Mr. Monroe to Mr. Foster.-Department | yond all controversy, and the official man of State, June 6, 1812. ner in which it was communicated to your Government ought to have been satisfactory Sir, I have had the honour to receive to it. A general repeal of the French Deyour letter of the 4th inst. The receipt of crees in favour of all neutral nations, and that of May 30th has already been acknow- of such parts of them as prohibited a trade ledged.As these letters relate to the with France, and the countries under her same subject, the Orders in Council, I control, in British manufactures, the United shall take both into my view in this reply. States have not demanded, because they -I am not disposed to make any unne- had no right to demand it.It is farther cessary difficulty on account of the infor- made a condition of the proposed repeal of mality of the document alluded to in the the declaration of the Prince Regent, that last letter. If the declaration of the Prince it shall take effect at a future uncertain day; Regent was such as to afford the satisfaction and that the Orders in Council should be required, it would be received in any form again in force, on a contingency of which entitled to credit, with great interest, as a the British Government is to be the sole token of just and friendly sentiments in your judge. If this were a ground on which Government towards the United States; the United States could call upon France to but nothing is seen in that act of the cha- repeal her Decrees in case they were still in racter which you impute to it. Without force as to them, surely the French repeal, removing a single objection to the principle to take effect on a future specified day, and on which the Orders in Council were is- whose revival was not provided for on any sued, and have been maintained, it affords contingency whatever, was a ground on a complete justification of the demand here- which their call on Great Britain to repeal tofore made on your Government for their her Orders in Council, in respect to the repeal. The British Government has United States, ought not to have been recomplained that the United States demand- sisted.In reply to your insinuation, ed the repeal of the Orders in Council in a that the demand made on your Government conditional repeal of the French Decrees, to repeal its edicts, which violate the neualthough the French condition required no- tral rights of the United States, is made in thing of Great Britain which she ought not concert with France, to obtain from Great to have consented to, and was, moreover, Britain an abandonment of her maritime a condition subsequent, and not precedent; rights; it is sufficient to refer you to docuand it now proposes to repeal the Orders in ments which have been long before the pubCouncil conditionally also, with this dif- lic, and particularly to the letter of Mr. ference, that the condition on which their Pinckney to the Marquis Wellesley, of Jarepeal is to be made is a condition pre-nuary 14, 1811, protesting in the most socedent, and not subsequent, and is likewise one which Great Britain has no right to claim. This condition requires that the French Decrees shall be absolutely and unconditionally repealed; that is, that they shall be repealed according to explanations given, not only as they related to the United States, but as to all other neutral nations, and all who prohibited a commerce in British manufactures with the enemies of Great Britain.- -So far as the French Decrees violated the neutral commerce of the United States, we had a right to demand the repeal, and obtained it. The repeal was declared by an authentic and formal act of the French Government, and communicated to this Government by the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States at Paris, and to the British Government by their Minister Plenipotentiary at London; and has, moreover, been officially published within the United States. The authenticity of the repeal was placed be lemn manner against looking to any other source for the opinions and principles of the United States, than to the United States themselves. Let me repeat, with respect to the Orders in Council, that all we demand is, that they cease to violate the neutral rights of the United States, which they have violated, and still violate on the high sea should they be continued as to France in any form which may not violate those rights, or as to any other neutral nation to which they may be applicable, it would be for such nation, and not for the United States, to contend against them.The report of the French Minister, on which this declaration of your Government is founded, affords no proof that the French Government intended by it to violate its engagement to the United States, as to the repeal of the Decrees. It evidently refers to the Continental system, by the means relied on to enforce it. The armies of France (To be continued.) 287] As illustrated in the Prosecution and Punishment of [288 In order that my countrymen and that the two sureties in the sum of 1,000 pounds each; world may not be deceived, duped, and cheated that the whole of this sentence has been executed upon this subject, 1, WILLIAM COBBETT, upon me, that I have been imprisoned the two of Botley, in Hampshire, put upon record years, have paid the thousand pounds TO THE the following facts; to wit: That, on the 24th KING, and have given the bail, Timothy Brown June, 1809, the following article was pub and Peter Walker, Esqrs. being my sureties; lished in a London news-paper, called the that the Attorney General was Sir Vicary Gibbs, COURIER:- "The Mutiny amongst the LO- the Judge who sat at the trial Lord Ellenborough, “CAL MILITIA, which broke out at Ely, was the four Judges who sat af passing sentence Ellen"fortunately suppressed on Wednesday by the borough, Grose, Le Blanc, and Bailey; and that "arrival of four squadrons of the GERMAN the jurors were, Thomas Rhodes of Hampstead "LEGION CAVALRY from Bury, under the Road, Jehn Davis of Southampton Place, James "command of General Auckland. Five of the Ellis of Tottenham Court Road, John Richards ❝ringleaders were tried by a Court-Martial, and of Bayswater, Thomas Marsham of Baker Street, "sentenced to receive 500 lashes each, part of which Robert Heathcote of High Street Marylebone, 66 punishment they received on Wednesday, and John Maud of York Place Marylebone, George a part was remitted. A stoppage for their knup- Bagster of Church Terrace Pancras, Thomas "sacks was the ground of the complaint that ex- Taylor of Red Lion Square, David Deane of St, "cited this mutinous spirit, which occasioned John Street, William Palmer of Upper Street "the men to surround their officers, and demand Islington, Henry Favre of Pall Mall; that the "what they deemed their arrears. The first Prime Ministers during the time were Spencer "division of the German Legion halted yesterday Perceval, until he was shot by John Bellingham, at Newmarket on their return to Bury."- and after that Robert B. Jenkinson, Earl of LiThat, on the 1st July, 1809, I published, in the verpool; that the prosecution and sentence took Political Register, an article censuring, in the place in the reign of King George the Third, and strongest terms, these proceedings; that, for so that, he having become insane daring my imprí doing, the Attorney General prosecuted, as sedi- sonment, the 1,000 ponads was paid to his son, tions libellers, and by Ex-Officio Information, the Prince Regent, in his behalf; that, during my me, and also my printer, my publisher, and one imprisonment, I wrote and published 364 Essays of the principal retailers of the Political Register; and Letters upon political subjects; that, during that I was brought to trial on the 15th June, the same time, I was visited by persons from 197 1810, and was, by a Special Jury, that is to say, cities and towns, many of them as a sort of depuby 12 men ont of 48 appointed by the Master of ties from Societies or Clubs; that, at the expira the Crown Office, found guilty; that, on the tion of my imprisonment, on the 9th of July, 1812, 20th of the same month, I was compelled to give a great dinner was given in London for the purbail for my appearance to receive judgment;pose of receiving me, at which dinner upwards of and that, as I came up from Botley (to which 600 persons were present, and at which Sir place I had returned to my family and my farm Francis Burdett presided; that dinners and other on the evening of the 15th), a Tipstaff went parties were held on the same occasion in many down from London in order to seize me, per- other places in England; that, on my way home, sonally; that, on the 9th of July, 1810, I, toge- I was received at Alton, the first town in Hamp ther with my printer, publisher, and the news-shire, with the ringing of the Church bells; that man, were brought into the Court of King's Bench to receive judgment; that the three former were sentenced to be imprisoned for some months in the King's Bench prison; that I was sentenced to be imprisoned for two years in Newgate, the great receptacle for malefactors, and the front of which is the scene of numerous hangings in the course of every year; that the part of the prison in which I was sentenced to be confined is sometimes inhabited by felons, that felons were actually in it at the time I entered it; that one man was taken out of it to be transported in about 48 hours after I was put into the same yard with him; and that it is the place of confinement for men guilty of unnatural crinies, of whom there are four in it at this time; that, besides this imprisonment, I was sentenced to pay a thousand pounds TO THE KING, and to give security for my good behaviour for seven years, myself in the sum of 3,000 pounds, and a respectable company met me and gave me a dinner at Winchester; that I was drawn from more than the distance of a mile into Botley by the people; that, upon my arrival in the village, I found all the people assembled to receive me; that I concluded the day by explaining to them the cause of my imprisonment, and by giving them clear notions respecting the flogging of the Local Militia-men at Ely, and respecting the em ployment of German Troops; and, finally, which is more than a compensation for my losses and all my sufferings, I am in perfect health and strength, and, though I must, for the sake of six children, feel the diminution that has been made in my property (thinking it right in me to decline the offer of a subscription), I have the consolation to see growing up three sous, upon whose hearts, I trust, all these facts will be engraven. Botley, July 23, 1812. WM. COBBETT. Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent Garden. VOL. XXII. No. 10.] LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPT. 5, 1812. [Price 1s. MR. "Besides, it is to be recollected, that these foreign officers are in our army only for A LIMIT. "ED TIME, whereas the Irish Catholics, if in the army, would be there for life."PERCEVAL'S speech in defence of the employing of German Troops. 289]. [290 "command of the Prince Regent in the SUMMARY OF POLITICS. "Gazette of last night, conferring permaGERMAN TROOPS.- The public have "nent rank in the British Army upon the seen, and, I hope, they have attended to, "Officers of the German Legion, who have the recent measure of giving (or attempting "hitherto served against the enemy with to give) permanent rank in our army to temporary rank. The CONSTANT the Officers of the German Troops. This," and CONSPICUOUS merits of those which is one of the greatest strides that haye" brave men on every occasion of their been made, even in the present reign, I" being employed, have fully entitled them now propose to take into consideration, and "to their rank in that army, whose to discuss. My opinion is, that it is a "glory they have so effectually contributed measure contrary to the constitutional laws" to maintain.". -So that we are here to of England; and, indeed, that it is a mea-be told, that these mercenary troops have sure, which must, of itself, become nuga- effectually contributed to maintain the glory tory, unless a law be made to repeal a part of our army; and are, indeed, given to of the Act of Settlement, and to sanction understand, that the recent victory was, in this new measure. -I shall, first of all, a conspicuous degree, owing to the bravery insert the instrument by which this mea- of these Germans!- -I remember, that, sure has been put into life. It is as follows: in the case of the capture of the "Invinci"War Office, Aug. 18, 1812-Memo- "ble Standard" in Egypt, I was most fu“ randum.—In consideration of the King's riously assailed only because I endeavoured "German Legion having so frequently dis- to do justice, bare justice, to the foreigner "tinguished themselves against the enemy, who really took that Standard, while the "and particularly upon the occasion of the honour of the act was claimed by another. recent victory obtained near Salamanca, I caused proof to be given upon oath; in "his Royal Highness the Prince Regent is short, I made it as clear as the sun, that "pleased, in the name and on the behalf of the Standard was not taken by the Scotch"His Majesty, to command, that the Of-man, who, it was asserted, had taken it; ❝ficers who are now serving with tempo- and that it was taken by a foreigner in our rary rank in the several regiments of that service. For this I was most grossly corps, shall have permanent rank in the abused. I was reviled with as much acri"British army from the date of their re-mony as if I had attempted to rip out the 66 spective commissions.- The nature of this measure is evident: its effect will be to make promotion slower amongst the native officers; but, this is of little consequence compared to the effect in a constitutional point of view.The base hire ling, who conducts the Courier news-paper, and who discovers a soul beneath that of a subject of Algiers, seems to have thought that this measure would not pass without something being said upon it; and, therefore, he, in the same paper in which he inserts the instrument, thus endeavours to stigmatize any animadversion upon it. 66 "There is, perhaps, but ONE man in "the Empire, who will not regard with pleasure the arrangement notified by bowels of the whole Highland Regiment K ર on each individual of the German Legion "who signalized himself on that day. But "to take them all in the lump and put them 66 66 ters who now dare, nay, who are apparently" which operates to the serious injury of proud of giving a large share, if not the "the officers of the British army, because greatest share, of the glory of our army to "it places, by a simple paragraph in the the German Troops! How are we changed "Gazette, twelve hundred foreign officers since this war began! Aye, but not so "above several thousands of British in much, perhaps, as we shall be before this "rank, and consequently bars them to that war be ended?- -It is true, that, the fo- "extent from promotion.-British officers reigner who took the "Invincible Standard" "would have rejoiced in the most honourwas a FRENCHMAN. I allow that there" able mark of distinction being conferred is so much of difference in the two cases. It was proved, that the man, who took the Invincible Standard from the French, was a FRENCHMAN; and it was quite ridi-" on permanent rank, by which many of culous to see the faces and hear the remarks "them, with only two or three years of of the boasters, when this fact was proved; service, will get the rank of Colonel, over but, what is the difference in reality? It" the heads of gallant Englishmen who have is no more a dishonour to us to have our served many years (and who have bought victories won by Frenchmen than it is to "their commissions as well as served) does have them won by Germans. One are just seem to us an ungracious course towards as much our countrymen as the other. "the native army of rewarding the GerWe are no more of the High Dutch breed mans. -We are far from questioning than we are of the French breed; and, I "their merits; but at the same time let it am quite sure, that it is less dishonour to not be forgotten, that one single English us to be surpassed in valour by the French" regiment on that day lost more officers than by the Germans, the whole of whom" and men than the whole German Legion have been so recently beaten and pummelled "put together.It is, however, in a conand conquered by those same French. I do "stitutional point of view that this is obnot wish to hear it said, or insinuated, that "jectionable, since by a summary sweep any foreigners surpass in valour our native" the German Legion is naturalized. From troops; I do not wish to see the glory of a thousand to twelve hundred foreign our army attributed to any body but na- "officers are incorporated with our own, tives; but, if such is to be the case, I must " and thus the nationality of our army is confess that I should feel less shame at see-. "affected. These gentlemen will have to ing the glory carried off by the French who" mix with British officers in every regiare in our service, than by Germans, let ment (be in the way of Englishmen on them come from what part of Germany every vacancy), and, without the same they will; because all the Germans have" standing, will be before thousands of our recently been beaten by the French, and own gallant countrymen in the road to have, indeed, been conquered by them," promotion.-This is called a new æra in and, particularly in Hanover, without any our history! It is, indeed, a new æra, attempt to resist. But, to proceed, the "when, by a stroke of the pen, such a slave of the Courier was mistaken in his " body of Germans can be made English! calculations; for there were more than "What Cassius observes of the old Ro"one man" in the kingdom, to disapprove mans not bearing a Cæsar, may well be of this measure. He did me the honour to applied to the ancient Britons not bearing make sure that it would not escape my ani- "a German army within the island. madversion; but, he does not seem to have" Every one has lamented the preferences anticipated any such thing on the part of the" that have been lately shewn to the whisMorning Chronicle. Mr. Perry, however," kered Barons in our own Hussar regicould not so far sacrifice to party as to suffer "ments; but now, as we shall have so this to pass unnoticed; and, accordingly, in "many foreign candidates for commissions his paper of the 27th of August, he pub-" in all our regiments, the prepossession in lished the following article:"their favour will be a source of severe "not avoid expressing our regret that the "mortification to our own countrymen. "services of the German troops in the me- "We are sure, that if Parliament had "morable battle of Salamanca, were not "been sitting, the measure would not have "rewarded in some other way than by in- " passed without remonstrance."The 66 corporating all the officers with the Bri- slave of the Courier seems to have been "tish, and giving them permanent rank very vigilant and sharp-sighted upon this "in our army. This is a species of reward occasion; for, in his paper of the evening "We can 66 46 of the same day, he replies in these words: ly distinguished themselves against the "The Opposition express their "re-enemy; whence it must be inferred, that they have gone farther, or done more, than our native troops in general; for, without this they could not DISTINGUISH themselves. To distinguish oneself means to make oneself appear, to show oneself, in a light different from those by whom one is surrounded. To distinguish, in its most ge-' ral sense, means, to show, or to point out, or to discover, the difference in things, or in persons; and, when it is applied to the distinction in the actions of men, as being more or less honourable, it means, to make known, or to make eminent; and, when applied in the reflected sense, that is to say, where the action returns upon the agent, it means, to make oneself eminent, to show that there is a difference between oneself and others. Therefore, if the Gernian Troops have, as the Memorandum from the War-Office says they have, "FREQUENTLY DISTINGUISHED "gret that the services of the German troops in the memorable battle of Salamanca, were not rewarded in some other "way than by incorporating all the officers "with the British, and giving them permanent rank in the army." That the "Opposition feel regret we do not doubt; "it is perfectly natural to them. But may "it be permitted to us who have a different "feeling, to ask in what other way the of "ficers could be rewarded than by attach"ing them permanently to a service for "which they had fought and bled? Had "this honour been conferred upon them in "the outset, before they had been tried "and proved, there might have been cause "of complaint. But the German troops "have been from the beginning employed "in the most active and severe service, and "their steadiness and valour have been "conspicuous in every ballle. Were we "at the end of the war to say to them," themselves against the enemy," they 66.66 your rank was only temporary, and as must frequently have shown a difference "your services are at an end, your rank is between themselves and others; they must "at an end also? Bon Soir." If this is frequently have made themselves eminent, "the scale and system of recompence that is to say, exalted, amongst the rest of "which the Opposition would have acted the army; they must, in short, have GONE "upon, we have more and more occasion FARTHER, or DONE MORE, than our to rejoice that they are not in power; native troops in general; for, if they had but we do assure them, they will find gone no farther, or had done no more, and "themselves mistaken, if they think that had, in no respect, behaved differently "they can sow jealousy or ill will between from the army in general, they could not, "the Officers of the British army and the with truth, be said to have DISTIN"Officers of the German troops. They GUISHED THEMSELVES. It follows, "have fought in the same cause, and the then, that it was the opinion of the Prince “manliness and liberality of the former Regent, that these Germans had behaved "will never repine at any distinction that differently from the army in general; and, "may be conferred upon the valour, good he, of course, concluded that that differ"conduct, and loyalty of the latter." ence was honourable to the Germans, beAs to whether the English Officers will re- cause he makes their conduct, that very pine, upon this occasion, or not, I pretend conduct by which they had distinguished not to know. What feelings they may themselves, the ground for a very great have I cannot tell; nor, indeed, is that of so boon to their officers; the ground, indeed, much importance, in my view of the mat- of a measure, which, if the statement of ter, as are the feelings of the people upon the Morning Chronicle be correct, puts the occasion. To hear the Courier, one many of these officers permanently over would really imagine, that almost the whole the heads of as many officers of native of the glory was won by the Germans, not growth; and which does, in fact, embody only at Salamanca, but every where else. them in the English army, putting men, Their valour, we are told, "has been CON- officers, corps, regiments, brigades, di"SPICUOUS in EVERY battle." Now, visions, armies, and the country itself, by this has been said of none of our own native possibility, as far as relates to military aucorps. To be sure, the Courier does but thority, under their command! -I do repeat, in substance, nearly what is said in not say, that the Germans have not so disthe Memorandum from the Horse Guards, tinguished themselves: I do not say, that whereby it is proclaimed to the nation and there has not been a visible difference beto the world, that the Germans are to between their conduct and that of our native thus rewarded, because they have frequent-officers and men in general: I do not say, |