GENERAL HISTORY. 



[177 



CHAPTER XVI. 



American War. — Re-election of Mr. Madison. — Repulse of the Ame- 

 rican General Smyth. — Retreat of Dearborn from Champlain. — 

 Report of Committee of Foreign Relations.-— Additional Blockade of 

 the Coast. — President's Message and Close of Congress. — General 

 Winchester s Defeat and Capture.'— American Post at Ogdenburgh 

 J'orced.—.Yark taken by the Americans. — Capture (if Mobile. — Con- 

 gress re-assembled, and President's Message. — Affair on the Miami. 

 —Fort George taken.— Attack on Sackett's Harbour. — Action on the 

 Ontario, and at Burlington Heights.— Capture of the Corps under 

 Boestler. — Landings in the Chesapeake. — Torpedoes and exploding 

 Machines employed. — Conclusion of the Session of Congress, and new 

 Taxes. — Occurrences on Lake Ontario and Champlain. — Failure of 

 Attack on Sanduski. — Reconnaissance on Fort George.'— British Force 

 on Lake-Erie captured. — General Proctor's Defeat. — Actions on Lake 

 Ontario. — Invasion of Lower Canada by Hampton repulsed. — Wilkin- 

 sons Advance by the River St. Lawrence frustrated, and a Corps of 

 his Army defeated.'^ Conclusion of the Campaign. — American System 

 of Retaliation. 



WE must now turn our eyes 

 upon a theatre of war, the 

 scenes of which afford none of that 

 imposing grandeur which in some 

 measure compensates to the mind 

 the contemplation of human mi- 

 sery. It is however too much our 

 own concern to be regarded with 

 the indifference of mere spectators ; 

 and the novelty of some of its prin- 

 ciples, with the political conside- 

 rations it involves, render it perhaps 

 more interesting to a philosophical 

 observer than the perpetual recur- 

 rence of resembling events in the 

 conflicts of long-established pow- 

 ers. 



Before the expiration of the last 

 year, an election for President and 

 Vice-president of the United States 



Vol. LV. 



occasioned a new trial of strength 

 between the war and peace parties, 

 which was decided by the re-elec- 

 tion of Mr. Madison as President, 

 on December 2nd ; the votes in his 

 favour being 128, against 89 for 

 his competitor Mr. Clinton. The 

 election of Mr. Gerry for Vice- 

 president was carried by nearly the 

 same majority. In this election, 

 as in the war question, the voters 

 on the successful side were gene- 

 rall}' of the states from Pennsylva- 

 nia southwards, and on the other, 

 of those from New York north- 

 wards. Some changes in the Ame- 

 rican ministry succeeded, which, 

 however, made no change in the 

 state of parties. 

 A partial action, in which the 



