM, is worthy of particular attention on account of the facts it states." To His Royal High-" whom a levy can be made, is the BURness the Prince Regent.-Sir, We, the "Undersigned, Burgesses, or Inhabitants "of the Town, and County of the Town of "Nottingham, and its Precincts, beg leave "to claim the attention of your Royal "Highness, as being the Representative of "a Sovereign, whose highest glory we "presume it is, that he should be consi"dered as the Father of his People; while" we dutifully present, before the Throne, a statement of the Evils from War, ex"perienced by Ourselves, and by Millions beside of His Majesty's vast family: and "while we earnestly supplicate, from a most ample, and whose condition the "Paternal Regard, so becoming an English "most Bourishing. It assuredly cannot "Monarch, that relief from dire distress, "be a matter of little estimation with your "which the speedy restoration of Peace Royal Highness, that Thousands of brave "alone can be expected to afford.On" Men should be extended lifeless on the "that Royal Power, which was designed "Field of Battle: that Thousands should "to be a blessing and protection to Mil- "perish by the hardships of Warfare: that lions, we call for an exertion of God-like" that there should be Thousands of mournBenevolence, which shall speedily termi-"ing Widows and Orphan Children: that nate a Contest, unhappily commenced "Thousands of Parents should be hurried "with precipitancy, and direfully pro- "to the Grave by the loss of beloved Sons, "longed by the exasperated passions and "who were the support of their declining "the infatuated understandings of Men." Years: that Thousands should die lin"Many are the Motives to Peace, and most gering deaths in Captivity: and that the Majority of the Survivors of a long and bloody Contest, having, in a course of Warfare, experienced interruption to "those Moral habits, which promote the harmony, comfort, and welfare of Civil "Society and of Domestic Life, should, on "the return of a state of Peace, be render"ed less valuable Members of Society, and "less welcome to the Roofs of their Rela may be powerful, which might be expected to influence the mind of your Royal High-" ness. A respect for the divine principles "of Christianity and Humanity, it "hoped, will prevent your Royal High-" "ness from being swayed by the represen"tations of Men, whose prejudices, pas"sions, or selfish interests, render them "Advocates for the PERPETUITY OF A WAR which, if much longer persisted in, will" tions and Friends.As a speedy resto"evidently be accompanied by civil com- "ration of Peace alone can mitigate the "motion, by famine, and by pestilence."heavy. Evils we endure, and save the In An awful admonition of our having "nearly exhausted the Resources of the "Country is painfully obtruded on our habitants of this Land from impending "ruin, and the irrecoverable loss of their "once prosperous and enviable Condition; as ་ of Nottingham now claim our attention, and, we are told, that in one of the principal parishes, nearly every third person is a pauper. The misery must, in such a case, be dreadful; and it will, I trust, meet due attention from the parliament. 66 now the ill success and disappointed views "of the Enemy may lead him to listen "more readily to reasonable Conditions of "Peace; we join our afflicted Countrymen in earnestly petitioning your Royal High ness to manifest by some unequivocal Ex"pression or Public Act of the British Go- -Perceval used to say, in answer to all "vernment, your truly Royal desire to applications for relief to such persons, that seize the earliest opportunity of sheath- it would do harm if granted; but, why, ing the Sword of Slaughter, and healing then, make grants of relief to the Russians? the wounds of a long-protracted War: Why should such a grant do more harm in "that thus the Enemy may be precluded England than in Russia? Mr. Wilberforce from plausibly throwing the odium of (formerly member for Yorkshire and now delight in War and its concomitant mi- for the borough of Bamber) said, that he "series on your Royal Highness's pacifica- had attempted to make a calculation of the tory Government.-We will indulge sum per head which the Russian £200,000 the hope that your Royal Highness will would amount to, if divided amongst the grant the Prayer of our Petition; and paupers in England; but that he had "that your Highness's endeavours will be found it to be too small to admit of a name. "effectual in soon restoring to the afflicted Indeed! Why, there are 4 millions of People, intrusted to your Royal protec- shillings in £200,000. And, if the tion, that lasting Peace after which they worthy representative of the borough of so ardently aspire.- -Thus may the Bamber did not estimate our sons and blessings of the Peace-maker descend on daughters of misery at more than 4 milyour Royal Highness; and thus may lions, the £200,000 given to the Russians your Royal Father, when called from would have given each of our poor crea"his present state of sufferings to a better tures a shilling; and would have fed them "World, be enabled to resign to your better than they are now fed for half a Royal Highness, in a state of Peace, that week. If he considered the number of "Throne, which he ascended amid the din paupers at 3,000,000, and that is nearly of arms, and on which he has continued one-third part of the population, the *to sit during so many years of war." £200,000 would have afforded all our -The statement relative to the paupers paupers Is. 6d. each; and, I can assure is very alarming. The consequences of the member for Bamber, that eighteen such a state of things no man can foresee. pence a-piece would have made their eyes The news-papers tell us, that a detachment sparkle.Nay, would not £200,000 of the Queen's Bays have been marched have maintained all the paupers in England into the town; for the purpose, I suppose, and Wales for a whole week? £200,000, of giving relief to the hungry bellies of the multiplied by 52, gives the sum of people! The writers are assuredly the £10,400,000; and, I believe, that, at most callous men that ever breathed. They the last return laid before parliament, the never, upon any occasion, let slip out, total amount of the poor-rates, in England even by accident, a sentiment of com- and Wales, for one year, was less than passion for the sufferings of the people. £6,000,000. Indeed, I know that it was They are always for measures of vigour so; and, therefore, unless the poor-ratestowards them. Vigour, indeed! What have nearly doubled in amount during the vigour is wanted towards a set of poor last ten years, the member for Bamber creatures whom the wind would almost will find, that this grant to the poor of blow away? For my part, however sin- Russia would have maintained all the poor gular my taste may be, I would much ra- in England for one whole week; and, ther give a pound to these poor souls at would it have been nothing to give them a Nottingham than the millionth part of a double allowance for a week? Would it farthing to the people of Russia, who, as be nothing to give all the poor of our own we are NOW told by the Times news-country a week's food in this pinching paper, set fire to their own houses, their season?--As to the people at Lloyd's; own goods, their own food, their own as to the SUBSCRIBING people, let them sick and wounded soldiers; and, in short, have their taste; they subscribed towards to the whole of the capimtsoft the Russian the war, and so did the old, famous old Empire. But, fobre of these impudent gentleman, who subscribed £10,000 tolies about Moscow another time the poor wards the voluntary contributions, and who has since honestly avowed, that he 66 Muly Molock, "know all,"--He is not PROCLAMATION, by the Emperor Alexander, dated St. Petersburgh, Nov. 15.. [Continued from page 30.) What wiseacres! They are as wise as they are honest, however; and, the suffering of them, the tolerating of their he now, with the small remains of them, trash, meets with its just reward. They, seeks his personal safety in the rapidity of like many thousands of others, would lose his flight; he flies from Moscow with as by peace; and, therefore, they are for much fear and depression as he advanced war.They will not now treat with against it with pride and insolence; he Napoleon because he is, as they say, at flies, leaving his cannon behind him, a low ebb; and formerly they would not throwing away his baggage, and sacritreat with him, because he swam with the ficing every thing that can retard the swifttide of victory: so that, according to them, ness of his flight. Thousands of the fugithere never can come a time to treat for tives daily fall to the earth and expire. In -But, I such manner does the just vengeance of peace with the ruler of France.had forgotten, he is very ill. Very ill. God punish those who insult his temples. He does, indeed, preside at Councils, re- Whilst we, with paternal tenderness and view his troops, and hunt in the woods; joyful heart, observe the great and praisebut, still the Times and the Courier will worthy actions of our faithful subjects, we insist, that he is very ill. They, like carry our most warm and lively gratitude to the first cause of all good, the Almigh-high a purpose, and such invincible perjy God; and in the next place we have to severance in the whole nation, does it imexpress our thanks in the name of our com- mortal honour, worthy of being preserved mon country, to all our loyal subjects, as in the minds of posterity. With the couthe true sons of Russia. By their general rage of such a nation, we entertain the most energy and zeal, the force of the enemy is well-founded hopes. Whilst we jointly brought down to the lowest degree of de- with the true church, and the holy synod cline, for the greater part has either been and clergy, supplicate God's assistance, annihilated or made prisoners. All have that if our inveterate enemy, and the mockunanimously joined in the work. Our er of God's temple and holiness, should valiant armies have every where.defeated not be entirely and totally destroyed in the enemy. The higher nobility have Russia, yet that his deep wounds, and the spared nothing by which it could contri- blood it has cost him, will bring him to bute to the increase of the strength of the acknowledge her might and strength.State. The merchants have distinguished Meanwhile, we hold it to be our bounden themselves by sacrifices of all kinds. The duty, by this general publication before loyal people, burghers, and peasantry, the whole world, to express our gratitude. have given such proofs of fidelity and love to the valiant, loyal, and religious Russian: for their country, as can only be expected nation, and thereby render it due justice. of the Russian nation. They have zea- Given at St. Petersburgh, the 15th lously and voluntarily entered into the day of November, in the year 1812, after hastily raised levies, and have shewn a the birth of Christ, and in the twelfth year courage and resolution equal to veteran of our reign. warriors. They have with the same force and intrepidity penetrated the enemy's regiments, with the same implements with which they only a few weeks before turned up their fields. In this manner the troops of levies sent from St. Petersburgh and Novogorod, for the strengthening of the forces (Signed) ALEXANDER. UNITED STATES. sident's Message. Mr. Graham to Mr. Russell. under Count Wittgenstein, have behaved Farther Documents accompanying the Prethemselves, especially at Polotzk, and other places. We have besides, and with heartfelt satisfaction, perceived by the reports of the Commander in Chief of the Department of State, Aug. 9, 1812. armies, and from other Generals, that in Sir, The Secretary left this city about several Governments, and particularly in ten days ago, on a short visit to Virginia.' those of Moscow and Kalouga, the country Since that period Mr. Baker has, in conpeople have armed themselves, chosen sequence of some dispatches from his Gotheir own leaders, and not only resisted all vernment addressed to Mr. Foster, made attempts at seducing them, but also susto me a communication respecting the intained all the calamities that have befallen tentions of his Government, as regards the them with the perseverance of martyrs. Orders in Council. It was of a character, Often have they united themselves with however, so entirely informal and confiour detachments, and assisted them in dential, that Mr. Baker did not feel him-making their enterprises and attacks against self at liberty to make it in the form of a the enemy. Many villages have secreted note verbal or pro memoria, or even to their families and tender infants in the permit me to take a memorandum of it at - woods; and the inhabitants, with armed the time he made it. As it authorizes an hand and inconceivable courage, under en-expectation that something more precise gagements on the Holy Gospel not to leave and definite, in an official form, may soon each other in danger, defended themselves, be received by this Government, it is the and whenever the enemy shewed himself, less necessary that I should go into an exhave fallen upon him, so that many thou-planation of the views of the President in sands of them have been cut to pieces, and dispersed by the peasants, and even by their women, and numbers taken prisoners, who were indebted for their lives to the humanity of those very people whom they came to plunder and destroy.So relation to it, more particularly as the Secretary of State is daily expected, and will be able to do it in a manner more satisfactory.I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) JOHN GRAHAM |