4896. MACDONOUGH (Commodore), Victory of.—[continued].
I congratulate you on
the destruction of a second hostile fleet on the
Lakes by Macdonough. * * * While our enemies
cannot but feel shame for their barbarous
achievements at Washington, they will be stung
to the soul by these repeated victories over them
on that element on which they wish the world
to think them invincible. We have dissipated
that error. They must now feel a conviction
themselves that we can beat them gun to gun,
ship to ship, and fleet to fleet, and that their
early successes on the land have been either
purchased from traitors, or obtained from raw
men entrusted of necessity with commands for
which no experience had qualified them, and
that every day is adding that experience to unquestioned
bravery.—
To President Madison. Washington ed. vi, 386.
(M.
1814)
