rules; that there should be an immediate discharge of American seamen from British ships, and a stop to impressments from American ships, with an understanding that an exclusion of the seamen of each nation from the ships of the other should be stipulated, and that the armistice should be improved into a final adjustment of all depending controversies. This advance, the president says, was declined, from an avowed repugnance to suspending the practice of impressing during the armistice, and without any intimation that the arrangement proposed respecting seamen would be accepted. With respect to France, he complains of the continued procrastination in finishing the discussions between the nations; and in noticing the French decree, "purporting to be a definitive repeal of the Berlin and Milan decrees," he says, that although made the ground of the repeal of the British orders in council, it is rendered, by the time and manner of it, liable to many objections. He concludes with recommending proper measures for a vigorous prosecution of the war, and with a solemn assertion of the justice of the cause for which it was undertaken. The correspondence between Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Russell, and between Admiral Warren and Mr. Monroe, respecting an armistice and negociation, was laid before Congress, and afterwards printed in the American papers. The balance of success in the naval war continued to preponderate on the side of the Americans. Besides the numerous captures made by their privateers, actions took place between ships of war which tended to augment their confidence. On the 18th of October, his Majesty's armed brig Frolic, convoying the homewardbound trade from the bay of Honduras, while in the act of repairing damages to her masts and sails received in a violent gale on the preceding night, descried a vessel which gave chase to the convoy. She proved to be the United States sloop of war Wasp, which the Frolic gallantly brought to action, though in her crippled state, in order to save her convoy. She soon, however, became so unmanageable, that the Wasp was enabled to take a raking position, whilst the Frolic could not get a gun to bear. The result was, that every individual officer being wounded, and not more than 20 of the crew remaining unhurt, the enemy boarded, and made prize of the brig. On the same afternoon, however, his Majesty's ship Poic tiers re-captured the Frolic, and took the Wasp. The respective force of the two vessels is not mentioned, but Captain Whinyates of the Frolic, represents his fire as superior in the beginning, and attributes his misfortune solely to the injury done to his vessel by the storm. A second action between frigates of the two nations was of much more serious consequence. The Macedonian frigate, Capt. Carden, being in lat. 29, long. 29°, 30' W. on October 25, descried a ship which proved to be a large frigate under American colours. He did not hesitate to close with her as soon as possible, and the action began at nine A. M. After an hour's firing, on coming to close quarters, he found his antagonist's force force so much superior, that he had no chance for success, except from some fortunate accident. He bravely continued the action to two hours and ten minutes, when the injuries his ship sustained from the enemy's fire having rendered her a perfect wreck, lying like a log upon the water, whilst his opponent was still in good condition, and a heavy loss being incurred in killed and wounded, he submitted, however unwillingly, to surrender rather than make still greater sacrifices. On being taken on board the enemy's ship, the United States, Commodore Decatur, he ceased to wonder at the event of the battle. She was of the scantling of a 74 gun ship, mounted thirty 24-pounders on her maindeck, 22 carronades 42-pounders two 24-pounders on her quarterdeck and forecastle, and had a complement of 478 picked men. Of Captain Carden's crew there were 104 killed and wounded. In these several defeats sustained by the British navy no honour was lost, since every thing was done in defence that could be effected by courage and conduct against superior force; but the unusual circumstance of English striking to foreign ships of a similar class, produced as much mortification on one side, as triumph on the other, and both beyond the occasion. The American government seems, notwithstanding its failures by land, to have persisted in its purpose of invading Canada. Gen. Dearborn, on November 16, broke up his camp from Plattsburg, and marched to Champlain, on the Canada line, the nearest point to Montreal. No operations of consequence, however, were undertaken during the remainder of the year. In England, more active measures by sea against a foe now regarded as worthy of serious attention, were contemplated, and a public notice was issued by the Prince Regent, on December 26, that the ports and harbours of the Chesapeak and Delaware were placed in a state of blockade. CHAPTER CHAPTER XX. Spanish America-Buenos Ayres and Montevideo-Venezuela-Surrender of Caraccas, and counter Revolution-Mexico-Conspiracy at Vera Cruz-Peru-West India Islands-Jamaica-DominicaBarbadoes-St. Domingo-East Indies-Surrender of Kallinjar-Java-Conspiracy at Travancore-Mauritius-Persia. THE HE provinces of Spanish the Viceroy, and the latter pledges America were still the theatre himself for the withdrawment of of a sanguinary civil war between the Portuguese troops from the the two parties of independents Spanish territory. Correspondence and loyalists, and the mother and commerce are to be restored country remained in great measure between Buenos Ayres and Montedeprived of the aids which she had video, and foreign ships may enter been accustomed to receive from the ports of both territories. The these rich possessions. Viceroy declares that no change shall take place in the system established by this treaty, till the Cortes make known their pleasure, which shall be communicated to the government of Buenos Ayres. The negociations mentioned in the history of the last year as having been commenced in the month of October between the Viceroy Elio and the Junta of Buenos Ayres, were concluded by a treaty of pacification dated the 21st. The articles begin with the resolution of both parties to acknowledge no other sovereign than Ferdinand VII. The Junta then, though considering itself at present with out the necessary powers for recognizing the authority of the Cortes, yet makes a declaration of the indivisible unity of the Spanish nation, of which the provinces of the River Plate form an integral part. It also consents to remit to Spain all the pecuniary succours it is able to contribute, for the support of the war in which she is engaged against the usurper of Europe. Another article defines the districts which are severally to remain subject to the Junta and From the terms of this convention, so favourable to the interests of the mother country, it may be conjectured that the Junta of Buenos Ayres found themselves under difficulties in maintaining sufficient authority to enable them to support the cause of independence; and some subsequent events proved, that even in the capital, dissentions prevailed among those engaged in the same cause. December 7, the patrician body troops, discontented at the appointment of a new colonel without consulting them, turned out the whole of their officers from the On of barracks. The other regiments were immediately called to arms, and cannon were planted in the streets. An action ensued, in which, after considerable bloodshed, the patricians were obliged to surrender, and the ringleaders were tried and condemned, some to be shot, and others to imprisonment. The old Junta had been deposed in the preceding month and a new one established, consisting of only four members. The Cabildo interfered with them in the management of public affairs, and party contests were extremely prevalent in the city. In the meantime their authority in the provinces was diminished, and that of Cordova threw off its depend ance on the capital, and set up a government of its own. To these evils was added a quarrel with the Portuguese, whose troops sent in aid of the Montevideans refused to return home according to the stipulation in the late treaty, and took possession of Maldonado. A corps under General Artigas was sent from Buenos Ayres to dislodge them, which entered the territory of Montevideo, contrary to agreement, and made an attack upon a body of Portuguese, but without success. The Montevideans were irritated with this breach of treaty, and fitted out a naval force to prevent the troops of Buenos Ayres from passing to their side of the river; whilst the government of Buenos Ayres, in order to provide supplies for a war, had laid an embargo on all property belonging to Spaniards in Europe, Lima, Montevideo, and the Peruvian pro vinces occupied by the adverse party. In this state were affairs about the middle of February. Advices in March stated that the blockade of Buenos Ayres was resumed by the Montevidean squadron, and that the property of Spaniards was still under sequestration at that city, but had not been confiscated. Further advices received from Buenos Ayres, up to May 20, gave some particulars of the hostility subsisting between the Junta of that city, and the viceroy (now Vigodet) at Montevideo. The occurrences were of no great importance; but the papers on each side displayed a high degree of animosity. The Portuguese, whom the Montevideans denominated " their generous allies," were encamped on the rivulet of St. Francisco, 18 leagues from Salto, where Artigas was posted with the troops of Buenos Ayres. At this last city had arrived two ships from Philadelphia laden with arms and military stores. Not long after, Buenos Ayres was on the brink of experiencing a counter-revolution from a conspiracy in its bosom, which, had it been carried into effect, would probably have rendered the whole city a scene of bloodshed and rapine. A Spaniard, named Martin Alzaga, represented as a man of a daring and turbulentdisposition, associated a considerable number of his countrymen, under an oath of secrecy, in a plot, the purpose of which was to take possession by surprise of all the strong posts of the city, disarm the Americans, and restore the ascendancy of the Spaniards. With this was connected the assassination of the members of goveru ment and magistrates, and doubtless many other persons of consequence were marked as victims. The discovery of the design was owing to the incautious language held by one of the conspirators in the presence of a slave, who re ported ported what he had heard to a person in his confidence, by whom it was disclosed to the government. The fact was made known in a proclamation, issued on July 4, by the superior authorities; and on the 25th it was announced in anoother proclamation that twenty-five of the conspirators had perished on the scaffold, and that judicial proceedings were still going on against persons suspected of being accomplices. Upon the first alarm it is said that more than six thousand men speedily collected to assist the regular force in guarding the city, and apprehending the guilty. The government of Montevideo in consequence of these events prohibited all intercourse with Buenos Ayres. The Portuguese troops commenced a retreat from San Francisco on July 13, an armistice having taken place between the Prince Regent of Portugal and the government of Buenos Ayres. This measure was notified by the latter in a gazette extraordinary, in terms that gave offence to the court of Rio Janeiro, which thought proper officially to contradict the assertion that his Royal Highness had solicited the armistice, and affirmed that he had assented to it only in furtherance of the beneficent views and wishes of his Britannic Majesty, for the restoration of tranquillity to the provinces of the river Plate. The friendly mediation of the British court on this occasion was well received at Buenos Ayres, and rendered the English name more popular than it had lately been. In a further account from that city dated August 31, it is said that the Junta had dispatched an officer to the viceroy at Montevideo with a proposal to send deputies to treat for the cessation of hostilities, which, it was hoped, might lead to the renewal of a friendly communication between the parties. The province of Venezuela, which had so decidedly declared an absolute independence on the mother country, was in the early part of this year visited by a terrible catastrophe, the effects of which had a powerful influence upon its political state. On the 26th of March, in the afternoon, a violent shock of an earthquake was felt at the city of Caraccas, which threw down the greatest part of its buildings, and buried a great number of the inhabitants under their ruins. Its port of La Guayra participated in the destruction; and several other towns in the province were sufferers from the same dreadful calamity, which extended over a wide district (See Chronicle). To tranquillize the minds of the people after this disaster, a proclamation was issued by the government, drawn up in an admirable spirit of patriotism, and sound philosophy. The following extract will show what were the impressions on the occasion from which it was thought most necessary to guard the public mind. "What consequence will you draw from this terrible event? The superstitious and fanatic will tell you, in mysterious language, that it is a punishment of God, who, in his displeasure, especially against the inhabitants of this city, has in this manner manifested his wrath. The ill-affected will suggest to you, that nothing better is to be expected by a city hated by God for having proclaimed her independence, and declared herself against |