LA COLLE MILL, March 30th, 1814, American, General Wilkinson, loss 74; British, Major Handcock, loss 58.

OSWEGO, May 6th, 1814, American, Colonel Mitchell, loss 69; British, General Drummond, loss 235.

SANDY CREEK, May 30th, 1814, American, Major Appling, loss 4; British, Captair Popham, loss 200.

CHIPPEWA, July 5th, 1814, American, General Brown, loss 323; British, General Riall, Loss 538.

NIAGARA, July 25th, 1814, American, Generals Brown and Scott, loss 858; British Generals Riall and Drummoud, less 878.

FORT ERIE, August 15th, 1814, American, General Ripley, loss 84; British, Genera' Drummond, loss 990.

CONJOCTA CREEK, Aug. 18th, 1814, American, Colone! Morgan, loss 10; British, Co' Tucker, loss 30.

BLADENSBURG, Aug. 24th, 1814, American, General Winder, loss 190; British, Get eral Ross, loss 130.

MOORE'S FIELDS, Aug. 30th, 1814, American, Colonel Reed, loss 3; British. Sir P. Parker, loss 33.

NORTH POINT, Sept. 13th, 1814, American, General Smith, loss 212; British, Genera. Ross, loss 380.

PLATTSBURGH, Sept. 11th, 1814, American, General Macomb, loss 119; British, Sir George Prevost, loss 2500.

FORT BOWYER, Sept. 15th, 1814, American, Major Lawrence, loss 9; British, Hon W. H. Percy, loss 250.

FORT ERIE, Sept. 17th, 1814, American, General Brown, loss 395; British, Genera) Drummond, loss 985.

COOK'S MILLS, Oct. 19th, 1814, American, General Bissell, loss 60; British, Marquis Tweedale, loss-stores and position.

Near NEW-ORLEANS, Dec. 23d, 1814, American, General Jackson, loss 223; British, General Keane, loss 400.

NEW-ORLEANS, Jan. 8th, 1815, American, General Jackson, loss 13; British, General Packenham, loss 2600.

Total, American loss 10,229-British loss 19,729.

On the following page will be found a table of the principal battles at sea during the war. The details of a majority of them are familiar to our readers, and will be found briefly related in the foregoing pages. Many minor engagements have been omitted, in which signal ability and bravery were displayed, because of their having taken place irregularly, or between privateers and merchantmen. The Saratoga, for instance, was an American private-armed cruizer, and the Morgiana a British packet. The first, being chased by one of the enemy's frigates, was obliged to throw overboard nearly all her guns to effect an escape; after which, falling unexpectedly in with the latter, she determined to grapple and trust to boarding, when, after a brief but fierce and bloody struggle, the Briton was forced to yield. The Chasseur was also a privateer, an armed clipper belonging to Baltimore, whose commander facetiously issued his proclamation" for the blockade of all the bays, rivers, outlets, and inlets of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland," in imitation of British officers cruizing near the American coast. On his first expedition he made 18 valuable prizes, which were successively sent into New-York. Subsequently he gave chase to a “whity-brown schooner, no men or ports,” which proved a disguised man-of-war of 15 guns, but he captured him by clo sing in. A fresh enemy heaving in sigh Capt. Boyle was forced to send his prize a cartel into Havana, while he made for Martinique to refit. The Genl. Armstrong was a New-York privateer, attacked while at anchor in a neutral port, at midnight, by 12 British boats manned with near 400 men. Timely notice being given of their approach, a deadly fire was opened on them, sink. ing, and putting them to flight. The Decatur was a private-armed vesselthe Dominica belonged to the British navv.

ACTIONS

AT SEA

BETWEEN THE NAVIES OF GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES,

FROM AUGUST 12, 1812, TO MARCH 23, 1814.

BRITISE
LOSS.

Total loss of men,

Ainer. 1.749

Br 4.367

CHAPTER IV.

FROM THE TREATY OF GHENT TO THE PRESENT TIME.

We come now to consider, not a series of victories springing out of bloodshed, but some of the more truly ennobling and substantial triumphs which arise from an uninterrupted season of peace. One of the most liberal and enlighted of monarchs [Louis Philippe] has declared it his deliberate conviction that no serious collision between civilized nations can ever again occur. Looking abroad upon the world with a serene eye and mature judgment, he cannot but feel persuaded that the present mental superiority of mankind over former ages, will forbid the toleration hereafter of anything like the barbarism called war. We may at least be alowed to hope that he is right.

At the close of the struggle of 1812, the people of the United States ound that, if they had accomplished all for which they began the contest, they had also materially crippled themselves; that although their bravery in battle and moderation in victory was now more firmly than ever established, those laurels constituted all that they had won. In return for which, they had increased their public debt an hundred millions of dollars; had completely deranged the monetary affairs of the country, overturned their general credit, and destroyed entirely the banking system of the nation. Innumerable failures had taken place in the eastern and middle states; and great dissatisfaction among the people resulted from certain swindling operations which had taken place by means of private banks and specu lating brokers. Without a reliable currency, the circulation of specie being of course very limited, the commerce of the nation was in a fair way to experience a perfect paralyzation.

To remedy these evils, Congress deemed it expedient and necessary to provide for the establishment of a new national bank, the old one having expired with the year 1810, by limitation of its charter. It was therefore enacted, after a most strenuous opposition, that a bank should be organized, to continue twenty-one years from the 1st of July, 1816, having for its capital thirty-five millions of dollars. The labours of this great monied corporation were in the beginning, doubtless, highly beneficial to the country; but that it subsequently became a very dangerous monopoly, whose workings were at the least not beneficial to society, is strenuously maintained by the party now holding the reins of government, while the contrary is as strongly maintained by its opponents.

The next subject that engrossed the attention of Congress, was a revision of the duties on goods imported. In forming the new tariff, a judicious attention was given to protect domestic manufactures, without at the same time injuring the national revenue, or lessening, by over-indulgence, the industry and economy requisite to their full success. The double war imposts were, with few exceptions, reduced; but a large increase was made to the duties on some fabrics, particularly cotton cloths of a coarse description, especially when imported from the East Indies, where those articles are manufactured by persons contented with daily wages not exceeding a few cents, and from a material not grown in the United States. It is but justice here to state, that the regulation of the ariff would probably never have been quite as favourable as it is to the interests of the home manufacturers of this country, were it not for an untiring vigilance in their behalf, on the part of the Hon. H. CLAY, of Kentucky, which has won for him the distinguished title of "Champion of the American system." This is the more remarkable, as he is from a section of country not likely to engage extensively in manufactures, and not generally allowed much credit as being particularly favourable to the eastern interests. If this truly great man is for his patriotism immolated

upon the altar of sectional partizanship, as at present seems most probable he will be, posterity, at least, will do his memory justice.

In the autumn of 1816, another election for president took place. James Monroe, of Virginia, was chosen without much opposition; and at the same time with him, Daniel D. Tompkins, of New York, to fill the second office. Very few political changes occurred to disturb the quiet course of his administration: the same vice-president served with him eight years -and his official advisers were continued, with scarce an interruption, for a like length of time. John Quincy Adams, of Massachusetts, Secretary of State; William H. Crawford, of Georgia, Secretary of the Treasury: John C. Calhoun, of South Carolina, Secretary of War; Smith Thompson, of New-York, Secretary of the Navy; John M'Lean, of Ohio, Post-Master General; Richard Rush, of Pennsylvania, Attorney General.

For some years after the conclusion of the war, the foreign and domestic trade of the United States continued to be variable and unprofitable. The channels of consumption at home became gradually filled to repletion: while the universal peace of Europe enabled its producers to raise their own supplies, instead of calling upon the American market. Peace also allowed the ships of every nation to be its own carriers, and foreign merchants to do their own trading: the flag of the United States was no longer an agent between belligerents, nor were American ports now, as hereto fore, the general entrepôts of the world. The terins of freight rapidly declined, vessels rotted in their harbours, and warehouses groaned under the stagnant pressure of accumulating merchandize. Internal traffic was not sufficient to employ the numerous individuals formerly engaged in the different pursuits of trade. Competition became excessive; and disappointment and distress very prevalent.

The public revenue could not escape being impaired by such multifarious embarrassments: it became every day more inadequate to meet the usual expenditures-in addition to which, moreover, calls for an enormous amount, from a new source, had lately been made. By an act of Con gress, in 1818, a yearly pension sufficient for their decent maintenance had been granted to those officers and privates who had served for three successive years in the war of the revolution. More than thirty thousand of that venerable army made application for relief-and several millions of dollars were required annually to satisfy their claims. Money, in consequence, had to be obtained by loans; and various public expenses were necessarily curtailed, and the army and navy reduced. This state of things of course could not last; and we shall have presently occasion to turn over a new leaf, and consider a more encouraging picture of American affairs.

In the winter of 1819, the country was deprived of the services of Com modore Perry, who fell a victim to the climate of Trinidad, while on a cruize and in the following spring, Decatur was killed in a duel, near Washington, by Commodore Barron. In the year 1820, under the favouring auspices of President Monroe, a society for colonizing free people of colour began a settlement at Sierra Leone, on the coast of Africa, with a view to the final extinguishment of slavery in the United States. The tract has a good harbour, is high, fertile, and the healthiest in that region. It has since been called Liberia. No pains have been spared by the company to induce immigration to their coiony, to render it thriving and successful, or to forward the laudable ultimate object with which they began the enterprize.

In 1821, the territory of Florida was ceded to the United States, by Spain, in compensation for spoliations upon American commerce to the amount of five millions of dollars. General Jackson was appointed first governor of Florida, and the unsettled, semi-savage state of the population was such as to require the greatest energy and decision to enforce respect

or the laws among them. A tedious and distressing predatory warfare was for years waged against the new settlers by savages inhabiting its inaccessible swamps and secure fastnesses. The U. S. troops seemed to be set at defiance, until the hostile tribes came out from their concealments in the everglades, and consented to remove beyond the Mississippi. A deputation of the Seminoles has lately returned from their new place of abode in the far west with such flattering accounts of the desirable nature of their possessions, that they will doubtless persuade the few straggling bands remaining in Florida to accompany them on their return home.

In the spring of 1822, the independence of the South American republics, and also that of the state of Mexico, was recognized by the Ù. S. Congress, and an appropriation made to defray the expenses of establishing with them a diplomatic intercourse. The European powers at length, very slowly and cautiously, adopted a similar course: and the several small republics are still existing, though their governments are unsettled, and internal discord, attended with effusion of blood, appears to prevail among them. Spanish influence, subjugation to a tyrannous priesthoo or other causes, may induce this sad state of their affairs.

About this time the U. S. government signalized itself by a series of vigorous and successful efforts against certain bands of lawless piratical marauders; these had for a long time infested the numerous shallow bays and inlets which indent the different West India islands, and were frequently guilty of cruel and cold-blooded murder, besides destroying much property and causing otherwise great annoyance and distress. All at tempts to crush them were at the first futile, owing to their extensive and well-disposed arrangements for self-protection; none of the cutters constructed for war service were sufficiently light or swift to chase therm with any success, and an ordinary craft of any description could not be made to penetrate into their recesses. The government accordingly had prepared ten small vessels, which, together with a sloop of war, a steam galliot, and the frigate Congress, were dispatched into the neighbourhood of their haunts. So actively was this matter then prosecuted, that in less than six months not a freebooter could be heard of on the coast of either Cuba or St. Domingo, or about the Keys of Florida, where formerly they had swarmed.

In August, 1824, General La Fayette arrived in the city of New-York, on a visit to the United States. In returning to America, near half a century from the period of his military career, and at the age of sixty-seven, La Fayette could hope to meet but few of his former associates in arms. Most of them had certainly found rest in the grave. A new generation had risen to manhood, a new army had re-crimsoned with their blood the soil which he had assisted to set free, and a third generation were springing up before him. On approaching the American shores he was equally surprised and delighted. History furnishes no record of an individual receiving so unusual and spontaneous a demonstration of respect. At the entrance of New-York bay, he was received by Governor Tompkins, who conveyed him to his private residence on Staten Island; the day follow ing, business was suspended in the city, and the illustrious guest was welcomed with the roar of cannon, the ringing of bells, the parade of the military, and every demonstration of joy. It was estimated that not less than fifty thousand persons were assembled in the vicinity of the Battery to witness his arrival. Nor did these flattering manifestations then cease; they accompanied him in all his extended journeyings through the Union. And when at length his tour of observation ended, in the city of Washington, on the 10th of December following, the president in his message referred to the services of the distinguished stranger, and his present somewhat dependent circumstances in life, at the same time recommending Congress to take in consideration the matter, and make some provision