Preface



conduct of Great Britain against the United States had
been such for years before as to excite the public mind to
fever heat. The forcible taking of sailors from our ships
on the high seas and impressing them into the British
marine; the blockading of our seaports to the ruin of our
commerce, and worst of all, the arming, clothing, and
feeding of savages while they tomahawked and scalped
our helpless women and children raised public indignation
to such a height that the sight of an English soldier
excited a hatred that made every man an avenger.
Leading men everywhere in the United States reached
the conclusion that war, though a terrible evil, was a less
evil than to endure such outrages and oppressions.
   No secret was made of the determination of the people
that the United States would go to war with England if
such outrages continued. The matter was openly debated
in Congress and the newspapers of that day were full of
fiery articles on the subject, and politicians everywhere
made inflammatory speeches about it. Even the plan of
the initial campaign of the war was shadowed forth in the
proposed conquest of Canada, by the orators and writers
of the day. Some were opposed to the war, but enough
were in favor of it to bear down all opposition. War
against Great Britain was therefore declared by the United
States, June i8, 1812.



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