The Second War with England, Vol. 1 of 2Headley, Joel Tyler
History
The Second War with England, Vol. 1 of 2
Headley, Joel Tyler
United States -- History -- War of 1812
The bill having passed the house, the other authorizing a loan of
$25,000,000 and a reissue of treasury notes to the amount of
$10,000,000, came up. The expenditures for the coming year were
estimated at $45,000,000, to meet which the ordinary means of revenue
were wholly insufficient. A violent and bitter debate arose on its
presentation, which lasted three weeks. Regarded as so much money
appropriated to the conquest of Canada, it met with the determined
hostility of the opponents of the war. Mr. Eppes defended his bill,
and went into a long and statistical account of the revenue and
expenditures of the nation--showed how she could easily, in time of
peace, pay off every dollar she might owe--estimated the value of the
land and produce and capital of the country, and proved, as he deemed
satisfactorily, that the loan combined "all the advantages of safety,
profit, and a command at will of the capital invested." The long
debate upon it had little to do with the bill itself, but swept the
whole range of politics for the last four or five years. The history
of the war was gone over--orders in council, and Berlin and Milan
decrees revived with fresh vigor--the influence of Bonaparte in our
councils, though now struggling for life, was charged anew on the
administration. Personalities were indulged in, and the most absurd
accusations made by men, who on other subjects, exhibited sound
judgment and able statesmanship. Mr. Pitkin spoke a part of two days,
making a frightful exhibit of expenses, and denounced the war in
Canada. Pickering, with his large, powerful frame and Roman features,
not belying the fearless character of the man, came down on the
administration with all the power, backed by the most unquenchable
hatred he was master of. A distinguished man in the Revolution, he had
from that time occupied a prominent place in the political history of
his country. A "Pharisee of the Pharisees" in the Essex Junto, he
cherished all the intense hatred of that branch of the Federalists for
the war and its supporters. Built on a grand scale, yet with a heart
hard as iron towards a foe, fierce and bold, denouncing his old friend
and patron, John Adams, because he did not hate France as cordially as
he thought every good Christian should, having no sympathy with
Washington's quiet and non-committal character, he looked upon
Bonaparte and our war and its supporters, as the most monstrous births
of the age. His indignation at their existence was only exceeded by
his wonder that heaven, in its just wrath, did not quench all
together. Probably the administration had not such a sincere and
honest hater in the whole Federalist ranks. He was an honest man and
possessed of most noble traits, but his feelings obscured his judgment
when speaking of the war, and he gave utterance to the most
extraordinary and absurd assertions. In this speech he wandered over
the whole field--took bold and decided ground--advocated openly the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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