394 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



opportunity of puh'icly repeating 

 my profound sense of so distin- 

 guished a confidence, and of tlie 

 responsibility united with it. The 

 im])res£ions on me are strength- 

 ened by such an evidence, that my 

 faiihful endeavours to discharge 

 my arduous duties have been fa« 

 vourably estimated ; and by a con- 

 sideration on the momentous pe- 

 riod at which the trust has been 

 renewed. From the weight and 

 magnitude now belonging to it, I 

 should be compelled to shrink, if I 

 had less reliance on the support of 

 an enlightened and generous peo- 

 ple, and feel less deeply a convic- 

 tion, that the '.var with a powerful 

 nation, which forms so prominent 

 a feature in our situation, is stamped 

 with that justice which invites the 

 smiles of Heaven on the means 

 of conducting it to a successful ter- 

 mination. 



" May we not cherish this senti- 

 ment without presumption, v»hen 

 we reflect on the characters by 

 which this war is distinguished ? 



" It was not declared on the 

 part of the United States until it 

 had been long made on them in 

 reality though not iu name — until 

 arguments and expostulations had 

 been exhausted — until a positive 

 declaration had been received that 

 the wrongs provoking it would 

 not be discontinued — nor until this 

 appeal could no longer be delayed 

 without breaking down the spirit 

 of the nation, destroying all confi- 

 dence in itself and in its political 

 institutions ; and either perpetuat- 

 ing a state of disgraceful suffering, 

 or regaining by more costly sacri- 

 fices and more severe struggles, our 

 lost rank and respect among inde- 

 pendent powers. 



" On the issue of the war arc 



staked our national sovereignty on 

 the high seas, and security of an 

 important class of citizens, whose 

 occupations give the proper value 

 to those of every other class. Not 

 to contend for such a stake, is to 

 surrender our equality with other 

 powers on the element common to 

 all, and to violate the sacred title 

 which every member of the society 

 has to its protection. 



" I need not call into view the 

 unlawfulness of the practice, by 

 whicli our mariners are forced, at 

 the will of every cruising officer, 

 from their own vessels into foreign 

 ones, nor paint the outrages inse- 

 parable from it. The proofs are 

 in the records of each successive 

 administration of our government, 

 and the cruel sufferings of that 

 portion of the American people 

 have found their way to every bo- 

 som not dead to the sympathies of 

 human nature. 



" As the war was just in its ori- 

 gin, and necessary and noble in its 

 objects, we can reflect with a proud 

 satisfaction, that in carrying it on, 

 no principle of justice or honour, 

 no usage of civilized nations, no 

 precept of courtesy or humanity, 

 have been infringed. The war has 

 been waged, on our part, with 

 scruplilous regard to all these obli- 

 gations, and in a spirit of liberality 

 which was never surpassed. 



" How little has been the ef- 

 fect of this example on the conduct 

 of the enemy. They have re- 

 tained as prisoners of war, citizens 

 of the United States, not liable to 

 be so considered under the usages 

 of war. 



" They have refused to consider 

 as prisoners of war, and threatened 

 to punish as traitors and deserters, 

 persons emigrating vvitliout re- 



