The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-26

|
| the Humane society"
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was the
minister TO England, England had sent
| no minister TO the United States.
| Pinckney received a batch of orders
and instructions In 1911, by which he
was directed, In case no minister had
been sent from the English court to
| America. to ask for his passports and
come home. No minister had been ap-
| pointed, and Pinckney wrote for an
audience of leave, assigning his rea-
son. Within two days Augustus j.
Foster had been named as minister
from England to the United states of
| America. Pinckney did not then need
| leave; but he felt his dignity as the
! representative of the American nation
had been compromised, and he wrote
asking Lord Wellesley what Foster
was going to do in America Was he
to seek to restore harmony between the
two nations? Was he to announce the
| repeal of the "orders in council?" Was
he to end the blockade, or settle the
| Chesapeake affair, or do such other
necessary things as might make the
two nations friends?
ASsH.ATIONS SEVERED.
1t sounded like an ultimatum. and
| the kings minister said Mo- So
| Pinckney followed Monroe back to the
| United States. 1t was the first and last
| time in the history of our country
where an American minister quilted
London in a hostile and threatening
manner.
That was in 1911. Henry Clay,
| speaker of the house, idol of the
young Americans" loved as Blaine
| was loved later, had much to do with
forcing affairs. Madison was carried
| along on the current of events he
| could not control, and June l he sent
a long message to congress, reciting
| the grievances against England since
| 1903, in which he included the melting
| of Indians to attack American settlers
and left the whole matter to the two
| houses
The house on the very same day
| adopted a war declaration, and 1t was
sent to the senate. That body was
more deliberate, and it was not util
June 49, 1912, that the bill went to Pres
ident Madison. But he signed it the
| same day, and war was declared.
OF the battles that followed it is not
| the purpose of the present writer to
| speak. But the army was generally
ineffective. Hull lost Detroit and Har-
| rison did no more than hold his ground.
| Canada was not captured. The Brit
ish invaded the very heart of the coun-
try, possessed the Chesapeake Bay, as
cended the Potomac river, defeated the
Americans at Bladensburg, and cap
tured Washington City, burning a
number of public and many private
buildings. Mrs. Madison-the loved
Dolly" Madison of that era-escaped
with her servants from the presidential
mansion, carrying the precious dec
laration of independence and keeping
1t safely until the Americans could re-
turn to the capital. A damage of some
81, 100000 was inflicted on the city and
| shipping. Willingly" said an English
newspaper of the day-the Statesman
would we draw veil of oblivion ov-
er our transactions at Washington.
The Cossacks spared Paris. but we
spared not even the capital Of Amer
ica." But it is not easy to see why the
act should be called infamous, as 1t
was. That was war.
The British pushed on toward Balti-
more, but were finally repulsed, and
Ross the commander, was killed.
SUCCESS OF THE NAVY.
But the navy won the struggle that
began in 1912. Jacob Jones, Isaac Hull,
Stephen Decatur. James Lawrence and
Oliver II. Perry won fame and national
victory. Lawrence, after a splendid
career, lost his life with his vessel
the historic Chesapeake-but gave to
the world the motto Don't give up
the ship" Perry drove the British
from the lakes, prevented invasion
from Canada, and enriched our lam
guage with the sentence: I'VE have
met the enemy and they are ours"
Jackson alone on land accomplished
a decisive victory. 1t was at New Or
leans and the pick of Welington's
peninsular army was humbled and
routed. But it was after peace had
been arranged-though neither he nor
Packenham knew it, and its sole effect
was moral one, though that, of
course, had it's value. The war was
ended by the treaty of Client, Dec. "a,
1915. And the United States even then
had compelled England to recede not
one iota from the ancient claim of right
to search and seize" But the Fright"
has not since been exercised.
In 1916 the war with Mexico was de-
clared in somewhat different manner.
The Americans had advanced into ter
ritory long occupied by Mexico. Two
battles had been fought, both of which
we had won. James X. Polk, who was
then president, was resolved on a war
with Mexico, and May IL. 1916, war was
formally declared, he alleging that
by the act of the republic of Mexico
state of war exists between that gov
ernment and the United States"
The sister republic" was conquered,
our troops winning almost every bat
tie, and against odds, but the fruits of
victory, that whole priceless territory
north of the Rio Grande-including
New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah,
Idaho, and California-was secured to
the United States only in consideration
of purchase. The sum of $4,000, 900
was paid for it. and the treaty was
proclaimed July 4, 1s4s.
WITH THE BARBARY POWERS,
Going back to the war with the Bar
barry powers, which preceded the war
of 1912, another method Is observed.
In that case the Bey of Tripoli being
dissatisfied with the fruits of black
mail which he, with the other pirate
nations of North Africa, levied against
all nations, declared war against
America, June 10. 1901 But after his
ships had been sunk and his towns