ave been without object or excuse, and to have been a wanton
attack upon the lives of defenceless, and, at the same time,
unoffending individuals." In answer to this paragraph, we shall
only reply, that had the commissioners examined ALL the American
evidence, and attached the same credit to it, which it appears
they have done to ALL the English evidence, similar expressions
would have been made use of against Shortland's conduct throughout
the whole of their report.

It appears to us, after an attentive examination of this report,
that the commissioners meant to justify Shortland in commencing
his murderous attack upon the prisoners, and to condemn the
soldiers for continuing it. Singular as this idea appears, it is
no less strange to us, how it can be possible they could reconcile
it to their feelings to make up a report containing such a direct
contradiction to reason; for surely if Shortland could be
justified in using coercive measures in the first instance, the
military certainly should be acquitted for the subsequent
massacre, as the whole was conducted under his immediate
command;--and if he had A RIGHT to kill one, on the same ground he
might have extended it to a thousand. And, on the other hand, if
any part of the transaction is to be condemned, Shortland should
answer for the whole; for what necessity could there be made to
attempt identifying any of the soldiers? Surely the commissioners
could not think of bringing them to punishment, as they acted by
the direct orders of Shortland and his officers!--and if any one
could or ought to be made to answer for the outrage, it should be
Shortland.

In addition to the contradictions contained in the commissioners'
joint report, Mr. King, in his letter to his excellency J. Q.
Adams, almost denies the ground on which they have, in part,
founded Shortland's justification, when he says (alluding to have
heard several Americans _swear, positively_, that Shortland did
give the order to fire, and an officer of the guard _thinking_
that he did not, as he should have heard him) "perhaps the bias of
my mind was, that Shortland did give that order; and wishing the
report to go forth under our joint signatures, I forbore to press
some of the points so far as otherwise I MIGHT have done."

If, then, any part has been neglected, o