ans,
had been inspired, that the valuable effects thereof survived
him; and gave a brilliant victory on that day to his
successor, General Sheaffe, a lover of armistices also, who,
in proof thereof, made _one of his own_, which threw away most
of the advantages of that victory; for he neglected (although
strongly urged thereto) to take Fort Niagara, which could have
been done on the afternoon of the day of the Queenstown
battle, without loss, as the enemy had entirely, or almost
entirely, then evacuated it: had he done this, and at the same
time crossed over a part of his force to Lewistown, as he was
urged to do, and as Brock would have done had he survived, the
whole Niagara line would have been cleared of the enemy, and
all our after disasters in that quarter prevented.

"It has been urged in favor of Sir George's timid defensive
system, that it was proper in order to avoid irritating the
enemy, and thereby uniting them; as also, that his force was
inadequate to offensive warfare. Now, no positions were ever
more untenable, for to think of conciliating an enemy by
leaving to him the full benefit of maturing in security all
his means of annoyance against you, and at the same time
muzzling yourself, is a most extraordinary doctrine; surely,
to do so must ensure success to that enemy, as we know that
success will unite discordant parties and interests, whilst
defeats promote disunion, and would have strengthened the
anti-war party in the States, by furnishing to them
unanswerable arguments when depicting the folly and impolicy
of the war, which had been so wantonly declared by the
Madisonian party.

"Were facts in support of this view of the subject necessary,
they would be found in the effects upon the public mind in
that country, produced by the capture of Michilimakinack and
Detroit, with Hull's army. Did these events irritate and unite
the enemy against us? No, they increased irritation, it is
true, but against their own government."

(In his tenth or concluding letter, Veritas recapitulated his
preceding arguments, and observed:) "That to General Brock's
zeal and energy, left as he was without orders, along with
other causes independent of Sir George, the preservation of
Upper Canada, in the first instance, and of Lower Canada as a
consequence, are mai