The Second War with England, Vol. 2 of 2Headley, Joel Tyler
History
The Second War with England, Vol. 2 of 2
Headley, Joel Tyler
United States -- History -- War of 1812
At length, after three weeks of secret session, this dreaded
Convention, on whose mysterious sittings the eyes of the nation had
been turned, adjourned, and every one waited with anxiety to hear the
decision to which it had come. The shadowy forms of disunion and
treason had so long been seen presiding over its labors, that some
monstrous birth was expected. But nature moved on in her accustomed
courses, and no shock was felt by the republic, and instead of a shell
flung into the Union, rending it asunder, there appeared a long and
heavy document containing the collective wisdom of these twenty-six
men. After going over the transgressions of the administration, from
first to last, it passed to the defects of the Constitution. It
modestly remarked that the enumeration of all the improvements of
which this instrument was susceptible, and the proposal of all the
amendments necessary to make it perfect, was a task which the
Convention had "not thought proper to assume." After paying this
flattering testimony to the grand and glorious intellects who framed
the Constitution, it proceeded to mention six amendments on which
there should be immediate action. The first related to the
apportionment of representation among the slave States. The second to
the admission of new States, restricting the powers of Congress in
this respect, in order to keep down western influence. The third, to
the right to pass restrictive and embargo acts, and carry on offensive
war. The fifth, to exclude foreigners from holding places of honor,
trust or profit under Government, and the last to limiting the
Presidential office to one term.
Resolutions and recommendations in accordance with these sentiments,
were sent to the separate states represented in that Convention.
Delegates were also appointed to repair to Washington to remonstrate
with the President, some say to threaten him, and insist on his
resignation. No treason appeared in all this, but the serious
discussion of the question of disunion in the preamble, and the
hypothetical cases put, in which such a step would be justifiable,
showed that it had been mooted and seriously entertained by some of
the members.
The tone of the paper was bad, egotistical, and mutinous. It
endeavored to arraign the states of New England against the
government--urged them to resist forcible drafts and conscriptions,
and raise armies of their own to co-operate each with the other in
time of need.
This exposé, however, did not satisfy the Democrats, who insisted that
some deep-laid scheme was back of all this--that the secret records of
the Convention would disclose blacker transactions than had yet seen
the light, and from that time on, those twenty delegates have been
stigmatized as traitors. They, on the other hand, have defended
themselves from the aspersion, and declared that they were governed by
the highest patriotic motives and love to the union.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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