could not serve the republican cause more effectually than he is now doing. On Lake Ontario our newspapers now say, that we have a decided superiority of force. Very well. Let us bear that in mina. Let us have no new versions after a battle shall have taken place. The official accounts relative to the affair at Plattsburg and Lake Champlain are the most curious, certainly, that ever were seen. They consist of a mere account of the number of killed, wounded and missing, up to the time that our army quitted, or was about to quit Plattsburg, that is to say, [mind the dates!] up to the FOURTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER. Not a word have we about the RETREAT from Plattsburg, nor about the battle on Lake Champlain, though we have an account from sir George Prevost, dated on the FOURTH OF OCTOBER. Mark that well. The despatch is said to have been dated on the 11th, at Plattsburg, but it contains the account of the losses to the 14th! Let us hear the apology of the Times newspaper:-"The return from the 6th to the 14th of September being inclosed in the despatch bearing date the 11th, is easily accounted for, from the circumstance of that despatch not having been made up for some time after. Although despatches have arrived of a later date from sir G. Prevost none have been received containing any account of his retreat. Private letters, however, contradict the American statements of precipitation and embarrassment in sir George's movements on that occasion. The despatch of the 11th before mentioned, refers to the action on the lake, but it is not thought proper to publish this until an official account of the action reaches the admiralty. Very well, now. Let us grant that it would not be proper to publish sir George's account of the action on the Lake, though it was such a lumping concern

as to require but little nautical skill to describe it; yet here is no reason at all given for not publishing sir George's account of his qwn retreat, other than its not having been received, which is most wonderful, seeing that it is the invariable practice to enclose duplicates and triplicates of every preceding dispatch, when forces are at such a distance. How came sir George, in his despatch of the 4th of October, not to send a duplicate of the account of his retreat, if he had sent that account before? And, if he had not sent it before, how came he not to send it along with his despatch of the 4th of October? The solving of these questions will be very good amusement for the winter evenings of Johnny Bull, who was so anxious "to give the Yankees a good drubbing," and who thinks nothing at all of the property tax when compared with so desirable an object. Reader, pray let me bring you back to the affair of Plattsburg. It is situated on the side of lake Champlain, about 25 miles within the United States. There is a fortress near it, in which Jonathan had 1500 regulars and 5 or 6,000 militia. Against this fort and force, sir George Prevost, with 14 or 15,000 men, marched early in September, the fort being to be attacked by water by our fleet, at the same time that our army attacked it by land. The attack was made but the American fleet came up, attacked ours, beat and captured the whole of the ships. Sir George Prevost, seeing the fate of the fleet, retreated speedily into Canada, was followed, as the Americar say, by their army, who harassed it, took some cannon, a great quantity of stores, and many prisoners, and received from the British army, a great number of deserters, who quitted sir George Prevost, and went over to them. This is the most serious part of the subject; and,

therefore, as the Montreal newspapers had stated that we lost 150 men by desertion, as the Americans made them amount to a great many hundreds; and as Mr. Whitbread in the debate in Parliament a few days ago said he had heard that they amounted to 2000, and that too, of Wellingtonians, the people were very anxious to see sir George Prevost's account of his retreat. The Ministers said, that Sir George Prevost had said NOTHING about DESERTION; and that of course, he would have mentioned it, if it had been true. But the Times newspaper now tells us, that Sir George has sent no account of his retreat; or, at least, that none has been received. According to the Ministers, Sir George's account has been received, and mention is made in it of desertion. According to the Times, Sir George's account has not been received. We must believe the Ministers of course, and must set the Times down for a promulgator of wilful falsehoods. But, then, there is a rub left; if the account of the retreat is come, WHY NOT PUBLISH IT? This is another riddle Johnny Bull, for your winter evenings' amusement. The attack of our forces on Mobile, furnishes a new feature to the war.. We have before seen the two parties engaged, frigate to frigate, brig to brig, sloop to sloop, and in two instances, fleet to fleet. We have seen them, on land, alternately beseiged and beseiging. We now see the Americans in a fort, containing only 108 men, attacked by a combined naval and military armament, as to the result of which, after describing the scene of action, we must, for the present take their own official account. Point Mobile is situated on the main land on the border of the Gulph of Mexi co, not far from the mouth of the great river Mississippi. On this point is a fort, called Fort Bow

yer, belonging to the Republican enemy, to the attack of which our squadrons proceeded in September last. [Here follow the American official accounts.]

'I extract these articles from the Times newspaper; and yet in the face of these facts, in defiance of these red hot balls, the consummate ass would make no peace, except at New York or Philadelphia, they being first the head quarters of a Picton or a Hill! This is as good a lift as this writer could have given to Mr. Madison, and as hard a blow as he could have given to the Noblesse of Massachusetts, on whom he and the rest of our war tribe had built, and do still build their hopes of ultimate success. Let him look at the attitude of New-York and Philadelphia. I do not say that it is impossible to get at either of those cities with bomb shells or rockets; but I am quite satisfied, that it would require a very large army to set foot in either of them, even for the purpose of burning and then quitting them in safety. I will now make an observation or two with regard to public opinion as to the American war. People are disappointed. The, continuance of the Property Tax pinches. But would they have the luxury of war without paying for it? No, no. Pay they must; or they must put up with what they have gotten and see the Stars and stripes waving in every sea. They would have war. War was their cry. They have it, and they must pay for it.

M 2

FROM COBBETT'S WEEKLY REGISTER OF SEP. 10, 1814.

SUMMARY OF POLITICS.

American war.-The Times newspaper, which was one of the loudest clamorers for this war, now observes, "with deep regret, that it has lingered on, for so many months, without being distinguished by any memorable stroke." If the inflammatory and malicious writer of that paper already experiences disappointment, what will he experience during the months, yea, and perhaps, the years, of this war, which are yet to come? He, when urging on the nation to this enterprize, told them, with the utmost confidence, that, in a few weeks after war should be commenced, "the boasted American navy would be annihilated."-Not only has that navy not been annihilated, but it has very much increased. It has annihilated some hundreds of our merchant ships, and has defeated several of our ships of war, some of which, after victory over them, gained in the most wonderful manner, it has added to its own number. It is said, that we are building ships to carry 64 guns, for the express purpose of combating the American frigates. Ours, it seems, are to be called frigates also. This is to avoid the aukwardness of acknowledging, that our frigates are not able to cope with American frigates. Now, if it should happen that one of these new "frigates" of ours is beaten and captured by an American fri