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attachment; to elevate morality to foreign nations in regard to us, honour, to impress on the minds of has not yet been openly displayed. the rising generation, the sacred Whatever it may be, let us place principles of good morals, and of ourselves, without however assu. honour ; and to convince the peo. ming any bravading airs of defiance, ple that without morality and reli. in such a position as that we may gion, human society cannot exist. have nothing to fear from hostile

“Your interests are also guarded intentions. The states that may by tribunals: whose decisions will be desirous of forming political rebe dictated by equity, and justice. lations with us, or to enjoy the ad. It is, above all, by probity and vantage of our commerce, will find good faith, that it femains for the us disposed to meet them half way, people of Hayti, to make them on principles of a fair reciprocity.

, . selves known, and to be distinguish. To enemies we hold out nothing ed in the world. As they are, from but battles and death. their local situation, and the peculiar “In the midst of all these subjects nature of their manufactures, essen- of attention, let us never forget tially a commercial people, it is that the only guarantee of liberty, their business, by equity, fair deal- is, arms. Though a part of our ing, and good faith, as well as by fellow citizens be necessarily called the produce of the country, to draw to the occupations of agriculture, to their territory, merchants from we ought never to forget that we are

all parts of the world. Commerce all soldiers, and that warlike nam : being to us the source of all kinds tions alone, have been able to pre. of riches ; strangers who come to ;

serve their liberties. Let us bear seek their fortunes in our ports, in mind, how a handful of Greeks must receive the same protection we confounded the rage of a million enjoy ourselves, and be treated with of Barbarians, who had come to that hospitality they well deserve. subdue them to slavery. To feed commerce, and raise it to swear to imitate their example. Let a state of the highest activity ; af. us swear to observe ourselves, and ter restoring the dignity, and vene. make others observe, our sacred ration due to religion, purified mo. constitution, and rather to die than rality, re-established good morals, to suffer that, ever, in the smallest and encouraged agriculture and instance, it should be violated.”— commerce, great exertions remain Given at head quarters, at the Cape, still to be made. It is not permit. 17th of February, 1807, fourth ted to us to neglect the use of arms. year of independence.” · The enemy watches our motions, The readers of Dodsley's Annual and keeps an eye on our proceed. Register Continued*, will recollect a ings. The affections of our friends parallel to the patriotism, virtues, and areyet withoutany guarantee. Tres talents, for government, as well as ties of alliance must connect war, in another native of St. Do. with the latter. With arms in our mingo, Toussaint L'Ouverture, hands, we must always be ready to who, after a short but brilliant cam fight the former, -The politics of reer in St. Domingo, fell into the

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* See Vol. XLII. 1800. chap. xv.

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hands of the French, and conse- tures on-board the neutral vessels quently into a dungeon, where he to any of the ports of the united soon died, as was supposed of poi- kingdom.-- This measure was cerson.

tainly wisely calculated both for enThe whole of the code of Chris- couraging the trade of Hayti, and of tophe, displays patriotism, modera. Great Britain and Ireland. tion, firmness, and political wisdom. Another event, fortunate for the

The tenth head, guaranteeing the British commerce, happened on neighbouring colonies, was a mas- the 1st of January, 1807. The terly stroke of policy.. " The go. island of Curaçoa was taken by a vernment of Hayti, declares to the squadron of British frigates, com. powers possessing colonies in the manded by captain Brisbane, under neighbourhood, never to interfere the orders of vice-admiral Dacres, in the government of those coun. with the loss of only three men kil. tries. The people of Hayti make . led, and fourteen wounded. Yet do conquests beyond their own isle, the harbour was defended by regu. and content themselves with the con. lar fortifications, of two tiers of servation of their own territory." guns, Fort Amsterdam alone mount. A nymber of turbulent persons ed 66 pieces of cannon.

The en. in the southern part of Hayti, had trance was only fifty yards wide, formed designs of revolt and revo. and across it were moored two fri. lution in Jamaica, and had sentemis- gates, and two large schooners of saries there for that purpose. But

A chain of forts on the com. general Christophe, who had been manding heights of Misleburg, and informed of the plot, and who were Fort Republique, deemed nearly the principal individuals concerned impregnable, was within distance of in it, immediately denounced them, grape shot, and enfiladed the whole and they were arrested.-It was im. harbour. Soon after day-break, the possible for the British government British frigates made all possible to be otherwise than on good terms. sail in close order of battle. The with such a neighbour. An order vessels appointed to intercept their of council was issued at the court entrance, were taken by boarding; of St. James's, February 1807, au- the lower forts, the citadel, and thorizing all British merchant-men town of Amsterdam, by storm. The bound for Buenos Ayres, and La port was entered at a quarter after Plata, to proceed to any port in the six in the morning. Before ten a island of St. Domingo, not under capitulation was signed. The Brithe power of France or Spain, there tish flag was hoisted on Fort La Reto dispose of their cargoes, to take publique. And the inhabitants of the produce of the country in re- the town, to the number of 30,000, tur and either to bring such car- swore allegiance to the British go. goes directly to any port of the vernment. united kingdom of Great Britain Our affairs in the East Indies too and Irelaud, or to ship them on. were prosperous; though symptoms board neutral vessels, to be sold at appeared of a lurking spirit of dis. any of the colonies of the enemy: content, alarm, and daring enterthe owners of the cargoes to return prise, bred by the late horrors at with the proceeds of such adven. Vellore, the unfortunate and

war.

frivolous

British arms,

was

frivolous causes in which they ori. command of major-general Dickens, ginated, and the repulse of the and encamped before Comona, his

after two

most principal fort. But, instead of at. desperate attempts on the strong, tacking it immediately, as the general and it would appear almost impreg- advised, the government procrastinable fortress of Burtpore. The nated the siege, and allowed him one pitiful alterations that had been so month to deliver himself up. During childishly introduced into the mili. the interval, he employed himself in tary dress of the Sepoys, were given widening his ditch, strengthening up immediately after the insurrec. his wall, and making every other tion and massacre at Vellore, in preparation he could think of for a July 1806. But for several months determined and resolute resistance. after, a spirit of alarm, restlessness, At the expiration of the month, he and commotion, discerned sent word that he would deliver up among different corps of native both himself and the fort to the getroops : nor did this immediately or neral, provided he was assured that fully subside, even after the judi. his life was safe. But he would cious proclamation of the govern. never consent to appear before a ment of Madrass, December 3d, judge; as his government was not 1806, noticed in our last volume. * subject to our civil jurisprudence.

A chief, named Dundie Khan, had In consequence of orders from the received a tract of land, in addition governor-general, the place was in. to that which he held of the com. vested. Trenches were dug, batpany, for his neutrality during the teries erected, and a breach that had war with Holkar, and Scindiah. been made, reported to be practi. This man being called on to pay his cable. On the 18th of November, tribute, said he was not then able to 1807, about three o'clock P. M. do it; alledging in excuse, that his five companies of his majesty's 17th ryots (tenants) had not brought regiment of infantry, the same reinto his treasury money sufficient to giment that had been so severely pay the demand. He was treated handled in the mad attack on the gently: but next year, 1807, a com- fortress of Burtpore, with some plaint was again made against Dun. companies of Sepoys, went down die Khan to the judge and magistrate to the breach. At the same time, an of the district, who sent him a sub- attack was made on a fortified garpena, commanding his attendance in den, to the right of the fort; which the court, by a hircarrah, who is a was repelled with great slaughter on messenger of the lowest class. This the side of the storming party. indignity was so offensive to Dun. When our men descended the head die's pride, that he ordered the of the glacis, they saw a ditch 28 man's head to be cut off. For this feet deep, and 44 broad ; but found atrocious act of contumacy, he was numberless obstacles in the way of again summoned before the civil their ascending to the breach, for tribunal, and again refused to make at the bottom of the ditel, the enehis

appearance: whereupon a mili- my had dug pits, which they had tary force was called out, under the filled with powder: and on these,

* HISTORY OF EUROPE, P. 254.

they

they threw lighted choppers; coverings for huts made of dry wood and straw, and cemented with pitch; by which numbers of our men were blown up. Exposed to this furnace, while bastions still entire completely enfiladed the whole of the storming party, our troops remained for two hours, leaving nothing untried that the most determined bravery could suggest for getting into the fort; without effect. They were at last called off from this murderous scene, not without difficulty. Next night the enemy evacuated the fortress of Comona, and proceeded to that of Ghurnowrie. The loss of the British at Comona, was 35 officers, killed and wounded, and 700 men, of whom 147 were Europeans. On the 24th of November, regulàr ap

were

proaches began to be made to Ghurnowrie; and when these were sufficiently advanced, shells thrown, which annoyed the troops of Dundie Khan, who had no gar. den to retreat to, as at Comona, so much, that, about seven in the evening, of the 10th of December, 1807, they abandoned the fort and escaped across the Jumna.* This attempt to take the fort of Comona, with out either filling up, or partly filling up the ditch, or destroying the bastions, seems to exceed in absurdity, and a wanton disregard to the lives of men, the attempt to reduce Buenos Ayres with iron crows and bayonets.-Whether the conduct of general Dickens was ever made a subject of inquiry, we have not learnt.

*Extract of a letter from an officer, dated at Ghurnowrie, in the Doab, 27th of December, 1807.

CHAP.

CHAP. XIII.

General Elections.-Important change in public opinion, respecting an usual Majority in the House of Commons.-Westminster Election.-Meeting of Parliament-His Majesty's Speech.-Debates thereon, in both Houses.—Measure for obviating the inconveniencies respecting private Bills, arising from the late Dissolution of Parliament.-Debate thereon.-Appointment of a new Committee of Finance.-House of Commons, in a Committee of Supply.-Army and Navy Estimates.-New Military Plan for recruiting and reinforcing the Army.-Irish Arms, and Insurrection Bills,-Motion by Lord Coehrane, for discovering to the Public what Sinecure_Places, Pensions, &c. were held by Members of Parliament.-Bill against the granting of Offices in reversion, thrown out of the House of Lords.-Address by the House of Commons to His Majesty, on the subject of granting, Places in Reversion.-Notice by Mr. Bankes of a Motion against Places in Reversion, to be made by him early in next Session of Parliament.-Prorogation of Parliament.

THE

HE most striking feature or characteristic in the general elections that followed the dissolutions of the short parliament, in April 1807, was, that the progress of publie opinion appeared to have in a great measure, superseded the influence of faction and party. The men in power, with their dependents, cried, Beware of popery, and of the encroachments of power. ful families combined, on the prerogative of the crown: the late ministers, with theirs, Beware of the intrigues and artifices of subtle courtiers, and chicaning lawyers. The great opposite factions were loud in their accusations of each other. Each maintained, that the other grasped at offices, and the administration of government, not that they might have an opportunity of serving the country, but

merely for the purpose of getting
possession of the public money.
The people appeared very well dis-
posed to believe both.
Both par-
ties, the Ours and the INs, as they
were familiarly called, had so uni.
formly embarrassed government,
when it was not in their own hands,
and yet so uniformly taken the first
opportunity of deserting the cause
they had professed, to maintain,
that the people at large had abso-
lutely lost all confidence in a ma-
jority of them; a change in public
opinion, fraught with many remote, if
not speedy consequences. Sir Francis
Burdett, and lord Cochrane, became
popular by disclaiming all attach-
ment to all parties and factions,
and declaring their wishes to over-
turn abuses, and nothing but abu,
ses; to look only to the measures
of men, and not to their persons

and

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