The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-04-17
POLITICS.
Tho Embargo and the Second War with
Great Britain.

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Mr.. StandwOOd delivered the third
lecture in his Lowell institute coarse
last evening. The subject was The
Embargo and the Second War" The
lecturer held that the candid student
of history will find little to excite
pride in the period from 1906 to 1872.
it began in submission to foreign tyr
amy and closed in an unsuccessful
war. Presupposing a general tamll-
iuritv with the subject, the speaker
said that he would cOnfne himself 10
the discussion of the acts and motives
of the men of the time. The JAY
treaty with England having expired,
President jefferson sent ENJOYS to
London 20 negotiate a new treaty.
This treaty, not being satisfactory was
never laid before congress. France
and England being al war, their re-
tAliatorv measures destroyed all neu-
trail rights of trade, and as the United
States was the only neutral power with
q merchant marine, the burden fell
upon our commerce. In quick sue
ceSsiOn came the revival of the rule of
1906, the blockade of the French coast,
the Berlin decree of Napoleon, the
orders in council, and similar counter
acting measure by Napoleon. To the
evils resulting from these acts was
added the humiliation of the impress
ment of our seamen by Great Britain.
The right so claimed by Great Britain
furnished an excuse for one of the
most fragrant outrages eve committed
by a nation upon a friendly pow
er-the affair of the Chesapeake and
Leonard. England punished us be-
cause we did not wrest justice from
France; France, because we endured
the ~exactions of England. jefferson
now called congress together. A little
while before the federalists had been
in power, and France the aggressor
complained of. Now the republicans
were in power, England was the ag-
gressOr, and the federalists were OPP
posing the government. In 1907, on
JetfersOn's recommendation, the en-
barge act was passed, because it was
supposed that this would bring Eng
land to terms. The result was other
wise. England was Indifferent, and
the evil fell on u own people. At no
time have politicians held such evil
opinions of each other az at this period.
Charges of attempts at disunion were
freely made. No sentiment of nation
atty had led to the adoption of the
constitution, and the lack of it was
evident now as heretofore. That some
leaders contemplated desaration is I'M
doubted, but they did not express their
views publicly, and there is no proof
that a general sentiment favored it.
In the north the opposition to the en-
barge was naturally the strongest.
Commerce was interfered with, and
England actually benefited. The re-
publicans did not waver in their cause,
and the merchants were obliged to
submit. The presidential election
came, and Madison was chosen by
a large majority over Pinckney, the
federal candidate. Jefferson's last
message supported the embargo, and
the republicans made its provisions
even more stringent. Finally a part
of the republicans broke away and
joined the federalists in passing reso-
lutions raising the embargo. Nonin-
tercourse with Great Britain was SUBJ
stituted, and trouble in adjusting af-
fairs with that country was SO great
that wal was declared, against the Bit
ter opposition of the federalists. A
clear analysis was given by the lect-
urer of the arguments for and against
the war, and the course of patries
through the wal described, showing
that their attitude did not change. The
opposition finally culm 'ated in the
Hartford convention, the charges
against which-that its designs were
treasonable-are not sustained, as its
purposes were openly proclaimed.
The convention certainly urgued with
great force against disunion. The con-
duct of its members was not strongly
loyal, but it was not reasonable. I'm
fortunately for their reputation with
succeeding generations, the conduct of
the members can not be commended.
Their work was useless and Intellectual.
In one respect the federalists were
superior to their opponents. They did
not indulge in ~vituperation, but used
calm discussion. They were conscien-
tious, and claimed to be law-abiding
citizens, protesting against those who
were working their country's ruin.
The opposition was not 10 calm and
dignifed, but was in a constant state
of evaporation and excitement, and
the republican editors INDUCED in the
most bitter attacks. The political vic
tory in this struggle rested with the
republicans Cor democrats, as they be-
gan to be called), and the result was
the death OF the federal party. From
the time of Monroe's election it died
by inches, the deserved penalty of a
great political mistake, though, to do
the party justice, its logical position
was good. Strangely enough, in de-
stroying the federal party, the war
brought about that for which the party
| had ariofad a lnualfu and