The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

Foreign Intelligence.

From the Salem Gazette of Tuesday.

On Sunday afternoon arrived here the privateer brig Harpy, Captain Nichols, of Baltimore, from a cruise of 85 days on the coast of Ireland, in the British Channel, &c. [Particulars of her cruise under marine head.] From one of the prizes (the William & Alfred) Captain Nichols obtained London papers to the 28th of November, with which he has very obligingly favoured us, and from which we have made a number of selections, as below. This vessel sailed from London the 1st of December, and from Portsmouth the 28th. By the papers it appears that the CONGRESS OF VIENNA were engaged in arranging States and territories, and settling the peace of Europe: and that the COMMISSIONERS AT GHENT still continued their negotiations for peace between England and America. On this most interesting subject, Captain Brinsdale (of the William & Alfred) stated, that petitions had been sent to the Prince Regent from the cities of Liverpool and Glasgow, signed by thirty thousand persons, praying him to conclude a PEACE WITH AMERICA, and that it was the general expectation that this happy event would soon take place. Captain Nichols boarded two Portuguese vessels which left Lisbon the 6th of January; and made particular inquiries of them respecting the negotiations at Ghent and Vienna of the former, they could give no information; of the latter, they stated, that the Congress continued its sessions, but did not know that any thing had transpired.
The English papers contain many official American documents among them, the Report of the Committee of Ways and Means, stating our pecuniary necessities, and proposing new taxes-Dallas' Report exposing the deplorable state of the treasury--General Winder's Division Orders after the retreat of the British from Baltimore--Governor Chittenden's proclamation to the Vermont Militia--Commodore Macdonough's and General Macomb's accounts of the destruction of the British fleet on lake Champlain, and the retreat of their army from Plattsburgh. Of these last an editor says "Candour obliges us to admit, that the despatches of both the American commanders are written in a plain, manly style, with very little appearance of exaggeration, and (with none of that violent and vulgar abuse' of the English, by which many American officers have not ineffectually courted the favour of their own government." The same paper which contains the despatches of our commanders, has also those of Sir George Prevost, and Captain Pring, of the British army and navy. Sir George, after stating previous movements by land and lake, till the battle which terminated in their defeat, says.

"It is now, with deep concern, I inform your Lordship, that, notwithstanding the intrepid valour with which Captain Downie led his flotilla into action, my most sanguine hopes of complete success were not long afterwards blasted, by combination, as it appeared to us, of unfortunate events, to which naval warfare is peculiarly exposed. Scarcely had his Majesty's troops forced a passage across the Saranac, and ascended the height on which stand the enemy's works, when I had the extreme mortification to hear the shout of victory from the enemy's works, in consequence of the British flag being lowered on board the Confiance and Linnet; and to see our gun-boats seeking their safety in flight. This unlooked for event depriving me of the co-operation of the fleet, without which the further prosecution of the service was