By PRESI- in succession man of peace, he was not successful in his management of the war; and his argu ment that France had respected our rights ... 83. Causes of the War (1812) FRA RANCE has done nothing towards adjusting our differences with her. It is understood that the Berlin and Milan Decrees are not in force against the United States, and no contravention of them can be established against her. On the contrary, positive cases rebut the allegation. Still, the manner of the French Government betrays the design of leaving G. Britain a pretext for enforcing her Orders in Council. And in all other respects, the grounds for our complaints remain the same. In the mean time, the business is become more than ever puzzling. To go to war with England and not with France arms the Federalists with new matter, and divides the Republicans, some of whom, with the Quids, make a display of impartiality. To go to war against both presents a thouwithdraw her sand difficulties; above all, that of shutting all the ports of the Continent of Europe against our cruisers, who can do little without the use of them. It is pretty certain, also, did not have that it would not gain over the Federalists, who would turn all those difficulties against the administration. The only hind him, for consideration of weight in favor of this triangular war, as it is called, is, that it might hasten through a peace with G. Britain or France; a termination, for a while, at least, of the obstinate questions now depending with both. and that Eng land should therefore orders in council, was untenable. Moreover, he a united country be most of the New-Eng landers preferred the British side to the French. The extract is from a private letter to Jefferson, May 25, 1812. - For Madison, see Contemporaries, III, ch. For causes of the war, see American Orations, I, But even this advantage is not certain. For a prolongation of such a war might be viewed by both belligerents as desirable, with as little reason for the opinion as has prevailed in the past conduct of both. [June 22.] I inclose a paper containing the Declaration of war... It is understood that the Federalists in Congress are to put all the strength of their talents into a protest against the war, and that the party at large are to be brought out in all their force. . . ... [July 25.] The conduct of the nation against whom this poraries, III, ch. resort has been proclaimed left no choice but between that 205; Contem and the greater evil of a surrender of our Sovereignty on the Element on which all nations have equal rights, and in the free use of which the United States, as a nation whose agriculture and commerce are so closely allied, have an essential interest. The appeal to force in opposition to the force so long continued against us had become the more urgent, as every endeavor short of it had not only been fruitless, but had been followed by fresh usurpations and oppressions. The intolerable outrages committed against the crews of our vessels, which, at one time, were the result of alleged searches for deserters from British ships of war, had grown into a like pretension, first, as to all British seamen, and next, as to all British subjects; with the invariable practice of seizing on all neutral seamen of every Nation, and on all such of our own seamen as British officers interested in the abuse might please to demand. The "Quids" were extreme Democrats. The absurd idea of fighting both powers was much discussed at the time. 1806. The Blockading orders in Council, commencing on the Began in plea of retaliating injuries indirectly done to G. Britain, through the direct operation of French Decrees against the trade of the United States with her, and on a professed disposition to proceed step by step with France in revoking them, have been since bottomed on pretensions more and more extended and arbitrary, till at length it is openly avowed as indispensable to a repeal of the Orders as they affect the U. States, that the French Decrees be repealed as they affect G. Britain directly, and all other neutrals, as well as the United States. To this extraordinary avowal is superadded abundant evidence that the real object of the Orders is, not to restore freedom to the American Commerce with G. Britain, which could, indeed, be little interrupted by the Decrees of France, but to destroy our lawful commerce, as interfering with her own unlawful commerce with her enemies. The only foundation of this attempt to banish By CAPTAIN ISAAC HULL (1773-1843). Hull began his naval career in 1798 as a fourth the American flag from the highway of Nations, or to render it wholly subservient to the commercial views of the British Government, is the absurd and exploded doctrine that the ocean, not less than the land, is susceptible of occupancy and dominion; that this dominion is in the hands of G. Britain ; and that her laws, not the law of Nations, which is ours as well as hers, are to regulate our maritime intercourse with the rest of the world. When the United States assumed and established their rank among the nations of the Earth, they assumed and established a common Sovereignty on the high seas, as well as an exclusive sovereignty within their territorial limits. The one is as essential as the other to their character as an Independent Nation. However conceding they may have been on controvertible points, or forbearing under casual and limited injuries, they can never submit to wrongs irreparable in their kind, enormous in their amount, and indefinite in their duration; and which are avowed and justified on principles degrading the United States from the rank of a sovereign and independent power. In attaining this high rank, and the inestimable blessings attached to it, no part of the American people had a more meritorious share than the people of New Jersey. From none, therefore, may more reasonably be expected a patriotic zeal in maintaining by the sword the unquestionable and unalienable rights acquired by it. . . James Madison, Letters and Other Writings (Philadelphia, 1865), II, 535-538 passim. 84. Capture of the Guerrière (1812) SIR, U. S. frigate, Constitution, off Boston Light, I have the honour to inform you, that on the 19th lieutenant on inst. at 2 P.M. being in lat. 41° 42′ and long. 55° 48', with tution," and at the outbreak of the war of 1812 he had risen to be of the vessel. commander Soon after the famous action with the "Guerri ère,” he generously resigned his command in order to give the other naval officers a chance, for there were more men the Constitution under my command, a sail was discovered the "Constifrom the mast-head bearing E. by S. or E. S. E. but at such a distance we could not tell what she was. All sail was instantly made in chase, and soon found we came up with her. At 3 P.M. could plainly see, that she was a ship on the starboard tack.under easy sail, close on a wind; at half past 3 P.M. made her out to be a frigate; continued the chase until we were within about three miles, when I ordered the light sails to be taken in, the courses hauled up, and the ship cleared for action. At this time the chase had backed his maintop-sail, waiting for us to come down. As soon as the Constitution was ready for action, I bore down with intention to bring him to close action immediately; but on our coming within gun-shot she gave us a broadside and at this time fil[l]ed away, and wore, giving us a broadside on the other tack, but without effect; her shot falling short. She continued wearing and manoeuvering for about three quarters of an hour, to get a raking position, but finding she could not, she bore up, and run under her top-sails and gib, with the wind on her quarter. I immediately made sail to bring the ship up with her, and five minutes before 6 P.M. being along side within half pistol-shot, we commenced a heavy fire from all our guns, double shotted with round and grape, and so well directed were they, and so warmly kept up, that in 15 minutes his mizen-mast went by the board and his main yard in the slings, and the hull, rigging, and sails very much torn to pieces. The fire was kept up with equal warmth for 15 minutes longer, when his mainmast and foremast went, taking with them every spar, excepting the bowsprit. On seeing this we ceased firing, so that in thirty minutes after, we got fairly along side the enemy; she surrendered, and had not a spar standing, and her hull below and above water so shattered, that a few more broadsides must have carried her down. than ships. port to the the war, see ries, III, ch. The gunnery of the Ameri cans was far superior to that of the British in most of the naval battles. This was the many years first time for that a British man-of-war had surren dered to about equal After informing you, that so fine a ship as the Guerriere, force, Those miss ing were supposed to have gone overboard with the masts. commanded by an able and experienced officer, had been totally dismasted, and otherwise cut to pieces so as to make her not worth towing into port, in the short space of thirty minutes, you can have no doubt of the gallantry and good conduct of the officers and ship's company I have the honour to command; it only remains therefore for me to assure you, that they all fought with great bravery; and it gives me great pleasure to say, that from the smallest boy in the ship to the oldest seaman, not a look of fear was seen. They all went into action, giving three cheers, and requested to be laid close along side the enemy. Enclosed I have the honour to send you a list of killed and wounded on board the Constitution [total, 14], and a report of the damages she has sustained; also a list of killed and wounded on board the enemy [total 77, and 24 missing], with his quarter bill, &c. . . [Abel Bowen,] The Naval Monument (Boston, 1816), 7–9. By REVER END GLEIG (1796-1888), who served in the British army during the war of present at 85. Capture of Washington (1814) ΤΟΝ OWARDS morning, a violent storm of rain, OWARDS morning, a violent stor accompanied with thunder and lightning, came on, which disturbed the rest of all those who were exposed to it. Yet, in spite of the disagreeableness of getting 1812, and was wet, I cannot say that I felt disposed to grumble at the inBladensburg, terruption, for it appeared that what I had before considered as superlatively sublime, still wanted this to render it complete. The flashes of lightning seemed to vie in brilliancy, with the flames which burst from the roofs of burning houses, while the thunder drowned the noise of crumbling walls, and was only interrupted by the occasional roar of cannon, and of large depôts of gunpowder, as they one by one exploded, the capture of Washington, Baltimore, and New Orleans. In 1820 he published a book on his American experiences; it is based on |