WAR IN DISGUISE; " An Apology for His Majesty's Navy. One STEPHEN, a Lawyer, and once a Reporter, in, Who a Master in Chancery since has been made, Which was then carried on, on all parts of the DECATUR Cher, den from France and the rest "War in Disguise." The name "of Europe "What a clear of the Captain of the Macedonian and just view of the matter I had, was CARDEN. This preface is even then! On Lake Erie, the enough. Americans had fifty-six guns, and we had seventy, as will be seen by reference to the Register, vol. 26, page 604. Where, then, is this harvest of naval glory which these men have achieved for us? While the beating of our ships by the Americans was going on, all manner of lies were put forth to amuse the besotted public of the Wen. DIBDIN was dead, I believe, but other coiners of braggery were constantly at work; and, to read our villanous newspapers one must have concluded, that the Americans were every where fleeing before us like hunted deer. Still, however, it was not in the power of this infamous press to suppress all knowledge of the capture of our frigates and other ships of war. But, then, the invention of strange lies came to break the fall. The American frigates were represented as seventy-four gun ships; and this was conspicuously the case, when the news arrived of the Macedonian having been taken by the American Captain DECATUR. Upon this occasion the villanous This was the way to deal with newspapers actually asserted in things so absurd and impudent. the most positive terms, that Cap- But I am not for letting off the tain Decatur's frigate was a se- subject so lightly. Here is an venty-four in disguise, and the assertion on the part of this vilcajoled nation believed them. In lanous writer in the Courier, that such a case, what are you to do? we owe these men gratitude, beWhy, do as I did, and a specimen cause they have, by their great inof my doings I here give to the dividual exertions, achieved for public, who, I thank God, are no the country great naval glory longer humbugged. STEPHEN, I have before given an exact who is now a Master in Chancery, statement with regard to the indihad, at the time here alluded to, vidual engagements with the Amewritten a pamphlet to justify the ricans. I will now give a stateconfiscation of American vessels. ment, equally exact, as to the reThis pamphlet he had entitled lative force. Attack'd, without doubting to take her, or beat prising; And it can't be disgraceful to strike to an elf, Engagement on Lake Erie, on the cases, more guns as well as more 11th Sept. 1813. AMERICAN. VESSELS. 20 3 1 22 men, on the side of the British. Yet they were beaten, and the GUNS. whole of them killed or captured 20 in both cases, except some of the gun boats which saved themselves 4 by flight. I should like to see* 2 Mr. JAMES's book, in order to know 4 how he manages these little mat1 ters. He has had, it seems, the i approbation of the Duke of Clarence and some other officers given 56 to his book. I beg some one, who has had money to throw away. upon such a book, to tell me how 18 Mr. JAMES manages this affair. 14 At any rate, manage it as her. 3 will, here we have the true story 10 about the glory which these men have achieved for us. The fact 70 is, and we all feel it, that the American Navy has taken its.. The vile Lon- : place above ours. don newspapers begin to talk of the Two Great Naval Powers"! These are the very wretches that talked of the "fir frigates with bits of bunting flying at their mastheads." These two " Great Naval Powers," are talked of by the 57 very slave, who says that these men have achieved for us the greatest naval glory! ........ 3 Engagement on Lake Champlain, on the 11th Sept. 1814. Vessels. Guns. Men. Killed. Wound. 6 Saratoga.. 26....210.... 26... 20 1.... 3.... .... 3 Large ship 39....300, 50.... 60 16....120.... 20.... 30 11.... 40.... 6.... 10 Brig... 11 Gun-boats16.... 550.. 93 1050 2.... 86 110 We are told, that "we are now reposing upon the fruits of their 11.... 40.... 8.... 10 "exploits." Reposing we are with a devil to it! Reposing under a debt of eight hundred millions, a dead weight of a hundred and fifty millions, and under a pauper debt of two hundred millions. These knights may repose, indeed; but what repose is there for the oppressed and starving people of England, Ireland, and Scotland? Vile miscreant! It is pretty reposing, when there is at this mo ment a Bill before Parliament having the following Preamble:: Several of the gun-boats struck (says the American official report); but the sinking state of the large vessels called us away from them, and they saved themselves by flight. I would lay my life that Mr JAMES has not touched on these affairs. Here are, in these two “Whereas, in many agricultural our pay in their pockets? Let "places, labourers have been un- them, I say, go and beat Jonathan, "able to procure work in the and not come and beat us. "winter season, whereby able"bodied men are left to subsist in As to Mr. JAMES, we shall see "idleness and on parochial relief, him, I dare say, hushing the mat"which it is expedient as much as ter up; for, mind, if he does not "possible, to prevent." Look at do that, he does not sell his book, this, you prostituted wretch, and All these Military and Naval then say, whether we be reposing things are bought by the Army or not! We are now in the height and Navy. All men of sense know of the sowing season; yet the la- what fulsome lying rubbish it is, bourers of the country keep flock- and no more think of putting it in ing in all directions up to this their libraries, than they would all-devouring Wen. Within one think of putting there JOSHUA month, more than a hundred and WATSON'S or COLLINS's religious fifty agricultural labourers, with tracts. Therefore, I should not smock-frocks upon their backs, be at all surprised to hear, that and, in most cases, without the means of purchasing another meal, have come to ask work of me alone. On every road leading to the Wen, the case is the same. Are we then, you impudent beast, in a state of repose! the historian had adopted the suggestion of the Courier, and withdrawn his book, and published a new edition; or that he had followed the advice of Mr. CHAMBERS, the Magistrate, and made very" copious corrections," in This repose that we are enjoy- order to " prevent such events in ing, we owe to the deeds of the future." Of one thing, however, late war; we owe to the enormous I can assure Mr. CHAMBERS, and Deht, and the immense battalions that is, that if Mr. James attempt of idlers that it has created. We to retract any thing that he has owe this repose, in part, to the published, I will undertake to enormous cost to us of those prizes have published a full and true which fill the pockets of the offi- History of all the Naval Fights cers of the Navy; and, are they between Jonathan and Blue and to come and beat us if we dare to Buff. It would be right to do this, write freely a history of their ex- without any provocation whatploits! Let them go and beat the ever; for if we, until the next Yankees! Let them go and do that war come, keep on disguising first; and then we may allow them from ourselves the important facts to come and complain of us if we relating to the American navy speak slightingly of their deeds. and its deeds, we shall fall all at Look at the above detail of battles, once, and that, too, without knowwhen the enemy was a Yankee. ing the cause. My belief is, that Look at the detail when the other we never can face the Americans Great Maritime Power was fight-in war, unless we have a new oring against us. And, are we to ganization of our Navy; and this be beaten, knocked about like I am convinced we never shall stock-fish in our own houses, by have, until the Parliament be these men, who come, too, with reformed. EXTRACT Worthy of our best attention. very first time, that I have ever heard, from either side of the House of Commons, or House of "WE well know, that at this mo- Lords, any thing wise relative to "ment there is scarcely a Power the hellish funding system. I do "in Europe that is not collecting not see how the Alien Bill or Fo"from the capitalists of Great reign Enlistment Bill can be made "Britain the sinews of war-there to work as an effectual check "is scarcely a single Power that against the operations of the base "does not look for resources to money crew; but, they may possi"the Exchequer of our Exchange. bly be made to have some such ef(Hear, hear!) I do not mean fect; and, if this be the case, I "to justify the moral character of say, let them remain.—This very "such Loans; but we all are evil, these very sentiments, I have aware that our monied men stated in print more, I dare say, "lend indiscriminately to all par- than five hundred times.-Mr. 66 46 ties; and if, in former times, CANNING agrees with me, then, as "English Captains have led ad-to the nature and magnitude of the "verse fleets into action, so those, evil: will he not agree with me as "who are now the Captains' Cap- to the necessity of removing the "tains, the true Lords of Eu-cause?-But, really, I must write "rope'-I mean the Bankers of a whole Register to " my Right "this metropolis-(hear, hear!) Honourable Friend, (if he will al-are furnishing arms to those low me to call him so)" on this "who are contending against each subject. Some people will affect "other. (Hear, hear!)-There- to laugh at him on his having gain"fore, let me not be told, that if I ed me for a friend: but, he knows "throw away the Foreign Enlist-pretty well that it is full as well to "ment Bill, and the Alien Bill, have me for friend as for enemy. "I may look for security in the At any rate, these sentiments are morality of our money-lenders. worthy of a man of talent and of "(Hear, hear! and laughter.)-public spirit, and I beg him to "No, no; let Ferdinand himself, to-accept of my thanks for having utmorrow, show signs of strength, tered them." 46 " and a determination to fit out an "armament, and the troops and "fleets of Spain, raised by British "capital, will sail from your ports, "to strangle infant liberty in South "America. (Hear!)-I defy you "to prevent it, and I defy you to "show any thing in the morality "of late pecuniary transactions "to insure you against such an " event." "PRACTICAL BOTANY;" AND THE SWEET JURY. I BEFORE published an account of the Trial of ROBERT SWEET; but, I had not then a List of the Jury. I have it now; and I insert it at The reader will imagine that I the end of an account of the Trial, quote from my own writings. No: taken from the Official Report of I quote from a speech of Mr. CAN-the Gaol Delivery for London and XING, made in the House of Com- Middlesex; taken in short-hand, mous on the 2d instant. This is the and published by authority of the Corporation of the City of Lon-that he knew all the circumstances don-I have not, as yet, got at the places of abode and the call ings of the Jurors. These I shall endeavour to get as soon as pos-sible; and, as soon as I get them, I will publish them also. of the case, and it was of no use to hesitate, and there was only two ways for him, either to go to the he said he would go and show us the watch-house, or deliver up the box; box; he took us to Mr. Colvill's house, adjoining the nursery ground. ROBERT SWEET was indicted told him that we were come about He (Sweet) asked for Colvill, and for feloniously receiving, on the 29th the box that came that morning; of January, seven plants, value 7, before Colvill answered, Ruthven and seven garden pots, value 6d., the stepped forward, and told him his goods of our Lord the King, which name; Colvill said to the prisoner, on the same day, at Kew, in the "You know nothing about the box, County of Surrey, had been feloni- and I know nothing about the box." ously stolen, he well knowing them-Ruthven said it was of no use, for to have been stolen. SECOND COUNT, stating them to be the property of Willian Townsend Aiton. Messrs. ÁDOLPHUS and LAW conducted the prosecution. that Sweet had brought him there to receive the box, and he would search all the gardens over, but he to hesitate. I was sent to fetch a would find it, and it was of no use coach to take him to the watchhouse, and brought one within twenty yards of colvill's door; I found the garden door open when I returned, and no person there. I knocked at the house door; Colvill came running down the street opposite, and spoke to me. John Smith. I am assistant to Mr. William Townsend Aiton, who is gardener at His Majesty's gardens, at Kew. On Thursday, the 29th of January, hetween seven and eight o'clock in the morning, my attention was called to the propagation-house; the first window was about two inches open; a plant called Banksia Grandis, house in Colvill's garden.-d. Yes; Q. Did you afterwards go to a which had been placed within three Ruthven and Mr. Sweet were there; inches of the window, was gone. the door was locked. Colvill found I looked round the house, and a key after some difficulty, and let us missed one Jacquinia Mexicana, one in. Ruthven then said to Sweet, Seerah Koah, one Eugenia Mallac-"Now, where is the box?" He looked censis, one Gustavia Augusta, and round the shed, and could not find it. two Calamus Nigers, from different Ruthven then asked where the plants places in the pits; the persons must were; the door of the plant-house have gone all round the pits to take was opened-we all entered, and them. I went to the front of the went along the passage. Sweet took house, and saw foot marks; they a plant down, and asked me if that could not have been taken out was one. through the window. I informed another, and asked if that was one. I said, No; he then took Mr. Aiton, who took me to Bow- I said, No; I did not want that at prestreet, and I accompanied Ruthven sent, but we had lost that plant some to Mr. Colvill's nursery, at Chelsea. time ago. I suspected that it belongI went first to the prisoner's house, ed to the gardens. Ruthven said, and saw him; Ruthven stepped for- “ Come and look here," where Sweet ward, and said, "I am Ruthven, of was looking; I did so, and immeBow-street, I want the box you re-diately recognised two plants, the ceived this morning from Kew-Gustavia Augusta, and a Calamus bridge;" he stood about two mi- Niger. I said to Sweet, "I want a nutes, appeared struck, and said small plant of Banksia Grandis;” he nothing. Ruthven then told him went to an adjoining house, took it off |