THE

CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER,

CONTAINING

THE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS,

AND THE

DEBATES

ON ALL

INTERESTING QUESTIONS AGITATED DURING THE

✓ SESSION,

COMMENCING

ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF NOVEMBER,

1812.

PUBLISHED IN CONCORD, N. H.

By I. & W. R. HILL,

AT THE PATRIOT OFFICE.

THE patronage afforded to the publishers of the former volume together with the increased interest and emphasis which are placed by all political parties on PUBLIC OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, have induced the subscribers to offer proposals for renewing, with the present session of Congress, the publication of the CONGRES. SIONAL REPORTER. The plan of the proposed volume will be Similar to that of the last, with the difference only that the public documents and the debates in Congress will be given in separate numbers, so that each when bound will form part of a volume by itself. As in the former, so in this volume, the most rigid impartiality will be observed in giving the entire documents and speeches, whatever party they may favor, on all questions in which the policy and measures of the government, in regard to foreign nations, or to affairs of great domestic concernment, may be involved. At this momentous crisis, it is presumed a publication on this principle and with these objects, will not fail to merit and receive a munificent and ample patronage from an enlightened public.

The conditions of publication are-that each number, containing sixteen large octavo pages, will be furnished at the moderate price of five cents, (the postage to be deducted) payable when the volume is completed ;-that a deduction of 12 1-2 per cent. will be made to those who procure and become responsible for more than ten subscribers ;-that a person, wishing it, may, when finished, be furnished withe volume neatly bound and lettered for the additional sum of thirty cents.

December 1, 1812.

I. & W. R. HILL.

CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER.

'PART I....PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.

No. 1.] TWELFTH CONGRESS.... SECOND SESSION. [1812-13.

President's Message.

WASHINGTON CITY, Nov. 4. The Prefident of the United States this day communicated, by Mr. Coles his private Secretary, the following Message to Congress :

Fellow Citizens of the Senate,

and House of Representatives,

ON our prefent meeting it is my first duty to invite your attention to the providential favors which our country has experienced in the unufual degree of health! difpenfed to its inhabitants, and in the rich abundance with which the earth has rewarded the labors bestowed on it. In the fuccessful cultivation of other branches of industry, and in the progrefs of general improvement favorable to the national profperity, there is juft occafion alfo for our mutual congratulations and thankfulness.

With these bleffings are neceffarily mingled the preffures and viciffitudes incident to the ftate of war, into which the United States have been forced by the perfeverance of a foreign power, in its fyftem of injuftice and aggreffion.

Previous to its declaration, it was deemed proper, as a meafure of precaution and forecaft, that a confiderable force fhould be placed in the Michigan territory, with a general view to its fecurity, and in the event of war, to fuch operations in the uppermoft Canada as would intercept the hoftile influence of Great Britain over the favages, obtain the command of the lake on which that part of Canada borders, and maintain co-operating relations with fuch forces as might be moft conveniently employed against other parts. Brigadier General Hull was charged with this provifional service, having under his command a body of troops compofed of regulars and volunteers from the State of Ohio. Having reached his destination after his knowledge of the war, and poffeffing difcretionary authority to act offenfively, he paffed into the neighboring territory of the enemy with a profpect of eafy and victorious progress. The expedition nevertheless terminated unfortunately, not only in a retreat to the town and fort of Detroit, but in the furrender of both, and of the gallant corps commanded by that officer. The caufes of this painful reverse will be investigated by a military tribun

followed this adverse event, is the ufe made by our enemy of the mercile fs favages under their influence. Whilft the benev. olent policy of the United States, invariably recommended peace, and promoted civilization, among that wretched portion of the human race; and was making exertions to diffuade them from taking either fide in the war, the enemy has not fcrupled to call to his aid their ruthlefs ferocity, armed with the horrors of those inftruments of carnage and torture, which are known to fpare neither age nor lex. In this outrage against the laws of honorable war, and against the feelings facred to humanity, the British commanders cannot refort to a plea of retaliation; for it is committed in the face of our example. They cannot mitigate it by calling it a felf defence against men in arms; for it embraces the moft fhocking butcheries of defencelefs families. Nor can it be pretended that they are not answerable for the atrocities perpetrated; fince the favages are employed with a knowledge, and even with menaces, that their fury could not be controlled. Such is the fpectacle which the deputed authorities of a nation boafting its religion and morality, have not been reftrained from prefenting to an enlightened age.

The misfortune at Detroit was not, however, without a confoling effect. It was followed by fignal proofs, that the national spirit rifes according to the preffure on it. The lofs of an important poft, and of the brave men furrendered with it, infpired every where new ardor and determination. In the States and dif tricts leaft remote, it was no fooner known than every citizen was ready to fly with his arms, at once to protect his brethren against the blood-thirfty favages let loofe by the enemy on an extenfive frontier; and to convert a partial calamity into a fource of invigorated efforts.

This patriotic zeal, which it was necessary rather to limit than excite, has embodied an ample force from the ftates of Kentucky and Ohio, and from parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia. It is placed, with the addition of a few regulars under the command of Brigadier General Harrifon, who poffeffes the entire confidence of his fellow foldiers, among whom are citizens, fome of them volunteers in the ranks, not lefs diftinguished by their political stations than by their perfonal merits. The greater portion of this force is proceeding on its deftination towards the Michigan territory, having fucceeded in relieving an important frontier poft, and in feveral incidental operations against hostile tribes of favages, rendered indifpenfable by the fubferviency into which they had been feduced by the enemy; a feduction the more cruel, as it could not fail to impofe a neceffity of precautionary feverities against thofe who yielded to it.

At a recent date, an attack was made on a post of the enemy near Niagara by a detachment of the regular and other forces, -under the command of Major General Van Rensselaer of the militia of the State of New York. The attack, it appears, was or

dered in compliance with the ardor of the troops, who executed it with diftinguished gallantry, and were for a time victorious, but not receiving the expected fupport, they were compelled to yield to reinforcements of Britifh regulars and favages. Our loss has been confiderable and is deeply to be lamented. That of the enemy, lefs afcertained, will be the more felt, as it includes among the killed the commanding general, who was alfo the governor of the province; and was fuftained by veteran troops, from unexperienced foldiers, who muft daily improve in the duties of the field.

Our expectation of gaining the command of the lakes, by the invasion of Canada from Detroit, having been difappointed, measures were inftantly taken to provide, on them, a naval force fuperior to that of the enemy. From the talents and activity of the officer charged with this object, every thing that can be done may be expected-Should the prefent feafon not admit of complete fuccefs, the progrefs made will enfure for the next a naval afcendency, where it is effential to our permanent peace with, and control over the favages.

Among the incidents to the meafures of the war, I am conftrained to advert to the refusal of the Governors of MaffachuTetts and Connecticut, to furnifh the required detachments of militia towards the defence of the maritime frontier.

The refufal was founded on a novel and unfortunate expofi. tion of the provisions of the conftitution relating to the militia. -The correfpondencies which will be before you, contain the requisite information on the fubject. It is obvious, that if the authority of the United States to call into fervice and command the militia for the public defence, can be thus frustrated, even in a state of declared war, and of courfe under apprehenfion of invafion preceding war, they are not one nation for the pur• pofe moft of all requiring it; and that the public fafety may have no other refource, than in thofe large and permanent military establishments which are forbidden by the principles of our free government, and against the neceffity of which the militia were meant to be a conftitutional bulwark.

On the coafls, and on the ocean, the war has been as fucceffful as circumftances infeparable from its early ftages could promife. Our public fhips and private cruizers, by their activity, and where there was occafion, by their intrepidity, have made the enemy fenfible of the difference between a reciprocity of captures, and the long confinement of them to their side. Our trade, with little exception, has fafely reached our ports having been much favored in it by the course pursued by a fquadron of our frigates, under the command of Commodore Rodgers. And in the inftance, in which skill and bravery were more particularly tried with thofe of the enemy, the American flag had an aufpicious triumph. The frigate Constitution, commanded by Capt. Hull, after a clofe and fhort engagement, completely disabled and captured a British frigate; gain