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
doctrine of the right of search, as defended by our enemy--declared
that our complaints were unjust--denied the statement respecting the
number of impressed seamen, saying that many Americans served
voluntarily on board of British cruisers--glorified England for her
efforts to overthrow Napoleon, calling her the "world's last hope."
Having thus defined his position so clearly, that there could be no
doubt where he stood, he turned to the Speaker and looking him sternly
in the face through his spectacles, and "swinging his long arm aloft,"
exclaimed, "I stand on a _rock_ from which all Democracy--no, _not all
Democracy and hell to boot_ can move me--the rock of integrity and
truth." Mr. Shelby and Mr. Miller followed in a similar strain, and
Canada, with its disastrous campaigns, was flung so incessantly in the
face of the war party, that it hated the very name. Grundy defended
the bill, and Gaston, of North Carolina, opposed it. Grosvenor
launched forth into a violent harangue, and was so personal and
unparliamentary in his language that he was often called to order.
Very little, however, was said on the merits of the bill. This served
only to open the flood-gates of eloquence, which embracing every topic
of the past and present, deluged for twenty days the floor of
Congress. Langdon Cheves, the Speaker, though opposed to the
restrictive measures of the administration, upheld the war, and
defended the bill in a long and temperate speech. One of the best
speeches elicited by it, was made by John Forsyth. Hitherto he had
taken but little part in the debates of the House, and hence his
brilliant effort took the members by surprise and arrested their
attention. Handsome, graceful, fluent, with a fine voice and
captivating elocution, he came down on the Federalists with sudden and
unexpected power. Their unfounded assertions, unpatriotic sentiments
and personal attacks had at length roused him, and as they had
wandered from the question in their blind warfare, so he passed from
it to repay the blows that had been so unsparingly given. Turning to
the New England delegation, he charged boldly on Massachusetts the
crime of fomenting treason to the State, if not intentionally, yet
practically, by her legislative acts, inflammatory resolutions and
violent complaints of injustice, which were the first steps towards
more open hostility. "I mention them," said he, "not from fear, but to
express my profound contempt for their impotent madness. Fear and
interest hinder the factious spirits from executing their wishes. _If
a leader_ should be found bad and bold enough to try, one consolation
for virtue is left, that those who raise the tempest will be the first
victims of its fury." Calhoun, with his clear logic, demolished the
objections that had been raised. He said they could all be reduced to
two. One was, that the loan could not be had--the other, that the war
was inexpedient. He declared both false, going over the ground he had
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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